首页 >出版文学> The Green Mummy>第2章

第2章

  "Well,letusgoinandseeifSidneyarriveswiththecase。"
  Theypassedoutofthegardenandsaunteredroundtothefrontofthehouse。There,standingintheroadway,theybeheldaponderouslorrywitharough-lookingdriverstandingatthehorses’heads。Thefrontdoorofthehousewasopen,sothemummycasehad。apparentlyarrivedbeforeitstime,andhadbeentakentoBraddock’smuseumwhiletheywerechattinginthekitchengarden。
  "DidMr。Boltoncomewiththecase?"askedLucy,leaningovertherailingsandaddressingthedriver。
  "Noonecame,miss,exceptmyselfandmytwomates,whohavetakenthecaseindoor。"Thedriverjerkedacoarsethumboverhisshoulder。
  "WasMr。Boltonatthehotel,wherethecaseremainedforthenight?"
  "No,miss-thatis,IdunnowhoMr。Boltonis。ThelandlordoftheSailor’sResttoldmeandmymatestotakethecasetothisherehouse,andwedoneit。That’sallIknow,miss。"
  "Strange,"murmuredLucy,walkingtothefrontdoor。"Whatdoyouthink,Archie?Isn’titstrange?"
  Hopenodded。"ButIdaresayBoltonwillexplainhisabsence,"
  saidhe,followingher。"HewillarriveintimetoopenthemummycasealongwiththeProfessor。"
  "Ihopeso,"saidMissKendal,wholookedmuchperplexed。"I
  can’tunderstandSidneyabandoningthecase,whenitmightsoeasilyhavebeenstolen。Comeinandseemyfather,Archie,"andshepassedintothehouse,followedbytheyoungman,whosecuriositywasnowaroused。Astheyenteredthedoor,thetwomenwhohadtakeninthecaseblunderedoutandshortlydroveawayonthelorrytowardsJessumrailwaystation。
  InthemuseumtheyfoundBraddockpurplewithrageandswearingvigorously。Hewasstaringatalargepackingcase,whichhadbeensetuponendagainstthewall,whilebesidehimcrouchedCockatoo,holdingchiselsandhammersandwedgesnecessarytoopenthetreasuretrove。
  "Sothepreciousmummyhasarrived,father,"saidLucy,whosawthattheProfessorwasfurious。"Areyounotpleased?"
  "Pleased!pleased!"shoutedtheangrymanofscience。"HowcanIbepleasedwhenIseehowbadlythecasehasbeentreated?Seehowithasbeenbruisedandbatteredandshaken!I’llhaveanactionagainstCaptainHerveyofTheDiverifmymummyhasbeeninjured。Sidneyshouldhavetakenbettercareofsopreciousanobject。"
  "Whatdoeshesay?"askedArchie,glancingroundthemuseumtoseeifthedelinquenthadarrived。
  "Say!"shoutedBraddockagain,andsnatchingachiselfromCockatoo。"Oh,whatcanhesaywhenheisnothere?"
  "Nothere?"saidLucy,moreandmoresurprisedattheunaccountableabsenceofBraddock’sassistant。"Whereishe,then?"
  "Idon’tknow。IwishIdid;I’dhavehimarrestedforneglectingtowatchoverthiscase。Asitis,whenhecomesbackI’lldismisshimfrommyemployment。Hecangobacktohisinfernallaundryworkalongwithhisoldwitchofamother。"
  "Butwhyhasn’tBoltoncomeback,sir?"askedHopesharply。
  Braddockstruckafuriousblowattheheadofthechiselwhichhehadinsertedintothecase。
  "Iwanttoknowthat。HebroughtthecasetotheSailor’sRest,andshouldhavecomeonwithitthismorning。Insteadofdoingso,hetellsthelandlord-amostunreliableman-tosenditon。Andmypreciousmummy-themummythathascostninehundredpounds,"criedBraddock,workingfuriously,andbatteringthechiselasthoughitwereBolton’sheadislefttobestolenbyanyscientificthiefthatcomesalong。"WhiletheProfessor,assistedbyCockatoo,loosenedthelidofthepackingcase,amildvoicewasheardatthedoor。Lucyturned,asdidArchie,toseeWidowAnnecurtseyingonthethresholdofthedoor。
  Braddockhimselftooknonoticeofherentrance,beingoccupiedwithhistask,andevenwhiledoingitsworescientificallyunderhisbreath。HewasfuriousagainstBoltonforneglectofduty,andHoperathersympathizedwithhim。Itwasaseriousmattertohaveleftavaluableobjectlikethegreenmummytotheroughcareoflaborers。
  "Ibegyourpardon,mylady,"whimperedWidowAnne,wholookedmoreleanandrustyanddismalthanever;"buthasmySidcome?
  Isawthecartandthecoffin。Where’smyboy?"
  "Coffin!coffin!"bellowedBraddockangrilybetweenthunderblows。"Whatdoyoumeanbycallingthiscaseacoffin?"
  "Well,itdoholdoneofthemcamphoratedcorps,sir,"saidMrs。
  Boltonwithanothercurtsey。"MyboySidtoldmeasmuch,aforehewenttothemfurrenparts。"
  "Haveyouseenhimsincehereturned?"questionedLucy,whileBraddockandCockatoostrainedatthelid,nownearlyoff。
  "Why,Iain’tseteyesonhim,"moanedthewidowdismally,"andsummattellsmeasIneverwill。"
  "Don’ttalkrubbish,woman,"saidArchietartly,forhedidnotwishLucytobeupsetagainbythisancientghoul。
  "Womanindeed,sir。I’dhaveyouknow,-oh!"thewidowjumpedandquaveredasthelidofthepackingcasefellonthefloorwithabang。"Ohlor,sir,thestartyoudidgiveme!"
  ButBraddockhadnoeyesforher,andnoearsforanyone。Hepulledlustilyatthestrawpacking,andsoonthefloorwaslitteredwithrubbish。Butnogreencaseappeared,andnomummy。
  SuddenlyWidowAnneshriekedagain"There’smySid-dead-oh,myson,dead!dead!"
  Shespoketruly。ThebodyofSidneyBoltonwasbeforethem。
  CHAPTERV
  MYSTERY
  AfterthatonecryofagonyfromWidowAnne,therewassilenceforquiteoneminute。Theterriblecontentsofthepackingcasestartledandterrifiedallpresent。Faintandwhite,Lucyclungtothearmofherlovertokeepherselffromsinkingtotheground,asMrs。Boltonhaddone。Archiestaredatthegrotesquerigidityofthebody,asthoughhehadbeenchangedintostone,whileProfessorBraddockstaredlikewise,scarcelyabletocredittheevidenceofhiseyes。OnlytheKanakawasunmovedandsquattedonhishams,indifferentlysurveyingthelivingandthedead。Asasavagehecouldnotbeexpectedtohavethenervesofcivilizedman。
  Braddock,whohaddroppedchiselandhammerinthefirstmovementofsurprise,wasthequickesttorecoverhispowersofspeech。
  Thesolequestionheasked,revealedthemarvelousegotismofascientist,nominatedbyoneidea。"WhereisthemummyofIncaCaxas?"hemurmuredwithabewilderedair。
  WidowAnne,grovelingonthefloor,pulledhergraylocksintowildconfusion,andutteredacryofmingledrageandgrief。"Heasksthat?heasksthat?"shecried,stammeringandchoking,"whenhehasmurderedmypoorboySid。"
  "What’s,that?"demandedBraddocksharply,andrecoveringfromaveritablestupor,whichthedisappearanceofthemummyandthesightofhisdeadassistanthadthrownhiminto。"Killyourson:
  howcouldIkillyourson?WhatadvantagewouldithavebeentomehadIkilledyourson?"
