and I shall tell you the whole story."

He did so. Under the cheery lamplight, with a glass of wine on the
table beside him, and the portly form and florid face of his friend in
front, he narrated, in their order, all the events, great and small,
which had formed so singular a chain, from the night on which he had
found Bellingham fainting in front of the mummy case until his horrid
experience of an hour ago.

"There now," he said as he concluded, "that's the whole black business.
It is monstrous and incredible, but it is true."

Dr. Plumptree Peterson sat for some time in silence with a very puzzled
expression upon his face.

"I never heard of such a thing in my life, never!" he said at last.
"You have told me the facts. Now tell me your inferences."

"You can draw your own."

"But I should like to hear yours. You have thought over the matter,
and I have not."

"Well, it must be a little vague in detail, but the main points seem to
me to be clear enough. This fellow Bellingham, in his Eastern studies,
has got hold of some infernal secret by which a mummy--or possibly only
this particular mummy--can be temporarily brought to life. He was
trying this disgusting business on the night when he fainted. No doubt
the sight of the creature moving had shaken his nerve, even though he
had expected it. You remember that almost the first words he said were
to call out upon himself as a fool. Well, he got more hardened
afterwards, and carried the matter through without fainting. The
vitality which he could put into it was evidently only a passing thing,
for I have seen it continually in its case as dead as this table. He
has some elaborate process, I fancy, by which he brings the thing to
pass. Having done it, he naturally bethought him that he might use the
creature as an agent. It has intelligence and it has strength. For
some purpose he took Lee into his confidence; but Lee, like a decent
Christian, would have nothing to do with such a business. Then they
had a row, and Lee vowed that he would tell his sister of Bellingham's
true character. Bellingham's game was to prevent him, and he nearly
managed it, by setting this creature of his on his track. He had
already tried its powers upon another man--Norton--towards whom he had
a grudge. It is the merest chance that he has not two murders upon his
soul. Then, when I taxed him with the matter, he had the strongest
reasons for wishing to get me out of the w