anner.themummy-第53节

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nd　before　I　forget；　the　opera　has　been　pletely　arranged。　Box　seats　and　of　course　tickets　to　the　ball　afterwards。　And　Ramsey；　old　man；　if　you'll　allow　me　to　say　so；　I　shan't　pete　with　you　that　night　for　Julie's　attentions。〃
　
　Julie　nodded。〃　Fallen　in　love　already；〃　　she　said　with　a　mock　whisper。　She　allowed　Alex　to　help　her　to　her　feet。〃　A　Miss　Barrington。〃
　
　〃Please；　darling；　do　give　me　your　opinion。　She's　ing　to　the　museum　with　us。〃
　
　〃Let's　hurry；〃　　Ramses　said。〃　Your　father　is　not　well。　I'm　surprised　he　doesn't　remain　behind。〃
　
　〃Good　Lord；　do　you　know　what　the　Cairo　Museum　means　to　people？〃　　said　Alex。〃　And　it's　the　dirtiest；　dustiest　place　I've　ever…〃
　
　〃Alex；　please；　we　are　about　to　see　the　greatest　collection　of　Egyptian　treasures　in　existence。〃
　
　〃The　last　ordeal；〃　　Ramses　said；　taking　Julie's　arm。〃　And　all　the　Kings　are　in　one　room？　This　is　what　you　have　been　telling　me？〃
　
　〃My　word；　I　should　think　you'd　been　there　before；〃　　Alex　said。〃　You　are　such　a　puzzle；　old　man。。。〃
　
　〃Give　up　on　it；〃　　Ramses　whispered。
　
　But　Alex　scarcely　heard。　He　was　whispering　to　Julie　that　she　must　give　him　a　candid　opinion　of　Miss　Barrington。　And　Miss　Barrington　was　the　rosy…cheeked　blond　woman　standing　in　the　lobby　with　Elliott　and　Samir。　A　pretty　thing；　obviously。
　
　〃To　think；〃　　said　Julie；〃　you　need　my　approval！〃　〃Shhhh；　there　she　is。　With　Father。　They're　getting　along　famously。〃
　
　〃Alex；　she's　perfectly　lovely。〃
　
　Through　the　broad　dusty　rooms　of　the　first　floor　they　trekked；　listening　to　the　guide；　who　spoke　rapidly　despite　his　thick　Egyptian　accent。　Ah；　treasures　galore；　there　was　no　doubt　of　it。　All　the　loot　of　the　tombs；　things　he　had　never　even　dreamed　of　in　his　time。　And　here　it　was　for　all　the　world　to　see；　under　soiled　glass　and　weak　lights；　yet　nevertheless　preserved　from　time　and　ruin。
　
　He　stared　at　the　statue　of　the　happy　scribe…the　little　cross…legged　figure　with　his　papyrus　on　his　lap；　looking　up　eagerly。　It　should　have　moved　him　to　tears。　But　all　he　felt　was　a　vague　joy　that　he　had　e；　he　had　visited　it　all　as　he　should；　and　now　he　would　be　leaving。
　
　At　last　they　proceeded　up　the　grand　stairway。　The　room　of　the　Kings；　the　ordeal　he　was　dreading。　He　felt　Samir　at　his　side。
　
　〃Why　not　forgo　this　gruesome　pleasure；　sire？　For　they　are　all　horrors。〃
　
　〃No；　Samir；　let　me　see　it　through　to　the　finish。〃
　
　He　almost　laughed　when　he　understood　what　it　was…a　great　chamber　of　glass　cases　like　the　cases　in　the　department　stores　where　goods　were　displayed　safe　from　prying　fingers。
　
　Nevertheless　the　blackened　grinning　bodies　gave　him　a　dull　shock。　It　seemed　he　could　scarcely　hear　the　guide；　and　yet　the　words　were　ing　clear：
　
　〃The　Ramses　the　Damned　mummy　in　England　is　still　a　controversial　discovery。　Very　controversial。　This　is　the　true　Ramses　the　Second；　right　before　you；　known　as　Ramses　the　Great。〃
　
　Edging　closer；　he　stared　down　at　the　gaunt　horrid　thing　that　bore　his　name。
　