  "Godknows!Godknows!"sobbedtheoldwoman,"butyou-"
  "Mrs。Bolton,youareraving,"saidHopehastily,andstrovetoraiseherfromthefloor。"LetMissKendaltakeyouaway。Andyougo,Lucy:thissightistooterribleforyoureyes。"
  Lucy,inarticulatewithnervousfear,noddedandtotteredtowardsthedoorofthemuseum;butWidowAnnerefusedtobeliftedtoherfeet。
  "Myboyisdead,"shewailed;"myboySidisacorpasIsawhiminmydream。Inthecoffin,too,cuttopieces-"
  "Rubbish!rubbish!"interruptedBraddock,peeringintothedepthsofthepackingcase。"Icanseenowound。"
  Mrs。Boltonleapedtoherfeetwithanagilitysurprisinginsoagedawoman。"Letmefindthewound,"shescreamed,throwingherselfforward。
  Hopecaughtherbackandforcedhertowards,thedoor。"No!"Thebodymustnotbedisturbeduntilthepoliceseeit,"hesaidfirmly。
  "Thepolice-ah,yes,thepolice,"remarkedBraddockquickly,"wemustsendforthepolicetoPiersideandtellthemmymummyhasbeenstolen。"
  "Thatmyboyhasbeenmurdered,"screechedWidowAnne,wavingherskinnyarms,andstrivingtobreak’fromArchie。"YouwickedolddeviltokillmydarlingSid。Ifhehadn’tgonetothemfurrenpartshewouldn’tbeacorpnow。ButI’llhavethelawr:you’llbehanged,you-you-"
  BraddocklosthispatienceunderthistorrentofunjustaccusationsandrushedtowardsMrs。Bolton,draggingCockatoobythearm。Inlesstimethanittakestotell,hehadsweptbothArchieandthewidowoutintothehall,whereLucywastrembling,andCockatoo,byhismaster’sorder,waslockingthedoor。
  "Notathingshallbetoucheduntilthepolicecome。Hope,youare,awitnessthatIhavenotmeddledwiththedead:youwerepresentwhenIopenedthepackingcase:youhaveseenthatauselessbodyhasbeensubstitutedforavaluablemummy。Andyetthisoldwitchdares-dares-"Braddockstampedandgrewincoherentfromsheerrage。
  Archiesoothedhim,leavinggoofWidowAnne’sarmtodoso。
  "Hush!hush!"saidtheyoungmanquietly,"thepoorwomandoesnotknowwhatsheissaying。I’llgoforthepoliceand-"
  "No,"interruptedtheProfessorsharply;"CockatoocangofortheinspectorofPierside。Ishallcallinthevillageconstable。
  Meanwhileyoukeepthekeyofthemuseum,"hedroppeditintoHope’sbreast-pocket,"sothatyouandthepolicemaybesurethebodyhasnotbeentouched。WidowAnne,gohome,"heturnedangrilyontheoldcreature,whowasnowtremblingafterherburstofrage,"anddon’tdaretocomehereagainuntilyouaskpardonforwhatyouhavesaid。"
  "Iwanttobenearmypoorboy’scorp,"wailedWidowAnne,"andI’mverysorry,Perfesser。Ididn’tmeanto-"
  "Butyouhave,youwitch。Goaway!"andhestamped。
  ButbythistimeLucyhadrecoveredherself-possession,whichhadbeensorelyshakenbythesightofthedead。"Leavehertome,"sheobserved,takingMrs。Bolton’sarm,andleadinghertowardsthestairs。"Ishalltakehertomyroomandgivehersomebrandy。Father,youmustmakesomeallowanceforhernaturalgrief,and-"
  Braddockstampedagain。"Takeheraway!takeheraway!"hecriedtestily,"andkeepheroutofmysight。Isitnotenoughtohavelostaninvaluableassistant,andacostlymummyofinfinitehistoricalandarchaeologicalvalue,withoutmybeingaccusedof-of-oh!"TheProfessorchokedwithrageandshookhishandintheair。
  Seeingthathewasunabletospeak,Lucyseizedtheopportunityofthelullinthestorm,andhurriedtheoldwoman,sobbingandmoaning,upthestairs。BythistimetheshrieksofMrs。Bolton,andthewordywrathofBraddock,haddrawnthecookandherhusband,alongwiththehousemaid,fromthebasementtothegroundfloor。Thesightoftheirsurprisedfacesonlyaddedtotheirmaster’sanger,andheadvancedfuriously。
  "Godownstairsagain:godown,Itellyou!"
  "Butifthere’sanythingwrong,sir,"venturedthegardenertimidly。
  "Everythingiswrong。Mymummyhasbeenlost:Mr。Boltonhasbeenmurdered。Thepolicearecoming,and-and-"Hechokedagain。
  Buttheservantswaitedtohearnomore。Themerementionofthewords"murder"and"police"sentthem,pale-facedandstartled,downtothebasement,wheretheyhuddledlikeaflockofsheep。
  BraddocklookedaroundforHope,butfoundthathehadopenedthefrontdoor,andhadvanished。ButhewastoodistractedtothinkwhyArchiehadgone,andtherewasmuchtodoinputtingthingsstraight。BeckoningtoCockatoo,hestalkedintoasideroom,andscribbledapencilnotetotheinspectorofpoliceatPierside,tellinghimofwhathadhappened,andaskinghimtocomeatoncetothePyramidswithhisunderlings。ThiscommunicationhedispatchedbyCockatoo,whoflewtogethisbicycle。InashorttimehewasridingattopspeedtoBrefort,whichwasonthissideoftheriver;facingPierside。Therehecouldferryacrosstothetownanddeliverhisterriblemessage。
  Havingdoneallthathecoulduntilthepolicecame,BraddockwalkedoutofthefrontdoorandintotheroadwaytoseeifArchiewasinsight。Hecouldnotseetheyoungman,but,asluckwouldhaveit,andbyoneofthosecoincidenceswhicharemuchmorecommonthanissuspected,hesawtheGartleydoctorwalkingbrisklypast。
  "Hi!"shoutedtheProfessor,whowaspurpleinthefaceandperspiringprofusely。"Hi,there,Dr。Robinson!Iwantyou。
  Come!come!hurry,man,hurry!"heendedinatestyrage,andthedoctor,knowingBraddock’seccentricities,advancedwithasmile。
  Hewasaslim,dark,youngmedicalpractitionerwithanamiablecountenance,whicharguedofnomightyintelligence。
  "Well,Professor,"heremarkedquietly,"doyouwantmetoattendyouforapoplexy?Takeyourtime,mydearsir-takeyourtime。"
  Hepattedthescientistontheshouldertosoothehisclamorousrage。"Youarealreadypurpleintheface。Don’tletyourbloodrushtoyourhead。"
  "Robinson,you’rea-a-afool!"shoutedBraddock,glaringatthesuavelooksofthedoctor。"Iaminperfecthealth,damnyou,sir。"
  "ThenMissKendal-?"
  "Sheisquitewellalso。ButBolton-?"
  "Oh!"Robinsonlookedinterested。"Hashereturnedwithyourmummy?"
  "Mummy,"bellowedBraddock,stampinglikeaninsaneCupid-"themummyhasn’tarrived。"
  "Really,Professor,yousurpriseme,"saidthedoctormildly。
  "I’llsurpriseyoumore,"growledBraddock,draggingRobinsonintothegardenandupthesteps。
  "Gently!gently!mydearsir,"saidthedoctor,whoreallybegantothinkthatmuchlearninghadmadetheProfessormad。"Didn’tBolton-?"
  "Boltonisdead,youfool。"
  "Dead!"Thedoctornearlytumbledbackwarddownthesteps。
  "Murdered。AtleastIthinkheismurdered。Atalleventshearrivedhereto-dayinthepackingcase,whichshouldhavecontainedmygreenmummy。Comeinandexaminethebodyatonce。
  No,"Braddockpushedbackthedoctorjustasfiercelyashehaddraggedhimforward,"waituntiltheconstablecomes。Iwanthimtoseethebodyfirst,andtoobservethatnothinghasbeentouched。IhavesentforthePiersideinspectortocome。Therewillbeallsortsoftrouble,"criedBraddockdespairingly,"andmywork-mostimportantwork-willbedelayed,justbecausethissillyyoungassSidneyBoltonchosetobemurdered,"andtheProfessorstormedupanddownthehall,shakingimpotentarmsintheair。
  "Goodheavens!"stammeredRobinson,whowasyounginyearsandsomewhatnewtohisprofession,"you-youmustbemistaken。"
  "Mistaken!mistaken!"shoutedBraddockwithanotherglare。"Comeandseethatpoorfellow’sbodythen。Heisdead,murdered。"
  "Bywhom?"
  "Hangyou,sir,howshouldIknow?"
  "Inwhatwayhashebeenmurdered?Stabbed,shot,or-"
  "Idon’tknow-Idon’tknow!SuchanuisancetoloseamanlikeBolton-aninvaluableassistant。WhatIshalldowithouthimI
  reallydon’tknow。Andhismotherhasbeenhere,makingnoendofafuss。"
  "Canyoublameher?"saidthedoctor,recoveringhisbreath。
  "Sheishismother,afterall,andpoorBoltonwasheronlyson。"
  "Iamnotdenyingtherelationship,confoundyou!"snappedtheProfessor,rufflinghishairuntilitstooduplikethecrestofaparrot。"Butsheneedn’t-ah!"Heglancedthroughtheopendoor,andthenrushedtothethreshold。"HereisHopeandPainter。Comein-comein。Ihavethedoctorhere。Hope,youhavethekey。Youobserve,constable,thatMr。Hopehasthekey。
  Openthedoor:openthedoor,andletusseethemeaningofthisdreadfulcrime。"
  "Crime,sir?"queriedtheconstable,whohadheardallthatwasknownfromHope,butnowwishedtohearwhatBraddockhadtosay。
  "Yes,crime:crime,youidiot!Ihavelostmymummy。"
  "ButIthought,sir,thatamurder-"
  "Oh,ofcourse-ofcourse,"gabbledtheProfessor,asifthedeathwasquiteaminorconsideration。"Bolton’sdead-
  murdered,Isuppose,ashecouldscarcelyhavenailedhimselfdowninapackingcase。Butit’smypreciousmummyIamthinkingof,Painter。Amummy-ifyouknowwhatamummyis-thatcostmeninehundredpounds。Goin,man。Goinanddon’tstandtheregaping。Don’tyouseethatMr。Hopehasopenedthedoor。IhavesentCockatootoPiersidetonotifythepolice。Theywillsoonbehere。Meanwhile,doctor,youcanexaminethebody,andPainterherecangivehisopinionastowhostolemymummy。"
  "Theassassinstolethemummy,"saidArchie,asthefourmenenteredthemuseum,"andsubstitutedthebodyofthemurderedman。"
  "ThatisallABC,"snappedBraddock,issuingintothevastroom,"butwewanttoknowthenameoftheassassin,ifwearetorevengeBoltonandgetbackmymummy。Oh,whataloss!-whataloss!Ihavelostninehundredpounds,orsayonethousand,consideringthecostofbringingIncaCaxastoEngland。"
  ArchieforeboretoremindtheProfessorastowhohadreallylostthemoney,asthescientistwasnotinafitstatetobetalkedtoreasonably,andseemedmuchmoreconcernedbecausehisPeruvianrelicofhumanityhadbeenlostthanfortheterribledeathofSidneyBolton。ButbythistimePainter-afair-hairedyoungconstableofsmallintelligence-wasexaminingthepackingcaseandsurveyingthedead。Dr。Robinsonalsolookedwithaprofessionaleye,andBraddock,wipinghispurplefaceandgaspingwithexhaustion,satdownonastonesarcophagus。
  Archie,foldinghisarms,leanedagainstthewallandwaitedquietlytohearwhattheexpertsincrimeandmedicinewouldsay。
  Thepackingcasewasdeepandwideandlong,madeoftoughteakandbandedatintervalswithironbands。Withinthiswasacaseoftin,which,whenitheldthemummy,hadbeensolderedup;
  impervioustoairandwater。Buttheunknownpersonwhohadextractedthemummy,toreplaceitbyamurderedman’sbody,hadcutopenthetincasingwithsomesharpinstrument。Therewasstrawroundthetincasingandstrawwithin,amongstwhichthebodyoftheunfortunateyoungmanwasplaced。Rigormortishadsetin,andthecorpse,withstraightlegsandhandsplacedstifflybyitsside,layagainstthebackofthetincasingsurroundedmoreorlessbythestrawpacking,oratleastbysomuchastheProfessorhadnottornaway。Thefacelookeddark,andtheeyeswerewideopenandstaring。Robinsonsteppedforwardandranhishandroundtheneck。Utteringanejaculation,heremovedthewoollenscarfwhichthedeadmanhadprobablyworntokeephimselffromcatchingcold,andthosewholookedonsawthatared-coloredwindowcordwastightlyboundaboutthethroatofthedead。
  "Thepoordevilhasbeenstrangled,"saidthedoctorquietly。
  "See:theassassinhasleftthebow-stringon,andhadthecouragetoplaceoveritthisscarf,whichbelongedtoBolton。"
  "Howdoyouknowthat,sir?"askedPainterheavily。
  "BecauseWidowAnneknittedthatscarfforBoltonbeforehewenttoMalta。Heshowedittome,laughingly,remarkingthathismotherevidentlythoughtthathewasgoingtoLapland。"
  "Whendidheshowittoyou,sir?"
