the widow.

"I cannot," laughed Archie; "the green mummy belongs to the Professor."

"I cannot accept such a gift, Hope. Owing to circumstances I have been
obliged to borrow the money from you; otherwise the mummy would have
been acquired by some one else. But when I find the tomb of Queen
Tahoser, I shall repay the loan."

"You have repaid it already," said Hope, looking at Lucy.

Braddock's eyes followed his gaze and his brows contracted. "Humph!" he
muttered, "I don't know if I am right in consenting to Lucy's marriage
with a pauper."

"Oh, father!" cried the girl, "Archie is not a pauper."

"I have enough for Lucy and me to live on," said Hope, although his face
had flushed, "and, had I been a pauper I could not have given you that
thousand pounds."

"You will be repaid--you will be repaid," said Braddock, waving his hand
to dismiss the subject. "And now," he rose with a yawn, "if this tedious
feast is at an end, I shall again seek my work."

Without a word of apology to the disgusted Mrs. Jasher, he trotted to
the door, and there paused.

"By the way, Lucy," he said, turning, "I had a letter to-day from
Random. He returns in his yacht to Pierside in two or three days. In
fact, his arrival will coincide with that of The Diver."

"I don't see what his arrival has to do with me," said Lucy tartly.

"Oh, nothing at all--nothing at all," said Braddock airily, "only I
thought--that is, but never mind, never mind. Cockatoo, come down with
me. Good night! Good night!" and he disappeared.

"Well," said Mrs. Jasher, drawing along breath, "for rudeness and
selfishness, commend me to a scientist. We might be all mud, for what
notice he takes of us."

"Never mind," said Miss Kendal, rising, "come to the drawing-room and
have some music. Archie, will you stop here?"

"No. I don't care to sit over my wine alone," said that young gentleman,
rising. "I shall accompany you and Mrs. Jasher. And Lucy," he stopped
her at the door, through which the widow had already passed, "what did
your father mean by his hints concerning Random?"

"I think he regrets giving his consent to my marriage with you," she
whispered back. "Did you not hear him talk about that tomb? He desires
to get money for the expedition."

"From Random? What rubbish! Sooner than that--if our marriage is stopped
by the beastly business--I'll sell out and--"

"You'll do nothing of the sort," interrupted the girl imperiously; "we
must live if we marry.