CHAPTER XVIII DUFFERIN'S MISSION

*Broadley to Blunt, November 6th (in answer to his letter of November 2nd)*: "I entirely concur in all you say, and shall exercise the greatest prudence. I am completing a perfect case for defence, showing: "(1) Purity, honesty of Arabi's inspirations. "(2) Perfect concurrence of Tewfik till July 12. "(3) Perfect concurrence of the Sultan throughout. "(4) Universality of the movement. "(5) Wholly illegal constitution of the Court Martial. "(6) Absurdity of the white flag (on which subject Napier has secured A 1 deposition from Lambton). "(7) Abnormal humanitarian character of Arabi. "(8) Abnormal iniquity of all proceedings until our arrival. "(9) Torture of prisoners. "(10) Letters from Tewfik to Constantinople against England. "(11) Systematic falsification of the 'Moniteur.' "Shall demand release of all the accused. *Keep this private.* "Now all I fear is the enormous expense of a protracted trial of eight or nine months. Arabi *alone* calls 400 witnesses.... I spend freely. I entertain the correspondents. I have wheedled the 'Egyptian Gazette' into being our special organ. I have turned public opinion here quite in favour of Arabi. We are obliged to employ a dozen interpreters at salaries varying from £1 to £2 10*s.* a week.... My absence from Tunis means utter loss of *all* there. All my pending cases have been given up, including some of great magnitude. Bourke will tell you I have one retainer alone of £250 a year, and another of £100.... I hope you will take all this into consideration.... I only say I believe all will depend on liberal if not lavish expenditure. Remember we have every one against us, and people don't work without a reward here.... An Arabi fund should be raised. The nine months' Tichborne trial is a specimen. But I don't think we should exceed *one-tenth* of that at the worst.... All I say hinges on expenses. Don't think of me but only of incidental expenses.... I work sixteen hours a day.... Napier is invaluable."