Flyleaf inscribed ‘Diary of Margaret Smith. A Wanderer of no fixed abode’. After the 1923 summer leave period, during which she attends a School of Theology in August in Oxford, M S returns to Khartoum in August 1923. A further summer leave period in 1924 includes a School of Medieval History in July in Oxford and a missionary conference in August in Malvern. She returns to Khartoum at the end of August: her final departure from Sudan in May 1925 is prompted by the political situation relating to the separation of Sudan from Egypt (eg 27 November 1924: during the Battle of Khartoum the ‘11th Sudanese had mutinied & all women were to go to the Palace’ where M S stays until November 29). On her return M S sees much of her sisters and friends, including Dorothy Tarrant. She attends a missionary conference in late July and early August 1925 in Oxford; during the autumn she has many unsuccessful interviews for teaching posts and gives some lectures on the 'Moslem world'. In January 1926 she enrols at the School of Oriental Studies in London to study Persian and Arabic, inter alia, while continuing to lecture on Islam (on 23 July 1926 she notes her appointment to the W. Norwood Lectureship). She begins regular use of numerous institutions, including Dr Williams’ Library, the India Office Library, the London Library, and the British Museum. On 5 February 1926 she moves to 8 Gloucester Place, London. Annual summer holidays in Switzerland begin in 1926. 5 January 1927: M S moves to St Hilda’s East, Bethnal Green; she ‘took over the work of the St Matthew’s Savings Bank from Miss Verrall’ on 21 January. M S attends Girton events such as London lunches and returns to Girton from time to time for research and reading. Parts of July and August 1927 are spent at Girton finishing her thesis. At back of volume: list of securities held by Lloyd’s Bank 1925 and note of money held in Anglo-Egyptian Bank, Cairo.