The Green Mummy

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"Did you see Bolton again after your interview on board ship?"

It was then that the baronet proved his good faith.

"Oh, yes," he said easily and without hesitation. "I was walking
about Pierside later, and, passing along that waterside alley
near the Sailor's Rest, I saw a window on the ground floor open,
and Bolton looking out across the river. I stopped and asked him
when he proposed to take the mummy to Gartley, and if it was on
shore. He admitted that it was in the hotel, but declined to say
when he would send it on to you, Professor. When he closed the
window, I afterwards went into the hotel and had a drink in order
to ask casually when Mr. Bolton intended to leave. I gathered--
not directly, of course, but in a roundabout way--that he had
arranged to go next morning and to send on his luggage. Then I
left and went to London. In the course of time I returned here
and learned of the murder and the disappearance of the corpse of
Inca Caxas. And now," Random stood up, "having admitted all
this, perhaps you will believe me to be innocent."

"You have no idea who murdered Bolton and placed his body in the
packing case?" asked Braddock, manifestly disappointed.

"'No. No more than I have any idea of the person who placed the
mummy case and its contents in Mrs. Jasher's garden."

"Oh, you know that!" said Archie quickly.

"Yes. The news was all over the village this morning. I could
hardly help knowing it. And I believe that the mummy has been
taken to your house, Professor."

"It has," admitted Braddock dryly. "I took it myself from Mrs.
Jasher's arbor in a hand-cart, with the assistance of Cockatoo.
But when I made an examination this morning in the presence of
Hope and Don Pedro, I found that the swathings of the body had
been ripped up, and that the emeralds mentioned in that
manuscript had been stolen."

"Strange!" said Random with a frown; "and by whom?"

"No doubt by the assassin of Sidney Bolton."

"Probably." Random kicked a mat straight with his foot. "At any
rate the theft of the emeralds shows that it was not any Indian
who killed Bolton. None of them would rifle so sacred a corpse."

"Besides which--as you say--the Indians in Peru do not know
that the mummy has reappeared after thirty years' seclusion,"
chimed in Hope, rising. "Well, and what is to be done now?"

For answer Sir Frank picked up the manuscript which still
remained on the table.

"I shall see Don Pedro about this," he said quietly, "and
ascertain if it is the original or a copy."

Braddock rose slowly and stared at the paper.

"Do you know Latin?" he asked.

"No," rejoined Random, knowing what the savant meant. "I learned
it, of course, but I have forgotten much. I might translate a
word or two, but certainly not the hedge-priest Latin in which
this is written." He looked carefully at the manuscript as he
spoke.

"But who could have placed it in your room?" questioned Archie.

"We cannot learn that until we see Don Pedro. If this is the
original manuscript which we saw the other night, we may learn
how it passed from the possession of De Gayangos to my bookcase.
If it is a copy, then we must learn, if possible, who owned it."

"Don Pedro said that a transcript or a translation had been
made," mentioned Hope.

"Evidently a transcript," said Braddock, glaring at the paper in
Random's hand. "But how could that find its way from Lima to
this place?"

"It might have been packed up with the mummy," suggested Archie.

"No," contradicted Random decisively, "in that event, the man in
Malta from whom the mummy was bought would have discovered the
emeralds, and would have taken them."

"Perhaps he did. We have nothing to show that Bolton's assassin
committed the crime for the sake of the jewels."

"He must have done so," cried the Professor, irritably, "else
there is no motive for the commission of the crime. But I think
myself that we must start at the other end to find a clue. When
we discover who placed the mummy in Mrs. Jasher's garden--"

"That will not be easy," murmured Hope thoughtfully, "though, of
course, the same must have been brought by river. Let us go down
to the embankment and see if there are any signs of a boat having
been brought there last night," and he moved to the door.
"Random?"

"I cannot leave the Fort, as I am on duty," replied the officer,
putting the manuscript away in a drawer and locking the same,
"but this evening I shall see Don Pedro, and in the meanwhile I
shall endeavor to learn from my servant who visited me lately
while I was absent. The manuscript must have been brought here
by someone. But I trust," he added as he escorted his two
visitors to the door, "that you now acquit me of--"

"Yes! yes! yes!" cried Braddock, hastily cutting him short and
shaking his hand. "I apologize for my suspicions. Now I
maintain that you are innocent."

"And I never believed you to be guilty," cried Hope heartily.

"Thank you both," said Random simply, and, having closed the
door, he returned to a chair near the fire to smoke a pipe, and
meditate over his future movements. "An enemy hath done this,"
said Random, referring to the concealment of the manuscript, but
he could think of no one who desired to harm him in any way.

