resence
would be in the highest degree objectionable to me."

"You must excuse my interrupting you," I said, thinking I had caught him
tripping, "but you have just said that you are going to open a tomb of
the existence of which the world has no knowledge. Surely my father
opened it many years ago, otherwise how did he become possessed of the
mummy?"

"Your father discovered it, it is true, but he stumbled upon it quite by
chance, and it was reburied within a few hours of his extracting the
mummy. If he were alive now I would defy him to find the place again."

"And you are going to open it to-night?"

"That is my intention. And when I have done so it will once more be
carefully hidden, and may woe light upon the head of the man who shall
again disturb it!"

I do not know whether this speech was intended to have any special
significance, but as he said it he looked hard at me, and never since I
have known him had I seen a more diabolical expression upon his
countenance. I could scarcely have believed that the human face was
capable of such malignity. He recovered himself as quickly, however, and
then once more bidding me prepare for the excursion of the evening, took
himself off to his cabin and left me to ponder over all he had said.

Eleven o'clock had only just struck that night when the tall Arab, my
acquaintance of the Pyramids, came along the deck in search of me. I was
sitting with the Fraeulein Valerie at the time, but as soon as he told me
that Pharos was waiting and that it was time for us to start, I made
haste to rise. On hearing our errand my companion became uneasy.

"I do not like it," she said. "Why could he not do it in the daytime?
This going off under cover of the night savours too much of the
conspirator, and I beg you to be careful of what you do. Have you a
revolver?"

I answered in the affirmative, whereupon she earnestly advised me to
carry it with me, a course which I resolved to adopt. Then bidding her
good-bye I left her and went to my cabin, little dreaming that upward of
a week would elapse before I should see her again.

When I joined Pharos on deck I discovered that he had made no difference
in his attire, but was dressed just as I had always seen him, even to
the extent of his heavy coat which he wore despite the heat of the
night.

"If you are ready," he said, "let us lose no time in starting." Then
turning to the tall Arab, he bade him call the boat up, and as soon as
it wa