  "BeforehewenttoMalta,ofcourse,"saidRobinsoninmildsurprise。"Youdon’tsupposeheshowedittomewhenhereturned。WhendidhereturntoEngland?"heaskedtheProfessor,withanafterthought。
  "Yesterdayafternoon,aboutfouro’clock,"repliedBraddock。
  "Then,fromtheconditionofthebody"-thedoctorfeltthedeadflesh-"hemusthavebeenmurderedlastnight。H’m!Withyourpermission,Painter,I’llexaminethecorpse。"
  Theconstableshookhishead。"Betterwait,sir,untiltheinspectorcomes,"hesaidinhisunintelligentway。"PoorSid!
  Why,Iknewhim。Hewasatschoolwithme,andnowhe’sdead。
  Whokilledhim?"
  Noneofhislistenerscouldanswerthisquestion。
  CHAPTERVI
  THEINQUEST
  LikeageographicalLordByron,theisolatedvillageofGartleyawokeonemorningtofinditselffamous。Previouslyunknown,savetotheinhabitantsofBrefort,Jessum,andthesurroundingcountry,andtothesoldiersstationedintheFort,itbecameaninedays’centreofinterest。InspectorDateofPiersidearrivedwithhisconstablestoinquireintothereportedcrime,andthelocaljournalists,scentingsensation,cameflyingtoGartleyonbicyclesandintraps。NextmorningLondonwasdulyadvisedthatavaluablemummywasmissing,andthattheassistantofProfessorBraddock,whohadbeensenttofetchitfromMalta,wasmurderedbystrangulation。Inacoupleofdaysthethreekingdomswereringingwiththenewsofthemystery。
  Andamysteryitproved,tobe,for,inspiteofInspectorDate’seffortsandtheenterpriseofScotlandYarddetectivessummonedbytheProfessor,nocluecouldbefoundtotheidentityoftheassassin。Briefly,thestorytoldbythenewspapersranasfollows:
  ThetrampsteamerDiver-CaptainGeorgeHerveyincommand-hadberthedalongsidethePiersidejettyatfouro’clockonaWednesdayafternooninmid-September,andsometwohourslaterSidneyBoltonremovedthecase,containingthegreenmummy,ashore。
  AsitwasimpossibletocarrythecasetothePyramidsonthatnight,BoltonhadplaceditinhisbedroomattheSailor’sRest,ameanlittlepublic-houseofnoverysavoryreputationnearthewater’sedge。Hewaslastseenalivebythelandlordandthebarmaid,when,afteradrinkofharmlessginger-beer,heretiredtobedateight,leavinginstructionstothelandlord-overheardbythebarmaid-thatthecasewastobesentonnextdaytoProfessorBraddockofGartley。Boltonhintedthathemightleavethehotelearlyandwouldprobablyprecedethecasetoitsdestination,soastoadviseProfessorBraddock-necessarilyanxious-ofitssafearrival。Beforeretiringhepaidhisbill,anddepositedinthelandlord’shandasmallsumofmoney,sothatthecasemightbesentacrossstreamtoBrefort,thencetobetakeninalorrytothePyramids。Therewasnosign,saidthebarmaidandthelandlord,thatBoltoncontemplatedsuicide,orthathefearedsuddendeath。Hiswholedemeanorwascheerful,andheexpressedhimselfexceedinglygladtobeinEnglandoncemore。
  Atelevenontheensuingmorning,apersistentknockingandasubsequentopeningofthedoorofBolton’sbedroomprovedthathewasnotintheroom,althoughthetumbledconditionofthebed-clothesprovedthathehadtakensomerest。NooneinthehotelthoughtanythingofBolton’sabsence,sincehehadhintedatanearlydeparture,althoughthechamber-maidconsidereditstrangethatnoonehadseenhimleavethehotel。ThelandlordobeyedBolton’sinstructionsandsentthecase,inchargeofatrustworthyman,toBrefortacrosstheriver。Therealorrywasprocured,andthecasewastakentoGartley,whereitarrivedatthreeintheafternoon,。ItwasthenthatProfessorBraddock,inopeningthecase,discoveredthebodyofhisill-fatedassistant,rigidindeath,andwitharedwindowcordtightlyboundroundthethroatofthecorpse。Atonce,saidthenewspapers,theProfessorsentforthepolice,andlaterinsistedthatthesmartestScotlandYarddetectivesshouldcomedowntoelucidatethemystery。Atpresentbothpoliceanddetectiveswereengagedinsearchingforaneedleinahaystack,andsofarhadmetwithnosuccess。
  SuchwasthetalesetforthinthelocalandLondonandprovincialjournals。Widelyasitwasdiscussed,andmanyaswerethetheoriesoffered,noonecouldfathomthemystery。Butallagreedthatthefailureofthepolicetofindacluewasinexplicable。ItwasdifficultenoughtounderstandhowtheassassincouldhavemurderedBoltonandopenedthepackingcase,andremovedthemummytoreplaceitbythebodyofhisvictiminahousefilledwithatleasthalfadozenpeople;butitwasyetmoredifficulttoguesshowthecriminalhadescapedwithsonoticeableanobjectasthemummy,bandagedwithemerald-huedwoollenstuffwovenfromthehairofPeruvianllamas。Iftheculpritwasonewhothievedandmurderedforgain,hecouldscarcelysellthemummywithoutbeingarrested,sinceallEnglandwasringingwiththenewsofitsdisappearance;ifascientist,impelledtorobberybyanarchaeologicalmania,hecouldnotpossiblykeeppossessionofthemummywithoutsomeonelearningthathepossessedit。Meanwhilethethiefandhisplunderhadvanishedascompletelyasiftheearthhadswallowedboth。Greatwasthewonderattheclevernessofthecriminal,andmanywerethesolutionsofferedtoaccountforthedisappearance。Oneenterprisingweeklypaper,improvingontheLimerickcraze,offeredafurnishedhouseandthreepoundsaweekforlifetothefortunatepersonwhocouldsolvethemystery。Asyetnoonehadwontheprize,butitwasearlydaysyet,andatleastfivethousandamateurdetectivestriedtoworkouttheproblem。
  NaturallyHopewassorryfortheuntimelydeathofBolton,whomhehadknownasanamiableandcleveryoungman。ButhewasalsoannoyedthathisloanofthemoneytoBraddockshouldhavebeen,sotospeak,nullifiedbythelossofthemummy。TheProfessorwasperfectlyfuriousathisdoublelossofassistantandembalmedcorpse,andwasonlypreventedfromofferingarewardforthediscoveryofthethiefandassassinbythepainfulfactthathehadnomoney。HehintedtoArchiethatarewardshouldbeoffered,butthatyoungman,backedbyLucy,declinedtothrowawaygoodmoneyafterbad。Braddocktookthisrefusalsoill,thatHopefeltperfectlyconvincedhewouldtryandwriggleoutofhispromisetopermitthemarriageandpersuadeLucytoengageherselftoSirFrankRandom,shouldthebaronetbewillingtoofferareward。AndHopewasalsocertainthatBraddock,asingularlyobstinateman,wouldneverrestuntilheoncemorehadthemummyinhispossession。Thatthemurdererof!SidneyBoltonshouldbehangedwasquiteaminorconsiderationwiththeProfessor。
  MeanwhileWidowAnnehadinsistedonthedeadbodybeingtakentohercottage,andBraddock,withtheconsentofInspectorDate,willinglyagreed,ashedidnotwishanewlydeadcorpsetoremainunderhisroof。Therefore,theremainsoftheunfortunateyoungmanweretakentohishumblehome,andherethebodywasinspectedbythejurywhentheinquesttookplaceinthecoffee-roomoftheWarriorInn,immediatelyoppositeMrs。
  Bolton’sabode。Therewasalargecrowdroundtheinn,aspeoplehadcomefromfarandwidetoheartheverdictofthejury,andGartley,forthefirstandonlytimeinitsexistence,presentedtheaspectofanAugustBankHoliday。
  TheCoroner-anelderlydoctorwithashorttemper;causedbytheunrealizedambitionofacountrypractitioner-openedtheproceedingsbyasnappyspeech,inwhichhesetforththedetailsofthecrimeinthesameboldfashioninwhichtheyhadbeenpublishedbythenewspapers。AplanoftheSailor’sRestwasthenplacedbeforethejury,andtheCoronerdrewtheattentionofthetwelvegoodandlawfulmentothefactthatthebedroomoccupiedbydeceasedwasonthegroundfloor,withawindowlookingoutontotheriver,merelyastone-throwaway。
  "Soyouwillsee,gentlemen,"saidtheCoroner,"thatthedifficultyoftheassassininleavingthehotelwithhisplunderwasnotsogreatashasbeenimagined。Hehadmerelytoopenthewindowinthequiethoursofthenight,whennoonewasabout,andpassthemummythroughtohisaccomplice,whoprobablywaitedwithout。Itisalsoprobablethataboatwaswaitingbythebankoftheriver,andthemummyhavingbeenplacedinthis,theassassinandhisfriendcouldrowawayintotheunknownwithouttheslightestchanceofdiscovery。"
  InspectorDate-atall,thin,uprightmanwithanironjawandasevereexpression-drewtheCoroner’sattentiontothefactthattherewasnoevidencetoshowthattheassassinhadanaccomplice。
  "Whatyouhavestated,sir,mayhaveoccurred,"raspedDateinamilitaryvoice,"butwecannotprovethetruthofyourassumption,sincetheevidenceatourdisposalismerelycircumstantial。"
  "Ineversuggestedthatitwasanythingelse,"snappedtheCoroner。"Youwastetimeintraversingmystatements。Saywhatyouhavetosay,Mr。Inspector,andproduceyourwitnesses-ifyouhaveany。"
  Therearenowitnesseswhocansweartotheidentityofthemurderer,"saidInspectorDatecoldly,anddeterminednottoberuffledbytheapparentantagonismoftheCoroner。"Thecriminalhasvanished,andnoonecanguesshisnameoroccupation,oreventhereasonwhichledhimtoslaythedeceased。"
  Coroner:"Thereasonisplain。Hewantedthemummy。"
  Inspector:"Whyshouldhewantthemummy?"