CHAPTER XVIII

RECOGNITION

Lucy and Mrs. Jasher were having a confidential conversation in
the small pink drawing-room. True to her promise, Miss Kendal
had come to readjust matters between the fiery little Professor
and the widow. But it was not an easy task, as Mrs. Jasher was
righteously indignant at the rash words used to her.

"As if I knew anything about the matter," she repeated again and
again in angry tones. "Why, my dear, he as good as told me I had
murdered--"

Lucy did not let her finish.

"There! there!" she said, speaking as she would have done to a
fretful child, "you know what my father is."

"It seems to me that I am just beginning to learn," said the
widow bitterly, "and knowing how ready he is to believe ill of
me, I think it is better we should part for ever."

"But you'll never be Lady Braddock."

"Even if I married him, I am not sure that I should be, since I
learn that his brother is singularly healthy and comes of a long-
lived family. And it will not be pleasant to live with your
father when he has such a temper."

"That was only because he was excited. Think of your salon, and
of the position you wish to hold in, London."

"Ah, well," said Mrs. Jasher, visibly softening, "there is
something to be said there. After all, one can never find a man
who is perfection. And a very amiable man is usually a fool.
One can't expect a rose to be without thorns. But really, my
dear," she surveyed Lucy with mild surprise, "you appear to be
very anxious that I should marry your father."

"I want to see my father made comfortable before I marry Archie,"
said the girl with a blush. "Of course my father is quite a
child in household affairs and needs everything done for him.
Archie--I am glad to say--is now in a position to marry me in
the spring. I want you to be married about the same time, and
then you can live in Gartley, and--"

"No, my dear," said Mrs. Jasher firmly, "if I marry your father,
he wishes us to go at once to Egypt in search of this tomb."

"I know that he wants you to help with the money left to you by
your late brother. But surely you will not go up the Nile
yourself?"

"No, certainly not," said the widow promptly. "I shall remain in
Cairo while the Professor goes on his excursion into Ethiopia. I
know that Cairo is a very charming place, and that I shall be
able to enjoy myself there."

"Then you have decided to forgive my father for his rash words?"

"I must," sighed Mrs. Jasher. "I am so tired of being an
unprotected widow without a recognized position in the world.
Even with my brother's money,--not that it is so very much--I
shall still be looked upon askance if I go into society. But as
Mrs. Braddock, or Lady Braddock, no one will dare to say a word
against me. Yes, my dear, if your father comes and, asks my
pardon he shall have it. We women are so weak," ended the widow
virtuously, as if she was not making a virtue of necessity.

Things being thus settled, the two talked on amiably for some
time, and discussed the chances of Random marrying Donna Inez.
Both acknowledged that the Peruvian lady was handsome enough, but
had not a word to say for herself.

While thus chattering, Professor Braddock trotted into the room,
looking brisk and bright from his stroll in the cold frosty air.
Gifted as he was with scientific assurance, the little man was
not at all taken aback by the cold reception of Mrs. Jasher, but
rubbed his hands cheerfully.

"Ah, there you are, Selina," said he, looking like a bright-eyed
robin. "I hope you are feeling well."

"How can you expect me to feel well after what you said?"
remarked Mrs. Jasher reproachfully, and anxious to make a virtue
of forgiveness.

"Oh, I beg pardon: I beg pardon. Surely, Selina, you are not
going to make a fuss over a trifle like that?"

"I did not give you permission to call me Selina."

"Quite so. But as we are to be married, I may as well get used
to your Christian name, my dear."

"I am not so sure that we will be married," said Mrs. Jasher
stiffly.

"Oh, but we must," cried Braddock in dismay. "I am depending
upon your money to finance my expedition to Queen Tahoser's
tomb."

"I see," observed the widow coldly, while Lucy sat quietly by and
allowed the elder woman to conduct the campaign, "you want me for
my money. There is no love in the question."

"My dear, as soon as I have the time--say during our voyage to
Cairo, whence we start inland up the Nile for Ethiopia--I shall
make love whenever you like. And, confound it, Selina, I admire
you no end--to use a slang phrase. You are a fine woman and a
sensible woman, and I am afraid that you are throwing yourself
away on a snuffy old man like myself."

"Oh no! no! Pray do not say that," cried Mrs. Jasher, visibly
moved by this flattery. "You will make a very good husband if
you will only strive to govern your temper."

