We should not be surprised if another coup de the'atre
were in store for the country. Lord Salisbury has been closeted with M. Waddington, the Italian Ministry has been explaining about Tunis, the Fanfulla makes assertions about Egypt which are denied from Paris, but reiterated by the paper, and all the usual signs point to plans like these :—The Foreign Office has bought some new authority in Egypt ; the French Government, though irritated and jealous, has agreed to certain terms, including some authority, financial apparently, in Tunis ; while Italy, which re- monstrated, has been promised "compensation." Whether the plan is mature or whether serious hitches have occurred very re- cently is uncertain—and of course the Foreign Office has not yet given outside clerks anything important to copy—but no other theory will fit the visible facts. The country will, of course, be submissive when Jabaster waves his wand, and the annexation of Shoe or Timbuctoo would just now delight the Clubs. We would only humbly suggest that if we are to do anything in Egypt, the Queen should not be made a tributary vassal of the Khedive. It is degradation enough for a House that rules England to stand in that position towards the Sultan.
