rting us; and I found when we compared notes that
Trelawny had the same suspicion. It was not till we arrived at Cairo
that we found he was correct. It was the 3rd of November 1884 when we
entered the Mummy Pit for the second time; we had reason to remember
the date.

"We had lost three whole days of our reckoning--out of our
lives--whilst we had stood wondering in that chamber of the dead. Was
it strange, then, that we had a superstitious feeling with regard to
the dead Queen Tera and all belonging to her? Is it any wonder that it
rests with us now, with a bewildering sense of some power outside
ourselves or our comprehension? Will it be any wonder if it go down to
the grave with us at the appointed time? If, indeed, there be any
graves for us who have robbed the dead!" He was silent for quite a
minute before he went on:

"We got to Cairo all right, and from there to Alexandria, where we were
to take ship by the Messagerie service to Marseilles, and go thence by
express to London. But

'The best-laid schemes o' mice and men Gang aft agley.'

At Alexandria, Trelawny found waiting a cable stating that Mrs.
Trelawny had died in giving birth to a daughter.

"Her stricken husband hurried off at once by the Orient Express; and I
had to bring the treasure alone to the desolate house. I got to London
all safe; there seemed to be some special good fortune to our journey.
When I got to this house, the funeral had long been over. The child
had been put out to nurse, and Mr. Trelawny had so far recovered from
the shock of his loss that he had set himself to take up again the
broken threads of his life and his work. That he had had a shock, and
a bad one, was apparent. The sudden grey in his black hair was proof
enough in itself; but in addition, the strong cast of his features had
become set and stern. Since he received that cable in the shipping
office at Alexandria I have never seen a happy smile on his face.

"Work is the best thing in such a case; and to his work he devoted
himself heart and soul. The strange tragedy of his loss and gain--for
the child was born after the mother's death--took place during the time
that we stood in that trance in the Mummy Pit of Queen Tera. It seemed
to have become in some way associated with his Egyptian studies, and
more especially with the mysteries connected with the Queen. He told
me very little about his daughter; but that two forces struggled in his
mind regar