he children and the Priest were in a small, dark chamber. A square
doorway of massive stone let in gleams of shifting light, and the sound
of many voices chanting a slow, strange hymn. They stood listening. Now
and then the chant quickened and the light grew brighter, as though fuel
had been thrown on a fire.

'Where are we?' whispered Anthea.

'And when?' whispered Robert.

'This is some shrine near the beginnings of belief,' said the Egyptian
shivering. 'Take the Amulet and come away. It is cold here in the
morning of the world.'

And then Jane felt that her hand was on a slab or table of stone, and,
under her hand, something that felt like the charm that had so long hung
round her neck, only it was thicker. Twice as thick.

'It's HERE!' she said, 'I've got it!' And she hardly knew the sound of
her own voice.

'Come away,' repeated Rekh-mara.

'I wish we could see more of this Temple,' said Robert resistingly.

'Come away,' the Priest urged, 'there is death all about, and strong
magic. Listen.'

The chanting voices seemed to have grown louder and fiercer, and light
stronger.

'They are coming!' cried Rekh-mara. 'Quick, quick, the Amulet!'

Jane held it up.

'What a long time you've been rubbing your eyes!' said Anthea; 'don't
you see we've got back?' The learned gentleman merely stared at her.

'Miss Anthea--Miss Jane!' It was Nurse's voice, very much higher and
squeaky and more exalted than usual.

'Oh, bother!' said everyone. Cyril adding, 'You just go on with the
dream for a sec, Mr Jimmy, we'll be back directly. Nurse'll come up if
we don't. SHE wouldn't think Rekh-mara was a dream.'

Then they went down. Nurse was in the hall, an orange envelope in one
hand, and a pink paper in the other.

'Your Pa and Ma's come home. "Reach London 11.15. Prepare rooms as
directed in letter", and signed in their two names.'

'Oh, hooray! hooray! hooray!' shouted the boys and Jane. But Anthea
could not shout, she was nearer crying.

'Oh,' she said almost in a whisper, 'then it WAS true. And we HAVE got
our hearts' desire.'

'But I don't understand about the letter,' Nurse was saying. 'I haven't
HAD no letter.'

'OH!' said Jane in a queer voice, 'I wonder whether it was one of
those... they came that night--you know, when we were playing "devil
in the dark"--and I put them in the hat-stand drawer, behind the
clothes-brushes and'--she pulled out the drawer as she spoke--'and here
they are!'

There was