She had no intention of refusing, and the next morning she
went down to the ship, which was an Egyptian man-of-war, the _Senaar_.
It was to anchor off the coast until the expedition returned from the
desert, and then bring them back. The captain, who was astonished at
her turning up, received her with honour. All hands were piped on deck,
and a guard and everything provided for her. Notwithstanding their
courtesy, Isabel's woman's instinct told her that she was a most
unwelcome guest--far more unwelcome than she had anticipated. She
saw at once that the situation was impossible, and prepared to beat
a graceful retreat. So, after looking round the quarters prepared
for her, she thanked the captain and officers exceedingly for their
courtesy, and explained, to their evident relief, that she would not
trouble them after all. She returned to the town, took some small
rooms at the Suez Hotel, and applied herself to literary work. The
reason she gave as an excuse for her change of mind was that her
expedition would be too dangerous, as she would have to cross the
Red Sea in an open _sambuk_ with head-winds blowing, and then to find
her way alone across the desert upon a camel to Midian. The danger,
however, would hardly have weighed with her, for she was always
careless of her own safety. The real reason was that she was afraid
of injuring her husband's prospects with the Khedive.
She was at Suez some time.
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