　〃。。。　Ramses　the　Second；　greatest　of　all　Egypt's　Pharaohs。〃
　
　He　almost　smiled　as　he　studied　the　dried　limbs；　and　then　the　obvious　truth　hit　him；　like　something　physical　pressing　on　his　chest；　that　if　he　had　not　gone　into　that　cave　with　the　wicked　old　priestess；　he　would　indeed　be　lying　in　this　case。　Or　what　was　left　of　him。　And　all　the　world　since　faded；　it　was　no　more　suddenly　than　those　years。　And　to　think　he　would　have　died　without　knowing　so　much；　without　ever　realizing。。。
　
　Noise。　Julie　had　said　something；　but　he　couldn't　hear　her。
　
　There　was　a　dull　roaring　in　his　head。　Suddenly　he　saw　them　all；　these　ghastly　corpses；　like　burnt　things　out　of　the　oven。　He　saw　the　filthy　glass；　he　saw　the　tourists　pushing　this　way　and　that。
　
　He　heard　Cleopatra's　voice。　When　you　let　him　die；　you　let　me　die！　I　want　to　be　with　him　now。　Take　it　away；　I　won't　drink　it。
　
　Were　they　moving　again？　Had　Samir　said　it　was　time　to　go？　He　looked　up　slowly　from　the　awful　sunken　face　and　saw　Elliott　gazing　at　him；　with　the　strangest　expression。　What　was　it？　Understanding。
　
　Oh；　but　how　can　you　understand？　I　myself　can　scarcely　understand。
　
　〃Let's　go；　sire。〃
　
　He　let　Samir　take　his　arm　and　lead　him　towards　the　doorway。　It　seemed　Miss　Barrington　laughed　at　something　Alex　had　whispered　in　her　ear。　And　the　din　of　the　French　tourists　nearby　was　positively　frightful。　Such　a　harsh　tongue。
　
　He　turned；　staring　back　at　the　glass　cases。　Yes；　leave　this　place。　Why　are　we　going　down　the　corridor　to　the　very　back　of　the　building？　Surely　we　have　seen　it　all；　the　dreams　and　fervor　of　a　nation　e　to　this；　a　great　and　dusty　mausoleum　where　young　girls　laugh　and　rightly　so。
　
　The　guide　had　stopped　at　the　end　of　the　hall。　What　was　it　now？　Another　body　in　a　case；　and　how　could　anyone　see　it　in　the　shadows？　Only　weak　shafts　of　dusty　light　cut　through　the　dirty　window　above。
　
　〃This　unknown　woman　。。。　a　curious　example　of　natural　preservation。〃
　
　〃We　cannot　smoke；　can　we？〃　　he　whispered　to　Samir。
　
　〃No；　sire；　but　we　can　slip　away；　surely。　We　can　wait　for　the　others　outside；　if　you　wish。。。〃
　
　〃。。。　bined　to　naturally　mummify　the　body　of　this　anonymous　woman。〃
　
　〃Let's　go；〃　　he　said。　He　placed　his　hand　on　Samir's　shoulder。　But　then　he　must　tell　Julie　lest　she　be　alarmed。　He　stepped　forward　and　gave　her　sleeve　a　little　tug；　and　glanced　down　at　the　body　in　the　case　as　he　did　so。
　
　His　heart　stopped。
　
　〃。。。　though　most　of　the　wrappings　were　long　ago　torn　away…in　the　search　for　valuables；　no　doubt…the　woman's　body
　
　was　perfectly　preserved　by　the　delta　mud；　much　as　bodies　found　in　northern　bogs。　。。。〃
　
　The　rippling　hair；　the　long　slender　neck；　the　gently　sloping　shoulders！　And　the　face；　the　very　face！　For　a　moment　he　did　not　believe　his　eyes！
　
　The　voice　pounded　in　his　head：〃　。。。　unknown　woman　。。。　Ptolemaic　period　。。。　Graeco…Roman。　But　see　the　Egyptian　profile。　The　well…molded　lips　。。。〃
　
　Miss　Barrington's　high…pitched　laugh　went　through　his　temples。
　
　He　blundered　forward。　He　had　brushed　Miss　Barrington's　arm。　Alex　was　saying　something　to　him；　calling　him　sharply　by　name。　The　guide　was　staring　up。
