noon
It is not actually dangerous , nor is it actually wise , to visit the stupendous ruins of Egypt alone at night . The native has far too good an eye to business to lurk behind obelisk or column with intent to spring out and demand the purse of any stray unit of the cosmopolitan hordes which bring such wealth in the winter months to the land of the Pharaohs . Rather not ! Far greater joy for him at full noon is palming off upon your guileless self the spurious scarab at a price 300 % above its intrinsic worth . Incidents of that kind do not occur in the great tourist centres -- though worse , far worse happens to the foolhardy or featherheaded in the by-paths and hidden corners of this mysterious land -- but if you have the vision , the terrible silence of the Past , the supreme indifference of the great ruins to the passage of Time , the wonderful repose of the mighty blocks of stone piled in the days of the great Pharaohs , are apt to give a thrill to your heart and an impression to your mind which may last a lifetime . If you have not the vision you need not worry , for you will not want to wander from the hotel lounge after your coffee to traverse these ancient wastes . Damaris had spent the last fortnight in helping her godmother prepare for her tedious journey .