"Temper! temper! Bless the woman--I mean you, Selina--I have
the very best temper in the world. However, you shall govern it
and myself also if you like. Come," he took her hand, "let us
be friends and fix the wedding day."

Mrs. Jasher did not withdraw her hand.

"Then you do not believe that I have anything to do with this
terrible murder?" she asked playfully.

"No! no! I was heated last night. I spoke rashly and hastily.
Forgive and forget, Selina. You are innocent--quite innocent,
in spite of the mummy being in your confounded garden. After
all, the evidence is stronger against Random than against you.
Perhaps he put it there: it's on his way to the Fort, you see.
Never mind. He has exonerated himself, and no doubt, when
confronted with Hervey, will be able to silence that blackguard.
And I am quite sure that Hervey is a blackguard," ended Braddock,
rubbing his bald head.

The two ladies looked at one another in amazement, not knowing
what to say. They were ignorant of the theft of the emeralds and
of the accusation of Sir Frank by the Yankee skipper. But, with
his usual absentmindedness, Braddock had forgotten all about
that, and sat in his chair rubbing his head quite pink and
rattling on cheerfully.

"I went down with Hope to the embankment," he continued, "but
neither of us could see any sign of a boat. There's the rude,
short jetty, of course, and if a boat came, a boat could go away
without leaving any trace. Perhaps that is so. However, we must
wait until we see Don Pedro and Hervey again, and then--"

Lucy broke in desperately.

"What are you talking about, father? Why do you bring in Sir
Frank's name in that way?"

"What do you expect me to say?" retorted the little man. "After
all, the manuscript was found in his room, and the emeralds are
gone. I saw that for myself, as did Hope and Don Pedro, in whose
presence I opened the mummy case."

Mrs. Jasher rose in her astonishment.

"Are the emeralds gone?" she gasped.

"Yes! yes! yes!" cried Braddock irritably. "Am I not telling you
so? I almost believe in Hervey's accusation of Random, and yet
the boy exonerated himself very forcibly--very forcibly indeed."

"Will you explain all that has happened, father?" said Lucy, who
was becoming more and more perplexed by this rambling chatter.
"We are quite in the dark."

"So am I: so is Hope: so is every one," chuckled Braddock. "Ah,
yes: of course, you were not present when these events took
place."

"What events?--what events?" demanded Mrs. Jasher, now quite
exasperated.

"I am about to tell you," snapped her future husband, and related
all that had taken place since the arrival of Captain Hervey in
the museum at the Pyramids. The women listened with interest and
with growing astonishment, only interrupting the narrator with a
simultaneous exclamation of indignation when they heard that Sir
Frank was accused.

"It is utterly and wholly absurd," cried Lucy angrily. "Sir
Frank is the soul of honor."

"So I think, my dear," chimed in Mrs. Jasher. "And what does he
say to--?"

Braddock interrupted.

"I am about to tell you, if you will stop talking," he cried
crossly. "That is so like a woman. She asks for an explanation
and then prevents the man from giving it. Random offers a very
good defense, I am bound to say," and he detailed what Sir Frank
had said.

When the history was finished, Lucy rose to go.

"I shall see Archie at once," she said, moving hastily, towards
the door.

"What for?" demanded her father benignly.

Lucy turned.

"This thing can't go on," she declared resolutely. "Mrs. Jasher
was accused by you, father--"

"Only in a heated moment," cried the Professor, excusing himself.

"Never mind, she was accused," retorted Lucy stubbornly, "and
now this sailor accuses Sir Frank. Who knows who will be charged
next with committing the crime? I shall ask Archie to take the
matter up, and hunt down the real criminal. Until the guilty
person is found, I foresee that we shall never have a moment's
peace."

"I quite agree with you," said Mrs. Jasher earnestly. "For my
own sake I wish the matter of this mystery to be cleared up. Why
don't you help me?" she added, turning to Braddock, who listened
placidly.

"I am helping," said Braddock quietly. "I intend to set Cockatoo
on the trail at once. He shall take up his abode in the Sailor's
Rest on some pretext, and no doubt will be able to find a clue."

"What?" cried the widow incredulously, "a savage like that?"

"Cockatoo is much cleverer than the average white man," said
Braddock dryly, "especially in following a trail. He, if any
one, will learn the truth. I would much rather trust the Kanaka
than young Hope."

"Nonsense!" cried Lucy, standing up for her lover. "Archie is
the one to discover the assassin. I'll see him at once. And
you, father?"

"I, my dear," said the Professor calmly, "shall remain here and
make my peace with the future Mrs. Braddock."

