the treasury from so rich a land as Egypt. And yet not a single dinar of
your taxes finds its way into my own coffers. I keep a hundred and fifty
thousand laborers at work to restore the canals and waterworks which my
predecessors, the blood-sucking Byzantines, neglected so disgracefully
and left to fall to ruin--I build, and plan, and sow seed for posterity
to reap. All this costs money. It swallows up the lion's share of the
revenue. And I am making the journey, not merely to purge myself from
reproach, but to obtain Omar's permission for the future to exact no
extortionate payments, but to consider only the true weal of the
province. I am most unwilling to go, for a thousand reasons; and you,
young man, if you care for your native land, ought .... Do you really
love it and wish it well?"

"With all my soul!" cried Orion.

"Well then, at this time, if by any possibility you can arrange it so,
you ought to remain at home, and devote yourself heart and soul to the
task I have to propose to you. I hate postponements. Ride straight at
the foe, and do not canter up and down till you tire the horses! that is
my principle, and not in battle only. Take the moral to heart!--And you
will have no time to waste; what I require is no light matter: It is that
you should endeavor to sketch a new division of the districts, drawing on
your own knowledge of the country and its inhabitants, and using the
records and lists in the archives of your ancient government-offices,
of which your father has told me; you must have special regard to the
financial condition of each district. That the old mode of levying taxes
is unsatisfactory we find every day; you will have ample room for
improvements in every respect. Overthrow the existing arrangements, if
you consider it necessary. Other men have attempted to redistribute the
divisions and devise new modes of collecting the revenue. The best