"I am doing so now. Look at the precious minutes I am wasting in
eating, my dear. Life is short and much remains to be done in
the way of Egyptian exploration. There is the sepulchre of Queen
Tahoser. If I could only enter that," and he sighed, while
helping himself to cream.

"Why don't you?" asked Mrs. Jasher, who was beginning to give up
her pursuit of Braddock, for it was no use wooing a man whose
interests centered entirely in Egyptian tombs.

"I have yet to discover it," said the Professor simply; then,
warming to the congenial theme, he glanced around and delivered a
short historical lecture. "Tahoser was the chief wife and queen
of a famous Pharaoh--the Pharaoh of the Exodus, in fact."

"The one who was drowned in the Red Sea?" asked Archie idly.

"Why, yes--but that happened later. Before pursuing the
Hebrews,--if the Mosaic account is to be believed,--this
Pharaoh marched far into the interior of Africa,--the Libya of
the ancients,--and conquered the natives of Upper Ethiopia.
Being deeply in love with his queen, he took her with him on this
expedition, and she died before the Pharaoh returned to Memphis.
From records which I discovered in the museum of Cairo, I have
reason to believe that the Pharaoh buried her with much pomp in
Ethiopia, sacrificing, I believe, many prisoners at her gorgeous
funeral rites. From the wealth of that Pharaoh--for wealthy he
must have been on account of his numerous victories--and from
the love he bore this princess, I am confident--confident,"