He had always given me a pleasant smile and bow, with a cheerful "good morning" or whatever time of the day it was. I gathered that he was French.

As we were coming into port at Naples, I was leaning over the rail watching our approach. I was alone. I was not quite sure where Alice was. I became aware of him standing beside me.

"An exciting moment, is it not, Mademoiselle, coming into port?"

"Yes, indeed it is," I answered. "I suppose one feels the excitement because it is all so new."

"I feel it ... and it is not new to me."

"Do you travel this way frequently?"

"Now and then ... yes."

"You are going to India?"

"No. I go as far as Suez."

"I believe we have to travel by land from Alexandria."

"That is so. A little ... lacking in comfort. How will you like that?"

"Everything is so new and exciting to me that I don't think I shall notice the discomfort."

"You are very philosophical, I see. And the ... older lady ... your sister perhaps?"

"Oh no."

"Not so? Then ..."

"We are travelling together. We are both taking up posts in India."

"That is interesting. May I ask ... ? But I am curious. It is just that on board ... well, the conventions do not apply in the same way. We are here together ... we are one family ... So I can be like the uncle ... the elder brother peut-etre."

"That is a pleasant suggestion."

"You have not made many friends yet."

"So many people seem to know each other already, and married couples drift together. I suppose it is unusual to find two women like us travelling alone."

"Refreshing, shall we say? Refreshing. Now I am going to ask you. Are you going ashore at Naples?"

"Well, I am not sure ... You see ..."

"I know. Two ladies alone. Now I am going to be very bold."

I raised my eyebrows.

"I am going to say this. Why do I not conduct you two ladies ashore? Two ladies to go ashore by themselves ..." He lifted his hands and gravely shook his head. "No ... no ... that is not good. These people, they say, 'Here come two ladies ... we will charge them more.' And perhaps there are other bad things they practise. No, no, ladies should not go ashore without protection. My dear young lady, I offer you that protection."

"That is good of you. I will speak to my friend."

"I shall be at your service," he replied.

At that moment I saw Alice. I called, "Alice, Monsieur Lasseur is kindly offering to escort us ashore."

Alice's eyes widened with pleasure. "What an excellent idea! I was wondering what we were going to do."

"Mademoiselle, the pleasure is mine." He looked at his watch. "Let us meet say ... in fifteen minutes. I think we shall be allowed to leave the ship then."

So that day in Naples was spent in the company of the gallant Frenchman. He talked to us a great deal. He was a widower and childless. He had interests in Egypt and would stay in Suez for some time on business.

He contrived to find out a certain amount about us. He had an intent way of listening that made us feel that what we had to say was of the utmost interest to him.

There was about him an air of authority. He shepherded us through the hordes of chattering people, among whom were countless small boys begging or trying to sell us articles. He waved them all aside.

"No, Miss Delany," he said, "I see you are feeling sorry for these piteous waifs, but believe me, they are professional beggars. I have heard that they do very well from gullible visitors."

"There is always a possibility that they may be as poor as they look."

He shook a finger at me. "Trust me," he said. "If you gave to one you would have them all round you like vultures, and you may be sure that while you were concerned with your almsgiving some little fingers would find their way into your pockets."

He hired a little carriage drawn by two small horses and we were driven through the town. Monsieur Lasseur obviously knew the place well, and as we drove under the shadow of the great mountain Vesuvius, he talked interestingly of its menace. We said we wondered why people continued to live so close to it.

"Ah," he replied, "they were born here. Where one's native land is ... that is where one wants to be ... except adventurous young ladies who would go to the other end of the earth."

"It is because their work takes them there," pointed out Alice.

"To India ... land of strange spices and unsolved mysteries."

Then he talked about Vesuvius and the great eruption that had destroyed cities like Pompeii and Herculaneum. He was interesting.

