“That is right,” said he. “When will you reach Cairo?”
“It depends on the wind; but I hope in seven days from now.”
The boy again whispered to the schoolmaster, but presently they both nodded, as if satisfied, and nothing more was said on the subject.
Some sherbet (which is nothing but lemonade flavored with rose-water) and pomegranates were then brought to me, and the boy asked whether I would not honor him by remaining during the rest of the day. If I had not seen his face, I should have supposed I was visiting a man,—so dignified and self-possessed and graceful was the little fellow. The people looked on as if they were quite accustomed to such mature manners in children. I was obliged to use as much ceremony with the child as if he had been the governor of the town. But he interested me, nevertheless, and I felt curious to know the subject of his consultation with the schoolmaster. I was sure they were forming some plan to have the Pasha recalled from exile.
After two or three hours I left, in order to overtake my boat, which was slowly working its way down the Nile. The boy arose, and walked by my side to the end of the town, the other people following us. When we came out upon the plain, he took leave of me with the same salutations, and the words, “May God grant your Excellency a prosperous journey!”
“May God grant it!” I responded; and all the people repeated, “May God grant it!”
The whole interview seemed to me like a scene out of the Arabian Nights. To me it was a pretty, picturesque experience, which cannot be forgotten; to the people, no doubt, it was an every day matter.
When I reached Cairo, I delivered the other letter, and in a fortnight afterwards left Egypt; so that I could not ascertain, at the time, whether anything had been done to forward the Pasha’s hopes. Some months afterwards, however, I read in a European newspaper, quite accidentally, that Rufah Pasha had returned to Egypt from Khartoum. I was delighted with the news; and I shall always believe, and insist upon it, that the Pasha’s wise and dignified little son had a hand in bringing about the fortunate result.