The Mummy and Miss Nitocris

alert, and he had a feeling of what might properly be called mental extension-it was not exaltation-- which seemed to widen his m

d, into another world which contained the one he had so far lived in, but whi

en a sudden turn of thought carried his mind to the subject of miracles, apparitions, ghosts, and mathematical impossibilities such as squaring the circle

light. Then he turned involuntarily towards the wardrobe, which, as usual, had a long mirror running down the middle of it. To his amaz

e plainly, almost meanly, dressed; the man in a tightly-buttoned black frock-coat and baggy grey trousers; the woman

lined in the wall-paintings of the temples and the half-mutilated carvings and statues. The window of the study was open, but the door was shut; so was the door of his ow

re, whither we have traced it with so much labour. See, it has been stolen again; hidden, no doubt, so that the servants of the King could not find it. I

e has been taken from its casket, it cannot have been carried out of the house, for you know that every approach has been watched closely sinc

do the same. Then, as the man opened the door and they pas

oman, evidently charged with what they believed to be the sacred mission of stealing it back again, a

d not locked her door securely, or if they had some means of opening it? She was the living image of the dead Nitocris. He did not dare to think of what might happen to her

nt that, if these things were true, it would be perfectly easy for him to make himself invisible to beings in the o

ne to the study. He felt his way silently and softly along the wall, and as he did so his hand touched the electric switch. Should he turn the light on and alarm the house? Whoever was there had "broken and entered" after midnight, and was therefore ou

ept forward and looked round the side of the doorway. The man had a little electric lamp in his hand

room. Neither lock nor bolt nor even human life must s

what would happen if the man chanced to turn the little ray of his lamp on him. Almost involuntarily his thought

ing of Niti-and what if a knife-stab left her undefended? But to his amazement, although they were both looking straight at him, the expression of neither face changed in the slightest. They had not

n to lock it. They both crept in, and he followed them boldly enough now, knowing what he did. The ray leapt rapidly about the room till it fell on

and dropped the lamp, and the Professor heard

her? It is she-the Queen-alive again, as the ancient prophe

life again. Now, O Pent-Ah, is our task much harder, yet will its accomplishment be all the more glorious for you and me, and greatly will our Lord reward us if we can

anything. Abduct my daughter at the dead of night, would you, you scoundrels? We'll see about that. If you don't l

ay fell on the man's face, and he saw that the olive of his skin had turned to a ghastly grey. His eyes were wide open

op this little comedy before it becomes a tragedy. Poor Niti would go half mad if she found these two s

got into the passage he whispered in the tongu

tly! Who are you that you should distu

ach other with eyes wi

ispered the woman, taking hold of the man

said he in reply, bowing

door very soft

ankfulness for Niti's escape from what, at b

ou not to come into an English gentleman's house again with an idea

the man's, and drew him with irresistible force along the passage. The woman grasped his coat, and followed with shuffling feet and shaking limbs, dumb with wonder and fear. The hand led them down the passage, round the corner, and into the study. Then it released them. They heard the door shut and the key turn in the lock. Then there was a click, and the electric cluster above the writing

o moan with terror. The stick came down with what seemed to him superhuman force again and again on his back and shoulders. He whimpered and moaned, and at last howled with pain. He rolled over and looked up, and there was the stick

k you will come into this house again. And as for you, madam," he went on, "of course, I can't give you a hiding, so the sight of h

and her lips trembling with the movement of her lower jaw. She saw a jug of water ge

man, tall and erect as a man in the prime of life, standing over

I don't want any fuss, and perhaps you have been punished enough for the present. Ah, I see your accomplice is coming round. You came in by the window, I suppose. Now get out by it as quick as y

led to his fee

d my lips shall be si

e, and then, grasping the woman roughly by the ar

e ere the wrath of o

e came into her father's study just before breakfast the

rofessor gravely. "Did you hear any noises in the h

eamt it. But did you, Dad? Do tell me all about it. What a horrible shame to steal that

. "There was a noise, and I heard it. I came down here and turned the light on. I