An Unprotected Female at the Pyramids | Page 2

irritated M. Delabordeau not a little--nevertheless, some
measure of friendship had grown up between them.
There was also an American gentleman, Mr. Jefferson Ingram, who
was comprising all countries and all nations in one grand tour, as
American gentlemen so often do. He was young and good-looking, and
had made himself especially agreeable to Mr. Damer, who had declared,
more than once, that Mr. Ingram was by far the most rational American
he had ever met. Mr. Ingram would listen to Mr. Damer by the
half-hour as to the virtue of the British Constitution, and had even sat
by almost with patience when Mr. Damer had expressed a doubt as to
the good working of the United States' scheme of policy,--which, in an
American, was most wonderful. But some of the sojourners at
Shepheard's had observed that Mr. Ingram was in the habit of talking
with Miss Damer almost as much as with her father, and argued from
that, that fond as the young man was of politics, he did sometimes turn
his mind to other things also.
And then there was Miss Dawkins. Now Miss Dawkins was an
important person, both as to herself and as to her line of life, and she
must be described. She was, in the first place, an unprotected female of
about thirty years of age. As this is becoming an established profession,
setting itself up as it were in opposition to the old world idea that
women, like green peas, cannot come to perfection without supporting-
sticks, it will be understood at once what were Miss Dawkins's
sentiments. She considered--or at any rate so expressed herself--that

peas could grow very well without sticks, and could not only grow thus
unsupported, but could also make their way about the world without
any incumbrance of sticks whatsoever. She did not intend, she said, to
rival Ida Pfeiffer, seeing that she was attached in a moderate way to bed
and board, and was attached to society in a manner almost more than
moderate; but she had no idea of being prevented from seeing anything
she wished to see because she had neither father, nor husband, nor
brother available for the purpose of escort. She was a human creature,
with arms and legs, she said; and she intended to use them. And this
was all very well; but nevertheless she had a strong inclination to use
the arms and legs of other people when she could make them
serviceable.
In person Miss Dawkins was not without attraction. I should exaggerate
if I were to say that she was beautiful and elegant; but she was good
looking, and not usually ill mannered. She was tall, and gifted with
features rather sharp and with eyes very bright. Her hair was of the
darkest shade of brown, and was always worn in bandeaux, very neatly.
She appeared generally in black, though other circumstances did not
lead one to suppose that she was in mourning; and then, no other
travelling costume is so convenient! She always wore a dark broad-
brimmed straw hat, as to the ribbons on which she was rather particular.
She was very neat about her gloves and boots; and though it cannot be
said that her dress was got up without reference to expense, there can
be no doubt that it was not effected without considerable outlay,--and
more considerable thought.
Miss Dawkins--Sabrina Dawkins was her name, but she seldom had
friends about her intimate enough to use the word Sabrina--was
certainly a clever young woman. She could talk on most subjects, if not
well, at least well enough to amuse. If she had not read much, she never
showed any lamentable deficiency; she was good-humoured, as a rule,
and could on occasions be very soft and winning. People who had
known her long would sometimes say that she was selfish; but with
new acquaintance she was forbearing and self-denying.
With what income Miss Dawkins was blessed no one seemed to know.

She lived like a gentlewoman, as far as outward appearance went, and
never seemed to be in want; but some people would say that she knew
very well how many sides there were to a shilling, and some enemy had
once declared that she was an "old soldier." Such was Miss Dawkins.
She also, as well as Mr. Ingram and M. Delabordeau, had laid herself
out to find the weak side of Mr. Damer. Mr. Damer, with all his family,
was going up the Nile, and it was known that he had room for two in
his boat over and above his own family. Miss Dawkins had told him
that she had not quite made up her mind to undergo so great a fatigue,
but that, nevertheless, she had a longing of the soul to see something of