"How much of Egypt I've seen, the Egypt where more men get lost, strayed,
and stolen than die in their beds every day, the Egypt where a eunuch is
more powerful than a minister, where an official will toss away a life as
I'd toss this cigar down there where the last Mameluke captain made his
great jump, where women--Lord A'mighty! where women are divorced by one
evil husband, by the dozen, for nothing they ever did or left undone,
and yet 'd be cut to pieces by their own fathers if they learned that
'To step aside is human--' Mr. Claridge, of that Egypt I don't know much
more'n would entitle me to say, How d'ye do. But it's enough for me.
You've seen something--eh?"

"A little. It is not civilised life here. Yet--yet a few strong
patriotic men--"

Lacey looked quizzically at David.

"Say," he said, "I thought that about Mexico once. I said Manana--
this Manana is the curse of Mexico. It's always to-morrow--to-morrow
--to-morrow. Let's teach 'em to do things to-day. Let's show 'em what
business means. Two million dollars went into that experiment, but
Manana won. We had good hands, but it had the joker. After five years
I left, with a bald head at twenty-nine, and a little book of noble
thoughts--Tips for the Tired, or Things you can say To-day on what you
can do to-morrow. I lost my hair worrying, but I learned to be patient.
The Dagos wanted to live in their own way, and they did. It's one thing
to be a missionary and say the little word in season; it's another to
run your soft red head against a hard stone wall. I went to Mexico a
conquistador, I left it a child of time, who had learned to smile; and
I left some millions behind me, too. I said to an old Padre down there