"You have made it already," said the widow graciously, and
extended her hand, which the Professor kissed unexpectedly, and
then sat back in his chair, looking quite abashed at his outburst
of gallantry.

Seeing that everything was going well, Lucy left the elderly
couple to continue their courting, and hurried to Archie's
lodgings in the village. However, he happened to be out, and his
landlady did not know when he would return. Rather annoyed by
this, since she greatly desired to unbosom herself, Miss Kendal
walked disconsolately towards the Pyramids. On the way she was
stopped by Widow Anne, looking more dismal and funereal than
ever, and garrulous with copious draughts of gin. Not that she
was intoxicated, but her tongue was loose, and she wept freely
for no apparent reason. According to herself, she had stopped
Lucy to demand back from Mr. Hope through the girl certain
articles of attire which had been borrowed for artistic purposes.
These, consisting of a shawl and a skirt and a bodice, were of
extraordinary value, and Mrs. Bolton wanted them back or their
equivalent in value. She mentioned that she would prefer the sum
of five pounds.

"Why do you not ask Mr. Hope yourself?" said Lucy who was too
impatient to bear with the old creature's maunderings. "If you
gave him the things he will no doubt return them."

"If they aren't spiled with paint," wailed Widow Anne. "He told
my Sid as he wanted them for a model to wear while being painted.
Sid asked me, and I gave 'em to Sid, and Sid, he passed 'em along
to your good gentleman. There was a skirt, as good as new, and a
body of the dress trimmest beautiful, and a tartan shawl as I got
from my mother. But no," the old woman corrected herself, "it
was a dark shawl with red spots and--"

"Ask Mr. Hope, ask Mr. Hope," cried Miss Kendal impatiently. "I
know nothing about the things," and she tore her dress from Widow
Anne's detaining hand to hurry home. Mrs. Bolton wailed aloud at
this desertion, and took her way to Hope's lodgings, where she
declared her determination to remain until the artist restored
her apparel.

Lucy for the moment thought little of this interview; but on
reflection she thought it strange that Archie should borrow
clothes from Mrs. Bolton through Sidney. Not that there was
anything strange in Archie's procuring such garments, since he
may have wanted them to clothe a model with. But he could easily
have got such things from his landlady, or, if from Widow Anne,
could have borrowed them direct without appealing to Sidney.
Why, then, had the dead man acted as an intermediate party? This
question was hard to answer, yet Lucy greatly wished for a reply,
since she suddenly remembered how a woman in a dark dress and
with a dark shawl over her head had been seen by Eliza Flight,
the housemaid of the Sailor's Rest, talking to Bolton through the
window. Were the garments borrowed as a disguise, and did the
person who had borrowed them desire that it should be supposed
that Widow Anne was talking to her son? There was a chill hand
clutching Lucy's heart as she went home, for the words of Mrs.
Bolton seemed indirectly to implicate Hope in the mystery. She
determined to ask him about the matter straight out, when he came
in that night to pay his usual visit.

At dinner the Professor was in excellent spirits, and actually
became so human as to compliment Lucy on her housekeeping. He
also mentioned that he hoped Mrs. Jasher would cater as
excellently. Over coffee he informed his step-daughter that he
had entirely won the widow's heart by abasing himself at her feet
and withdrawing the accusation. They had arranged to be married
in May, one or two weeks after Lucy became Mrs. Hope. In the
autumn they would start for Egypt, and would remain abroad for a
year or more.

"In fact," said the Professor, setting down his cup and preparing
to take his departure, "everything is now settled excellently.
I marry Mrs. Jasher: you, my dear, marry Hope, and--"

"And Sir Frank marries Donna Inez," finished Lucy quickly.

"That," said Braddock stiffly, "entirely depends upon what De
Gayangos says to this accusation of Hervey's."

"Sir Frank is innocent."

"I hope so, and I believe so. But he will have to prove his
innocence. I shall do my best, and I have sent round to Don
Pedro to come here. We can then talk it over."

"Can Archie and I come in also?" asked Miss Kendal anxiously.

Somewhat to her surprise, the Professor yielded a ready assent.

"By all means, my dear. The more witnesses we have, the better
it will be. We must do all in our powers to bring this matter to
a successful issue."

So things were arranged, and when Archie came up to the
drawing-room, Lucy informed him that Braddock was in the museum
with Don Pedro, telling all that had happened. Hope was glad to
hear that Lucy had secured the Professor's consent that they
should be present, for the mystery of Bolton's terrible death was
piquing him, and he dearly desired to learn the truth. As a
matter of fact, although he was unaware of it, he was suffering
from an attack of detective fever, and wished to solve the
mystery. He therefore went gladly into the museum with his
sweetheart. Oddly enough--as Lucy recollected when it was too
late to speak--she quite forgot to relate what Widow Anne had
said about the borrowed clothes.