  Coroner:"Thatiswhatwewishtofindout。"
  Inspector:"Exactly,sir。Wewishtolearnthereasonwhythemurdererstrangledthedeceased。"
  Coroner:"Weknowthatreason。Whatwewishtoknowiswhythemurdererstolethemummy。AndIwouldpointouttoyou,Mr。
  Inspector,that,asyet,wedonotevenknowthesexoftheassassin。Itmightbeawomanwhomurderedthedeceased。"
  ProfessorBraddock,whowasseatednearthedoorofthecoffee-room,beingevenmoreirasciblethanusual,rosetocontradict。
  "Thereisn’tascrapofevidencetoshowthatthemurdererwasawoman。"
  Coroner:"Youareoutoforder,sir。AndIwouldpointoutthat,asyet,InspectorDatehasproducednowitnesses。"
  Dateglared。HeandtheCoronerwereoldenemies,andalwayssparredwhentheymet。Itseemedlikely,thatthepepperylittleProfessorwouldjoininthequarrelandthattherewouldbeaduelofthree;butDate,notwishingforanadversereportinthenewspapersastohisconductofthecase,contentedhimselfwiththeglareaforesaid,and,afterashortspeech,calledBraddock。
  TheProfessor,lookingmorelikeacrosscherubthanever,gavehisevidencetartly。ItseemedridiculoustohisprejudicedmindthatallthisfussshouldbemadeoverBolton’sbody,whenthemummy;wasstillmissing。However,asthediscoveryofthecriminalwouldassuredlyleadtotheregainingofthatpreciousPeruvianrelic,hecurbedhiswrathandansweredtheCoroner’squestionsinafairlyamiablefashion。
  And,afterall,Braddockhadverylittletotell。Hehad,sohestated,seenanadvertisementinanewspaperthatamummy,swathedingreenbandages,wastobesoldinMalta;andhadsenthisassistanttobuyitandbringithome。Thiswasdone,andwhathappenedafterthemummyleftthetrampsteamerwasknowntoeveryone,throughthemediumofthepress。
  "Withwhich,"grumbledtheProfessor,"Idonotagree。"
  "Whatdoyoumeanbythat?"askedtheCoronersharply。
  "Imean,sir,"snappedBraddock,equallysharply,"thatthepublicitygivenbythenewspaperstothesedetailswillprobablyplacetheassassinonhisguard。"
  "Whynotonherguard?"persistedtheCoronerwilfully。
  "Rubbish!rubbish!rubbish!Mymummywasn’tstolenbyawoman。
  Whatthedevilwouldawomanwantwithmymummy?"
  "Bemorerespectful,Professor。"
  "Thentalksense,doctor,"andthetwoglaredatoneanother。
  Afteramomentortwothesituationwasadjustedinsilence,andtheCoroneraskedafewquestions,pertinenttothematterinhand。
  "Hadthedeceasedanyenemies?"
  "No,sir,hehadn’t,notbeingfamousenough,orrichenough,orcleverenoughtoexcitethehatredofmankind。Hewassimplyanintelligentyoungman,whoworkedexcellentlywhensupervisedbyme。Hismotherisawasherwomaninthisvillage,andtheladbroughtwashingtomyhouse。Notingthathewasintelligentandwasanxioustoriseabovehisstation,Iengagedhimasmyassistantandtrainedhimtodomywork。"
  "Archaeologicalwork?"
  "Yes。Idon’twash,whateverBolton’smothermay,do。Don’tasksillyquestions。"
  "Bemorerespectful,"saidtheCoroneragain,andgrewred。
  "Haveyouanyideaastothenameofanyonewhodesiredtoobtainpossessionofthismummy?"
  "IdaresaydozensofscientistsinmylineofbusinesswouldhavelikedtogetthecorpseofIncaCaxas。Suchas-"andhereeledoutalistofcelebratedmen。
  "Nonsense,"growledtheCoroner。"Famousmenlikethoseyoumentionwouldnotmurderevenforthesakeofobtainingthismummy。"
  "Ineversaidthattheywould,"retortedBraddock,"butyouwantedtohearwhowouldliketohavethemummy;andIhavetoldyou。"
  TheCoronerwaivedthequestion。
  "Wasthereanyjewelryonthemummylikelytoattractathief?"
  heasked。
  "HowthedevilshouldIknow?"fumedtheProfessor。"Ineverunpackedthemummy;Ineverevensawit。AnyjewelryburiedwithIncaCaxaswouldbeboundupinthebandages。SofarasIknowthosebandageswereneverunwound。"
  "Youcanthrownolightonthesubject?"
  "No,Ican’t。Boltonwenttogetthemummyandbroughtithome。
  Iunderstoodthathewouldpersonallybringhispreciouschargetomyhouse;buthedidn’t。Why,Idon’tknow。"
  WhentheProfessorsteppeddown,stillfumingatwhatheconsideredweretheunnecessaryquestionsoftheCoroner,theyoungdoctorwhohadexaminedthecorpsewascalled。Robinsondeposedthatdeceasedhadbeenstrangledbymeansofaredwindowcord,andthat,fromtheconditionofthebody,hewouldjudgedeathhadtakenplacesometwelvehoursmoreorlessbeforetheopeningofthepackingcasebyBraddock。Thatwasatthreeo’clockonThursdayafternoon,soinwitness’sopinionthecrimewascommittedbetweentwoandthreeonthepreviousmorning。
  "ButIcan’tbeabsolutelycertainastotheprecisehour,"addedwitness;"atanyratepoorBoltonwasstrangledaftermidnightandbeforethreeo’clock。"
  "Thatisawidemargin,"grumbledtheCoroner,jealousofhisbrother-practitioner。"Werethereany,otherwoundsonthebody?"
  "No。Youcanseeforyourself,ifyouhaveinspectedthecorpse。"
  TheCoroner,thusreproved,glared,andWidowAnneappearedafterRobinsonretired。Shestated,withmanysobs,thathersonhadnoenemiesandwasagood,kindyoungman。Shealsorelatedherdream,butthiswasfloutedbytheCoroner,whodidnotbelieveintheoccult。However,thenarrationofherpremonitionwaslistenedtowithdeepinterestbythoseinthecourt。WidowAnneconcludedherevidencebyaskinghowshewastolivenowthatherboySidwasdead。TheCoronerprofessedhimselfunabletoanswerthisquestion,anddismissedher。
  SamuelQuass,thelandlordoftheSailor’sRest,wasnextcalled。
  Heprovedtobeabig,burly,red-haired,red-whiskeredman,wholookedlikeasailor。Andindeedafewquestionselicitedtheinformationthathewasaretiredsea-captain。Hegavehisevidencegrufflybuthonestly,andalthoughhekeptsoshadyapublic-house,seemedstraightforwardenough。Hetoldmuchthesametaleashadappearedinthenewspapers。Inthehotelonthatnighttherewasonlyhimself,hiswifeandtwochildren,andthestaffofservants。BoltonretiredtobedsayingthathemightstartearlyforGartley,andpaidonepoundtogetthecasetakenacrosstoriverandplacedonalorry。AsBoltonhadvanishednextmorning,Quassobeyedinstructions,withtheresultwhicheveryoneknew。Healsostatedthathedidnotknowthecasecontainedamummy。
  "Whatdidyouthinkitcontained?"askedtheCoronerquickly。
  "Clothesandcuriosfromforeignparts,"saidthewitnesscoolly。
  "DidMr。Boltontellyouso?"
