The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1891-11-07

sittart Smith, fixing his eyes upon the
fellows skin, was conscious of sudden
impression that there was something in
human and preternatural about its appear
ance. Over the temple and cheekbone it
was as glazed and as shiny as vanished
parchment. There was no suggestion of
pores. One could not fancy a drop Of
moisture upon that arid surface. From
brow to chin, however it was cross-hatched
by million delicate W rinkles, which shot
and interlaced as though nature in some
Maori mood had tried how wild and intri
cate pattern she could devise.
"Ou est la collection de Memphis ?"
asked the student, with the awkward air
of man who is devising question merely
for the purpose of opening conversation.
"Cest la, replied the man, brusquely,
nodding his head at the other side of the
room.
"Vaus etes un Egyplien, n'est-cepas p
asked the Englishman.
The attendant looked up and turned his
strange dark eyes upon his questioner.
They were vitreous, with misty dry shi
niness, such as Smith had never seen il a
human head before. As he gazed into
them he saw some strong emotion gather
in their depths, which rose and deepened
until it broke into a look of something akin
both to horror and to hatred.
"Non monsieur; je suis Francois" The
man turned abruptly and bent low over his
polishing. The student gazed at him for
moment in astonishment, and then turn
ed to a chair in retired corner, behind
one of the doors, he proceeded to make
notes of his researches among the papye.
| His thoughts, however, refused to return
into their former groove. They would run
upon the enigmatical attendant with the
sphinx-like face and the parchment skin.
"Where have l seen such eyes ?" said
Vansittart Smith to himself "There is
something saurian about them-something
reptilian. There's the membrane nictitans
of the snakes" he mused, bethinking him
self of his geological studies. at gives a
shiny effect. But there was something
more here. There was sense Of power,
of wisdom-so l read them-and of weari-
ness, utter WEAKNESS, and ineffable despair.
1t may be all imagination, but | never had
so strong an impression. By JOve, must
have another look at them" He rose and
paced round the Egyptian rooms, but the
man who had excited his curiosity had dis
appeared
The student sat down again in his quiet
corner and continued to work at his notes.
He had gained the information which he
required from the papyri, and it only re-
manned to write it down while it was still
fresh in his memory. For time his pencil
travelled rapidly over the paper, but soon
the lines became less level the words more
blurred, and finally the pencil tinkled down
upon the floor, and the head of the student
dropped heavily forward upon his chest.
Tired out by his journey, he slept so
soundly in his lonely post behind the door
that neither the clanking civil guard, nor
the footsteps of sightseers, nor even the
loud hOarse bell which gives the signal for
closing, were sufficient to arouse him.
Twilight deepened into darkness, the
hustle from the Rue de Rivoli waxed and
then waned, distant Notre Dame changed
out the hour of midnight, and still the
dark and lonely figure sat silently in the
shadow 1t was not until close upon in
the morning that, with sudden gasp and
an intaking of breath, Vansittart Smith
returned to consciousness. For moment
it flashed upon him that he had dropped
asleep in his study chair at home. The
moon was shining fitfully through the un-
shuttered window, however, and, as his eye
ran along the lines of mummies and the
endless array of polished cases, he remem-
bered clearly where he was and how he
came there. The student was not a nervous
man. He possessed that love of a novel
situation which is peculiar to his race
Stretching out his cramped limbs he looked
at his watch, and burst into a chuckle as
he observed the hour. The episode would
make an admirable anecdote to be intro
duced into his next paper as a relief to the
graver and heavier speculations. He was
a little cold, but wide-awake and much re-
freshed. 1t was no wonder that the guar
dians had overlooked him, for the door
threw its heavy black shadow right across
him.
The complete silence was impressive
Neither outside nor inside was there creak
or Il murmur. He was alone with the dead
men of dead civilization. What though
the outer city reeked of the garish nine
teenth century In all this chamber there
was scarce an article, from the shrivelled
ear of wheat to the pigment box of the
painter, which had not held its own against
four thousand years. Here was the hotsam
and jetsam washed up by the great ocean
Of time from the far-of empire. From |
stately Thebes, from lordIy Luxor, from
the great temples of Heliopolis, from a
hundred drifted tombs, these relics had |
been brought. The student glanced round |
at the long silent figures who fickered
vaguely up through the gloom, at the busy
toilers who were now so restful, and he fell |
into reverent and thoughtful mood An
unwonted sense of his own youth and in
significance came over him. Leaning back
in his chair, he gazed dreamily down the
long vista of rooms, all silvery with the
moonshine, which extend through the whole
wing of the widespread building. His eyes
fell upon the yellow glare of distant
lamp.
OOtth duSilNdlb up iiAs
chair with his nerves all on edge. The
light was advancing slowly toward him,
pausing from time to time, and then coming
jerkily onward The bearer moved noise
lessly In the utter silence there was no
suspicion of the pat of a football. Anidea
of robbers entered the Englishman's head.
He snuggled up further into the corner
The light was two rooms off. Now it was
in the next chamber, and still there was no |
sound. With something approaching to a
thrill of fear the student observed face,
floating in the air as it were, behind the
fare of the lamp. The figure was wrapped
in shadow, but the light fell full upon the
strange, eager face. There was no mis-
taking the metallic glistaning eyes and the
cadaverous skin. 1t was the attendant
Al. L L L