Author: Bayle St. John

Publisher: Theclassics.Us

Published: 2013-09

Total Pages: 44

ISBN-13: 9781230444000

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can usually download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1856 edition. Excerpt: ... the secret of the well. Outside the gate of Sitt Zeyneb, leading from New Cairo to the old city, was a cluster of buildings that became celebrated in their day. They wore the aspect rather of a fortress than of the habitations of quiet peaceable people; and were principally occupied by sly Copts and very poor Muslims. The backs of the houses were turned towards the fields, and exhibited nothing but great bare walls with a few windows pierced high up. The fronts looked upon an irregular court and a few blind alleys, some of which were vaulted over. A low gateway, closed at night and in times of disturbance, admitted those who had business there from the dirty road. Other mode of ingress there was none; so that when, what you may call the little garrison was united, even collectors of taxes sometimes in vain demanded admittance. By agreement based on mutual interest, importunate creditors were either locked out by common consent; or, so ill-received, that they never cared to return again. The children, and the dogs, that lay together all day long on the only spot where the sun shone upon the court, were sufficient to worry an ordinary man to death. From time immemorial there had been a large house to let in this out-of-the-way place. The family to whom it belonged must have had some other good source of revenue; for generation after generation passed and no tenant appeared. Once every twenty years or so--probably when son succeeded to father--some one came from the city with the keys, went in, remained a little while, made inquiries about the salubrity of the place as if debating whether to live there or not, and went away with vague talk, never fulfilled, of returning. The neighbours, not very inquisitive people, had learned that the...