  "Hetoldmenothingaboutthecase,"growledthewitness,"buthechattedalotaboutMalta,whichIknowwell,havingputintothatportfrequentwhenasailor。"
  "DidhehintatanyrowstakingplaceatMalta?"
  "No,hedidn’t。"
  "Didhesaythathehadenemies?"
  "No,hedidn’t。"
  "Didhestrikeyouasamanwhowasinfearofheath?"
  "No,hedidn’t,"saidthewitnessforthethirdtime。"Heseemedhappyenough。IneverthoughtforonemomentthathewasdeaduntilIheardhowhisbodyhadbeenfoundinthepackingcase。"
  TheCoroneraskedallmannerofquestions,andsodidInspectorDate;butallattemptstoincriminateQuasswerevain。Hewasbluffandstraightforward,andtold-sofarascouldbejudged-
  everythingheknew。Therewasnothingforitbuttodismisshim,andElizaFlightwascalledasthelastwitness。
  Shealsoprovedtobethemostimportant,assheknewseveralthingswhichshehadnottoldtohermaster,ortothereporters,oreventothepolice。Onbeingaskedwhyshehadkeptsilence,shesaidthatherdesirewastoobtainanyrewardthatmightbeoffered;butasshehadheardthattherewouldbenoreward,shewaswillingtotellwhatsheknew。Itwasanimportantpieceofevidence。
  ThegirlstatedthatBoltonhadretiredtobedateightonthegroundfloor,andthebedroomhadawindow-asmarkedintheplan-whichlookedontotheriverastone-throwdistant。Atnineoratriflelaterwitnesswentouttohaveafewwordswithherlover。InthedarknessshesawthatthewindowwasopenandthatBoltonwastalkingtoanoldwomanmuffledinashawl。Shecouldnotseethewoman’sface,norjudgeofherstature,asshewasstoopingdowntolistentoBolton。Witnessdidnottakemuchnotice,asshewasinahurrytoseeherlover。Whenshereturnedpastthewindowatteno’clockitwasclosedandthelightwasextinguished,soshethoughtthatMr。Boltonwasasleep。
  "But,totellthetruth,"saidElizaFlight,"Ineverthoughtanythingofthematteratall。ItwasonlyafterthemurderthatIsawhowimportantitwasIshouldremembereverything。"
  "Andyouhave?"
  "Yes,sir,"saidthegirl,honestlyenough。"Ihavetoldyoueverythingthathappenedonthatnight。NextMorning-"Shehesitated。
  "Well,whataboutnextmorning?"
  "Mr。Boltonhadlockedhisdoor。Iknowthat,becauseafewminutesaftereightonthenightbefore,notknowinghehadretired。Itriedtoentertheroomandmakereadythebedforthenight。Hesangoutthroughthedoor-whichwaslocked,forItriedit-thathewasinbed。Thatwasaliealso,asafternineIsawhimtalkingtothewomanatthewindow。"
  "Youpreviouslysaidanoldwoman,"saidtheCoroner,referringtohisnotes。"Howdoyouknowshewasold?"
  "Ican’tsayifshewasoldoryoung,"saidthewitnesscandidly;
  "it’sonlyamannerofspeaking。Shehadadarkshawloverherheadandadarkdress。Icouldn’tsayifshewasoldoryoung,fairordark,stoutorlean,tallorshort。Thenightwasdark。"
  TheCoronerreferredtotheplan。
  "Thereisagas-lampnearthewindowofthebedroom。Didyounotseeherinthatlight?"
  "Oh,yes,sir;butjustforamoment。Itookverylittlenotice。
  HadIknownthatthegentlemanwastobemurdered,Ishouldhavetakenagreatdealofnotice。"
  "Well,aboutthislockeddoor?"
  "Itwaslockedover-night,sir,butwhenIwentnextmorning,itwasnotlocked。Iknockedandknocked,butcouldgetnoanswer。
  Asitwaseleven,Ithoughtthegentlemanwassleepingverylong,soItriedtoopenthedoor。Itwasnotlocked,asIsay-but,"
  addedwitnesswithemphasis,"thewindowwassnibbedandtheblindwasdown。"
  "Thatisnaturalenough,"saidtheCoroner。"Mr:Bolton,afterhisinterviewwiththewoman,wouldofcoursesnibthewindow,andpulldowntheblind。Whenhewentawaynextmorninghewouldunlockthedoor。"
  "Beggingyourpardon,sir,but,asweknow,hedidn’tgoawaynextmorning,beinginthepackingcase,naileddown。"
  TheCoronercouldhavekickedhimselffortheverynaturalmistakehehadmade,forhesawaderisivegrinonthefacesaroundhim,andparticularlyonthatofInspectorDate。
  "Thentheassassinmusthavegoneoutbythedoor,"hesaidweakly。
  "ThenIdon’tknowhowhegotout,"criedElizaFlight,"forI
  wasupatsixandthefrontandbackdoorsofthehotelwerelocked。AndaftersixIwasaboutinpassagesandroomsdoingmywork,andmasterandmissusandotherswereallovertheplace。
  Howcouldthemurdererwalkout,sir,withoutsomeofusseeinghim?"
  "Perhapsyoudid,andtooknonotice?"
  "Oh,sir,ifastrangerwasaroundweshouldallhavetakennotice。"
  Thisconcludedtheevidence,whichwasmeagreenough。WidowAnnewasindeedrecalledtoseeifMissFlightcouldidentifyherasthewomanwho,hadbeentalkingtoBolton,butwitnessfailedtorecognizeher,andthewidowherselfproved,bymeansofthreefriends,thatshehadbeenimbibingginathomeonthenightandatthehourinquestion。Also,therewasnoevidencetoconnectthisunknownwomanwiththemurder,andnosound-accordingtotheunanimoustestimonyoftheinmatesoftheSailor’sRest-hadbeenheardinthebedroomofBolton。Yet,astheCoronerobserved,theremusthavebeensomeknockingandhammeringandrippinggoingon。Butofthisnothingcouldbeproved,andalthoughseveralwitnesseswereexaminedagain,notonecouldthrowlightonthemystery。Underthesecircumstancesthejurycouldonlybringinaverdictofwilfulmurderagainstsomepersonorpersonsunknown,whichwasdone。AnditmaybementionedthatthecordwithwhichBoltonhadbeenstrangledwasidentifiedbythelandlordandthechamber-maidasbelongingtotheblindofthebedroomwindow。
  "Well,"saidHope,whentheinquestwasover,"sonothingcanbeprovedagainstanyone。Whatistobedonenext?"
  "I’lltellyouafterIhaveseenRandom,"saidtheProfessorcurtly。
  CHAPTERVII
  THECAPTAINOFTHEDIVER
  Thedayaftertheinquest,SidneyBolton’sbodywasburiedinGartleychurchyard。Owingtothenatureofthedeath,andthepublicitygiventothemurderbythepress,agreatconcourseofpeopleassembledtowitnesstheinterment,andtherewasanimpressivesilencewhenthecorpsewascommittedtothegrave。
  Afterwards,aswasnatural,muchdiscussionfollowedontheverdictattheinquest。Itwasthecommonopinionthatthejurycouldhavebroughtinnootherverdict,consideringthenatureoftheevidencesupplied;butmanypeopledeclaredthatCaptainHerveyofTheDivershouldhavebeencalled。Ifthedeceasedhadenemies,saidthesewiseacres,itwasprobablethathewouldhavetalkedAboutthemtotheskipper。Buttheyforgotthatthewitnessescalledattheinquest,includingthemotherofthedeadman,hadinsistedthatBoltonhadnoenemies,soitisdifficulttoseewhattheyexpectedCaptainHerveytosay。
  Afterthefuneral,thejournalsmadebutfewremarksaboutthemystery。Everynowandthenitwashintedthatacluehadbeenfound,andthatthepolicewouldsoonerorlatertrackdownthecriminal。Butallthisloosechattercametonothing,andasthedayswentby,thepublic-inLondon,atallevents-lostinterestinthecase。TheenterprisingweeklypaperthathadofferedthefurnishedhouseandthelifeincometothepersonwhofoundtheassassinreceivedanintimationfromtheGovernmentthatsuchalotterycouldnotbeallowed。Thepaper,therefore,returnedtoLimericks,andtheamateurdetectives,likesomanyOthellos,foundtheiroccupationgone。ThenapoliticalcrisistookplaceinthefarEast,andtheficklepublicrelegatedthemurderofBoltontothelistofundiscoveredcrimes。EventheScotlandYarddetectives,failingtofindaclue,lostinterestinthematter,anditseemedasthoughthemysteryofBolton’sdeathwouldnotbesolveduntiltheDayofJudgment。
  Inthevillage,however,peoplestillcontinuedtobekeenlyinterested,sinceBoltonwasoneofthemselves,and,moreover,WidowAnnekeptupaperpetualoutcryabouthermurderedboy。
  ShehadlostthesmallweeklysumwhichSidneyhadallowedheroutofhiswages,sotheneighbors,thegentryofthesurroundingcountry,andtheofficersattheFortsentheramplewashingtodo。WidowAnneinafewweekshadquitealargebusiness,consideringthesizeofthevillage,andphilosophicallyobservedtoaneighborthat"Itwasanillwindwhichblewnooneanygood,"addingalsothatSidneywasmoregoodtoherdeadthanalive。ButeveninGartleythevillagersgrewwearyofdiscussingamysterywhichcouldneverbesolved,andsothecasebecamerarelytalkedabout。Inthesedaysofbustleandworryandcompetition,itiswonderfulhowpeopleforgetevenimportantevents。Ifabluesunarosetolightentheworldinsteadofayellowone,afterninedaysofwonder,manwouldsettledownquitecomfortablytoaceruleanexistence。Suchisthewonderfuladaptabilityofhumanity。
