Madame Pfeiffer preferred her complaint, threatening to leave his house
and seek shelter elsewhere,--well knowing that the Arabs consider this a
great disgrace. He immediately ordered his wife to desist, and the
traveller was at peace. "I always succeeded," says Madame Pfeiffer, "in
obtaining my own will. I found that energy and boldness influence all
people, whether Arabs, Persians, Bedaween, or others." But for this
strong will, this indomitable resolution, Madame Pfeiffer assuredly could
not have succeeded in the enterprises she so daringly undertook. Even
for a man to have accomplished them would have earned our praise; what
shall we not say when they were conceived and carried out by a woman?

Towards evening, she says, to her great delight a caldron of mutton was
set on the fire. For eight days she had eaten nothing but bread,
cucumbers, and some dates; and therefore had a great desire for a hot and
more nutritious meal. But her appetite was greatly diminished when she
saw their style of cookery. The old woman (her guide's mother) threw
several handfuls of small grain, and a large quantity of onions, into a
panful of water to soften. In about half an hour she thrust her dirty
hands into the water, and mixed the whole together, now and then taking a
mouthful, and after chewing it, spitting it back again into the pan. Then
she took a dirty rag, strained through it the delicate mixture, and
poured it over the meat in the larger vessel. Madame Pfeiffer had firmly
resolved not to touch the dish, but when it was ready her longing for
food was so great, and so savoury was the smell, that she reflected that
what she had already eaten was probably not a whit cleaner; in short, for
once she proved false to her resolution. Eating, she was filled; and the
viands gave her increased strength.

* * * * *