Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-10-13

Inter v, who ruled over Upper Egypt
at Thebes during the HyksoS domina-
ton. In fact, Vance had accompanied
| Bliss on an exploration in the Valley
of the Tombs of the Kings. At that
time he had just become attracted by
the Menander fragments, and he had
been in the midst of a uniform transla-
ton of them when the Bishop murder
case interrupted his labors.
| Vance had also been interested in
the variations of chronology Of the Old
, and the Middle Kingdoms of Egypt
not from the historical standpoint, but
from the standpoint of the evolution OF
Egyptian art His researches led him
to side with the Bliss-Weigall, or short
chronology biased on the Turin Papy-
rus, rs opposed to the long chronology
of Hall and Petrie, who set back the
Twelfth Dynasty and all preceding his
tory one full Sothic cycle, or AGO
years. according to the Bliss-Weigall
chronology the period between the
death of Sebk -nefru-Re and the over
throw of the Shepherd Kings at Mem
phis was from 1898 to 1877 B.C.-to
wit: 321 years-as against the 1900
years claimed by the upholders of the
longer chronology. This short chronol-
ogy is even shorter, according to
Brested and the German school
Breasted and Meyer dated the same
period as from 1888 to 1880. These
208 years, by the way, Vance consid-
cred too short for the observable cul-
art works of the pre-Hyksos and the
post-Hyksos eras, Vance was inclined
to postulate an interval of not more
than 800 years between the Twelfth
and Eighteenth DynaSties, in accord
ance with the shorter chronology. In
comparing certain statues made dur
ing the reign Of Amen-em-het III with
others made during the reign of Thut-
NOSE THUS bridging the Hyksos in
vasion, with barbaris Asiatic influence
and its humiliation of indigenous
Egyptian culture-he arrived at the
conclusion that the maintenance Of the
principle of Twelfth-Dynasty esthetic
attainment could not have been pos
Sible with a wider lacuna than 800
years. In brief, he concluded that, had
the interregnum been longer, the evil
dences of decadence in Eighteenth
Dynasty art would have been even more
pronounced.
These researches of Vance's ran
through my head that sultry July
morning as we waited for Currie to
usher in the visitor. The announce
ment of Scarletts call had brought
back memories of many wearying weeks
of tipping and tabulating Vance's notes
on the subject. Perhaps I had q feel
ing-what we loosely call a premonition
that Scarlett'S surprising visit was in
some way connected with Vance's
aestretico- Egyptologica researches. Per-
haps I was even then arranging In my
mind, unconSciously. the facts of that
Winter two years before, so that
might Sope more Understandings with
the object of Scarletts present call.
But surely 1 could have had not the
slightest idea or suspicion Of what was
actually about to befall us. 1t was far
too appalling and too bizarre for The
casual imagination. 1t lifted us out of
the ordinary routine of daily experience
and dashed us into a frowsy, miasmic
atmosphere of things at once incredible
and horrifying-things fraught with
the seemingly supernatural black magic
Of witch's Sabbat. Only in this in
stance it was the mystic and fantastic
lore of ancient Egypt-with its confused
mythology and its grotesque pantheon
the background.
Scarlett almost dashed through the
portieres of the library when Currie
had pulled back the sliding door for
him to enter. Either the courvoisier
had added to his excitement or else
Currie had woefully moderated the
mans nervous state.
Kyle has been murdered" the new
conner blurted. leaning against the IL
brary table and staring at Vance with
gaping eyes.
Really, now! That's very distressin' ~
Vance held out his cigarette case. do
have one of my Regies. And
you'll find that chair beside you most
comfortable. Charles chair: picked