  ProfessorBraddockwaslessforgetful,ashealwaysboreinmindthelossofhismummy,andconstantlythoughtofschemeswherebyhecouldtraptheassassinofhislatesecretary。Notthathecaredforthedeadinanyway,savefromastrictlybusinesspointofview,butthecaptureofthecriminalmeanttherestitutionofthemummy,and-asBraddocktoldeveryonewithwhomhecameincontact-hewasdeterminedtoregainpossessionofhistreasure。HewenthimselftotheSailor’sRest,anddrovethelandlordandhisservantswildbyaskingtartquestionsandstormingwhenasatisfactoryanswercouldnotbesupplied。Quasswasgladwhenhesawtheplumpbackofthecrosslittleman,whosopertinaciouslyfollowedwhateveryoneelsehadabandoned。
  "Lifewastooshort,"grumbledQuass,"tobebotheredinthatway。"
  ThewooingofArchieandLucywentonsmoothly,andtheProfessorshowednosignofwishingtobreaktheengagement。ButHope,asheconfidedtoLucy,wassomewhatworried,ashispauperuncle,onaninsufficientborrowedcapital,hadbeguntospeculateinSouthAfricanmines,anditwasprobablethathewouldloseallhismoney。InthatcaseHopefanciedhewouldbeoncemorecalledupontomakegoodtheavuncularloss,andsothemarriagewouldhavetobepostponed。Butitsohappenedthatthepauperunclemadesomeluckyspeculativeshotsandacquiredmoney,whichhepromptlyreinvestedinnewminesofthewildcatdescription。
  Still,forthemomentallwaswell,andthelovershadafewhalcyondaysofpeaceandhappiness。
  ThencameaboltfromtheblueinthepersonofCaptainHervey,whocalledafortnightafterthefuneraltoseetheProfessor。
  Theskipperwasatall,slimman,leanasafastingfriar,andhardasnails,withcloselyclippedredhair,mustacheofthesameaggressivehue,andanAmericangoatee。HespokewithaYankeeaccent,andinatruculentmanner,sufficientlyannoyingtothefieryProfessor。WhenhemetBraddockinthemuseum,thetwobecameenemiesatthefirstglance,andbecausebothwerebad-temperedandobstinate,tookaninstantdisliketooneanother。Likedidnotdrawtolikeinthisinstance。
  "Whatdoyouwanttoseemeabout?"askedBraddockcrossly。HehadbeensummonedbyCockatoofromtheperusalofanewpapyrustoseehisvisitor,andconsequentlywasnotinthebestoftempers。
  "I’vejes’blewinfuratrifleofchin-music,"repliedHerveywithanemphaticU。S。A。accent。
  "I’mbusy:getout,"wastheuncomplimentaryreply。
  Herveytookachairand,stretchinghislengthylegs,producedablackcheroot,aslongandleanashimself。
  "IfyouwereintheStates,Professor,I’ddrawabeadonyouforthatstyleoflingo。I’mnottakingany。See!"andhelightedup。
  "You’rethecaptainof’TheDiver’?"
  "That’sso;Iwas,thatis。Now,I’veshiftedtoadandywind-jammerofsortsthatcanrunringsroundtheoldbarky。I
  surmiseI’mofffortheSouthSeas,pearl-fishing,inthreemonths。I’lltakethatKanakaalongwithme,ify’like,Professor,"andhecastasideglanceatCockatoo,whowassquattingonhishamsasusual,polishingablueenameledjarfromaThebantomb。
  "Irequiretheservicesoftheman,"saidBraddockstiffly。"Astoyou,sir:you’vebeenpaidforyourbusinessinconnectionwithBolton’spassageandtheshipmentofmymummy,sothereisnomoretobesaid。"
  "Heapsmore!heaps,youbet,"remarkedthemanoftheseaplacidly,andcontrollingatemperwhichinlesscivilizedpartswouldhaveledhimtowipethefloorwiththeplumpscientist。
  "Myownerswerepaidfurthatracket:notme。No,sir。SoI’vepaddledintothisporttoseeifIcanrakeinafewdollarsonmyown。"
  "I’venodollarstogiveyou-incharity,thatis。"
  "Huh!An’whoaskedcharity,youbald-headedjelly-bag?"
  Braddockgrewscarletwithfury。"Ifyouspeaktomelikethat,youruffian,I’llthrowyouout。"
  "What?-you?"
  "Yes,me,"andtheProfessorstoodontip-toe,likethebantamhewas。
  "Youmakemesmile,andlikewisetired,"murmuredHervey,admiringthelittleman’spluck。"Seehere,Professor,touchingthatmummy?"
  "Mymummy:mygreenmummy。Whataboutit?"Braddockrosetotheflythrownbythisskilfulangler。
  "That’sso。WhatwillyoushelloutifIpassalongthatcorpse?"
  "Ah!"TheProfessoragainstoodontip-toe,gaspingandpurpleintheface。Healmostsqueakedintheextremityofhisanger。
  "Iknewit。"
  "Knewwhat?"demandedtheskipper,genuinelysurprised。
  "Iknewthatyouhadstolenmymummy。Yes,youneedn’tdenyit。
  Bolton,likethesillyfoolhewas,toldyouhowvaluablethemummywas,andyoustrangledthepoordeviltogetmyproperty。"
  "Goslow,"saidthecaptain,innowiseperturbedbythisaccusation。"Iwouldhaveyourememberthatattheinquestitwasstatedthatthewindowwaslockedandthedoorwasopen。HowthencouldIwaltzintothatblamedhotelandarrangeforafuneral?’Sides,Iguessshootingismor’nmylinethangarrotting。IleavethattotheEastCoastYellow-Stomachs。"
  Braddocksatdownandwipedhisface。Hesawplainlyenoughthathehadnotalegtostandon,asHerveywasplainlyinnocent。
  "’Sides,"wentontheskipper,chewinghischeroot,"IguessifI’dwantedthatoldcorpseofyours,I’dhaveyankedBoltonoverside,andsetdowntheaccidenttobadweather。Betterfurmetolootthecaseaboardthantomakeafoolofmyselfashore。
  No,sir,H。H。don’trun’isownperticlerprivatecircusinthatblamedway。"
  "H。H。WhothedevilisH。H。?"
  "Me,youbet。HiramHervey,citizenoftheU。S。A。Nantucketneighborhoodforhomelife。Andsee,don’tyougetm’hairriz,orI’llscalp。"
  "Youcan’tscalpme,"chuckledBraddock,passinghishandoveraverybaldhead。"Seehere,whatdoyouwant?"
  "NameapriceandI’llfloatroundtogetbackyourverdantcorpse。"
  "IthoughtyouweregoingtotheSouthSeas?"
  "Inthreemonths,pearl-fishing。Lotsoftime,Ireckon,torunthisoldcircusIwantyoutofinance。"
  "Haveyouanysuspicions?"
  "No,’septIdon’tbelieveinthatwindowbusiness。"
  "Whatdoyoumean?"Braddocksatupright。
  "Well,"drawledtheYankee,"y’see,Iinterviewedthegalastoldthatperticlerlieincourt。"
  "ElizaFlight。Wasitalieshetold?"
  "Well,notexactly。Thewindowwassnibbed,butthatwasdoneafterthechapwhosentyourpaltoKingdomComehadgotout。"
  Doyoumeantosaythatthewindowwaslockedfromtheoutside?"
  askedBraddock,andthen,whenHerveynodded,heexclaimed"Impossible!"
  "Narryanimpossibility,youbet。Thechapwhoengineeredthecircuswasall-firedsmart。Thesnibwasanoldone,andheyankedapieceofstringroundit,andpassedthestringthroughthecrackbetweentheupperandlowersashofthewindow。Whenoutsidehepulled,andthesnibslidintoplace。Butheleftthestringonthegroundoutside。Ipickeditupnex’dayandguessedtherackethe’dbeenon。Itriedthesamebusinessandbroughtoffthedeal。"
  "Itsoundswonderfulandyetimpossible,"criedBraddock,rubbinghisbaldheadandwalkingexcitedlytoandfro。"Seehere,I’llcomealongwithyouandseehowit’sdone。"
  "Youbetyou,won’t,unlessyoushellout。Seehere"-Herveyleanedforward-"fromthatwindowbusinessit’splainthatnooneinsidetheshantycorpsedyourpal。Thechapasdiditenteredandleftbythewindow,andmadetrackswiththatoldcorpyouwant。Nowyoupassalongfivehundredpounds-that’sEnglishcurrency,Ireckon-andI’llsmellroundfortherobber。"
  "AndwheredoyouthinkIcanobtainfivehundredpounds?"askedtheProfessorverydryly。
  "Well,Iguessifthatblamedcorpseisworthit,you’llbewillingtotrade。Y’don’tliveinthisshantyfornothing。"
  "Mygoodfriend,Ihaveenoughtoliveon,andobtainthishouseatasmallrentonaccountofitsisolation。ButIcannomorefindthesumoffivehundredpoundsthanfly。"
  Herveyroseandstraightenedhislegs。
  "ThenIguessI’dbestbegettingbacktoPierside。"
  "Onemoment,sir。Didanythinghappenonthevoyage?-didBoltonsayanythinglikelytoleadyoutosupposethathewasindangerofbeingrobbedandmurdered?"
  "No,"saidtheskippermusingly,andpullinghisgoatee。"Hetoldmethathehadsecuredtheoldcorpse,andwasbringingithometoyou。Ididn’ttalkmuchtoBolton;hewasn’tmystyle。"
  "Haveyouanyideawhokilledhim?"
  "No,Iain’t。"
  "Thenhowdoyouproposetofindthecriminalwhohasthemummy?"