　
　He　looked　down　through　the　glass。　Her　face！　It　was　she…the　soft　cerements　molded　into　her　flesh；　her　naked　hands　gently　curved；　her　feet　bare；　the　wrappings　loose　around　her　ankles。　All　black；　black　as　the　delta　mud　which　had　surrounded　her；　preserved　her；　hardened　her！
　
　〃Ramses；　what　is　it！〃
　
　〃Sir；　are　you　ill！〃
　
　They　were　speaking　to　him　from　all　sides；　they　were　surrounding　him。　Suddenly　someone　pulled　him　away；　and　he　turned　back　furiously。〃　No；　let　me　go。〃
　
　He　heard　the　glass　shatter　beside　him。　An　alarm　had　gone　off；　shrieking　like　a　woman　in　terror。
　
　Look　at　her　closed　eyes。　It's　she！　It's　she。　He　needed　no　rings；　no　ornaments；　no　names　to　tell　him。　It's　she。
　
　The　armed　men　had　e。　Julie　pleaded。　Miss　Barrington　was　afraid。　Alex　was　trying　to　make　him　listen。
　
　〃I　cannot　hear　you　now。　I　can　hear　nothing。　It　is　she。　Anonymous　woman。〃　　She；　the　last　Queen　of　Egypt。
　
　Again；　he　jerked　free　of　the　hand　on　his　arm。　He　hovered　over　the　filthy　glass。　He　wanted　to　shatter　it。　Her　legs　no　more　than　bones；　the　fingers　of　her　right　hand　dried　almost　to　a　skeleton。　But　that　face；　that　beautiful　face。　My　Cleopatra。
　
　Finally　he　had　allowed　himself　to　be　led　away。　Julie　had　questioned　him。　He　had　not　answered。　She　had　paid　for　the　damage　to　the　case；　a　small　display　of　jewelry　upset。　He　wanted　to　say　that　he　was　sorry。
　
　He　could　not　remember　anything　else。　Except　her　face；　and　the　whole　picture　she　made…a　thing　created　from　the　black　earth　and　lifted　up　and　placed　on　the　bare　polished　wood　of　the　case；　linen　wrappings　still　wrinkled　as　if　by　lapping　water。　And　her　hair；　her　thick　rippling　hair；　why；　the　whole　form　had　almost　glistened　in　the　dim　light。
　
　Julie　spoke　words。　The　lights　were　soft　in　the　room　at　Shepheard's　Hotel。　He　wanted　to　answer；　but　he　couldn't。　And　then　there　was　that　other　memory；　that　strange　moment　when　he　had　turned　in　the　confusion　and　the　blur；　and　seen　Elliott　with　those　sad　grey　eyes　watching　him。
　
　Oscar　hurried　after　Mr。　Hancock　and　the　two　chaps　from　Scotland　Yard　as　they　marched　right　through　the　drawing　rooms　and　into　the　Egyptian　room。　Oh；　he　never　should　have　let　them　into　the　house。　They　had　no　right　to　e　into　this　house。　And　now　they　were　marching　right　up　to　the　mummy　case。
　
　〃But　Miss　Julie　will　be　so　angry；　sir。　This　is　her　house；　sir。　And　you　mustn't　touch　that；　sir；　why；　it's　Mr。　Lawrence's　discovery。〃
　
　Hancock　stared　at　the　five　gold　Cleopatra　coins　in　their　case。
　
　〃But　the　coins　could　have　been　stolen　in　Cairo；　sir。　Before　the　collection　was　cataloged。〃
　
　〃Yes；　of　course；　you're　absolutely　right；〃　　Hancock　said。　He　turned　and　glared　at　the　mummy　case。
　
　Julie　poured　the　wine　in　his　glass。　He　merely　looked　at　it。
　
　〃Won't　you　try　to　explain？〃　　she　whispered。〃　You　recognized　it。　You　knew　it。　That　has　to　be　it。〃
　
　For　hours　he'd　sat　there　in　silence。　The　late　afternoon　sun　burned　through　the　sheer　curtains。　The　overhead　fan　churned　slowly；　monotonously；　giving　off　a　dull　groan。