Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-11-07
INSTALLMENT xxvI.

~ALVETER had become sullen, and
before he could answer Vance
- 'Ieavirf these speculations to
- one side, could we prevail upon
4 you to tell us exactly what you did In
. the museum between half past 8 and
{ 10 o'clock?"
\ "I've already told YOU" Salveter was
I troubled and distract. II was compar-
ing an eighteenth dynasty papyrus re-
Gently found by DR.. Bliss at Thebes
with Luckenbill's translation of the
! hexagonal prism of the Annals. of Sen
! nacherib in order to determine certain
values for"
you're romancing frightfully, Mr..
Salveter," Vance broke in quietly. And
you're indulgin' in anachronism. The
! Sennacherib prism Is in Babylonian
2 Cuneifor1n, and dates about a thousand
years later" He lifted his eyes sternly.
what were you doing in the museum
this morntngp"
Salveter started forward in his chair,
but at once sank back.
Il was writing letter." he answered
weakly.
I ITO whom?"
/ std rather not say"
Naturally" Vance smiled family. In
what language?"
. An immediate change came over the
man. His face went pale, and his hands,
I which were lying along his knees, con-
vulsed
what language?" he repeated huski-
4 ly. why do you ask that? s. What
language would be likely to write a
letter in-Bantu, Sanskrit, Walloon,
( lido ?"
Moo" vance's gaze came slowly to
rest on Salvnter. Nor did 1 have in
ptzeA Aramaic, Oh Agao or Swahili, or
S0rcssjAu The fact is, it smote
my prall a moment ago that you were
compoSin' an epistle in Egyptian hero
I glyphics."
The mans eyes dilated.
why, in Heavens NAME" he asked
Aamely, Should do thing like that?"
Why? All, yes-why, indeed?" Vance
you were compoSin' in Egyptian
weren't you2"
WAS I? What makes you think SOP"
Must I explain? -. It's so deuced
simple. I could even guess for whom
1 the epistle was intended. Unless I'm
hopeleSsly mistaken, Mrs. Bliss was to
have been the recipient" Again Vance
+ ed three words in the imagin'ry papy-
rus, which you have not yet satisfac-
torily ranslated-ankhet, wash, and
/. tema. But since there are scores Of
Egyptian words that have thus far re-
sisted accurate translation, I wonder
s why you should have mentioned these
Z particular three. And further wonder
ed why you should have mentioned
three words whose meaning you did not
!. recall, which so closely approximate
three very familiar words in Egyptian.
And then bethought me as to the
meaning Of these three familiar words.
Ankh-w1thout q determinative-can
mean the living one WaS-which is
close to waSh-means happiness or
good fortune; though realize there
Is come doubt about it--Erman trans
lates 1t with question mark, as Gluck.
s The tema you mentioned with a double
dail is unknown to me. But I of course
am familiar with tenn spelt with a
sledge telegraph. It means to be ended
or finished. Do you follow me?"
:, Salveter stared like man hypno-
eised.
Good Godl" he muttered.
And So" Vance continued, 'T con-
eluded that you had been dealin' In
tne wen Known forms Of these three
words, and had mentioned them be-
cause, In their other approximate
i forms, their transliterative meanings
are unknown. And the words
! fitted perfectly with the situation. IN
deed, Mr.. Salveter, it wouldn't take q
great deal OF imagination to recon-
struct your letter, being given the
three verbal salients-to wit, the living
one, happiness or good fortune and
( TO be ended or finished"
Vance paused briefly, as If to arrange
his words.
you probably composed q communi-
cation In which you said that the
living one (ankh) was standing in the
way Of your happiness or good for
tune (was), and expressed a desire
for the situation TO be ended or
finished (teln). I'm right, am
II not?"
Salveter continued staring at Vance
IN kind of admiring establishment.
q I'm going to be truthful with you,'
he said at length. That's exactly
what wrote. You see, Meryt-Amen,
who knows the Middle Egyptian HERO
glyphic language better than I'll ever
sknow it, suggested long ago that ]
write to her at least once a week in
the language Of her ancestors, as a
kind of exercise. I've been doing It
for years, and she always corrects me
and advises me-She's almost as well
versed as any Of the scribes who dec-
Grated the ancient tombs. (. This
morning, when I returned to the mu-