  "Yougivemefivehundredpoundsandsee,"saidHerveycoolly。
  "Ihaven’tgotthemoney。"
  "ThenIreckonyoudon’tgetthecorpse。Solong,"andtheskipperstrolledtowardsthedoor。Braddockfollowedhim。
  "Youhaveaclue?"
  "No,I’vegotnothing;noteventhatfivehundredpoundsyoumakesuchafussover。It’sawasteddaywithH。H。,Isurmise。
  Wait!"Hescribbledonacardandflungitacrosstheroom。
  "That’smyPiersideaddressifyoushouldchangeyourblamedmind。"
  TheProfessorpickedupthecard。"TheSailor’sRest!What,areyoustoppingthere?"Then,whenHerveynodded,hecriedviolently,"Why,Ibelieveyouhaveaclue,andstopatthehoteltofollowitup。"
  "MaybeIdoandmaybeIdon’t,"retortedthecaptain,openingthedoorwithajerk;"anyhow,Idon’thuntforthatcorpsewithoutthedollars。"
  WhenHiramHerveydeparted,theProfessorragedupanddowntheroomsoviolentlythatCockatoowascowedbyhisanger。
  ApparentlythisAmericanskipperknewofsomethingwhichmightleadtothediscoveryoftheassassinandincidentallytotherestorationofthegreenmummytoitsrightfulowner。Buthewouldnotmakeamoveunlesshewaspaidfivehundredpounds,andBraddockdidnotknowwheretoprocurethatamount。HavinglongsincemadehimselfacquaintedwithHope’sfinancialcondition,heknewwellthattherewasnochanceofgettingasecondcheckinthatquarter。OfcoursetherewasRandom,whomhehadheardcasuallyhadreturnedfromhisyachtingcruise,andwasnowbackagainattheFort。ButRandomwasinlovewithLucy,andwouldprobablyonlygiveorlendthemoneyonconditionthattheProfessorhelpedhimwithhiswooing。Inthatcase,sinceLucywasengagedtoHope,therewouldbesomedifficultyinalteringpresentconditions。Buthavingarrivedatthispointofhissomewhatangrymeditations,BraddocksentCockatoowithamessagetohisstep-daughter,sayingthathewishedtoseeher。
  "I’llseeifshereallylovesHope,"thoughttheProfessor,rubbinghisplumphands。"Ifshedoesn’t,theremaybeachanceofherthrowinghimovertobecomeLadyRandom。ThenIcangetthemoney。Andindeed,"soliloquizedtheProfessorvirtuously,"Imustpointouttoherthatitiswrongofhertomakeapoormarriage,whenshecangainawealthyhusband。Iwillonlybedoingmydutybymydeardeadwife,bypreventingherweddingpoverty。Butgirlsaresoobstinate,andLucyisathoroughgirl。"
  HisamiableanxietyonbehalfofMissKendalwasonlycutshortbytheentranceoftheyoungladyherself。ProfessorBraddockthenshowedhishandtooplainlybyevincingastrongwishtoconciliateherineveryway。Heprocuredheraseat:heaskedafterherhealth:hetoldherthatshewasgrowingprettiereveryday,andinallwaysbehavedsounlikehisusualself,thatLucybecamealarmedandthoughtthathehadbeen"Whyhaveyousentforme?"sheasked,anxioustocometothepoint。
  "Aha!"Braddockputhisvenerableheadononesidelikearoguishbirdandsmiledinaninfantinemanner。"Ihavegoodnewsforyou。"
  "Aboutthemummy?"shedemandedinnocently。
  "No,aboutfleshandblood,whichyouprefer。SirFrankRandomhasarrivedbackattheFort。There!"
  "Iknowthat,"wasMissKendal’sunexpectedreply。"HisyachtcametoPiersideonthesameafternoonasTheDiverarrived。"
  "Oh,indeed!"saidtheProfessor,struckbythecoincidence,andwithastare。"Howdoyouknow?"
  "ArchiemetSirFranktheotherday,andlearnedasmuch。"
  "What?"Braddockstruckatragicattitude。"Doyoumeantosaythatthosetwoyoungmenspeaktooneanother?"
  "Yes。Whynot?Theyarefriends。"
  "Oh!"Braddockbecameroguishagain。"Ifanciedtheywereloversofacertainyoungladywhoisinthisroom。"
  BythistimeLucywasbeginningtoguesswhatherstepfatherwasaimingat,andgrewcorrespondinglyangry"Archieismysolelovernow,"sheremarkedstiffly。"SirFrankknowsthatweareengagedandisquitereadytobethefriendofusboth。"
  "Andhecallsthatlove。Idiot!"criedtheProfessor,muchdisgusted。"ButIwouldpointouttoyou,Lucy-andIdosobecauseofmydeepaffectionforyou,dearchild-thatSirFrankiswealthy。"
  "SoisArchie-inmylove。"
  "Nonsense!nonsense!Thatismerefoolishromance,Hehasnomoney。"
  "Youshouldnotsaythat。Archiehadmoneytotheextentofonethousandpounds,whichhegaveyou。"
  "Onethousandpounds:amerenothing。Consider,Lucy,thatifyoumarryRandomyouwillhaveatitle。"
  MissKendal,whosepatiencewasgettingexhausted,stampedaveryneatboot。
  "Idon’tknowwhyyoutalkinthisway,father。"
  "Iwishtoseeyouhappy。"
  "Thenyourwishisgranted:youdoseemehappy。ButIwon’tbehappylongifyoukeepbotheringmetomarryamanIdon’tcaretwostrawsabout。IamgoingtobeMrs。Hope,sothere。"
  "Mydearchild,"saidtheProfessor,whoalwaysbecamepaternalwhenmostobstinate,"IhavereasontobelievethatthegreenmummycanbediscoveredandpoorSidney’sdeathavengedifarewardoffivehundredpoundsisoffered。IfHopecangivemethatmoney-"
  "Hewillnot:Ishallnotallowhimto。Hehaslosttoomuchalready。"
  "InthatcaseImustapplytoSirFrankRandom。"
  "Well,apply,"shesnapped,beingdecidedlyangry;"it’snoneofmybusiness。Idon’twanttohearanythingaboutit。"
  "Itisyourbusiness,miss,"criedBraddock,growingangryinhisturnandbecomingverypink;"youknowthatonlybygettingyoutomarryRandomcanIprocurethemoney。"
  "Oh!"saidLucycoldly。"Sothisiswhyyousentforme。Now,father,Ihavehadenoughofthis。YougaveyourconsenttoArchiebeingengagedtomeinexchangeforonethousandpounds。
  AsIlovehimIshallabidebythewordyougave。IfIhadnotlovedhimIshouldhaverefusedtomarryhim。Youunderstand?"
  "IunderstandthatIhaveaveryobstinategirltodealwith。
  YoushallmarryasIchoose。"
  "Ishalldonothingofthesort。Youhavenorighttodictatemychoiceofahusband。"
  "Noright,whenIamyourfather?"
  "Youarenotmyfather:merelymystep-father-merelyarelationbymarriage。Iamofage。IcandoasIlike,andintendto。"
  "But,Lucy,"imploredBraddock,changinghistune,"think。"
  "Ihavethought。ImarryArchie。"
  "ButheispoorandRandomisrich。"
  "Idon’tcare。IloveArchieandIdon’tloveFrank。"
  "Wouldyouhavemelosethemummyforever?"
  "Yes,Iwould,ifmymiseryistobethepriceofitsrestoration。WhyshouldIsellmyselftoamanIcarenothingabout,justbecauseyouwantamusty,fustyoldcorpse?NowIamgoing。"Lucywalkedtothedoor。"Ishan’tlistentoanotherword。Andifyoubothermeagain,IshallmarryArchieatonceandleavethehouse。"
  "Icanmakeyouleaveitinanycase,youungratefulgirl,"
  bellowedBraddock,whowaspurplewithrage,neverhavingaverygoodtemperatthebestoftimes。"LookwhatIhavedoneforyou!"
