252 THE STORY OF THE KHEDIVATE.

/fellaheen hated military service, and were only too \ glad to get back to their villages. But this reduction J of the army by nearly two-thirds of its effective force y entailed the retirement of some two officers out of \ every three, and to the officers, as a body, the loss ) of their commission involved the loss of income and Vocial position. Then, too, when the new Khedive, as I have mentioned, began to set his father's domestic affairs in order, with the view of bringing down his household expenditure to a reasonable amount, he found himself saddled with the duty of making provision for any number of ladies of the Vice-regal hareni, who had been left behind when Ismail went into exile.

It had long been the custom to dispose of what I think may best be described as the surplus stock of the Vice-regal establishment, by giving the ladies, who had ceased to enjoy their husband's favour, in second marriage to civil and military officials in the public service. In the old days, these marriages were not unpopular, as they were commonly accompanied by wedding presents in the form of land or money; and, what was even more important, the possession of a wife connected with Court circles was regarded as a step towards promotion. But at the period when Tewfik resojved to distribute the unattached ladies of his predecessor's harem amongst the officers of the army, the case was different. The possession of a wife who had been bred or born within the walls of Abdin or Gesireh had become so common as to cease to be a distinction, while the wedding