4i8 THE STORY OF THE KHEDIVATE.

European coalition, the proposed State would be of too small dimensions to constitute an effective military barrier between two powerful Empires. This objection was answered as follows : — " It goes without saying that Germany would have to allow the left bank of the Rhine to be incorporated in the new neutral State ; otherwise, France would never be satisfied with the arrangement proposed."

In other words, France, according to my informant, who knew her well, would attach little value to the emancipation of her lost provinces from German rule, unless this emancipation was effected in such a way as to inflict an humiliation upon Germany. Ii this is so, it is intelligible why France has repeatedly refused to avail herself of various opportunities to secure England to withdraw from Egypt, because the mode of our withdrawal was one which we could have accepted without humiliation. As a matter of fact, England owes her present commanding position in Egypt more to the susceptibility of France than to any other single cause.