--for what is time?--I was the
authorised magician at the Court of Ptolemy Patriarchus. I had a
rival--the noted witch Theodolite. In an evil hour she won me by a show
of false affection, and, taking advantage of my passion, mummified me
alive. To this I owe my remarkable state of preservation at an advanced
age. _Tres bien conserve_,' he added fatuously.

'But she only half accomplished her purpose. By some accident, which
has never been explained, and in spite of the stress of competition,
she had purchased _pure_ salts of potash for the execution of her fell
purpose in place of _adulterated_ salts of soda.

'To this I owe it that I am now a living man; and in a moment----'

A certain stiffness of demeanour, which we had noticed, but ascribed to
pride, worked an unspeakable change in the mage. As we looked at him
_he hardened into our cheap mummy_.

'Here's a jolly go!' said Leonora, her mind submerged in terror.

I sprang to the bell, '_Soda water at once!_' I cried, and the _slavi_
appeared with the fluid. We applied it to the parched lips of the
mummy, and Jambres was himself again.

'Now will you tell me?' I asked, when he had been given a cigarette and
made comfortable, 'why we found you--I mean the mummy--under the Three
Balls?'

''Twas a pledge,' he replied. 'When my resources ran low, and my rent
was unpaid, the landlady used to take advantage of my condition and
raise a small sum on me.'

All seemed now explained; but Leonora was not yet satisfied.

'You have----' she began.

'Yes, a strawberry mark,' he replied wearily, 'on the usual place!'

'The quest is accomplished,' I said.

'Nay,' replied Jambres, to give him his real name. 'There is still the
adventure of the Siege Perilous.'

CHAPTER XII.

THE WIZARD'S SCHEME.

'We must, as you are aware, visit the Siege Perilous in the Hall of
Egypt, and risk ourselves in the chair of the Viewless Maiden, of Her
that is not to be seen of Man.'

'We know it,' said Leonora.

'It is,' continued the mage, 'your wish to accomplish the end for which
you set forth. This seems to you an easy matter enough; young hearts
are full of such illusions, and, believe me, I would willingly change
my years, which are lost in geological time, for one hand's breadth of
your daring. Know, then,' continued this strange creature, 'that the
time has now come when matters must be brought to an end between us. It
will be my business, and, I will add, my pleasure