The new house in Harat al-Sakkayin was a great improvement. It was located on the western edge of the town, close to the olive groves that replaced the high mounds of garbage that used to run along that side of Cairo. It was exposed not to the noxious effluvia of the canal, but to the refreshing northwest wind. It was well away from the Frankish parts of town and always an important consideration for Lane. He worked steadily at Harat al-Sakkayin, sitting at his customized table, reference materials ready to hand, manuscripts spread all around him as he studied and collated their contents. The general arrangement of the house — gateway, courtyard, and mundarah on the ground floor, harem and family space on the upper ones — was the same as the previous one, but it had many amenities and plenty of space for everyone.