after that we would smoke our narghilehs, and talk and talk and talk far
into the night, about things above, things on the earth, and things under
the earth. I shall never forget the scene on the housetop, backed as it
was by the sublime mountain, a strip of sand between it and us, and on
the other three sides was the view over Damascus and beyond the desert.
It was all wild, romantic, and solemn; and sometimes we would pause in
our conversation to listen to the sounds around us: the last call to
prayer on the minaret-top, the soughing of the wind through the mountain-
gorges, and the noise of the water-wheel in the neighbouring orchard.

I have said we smoked, and that included Lady Ellenborough and myself.
I must confess to the soft impeachment, despite insular prejudices; and
I would advise any woman who sojourns in the East to learn to smoke, if
she can. I am no admirer of a big cigar in a woman's mouth, or a short
clay; but I know of nothing more graceful or enjoyable than a cigarette,
and even more so in the narghileh, or even the chibouque, which, however,
is quite a man's pipe.

I must add that when we were in the East Richard and I made a point of
leading two lives. We were always thoroughly English in our Consulate,
and endeavoured to set an example of the way in which England should be
represented abroad, and in our official life we strictly conformed to
English customs and conventions; but when we were off duty, so to speak,
we used to live a great deal as natives, and so obtained experience of
the inner Eastern life. Richard's friendship with the Mohammedans, and
his perfect mastery of the Arabic and Persian languages and literature,
naturally put him into intimate relations with the oriental authorities
and the Arab tribes, and he was always very popular among them, with
one exception, and that was the Turkish Wali, or Governor, aforesaid.
Richard was my guide in all things; and since he adapted himself to the