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2 February 1912 — Luxor | |
Friday. 2nd [February 1912]. This being our last day here we went out in the morning. The sandstorm had abated. It had raged most of the night & the air was full of dust as a fog. We looked into the Winter P. Hotel to bid goodbye to Mrs Barton & Mr Whymper & then we took a boat & went across to the Dahabeeyah Bedouin to take leave of Mrs Andrews & “the gurls.” We are really very sorry to leave them, they have been so kind & friendly with us & had asked us to dine with them tomorrow wh now we cannot do. We went back to our hotel for lunch. Afternoon we went to tea with the Masperos on their dahabeeyah & met all the society & added to that Mr Menier the great French chocolate maker & now a senator—a nice looking man & pleasant with a hearty manner. After sitting some time talking after tea we all walked to the village & Mme Maspero helped me to buy small necklaces & trifles to carry away. These ladies had all bought of the Venetian bead necklaces that I make & sell for the benefit of the Hospital at Venice & I harvested over £10. After dinner Eda & I drove off to Karnak to the house of the Legrains who conducted us into the temple to see it by moonlight. It is a magnificent thing, & one which every time fills one with wonder– The deep but transparent shadows & the contrast of light is extraordinary. By this light the ruin seems to disappear & one fancies one sees the temple as it was in all its glory. M. Legrain explained the different places—con amore—so proud is he of having brought the different parts of it to light. Unhappily he is under the displeasure of M. Maspero his chief—which is a great trouble to him. He is bent on writing all his griefs to me so that I may show his letter to Lord Kitchener. It is a question of jealousy in wh Maspero belittles his own self. Legrain tells me that M. Menier had been to him to say that he had told Maspero that he is ready to give 5000 frs to pay for the publication of Legrain’s book—a book Maspero has always declared cannot be published for want of funds. I had thought that M. Maspero looked very depressed at tea this afternoon– The offers had just been made to him. Menier had also told him that everyone looked to Legrain as being Maspero’s successor when he retired in 4 years! We took leave of the Legrains with regret– I especially like her. She is good simple & intelligent. The moon was brilliant as daylight. | |
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