o in length, such a basket as
the old Egyptians used to contain the funeral figures which are called
_ushaptis_, or other objects connected with the dead. It looked as
though it had been dropped, for it lay upon its side. Smith opened
it--not very hopefully, for surely nothing of value would have been
abandoned thus.

The first thing that met his eyes was a mummied hand, broken off at the
wrist, a woman's little hand, most delicately shaped. It was withered
and paper-white, but the contours still remained; the long fingers were
perfect, and the almond-shaped nails had been stained with henna, as was
the embalmers' fashion. On the hand were two gold rings, and for those
rings it had been stolen. Smith looked at it for a long while, and his
heart swelled within him, for here was the hand of that royal lady of
his dreams.

Indeed, he did more than look; he kissed it, and as his lips touched
the holy relic it seemed to him as though a wind, cold but scented, blew
upon his brow. Then, growing fearful of the thoughts that arose within
him, he hurried his mind back to the world, or rather to the examination
of the basket.

Here he found other objects roughly wrapped in fragments of mummy-cloth
that had been torn from the body of the queen. These it is needless to
describe, for are they not to be seen in the gold room of the Museum,
labelled "Bijouterie de la Reine Ma-Me, XVIIIeme Dynastie. Thebes
(Smith's Tomb)"? It may be mentioned, however, that the set was
incomplete. For instance, there was but one of the great gold ceremonial
ear-rings fashioned like a group of pomegranate blooms, and the most
beautiful of the necklaces had been torn in two--half of it was missing.

It was clear to Smith that only a portion of the precious objects which
were buried with the mummy had been placed in this basket. Why had these
been left where he found them? A little reflection made that clear also.
Something had prompted the thief to destroy the desecrated body and its
coffin with fire, probably in the hope of hiding his evil handiwork.
Then he fled with his spoil. But he had forgotten how fiercely mummies
and their trappings can burn. Or perhaps the thing was an accident. He
must have had a lamp, and if its flame chanced to touch this bituminous
tinder!

At any rate, the smoke overtook the man in that narrow place as he began
to climb the slippery slope of clay. In his haste he dropped the basket,
and dared not return to search for i