He took us to a restaurant and we sat outside under gaily coloured umbrellas and watched the people passing by. He encouraged us to talk, and I found myself telling him about the rectory and Lady Harriet and how I had been to a finishing school in France. Alice said little about herself and it suddenly occurred to me that he did not prompt her to do so, although he listened avidly to what I told him.

I thought perhaps I was talking too much, and made up my mind to ask Alice when we were alone if this had been so.

Finally it was time to return to the Oriental Queen. It had been a most enjoyable day.

I said to Alice when we were alone, "Do you think I talked too much?"

"He certainly encouraged you to."

"I noticed you said little about yourself."

"I thought he did not want to hear. It was you in whom he was interested."

"I wonder ... if he really is, or whether he was just being polite."

"Oh, there is no doubt that he was very interested in what you said, and yet ..."

"And yet what?"

"Oh ... just a thought. I am not sure that I trust him."

"In what way?"

"He seems a little speculative ..."

"I did not get the idea that he was the least bit ... flirtatious."

"No. That is what makes it rather odd."

"Oh, Alice, you are being dramatic. I think he is just a lonely man who wants companionship. He travels a great deal. He probably becomes friendly with people for a few weeks and then forgets all about them."

"H'm," said Alice, but she was rather thoughtful.

In due course we arrived at Alexandria, where we left the Oriental Queen, boarded a steam barge and sailed up the canal to Cairo.

Monsieur Lasseur had explained to us what would happen. We would spend one night in a hotel—preferably Shepheards —and from Cairo we would make our journey across the desert to Suez in a sort of covered wagon. These wagons were in constant use, carrying people to where they could embark on the next stage of the journey by sea.

It was very exciting to be on dry land after so much time at sea, and we were impressed by the grandeur of the hotel, which was unlike any we had seen. It appeared to be dark and shadowy, and silent-footed men in exotic robes glided about watching us intently with their darting dark eyes.

Monsieur Lasseur told us that there was a constant stream of travellers—mostly going to and from India.

From the moment we entered the hotel, I noticed the man. He was in European dress, and was tall and broad, which made him immediately noticeable. When we came into the hotel after leaving the carriage that had brought us there in the company of the other passengers who were taking the route to India, he seemed to be aware of us. He rose from the chair in which he had been sitting and came close to the desk, where we were being asked our names and informed about our sleeping quarters.

"Miss Philwright and Miss Delany," said the clerk at the desk. "Your room is on the first floor. It is small, but as you see we are very crowded. Here is your key."

The tall man was very close to us then. I wondered what he was doing there, as he was not one of our party. But Alice was pulling at my arm. "Come on," she said. "It's only for one night. We shall be leaving early in the morning."

Excited though I was, I slept well, and I was awakened very early next morning by Alice telling me it was time we got up.

The trip across the desert was to be made in those covered wagons, which were very much as Monsieur Lasseur had described them. They were drawn by four horses and we were told that there were several caravanserais in the desert where we could rest while the horses were changed. Six people rode in each wagon.

Monsieur Lasseur said, "Let us go together. I feel I must keep an eye on you two young ladies. I know from experience how uncomfortable these journeys can be. The drivers are very handy with their whips and their one aim seems to be to get the wagon to the caravanserai as quickly as possible. I am afraid you will find the journey somewhat exhausting."

"As I have already told you, Monsieur Lasseur, it is all so new to us that we are ready to face a little discomfort," I reminded him.

I shall never forget riding through Cairo in the early morning. The buildings looked mysterious in the half light. We passed elegant mosques, one of the palaces of the Khedive, and latticed houses which would have delighted Dougal, who would have seen the Saracen influence in their shadowy walls. Because it was so early the city had not sprung to life, which it would shortly do. I saw just a few donkeys led by small, barefooted boys. There was a hush over the place, but the sun was about to rise, and in the light of dawn Cairo looked like an enchanted city, as though it belonged in the Arabian nights. I could well imagine a loquacious Scheherazade entertaining her sultan behind the doors of some ancient palace.