[Illustration]




III


At nine o'clock the next morning Simpkins presented himself at the
Society's office, and a few minutes later he found himself in the
fascinating presence of Mrs. Athelstone. He soon grasped the details of
his simple duties, and then, like a lean, awkward mastiff, padded along
at her heels while she moved about the hall and pointed out the things
which would be under his care.

"If I were equal to it, I should look after these myself," she
explained. "Careless hands would soon ruin this case." And she touched
the gilt mummy beside her writing-table affectionately. "She was a
queen, Nefruari, daughter of the King of Ethiopia. They called her 'the
good and glorious woman.'"

"And this--this black boy?" questioned Simpkins respectfully. "Looks as
if he might have lived during the eighteenth dynasty." He had not been
poring over volumes on Ancient Egypt for two nights without knowing a
thing or two about black mummies.

"Quite right, Simpkins," Mrs. Athelstone replied, evidently pleased by