; it must be closed from within. How
then was it closed? It is a coffer of solid stone, of amazing
hardness, more like a jewel than an ordinary marble, with a lid equally
solid; and yet all is so finely wrought that the finest tool made today
cannot be inserted under the flange. How was it wrought to such
perfection? How was the stone so chosen that those translucent patches
match the relations of the seven stars of the constellation? How is
it, or from what cause, that when the starlight shines on it, it glows
from within--that when I fix the lamps in similar form the glow grows
greater still; and yet the box is irresponsive to ordinary light
however great? I tell you that that box hides some great mystery of
science. We shall find that the light will open it in some way:
either by striking on some substance, sensitive in a peculiar way to
its effect, or in releasing some greater power. I only trust that in
our ignorance we may not so bungle things as to do harm to its
mechanism; and so deprive the knowledge of our time of a lesson handed
down, as by a miracle, through nearly five thousand years.

"In another way, too, there may be hidden in that box secrets which,
for good or ill, may enlighten the world. We know from their records,
and inferentially also, that the Egyptians studied the properties of
herbs and minerals for magic purposes--white magic as well as black.
We know that some of the wizards of old could induce from sleep dreams
of any given kind. That this purpose was mainly effected by hypnotism,
which was another art or science of Old Nile, I have little doubt. But
still, they must have had a mastery of drugs that is far beyond
anything we know. With our own pharmacopoeia we can, to a certain
extent, induce dreams. We may even differentiate between good and
bad--dreams of pleasure, or disturbing and harrowing dreams. But these
old practitioners seemed to have been able to command at will any form
or colour of dreaming; could work round any given subject or thought in
almost any was required. In that coffer, which you have seen, may rest
a very armoury of dreams. Indeed, some of the forces that lie within
it may have been already used in my household." Again there was an
interruption from Doctor Winchester.

"But if in your case some of these imprisoned forces were used, what
set them free at the opportune time, or how? Besides, you and Mr.
Corbeck were once before put into a trance for t