The officers, sons of the Arabs, unanimously protested this treatment, so he chose a night when the Quran would be recited in his house, to be attended by Dīn Pasha on the occasion of his return from Mecca in Safar of the year 1300 AH.

Ahmad Urabi said, narrating the events himself, and he was among those invited.

When I arrived at the host's house, I found it crowded with military dignitaries and others. I was next to the late Jib Bek, who was of Kurdish origin, and beside him was the late Ismail Pasha al-Fariq, who was of Circassian origin, but he pretended to love justice and fairness. So Jib Bek informed me of what had happened.

He said that he had advised the Minister of War to disregard this injustice, but he was angry and disturbed. Then he was instructed to inform me of what he had heard from him. So Jib Bek informed me of the truth of the matter in a whisper.

He said, "Yes, and I gave orders to 'Awni Rafqi to act accordingly." I said to Ismail Pasha Kamil, "Is this true? That amount is too large." I said to him, "The scribes are to act according to it." The Minister of War is unable to bear it. After the banquet, one of the officers approached me and informed me that many officers were waiting for me at my house, including Abd al-Baqi Bek Hilmi and 'Awni Bek Fahmi. So I hurried to them. They were in great agitation, as they had heard of the issuance of the Minister of War's orders before they reached them. When they saw me, they informed me of what they had heard from the late Ismail Pasha Kamil. I said, "Has it been sold from you? If you want..." They said, "Not only that, but the shareholders of the Khosrow Pasha al-Fariq company, young and old, have gathered at my house. Every night they discuss the history of the Mamluk state, the appearance of 'Awni Rafqi Pasha, and they curse your party, saying the time has come to reclaim our property." They do not know, due to their ignorance, and they think they are capable of reclaiming Egypt and possessing it as those Mamluks did. They have realized that. So I said to them, "What do you want then?" They said, "We have come to seek your opinion on the great calamity that has befallen us." I said, "I see that you should calm yourselves, be patient, rely on your leaders, and entrust them with looking after your interests." Then they will elect a president from among them whom they trust completely and obey his orders and protect him from your opposition. They said to me, "We entrust the matter to you, and there is no one among us more deserving or capable of it than you." I said, "No... look for someone else, and I will assist him and advise him with all my might." They said, "We do not seek anyone but you, and we trust no one but you." I said, "Then withdraw, for this is a difficult matter that the government cannot bear to kill whoever undertakes it or calls for it." They said, "We will sacrifice ourselves for you and for the homeland." I said, "Swear to me that." They swore. Immediately, I wrote a petition to the Prime Minister, Riad Pasha, complaining about the appointment of 'Awni Rafqi to his own kind, and the injustice to the rights of patriots, and I requested in it...