and an oatmeal cake, nothing being forthcoming.

In many ways our days at Bludan were the perfection of living. We used
to wake at dawn, make a cup of tea, and then sally forth accompanied
by the dogs, and take long walks over the mountains with our guns in
search of sport. The larger game were bears, gazelles, wolves, wild
boars, and a small leopard. The small game nearer home were partridges,
quail, and woodcock, with which we replenished our larder. I am fond
of sport; and, though I say it, I was not a bad shot in those days. The
hotter part of the day we spent indoors reading, writing, and studying
Arabic. At twelve we had our first meal, which served as breakfast and
luncheon, on the terrace. Sometimes in the afternoon native shaykhs or
people from Beyrout and Damascus would come and visit us. When the sun
became cooler, all the sick and poor within fifteen or sixteen miles
round would come to be doctored and tended. The hungry, the thirsty,
the ragged, the sick, and the sore filled our garden, and I used to
make it my duty and pleasure to be of some little use to them. I seldom
had fewer than fifteen patients a day, half of them with eye diseases,
and I acquired a considerable reputation as a doctor. We used to dine
at seven o'clock on the terrace. After dinner divans were spread on
the housetop, and we would watch the moon lighting up Hermon whilst the
after-dinner pipe was being smoked. A pianette from Damascus enabled
us to have a little music. Then I would assemble the servants, read
the night prayers to them, with a little bit of Scripture or of Thomas
a Kempis. The last thing was to go round the premises and see that
everything was right, and turn out the dogs on guard. And so to bed.
Richard used to ride down into Damascus every few days to see that all
was going well; so I was often left alone.

I must not linger too long over our life at Bludan. Mr. E. H. Palmer,