step-father, and having, in my eyes, no authority. In what way
did you get his consent--his unnecessary consent," she repeated
with emphasis.

Of course it was waste of breath to argue with a woman who had
made up her mind. The two began to walk towards the village
along the causeway, and Hope cleared his throat to explain--
patiently as to a child.

"You know that your step-father--Professor Braddock--is crazy
on the subject of mummies?"

Lucy nodded in her pretty wilful way. "He is an Egyptologist."

"Quite so, but less famous and rich than he should be,
considering his knowledge of dry-as-dust antiquities. Well,
then, to make a long story short, he told me that he greatly
desired to examine into the difference between the Egyptians and
the Peruvians, with regard to the embalming of the dead."

"I always thought that he was too fond of Egypt to bother about
any other country," said Lucy sapiently.

"My dear, it isn't the country he cares about, but the
civilization of the past. The Incas embalmed their dead, as did
the Egyptians, and in some way the Professor heard of a Royal
Mummy, swathed in green bandages--so he described it to me."

"It should be called an Irish mummy," said Lucy flippantly.
"Well?"