THE BEGINNING OF A NEW ERA. 113 sent on a mission to Constantinople, and subsequently to Europe, Nubar, though not yet of age, was selected to accompany the Prince as secretary. Ibrahim was already subject to the fits of depression and ungovernable passion which preceded his actual insanity. I have often heard Nubar tell the story of how, when on one occasion the Prince and his staff had started on their return to Egypt from the Bosphorus, the Turkish captain warned the Christian members of the staff that the Prince had confided to him his intention of having them all put to death during the voyage. To their remark, that of course he could not carry out the commands of a madman, the captain answered, " What the Prince orders, it is my duty to execute, greatly as I should deplore the necessity."

He suggested, however, that the best way of averting their fate, was to keep Ibrahim constantly in conversation during the remainder of the voyage, so as to hinder his thoughts from dwelling on his insane delusion that everybody around him was conspiring against his life. The advice was taken, and for three days and nights Nubar remained shut up in the Prince s cabin talking and reading to him without interruption, save for the few intervals when the Prince fell asleep, but never allowing his own eyes to close, and thus being always at hand to resume his task. On reaching Alexandria, he was so prostrated by physical fatigue and mental strain, that he was carried on shore senseless. One of his chief occupations, as secretary, seems to have been to read to Ibrahim at night, when I