  MissKendalcouldhavepointedoutthatherStepfatherhaddonenothingsaveattendtohimself。Butshedisdainedsuchanargument,andwithoutanotherwordopenedthedoorandwalkedout。AlmostimmediatelyafterwardsCockatooentered,muchtothereliefoftheProfessor,whorelievedhisfeelingsbykickingtheunfortunateKanaka。Thenhesatdownagaintoconsiderwaysandmeansofobtainingthenecessarymummyandstillmorenecessarymoney。
  CHAPTERVIII
  THEBARONET
  SirFrankRandomwasanamiableyounggentlemanwith-asthesayinggoes-allhisgoodsintheshopwindow。Fair-hairedandtall,withawell-knit,athleticfigure,apolishedmanner,andaman-of-the-worldair,hestrictlyresembledtheromanticofficerofBowBells,FamilyHerald,YoungLadies’Journalfiction。Buttheromancewasallinhiswell-groomedlooks,ashewasascommonplaceaSaxonascouldbemetwithinaday’smarch。Fondofsport,attentivetohisdutiesasartillerycaptain,anddevotedtowhatisromanticallyknownasthefairsex,hesaunteredeasilythroughlife,verywellcontentedwithhimselfandwithhisagreeablesurroundings。Hereadfictionwhenhedidread,andthoseweeklypapersdevotedtosport;troubledhisheadverylittleaboutpolitics,savewhentheyhadtodowithapossibleGermaninvasion,andwasalwaysreadytodoanyoneagoodturn。Hisbrother-officersdeclaredthathewasnothalfabadsort,whichwashighpraisefromtheusuallyreticentserviceman。Hiscapacitymaybeaccuratelygaugedbythefactthathedidnotpossessasingleenemy,andthateveryonespokewellofhim。Amortalwhopossessesnoqualitylikelytobeenviedbythosearoundhimiscertaintobelongtotherankandfileofhumanity。Buttheseunconsideredunitsofmankindcanalwaysconsolethemselveswiththeundoubtedfactthatmediocrityisinvariablyhappy。
  SuchamanasRandomwouldneversettheThamesonfire,andcertainlyhehadnoambitiontoperformthatastoundingfeat。Hewasfondofhisprofessionandintendedtoremaininthearmyaslongashecould。Hedesiredtomarryandbegetafamily,andretire,whensetfreefromsoldiering,tohiscountryseat,andthereperformblamelesslythecongenialroleofavillagesquire,untilcalledupontojointherespectablecorpsesintheRandomvault。Notthathewasasaintorevercouldbeone。Neitherblacknorwhite,hewassimplygray,beinganordinarymixtureofgoodandbad。Astheologyhasprovidednohereafterforgraypeople,itishardtoimaginewherethebulkofhumanitywillgo。
  ButdoubtsonthispointnevertroubledRandom。Hewenttochurch,kepthismouthshutandhisporesopenandvaguelybelievedthatitwouldbeallrightsomehow。Averycomfortableifsuperficialphilosophyindeed。
  ItcaneasilybeguessedthatRandom’ssomewhatcolorlesspersonalitywouldneverattractLucyKendal,sincethehuesofherowncharacterweredeeper。ForthisreasonshewasdrawntoHope,whopossessedthataggressiveartistictemperament,wheregoodandbad,areinviolentcontrast。Randomtookopinionsfrombooks,orfromotherpeople,andhismind,likealooking-glass,reflectedwhatevercamealong;butHopepossessedopinionsofhisown,bothrightandwrong,andheldtotheseinthefaceofallverbalopposition。Hecouldargueanddidargue,whenRandomsimplyagreed。Lucyhadsimilaridiosyncrasies,inheritedfromacleverfather,soitwasjustaswellthatshepreferredArchietoFrank。Hadthelatteryounggentlemanmarriedher,hewouldhavedwindledtoLadyRandom’shusband,andwouldhavefoundtoolatethathehaddomesticatedakindofimitationGeorgeEliot。
  WhenhecongratulatedArchieonhisengagementsomewhatruefully,helittlethoughtwhatanescapehehadhad。
  ButProfessorBraddock,whodidnotbelongtothegraytribe,knewnothingofthis,ashisEgyptologicalstudiesdidnotpermithimtimetoargueonsuchcommonplacematters。HethereforefailedinadvancewhenhesetouttopersuadeRandomintorenewinghissuit。Asthefierylittlemanafterwardsexpressedhimself,"Imightaswellhavetalkedtoamollusc,"forRandompolitelydeclinedtobeusedasaninstrumenttoforwardtheProfessor’sambitionatthecostofMissKendal’sunhappiness。
  TheinterviewtookplaceinSirFrank’squartersattheFortonthedayafterHerveyhadcalledtoproposeasearchforthecorpse。AnditwasduringthisinterviewthatBraddocklearnedsomethingwhichbothstartledandannoyedhim。
  Random,atthreeo’clock,hadjustchangedintomufti,whentheProfessorwasannouncedbyhisservant。Braddock,determinedtogivehishostnochanceofdenyinghimself,followedcloseontheman’sheels,andwasintheroomalmostbeforeSirFrankhadreadthecard。Itwasabareroom,sparselyfurnished,accordingtotheWarOffice’sideaofcomfort,andalthoughthebaronethadaddedafewmorecivilizednecessities,itstilllookedsomewhatdismal。Braddock,wholikedcomfort,shookhandscarelesslywithhishostandcastadisapprovingeyeonhissurroundings。
  "Dogkennel!dogkennel!"grumbledthepoliteProfessor。"Baredesolationlikeadamneddungeon。YoumightaswellliveintheSahara。"
  "Itwouldcertainlybewarmer,"repliedRandom,whoknewthescientist’ssnappywaysverywell。"Takeachair,sir!"
  "Hardasbricks,confoundit!"Handmeoveracushion。There,that’sbetter!No,Ineverdrinkbetweenmeals,thankyou。
  Smoke?Hangit,Random,youshouldknowbythistimethatI
  dislikemakingachimneyofmythroat!There!there!don’tfuss。
  TakeaseatandlistentowhatIhavetosay。It’simportant。
  Pokethefire,please:it’scold。"
  Randomplacidlydidashewastold,andthenlightedacigar,ashesatdownquietly。
  "Iamsorrytohearofyourtrouble,sir。’"
  "Trouble!trouble!Whatparticulartrouble?"
  "Thedeathofyourassistant。"
  "Ohyes。Sillyyoungasstogetkilled。Lostmymummy,too:
  there’stroubleifyoulike。"
  "Thegreenmummy。"Randomlookedintothefire,"Yes。Ihaveheardofthegreenmummy。"
  "Ishouldthinkyouhave,"snappedBraddock,warminghisplumphands。"Everypenny-a-linerhasbeentalkingaboutit。Whendidyoureturn?"
  "Onthesamedaythatthatsteamerwiththemummyonboardarrived,"wasRandom’soddreply。
  TheProfessorstaredsuspiciously。"Idon’tseewhyyoushoulddateyourmovementsbymymummy,"heretorted。
  "Well,Ihadareasonindoingso。"
  "Whatreason?"
  "Themummy-"
  "Whataboutit?-doyouknowwhereitis?"Braddockstartedtohisfeet,andlookedeagerlyatthecalmfaceofhishost。
  "No,IwishIdid。Howmuchdidyoupayforit,Professor?"
  "What’sthattoyou?"snappedtheother,resuminghisseat。
  "Nothingatall。ButitisagreatdealtoDonPedrodeGayangos。"
  "Andwhothedeuceishe?SomeSpanishEgyptologist?"
  "Idon’tthinkheisanEgyptologist,sir。"
  "Hemustbe,ifhewantsmymummy。"
  "Youforget,Professor,thatthegreenmummycomesfromPeru。"
  "Whodeniedthatitdid,sir?Youareillogical-infernallyso。"Thelittlemanroseandstraddledonthehearth-rug,withhisbacktothefireandhishandsunderhiscoat-tails。"Now,sir,"hesaid,glaringattheyoungmanlikeaschool-master-
  "whatthedeuceareyoutalkingabout?Outwithit:noevasion,"
  "Oh,hangit,Professor,don’tjumpdownmythroat,spursandall,"saidRandom,ratherannoyedbythisdictatorialtone。
  "Ineverwearspurs:goon,sir,anddon’targue。"
  SirFrankcouldnothelplaughing,althoughhtknewthatitwasuselesstoinduceBraddocktobecivil。NotthattheProfessor,meanttoberude,especiallyashedesiredtoconciliateRandom。
  Butlongyearsoffightingwithotherscientistsandofhavinghisownscientificwayhadturnedhimintoakindofschool-master,andeveryoneknowsthattheyarethemostdomineeringofthehumanrace。
  "It’salongstory,"saidthebaronet,withashrugandasmile。
  "Story!story!Whatstory?"
  "’ThatwhichIamabouttotellyou。"AndthenRandombeganhurriedly,soastopreventfurtherargumentsofanunprofitablekind。"IwasatGenoawithmyyacht,andtherestoppedonshoreattheCasaBianca。"
  "Whatplaceisthat?"
  "Anhotel。ItheremetwithacertainDonPedrodeGayangosandhisdaughter,DonnaInez,HewasagentlemanfromLima,andhadcometoEuropeinsearchofthegreenmummy。"
  Braddockstared。
  "AndwhatdidthisconfoundedSpaniardwantwithmygreenmummy?"
  hedemandedindignantly。"Howdidheknowofitsexistence?-
  whatreasonhadhetotryandobtainit?Answer,sir。"
  "IshallletDonPedroanswerhimself,"saidRandomdryly。"Hearrivesinacoupleofdays,andintendstotakeroomsattheWarriorInnalongwithhisdaughter。Thenyoucanquestionhim,Professor。"
  "Iquestionyou,"snappedBraddockangrily。
  "AndIamansweringtothebestofmyability。DonPedrotoldmenothingbeyondthefactthathewantedthemummy,andhadcometoEuropetogetit。InsomewayhelearnedthatitwasinMaltaandwasforsale。"
  "Quiteso:quiteso,"raspedtheProfessor。"Hesawtheadvertisementinthenewspapers,asIdid,andwantedtobuyitovermyhead。"
  "Oh,hewantedtobuyitrightenough,andwiredtoMalta,"saidRandom,"butinreplyhereceivedaletterstatingthatithadbeensoldtoyouandwasbeingtakentoEnglandonTheDiver。I
  followedTheDiverinmyyachtandarrivedatPiersideanhouraftershedid。"
  "Ah!"Braddockglared。"Ibegintoseelight。ThisinfernalSpaniardwasonboard,andwantedmymummy。HeknewthatBoltonhadtakenittotheSailor’sRestandwenttheretokillthepoorladandgetmy-"
  "Nothingofthesort,"interruptedSirFrankimpatiently。"DonPedroremainedbehindinGenoa,intendingtowriteandaskifyouwouldsellhimthemummy。Iwroteandtoldhimofthemurderofyourassistantandrelatedallthathadhappened。HewiredtomethathewascomingtoEnglandatonce,as-asItoldyou。HewillbeinGartleyinacoupleofdays。Thatisthewholestory。"
  "Itisasufficientlystrangeone,"grumbledBraddock,frowning。
  "Whatdoeshewantwithmymummy?"。
  "Icannottellyou。Butifyouwillsell-"
  "Sell!sell!sell!"vociferatedBraddockfuriously。