Thereforeitisrefreshingtolearnnow，severalmonthsaftertheabovenarrativewaswritten，thatanothermanreceivedallthecreditofthisrescueofthecolonists。Suchislife。AlexandriawastoomuchlikeaEuropeancitytobenovel，andwesoontiredofit。WetookthecarsandcameupheretoancientCairo，whichisanOrientalcityandofthecompletestpattern。Thereislittleaboutittodisabuseone\'smindoftheerrorifheshouldtakeitintohisheadthathewasintheheartofArabia。Statelycamelsanddromedaries，swarthyEgyptians，andlikewiseTurksandblackEthiopians，turbaned，sashed，andblazinginarichvarietyofOrientalcostumesofallshadesofflashycolors，arewhatoneseesoneveryhandcrowdingthenarrowstreetsandthehoneycombedbazaars。WearestoppingatShepherd\'sHotel，whichistheworstonearthexcepttheoneIstoppedatonceinasmalltownintheUnitedStates。Itispleasanttoreadthissketchinmynote—book，now，andknowthatIcanstandShepherd\'sHotel，sure，becauseIhavebeeninonejustlikeitinAmericaandsurvived:IstoppedattheBentonHouse。Itusedtobeagoodhotel，butthatprovesnothing——Iusedtobeagoodboy，forthatmatter。Bothofushavelostcharacteroflateyears。TheBentonisnotagoodhotel。
TheBentonlacksaverygreatdealofbeingagoodhotel。PerditionisfullofbetterhotelsthantheBenton。ItwaslateatnightwhenIgotthere，andItoldtheclerkIwouldlikeplentyoflights，becauseIwantedtoreadanhourortwo。
WhenIreachedNo。15withtheporter（wecamealongadimhallthatwascladinancientcarpeting，faded，wornoutinmanyplaces，andpatchedwitholdscrapsofoilcloth——ahallthatsankunderone\'sfeet，andcreakeddismallytoeveryfootstep，）hestruckalight——twoinchesofsallow，sorrowful，consumptivetallowcandle，thatburnedblue，andsputtered，andgotdiscouragedandwentout。Theporterlititagain，andIaskedifthatwasallthelighttheclerksent。Hesaid，\"Ohno，I\'vegotanotheronehere，\"andheproducedanothercoupleofinchesoftallowcandle。Isaid，\"Lightthemboth——I\'llhavetohaveonetoseetheotherby。\"Hedidit，buttheresultwasdrearierthandarknessitself。Hewasacheery，accommodatingrascal。
Hesaidhewouldgo\"somewheres\"andstealalamp。Iabettedandencouragedhiminhiscriminaldesign。Iheardthelandlordgetafterhiminthehalltenminutesafterward。\"Whereareyougoingwiththatlamp？\"\"Fifteenwantsit，sir。\"\"Fifteen！whyhe\'sgotadoublelotofcandles——doesthemanwanttoilluminatethehouse？——doeshewanttogetupatorch—lightprocession？——whatisheupto，anyhow？\"\"Hedon\'tlikethemcandles——sayshewantsalamp。\"\"Whywhatinthenationdoes——whyIneverheardofsuchathing？
Whatonearthcanhewantwiththatlamp？\"\"Well，heonlywantstoread——that\'swhathesays。\"\"Wantstoread，doeshe？——ain\'tsatisfiedwithathousandcandles，buthastohavealamp！——Idowonderwhatthedevilthatfellowwantsthatlampfor？Takehimanothercandle，andthenif——\"\"Buthewantsthelamp——sayshe\'llburnthed——doldhousedownifhedon\'tgetalamp！\"（aremarkwhichInevermade。）\"I\'dliketoseehimatitonce。Well，youtakeitalong——butIswearitbeatsmytime，though——andseeifyoucan\'tfindoutwhatintheverynationhewantswiththatlamp。\"AndhewentoffgrowlingtohimselfandstillwonderingandwonderingovertheunaccountableconductofNo。15。Thelampwasagoodone，butitrevealedsomedisagreeablethings——abedinthesuburbsofadesertofroom——abedthathadhillsandvalleysinit，andyou\'dhavetoaccommodateyourbodytotheimpressionleftinitbythemanthatslepttherelast，beforeyoucouldliecomfortably;acarpetthathadseenbetterdays;amelancholywashstandinaremotecorner，andadejectedpitcheronitsorrowingoverabrokennose;alooking—glasssplitacrossthecentre，whichchoppedyourheadoffatthechinandmadeyoulooklikesomedreadfulunfinishedmonsterorother;thepaperpeelinginshredsfromthewalls。Isighedandsaid:\"Thisischarming;andnowdon\'tyouthinkyoucouldgetmesomethingtoread？\"Theportersaid，\"Oh，certainly;theoldman\'sgotdeadloadsofbooks;\"andhewasgonebeforeIcouldtellhimwhatsortofliteratureIwouldratherhave。Andyethiscountenanceexpressedtheutmostconfidenceinhisabilitytoexecutethecommissionwithcredittohimself。Theoldmanmadeadescentonhim。\"Whatareyougoingtodowiththatpileofbooks？\"\"Fifteenwants\'em，sir。\"\"Fifteen，isit？He\'llwantawarming—pan，next——he\'llwantanurse！Takehimeverythingthereisinthehouse——takehimthebar—keeper——takehimthebaggage—wagon——takehimachamber—maid！Confoundme，Ineversawanythinglikeit。Whatdidhesayhewantswiththosebooks？\"\"Wantstoread\'em，likeenough;itain\'tlikelyhewantstoeat\'em，Idon\'treckon。\"\"Wantstoread\'em——wantstoread\'emthistimeofnight，theinfernallunatic！Well，hecan\'thavethem。\"\"Buthesayshe\'smor\'lyboundtohave\'em;hesayshe\'lljustgoa—rairin\'anda—chargin\'throughthishouseandraisemore——well，there\'snotellin\'whathewon\'tdoifhedon\'tget\'em;becausehe\'sdrunkandcrazyanddesperate，andnothing\'llsoothehimdownbutthemcussedbooks。\"