Don Pedro, looking more stiff and dignified than ever, was in the
museum with Braddock. The two men were seated in comfortable
chairs, and Cockatoo, some distance away, was polishing with a
cloth the green mummy case of the fatal object which had brought
about all the trouble. Lucy had half expected to see Donna Inez,
but De Gayangos explained that he had left her writing letters to
Lima in the Warrior Inn. When Miss Kendal and Hope were seated,
the Peruvian expressed himself much surprised at the charge which
had been brought against Sir Frank.

"If I can speak of such things in the presence of a lady," he
remarked, bowing his head to Lucy.

"Oh yes," she answered eagerly. "I have heard all about the
charge. And I am glad that you are here, Don Pedro, for I wish
to say that I do not believe there is a word of truth in the
accusation."

"Nor do I," asserted the Peruvian decisively.

"I agree--I agree," cried Braddock, beaming. "And you, Hope?"

"I never believed it, even before I heard Random's defense," said
Archie with a dry smile. "Did you not see Captain Hervey
yourself, sir?" he added, turning to Don Pedro; "he started for
Pierside to look you up."

"I have not seen him," said De Gayangos in his stately way, "and
I am very sorry, as I desire to examine him about the accusation
he had dared to bring against my very good friend, Sir Frank
Random. I wish he were here at this very minute, so that I could
tell him what I think of the charge."

Just as Don Pedro spoke the unexpected happened, as though some
genie had obeyed his commands. As though transported into the
room by magic, the American skipper appeared, not through the
floor, but by the door. A female domestic admitted him and
announced his name, then fled to avoid the anger of her master,
seeing she had violated the sacred precincts of the museum.

Captain Hervey, amused by the surprise visible on every face,
sauntered forward, hat on head and cheroot in mouth as usual.
But when he saw Lucy he removed both with a politeness scarcely
to be expected from so rude and ready and rough a mariner.

"I beg pardon for coming here uninvited," said Hervey awkwardly,
"but I've been chasing the Don all over Pierside and through this
village. They told me at the police office that you"--he spoke
to De Gayangos "had doubled on your trail, so here I am for a
little private conversation."

The Peruvian looked gravely at Hervey's face, which was clearly
revealed in the powerful light of the many lamps with which the
museum was filled, and rose to bow.

"I am glad to see you, sir," he said politely, and with a still
more searching glance. "With the permission of our host I shall
ask you to take a chair," and he turned to Braddock.

"Certainly! certainly!" said the Professor fussily. "Cockatoo?"

"Pardon, allow me," said De Gayangos, and brought forward a
chair, still keeping his eyes on the skipper, who was rather
confused by the courtesy. "Will you be seated, senor: then we
can talk."

Hervey sat down quietly close to the Peruvian; who then leaned
forward to address him.

"You will have a cigarette?" he asked, offering a silver case.

"Thanks, no. I'll smoke a cheroot if the lady don't mind."

"Not at all," replied Lucy, who, along with Archie and the
Professor, was puzzled by Don Pedro's manner. "Please smoke!"

In taking back the case Don Pedro allowed it to drop. As he made
no motion of picking it up, Hervey, although annoyed with himself
for his politeness towards a yellow-stomach, as he called De
Gayangos, was compelled to stretch for it. As he handed it back
to Don Pedro, the Peruvian's eyes lighted up and he nodded
gravely.

"Thank you, Vasa," said De Gayangos, and Hervey, changing color,
leaped from his seat as though touched by a spear-point.

CHAPTER XIX

NEARER THE TRUTH

For a few moments there was silence. Lucy and Archie sat still,
as they were too much surprised by Don Pedro's recognition of
Captain Hervey as the Swedish sailor Vasa to move or speak. But
the Professor did not seem to be greatly astonished, and the sole
sound which broke the stillness was his sardonic chuckle.
Perhaps the little man had progressed beyond the point of being
surprised at anything, or, like, Moliere's hero, was only
surprised at finding virtue in unexpected places.

As for the Peruvian and the skipper, they were both on their
feet, eyeing one another like two fighting dogs. Hervey was the
first to find his very useful tongue.

"I guess you've got the bulge on me," said he, trying to outstare
the Peruvian, for which nationality, from long voyaging on the
South American coast, he entertained the most profound contempt.

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