A YOUNG TEA MERCHANT. 271 quantity of the requisite articles, such as cups, tea, sugar, and fuel, he left service, hired a little garret, and became a regular attendant at one of the native schools.

As soon as his lessons were over, he would rush off to his room, fetch his teapot, and go the round of the carriage-stands in the European quarter, crying, TcJiai! tcJiai (''Tea! tea!"), and so generally earned more than enough to cover the day's expenses. His relations in Cairo were at a loss to imagine how he maintained himself ; for they knew he had left service, and spent his days in school. His great delight was to go to an uncle who was a grocer, living in the native quarter, to buy some provisions, and listen to the inquiries as to how he lived, and where he got money enough to pay for his lodging and education ; but he kept his secret, and never ventured into that quarter to sell his tea.

At length some of his schoolfellows, meeting him on his evening rounds, told their master, who was so struck with the boy's perseverance, that he gave him permission to bring his teapot into school with him ; where, in addition to what he sold in the streets, the boys bought from him ; and some of them, being sons of well-to-do people, would pay him a trifle more than what he asked outside. After leaving school, he entered the service of Sir Samuel and Lady Baker, and went with them up the White Nile to the lakes, on the expedition Sir Samuel describes in his book, " Ismailia." On their return he obtained a place for him in the late Khedive's private dispensary ; and, on his abdication, Suleiman followed him to Naples, where he remained for some time in the same employ.

At length, being, to use his own expression, "gusted" with the people in Naples ; and, as a Mahometan, living in constant dread of eating pig's flesh in some form or other in his food, he returned to Cairo, and again entered into service. His master,