undertaking my journey to the stable, which was at some distance
from the part of the building in which I was quartered, and I don't
know that I ever thought of the matter afterwards until my return
to England, when I saw Lamartine's eye-witnessing account of the
horse saddled by the hands of his Maker!

When I returned to my apartment (which, as my hostess told me, was
the only one in the whole building that kept out the rain) her
ladyship sent to say that she would be glad to receive me again. I
was rather surprised at this, for I had understood that she reposed
during the day, and it was now little later than noon. "Really,"
said she, when I had taken my seat and my pipe, "we were together
for hours last night, and still I have heard nothing at all of my
old friends; now DO tell me something of your dear mother and her
sister; I never knew your father--it was after I left Burton
Pynsent that your mother married." I began to make slow answer,
but my questioner soon went off again to topics more sublime, so
that this second interview, which lasted two or three hours, was
occupied by the same sort of varied discourse as that which I have
been describing.

In the course of the afternoon the captain of an English man-of-war
arrived at Djoun, and her ladyship determined to receive him for
the same reason as that which had induced her to allow my visit,
namely, an early intimacy with his family. I and the new visitor,
who was a pleasant, amusing person, dined together, and we were
afterwards invited to the presence of my lady, with whom we sat
smoking and talking till midnight. The conversation turned
chiefly, I think, upon magical science. I had determined to be off
at an early hour the next morning, and so at the end of this