[10] From the use of the word _daric_ I conjecture that Leonora's ancestress lived under the Persian Empire. There or thereabout.--M. M. '_But for this, the losing of the one whom I mummied, must I suffer countless penalties. For I, even the seeress, know not what the said maidens did with the said mummy, nor do you know, nor any other. And not to know, for I want my mummy to have a good cry over, is great part of my punishment. But this I, the seeress, do know right well, for it was revealed to me in a dream. And this I do prophesy unto thee, my daughter, or daughter's daughter, ay, this do I say, that a curse will rest upon me until He who was mummied shall be found. 'Now this also do I, the seeress, tell thee. He who was mummified shall be found in the dark country, where there is no sun, and men breathe the vapour of smoke, and light lamps at noonday, and wire themselves even with wires when the wind bloweth. And the place where the mummy dwelleth is beneath the Three Balls of Gold. And one will lead thee thither who abides hard by the great tree carven like the head of an Ethiopian. And thou shalt come to the people who slate strangers, and to the place of the Rolling of Logs, and the music thereof. 'Thereafter shalt thou find Him, even Jambres. And when thou hast healed him the Curse shall fall from me! 'Nor, indeed, shall the unmummying be accomplished, even then, unless thou, O my daughter, or my daughter's daughter as before, shalt go with He-who-was-mummied to the Hall of Egyptian Darkness and sit in the Wizard's Chair that is thereby, even the seat which was erst the Siege Perilous. These things have I said, well knowing that they shall be accomplished._ '_To thee, my daughter!_ 'THY GRANDMOTHER.' 'There, Polly, what do you say to _that_?' said Nora. 'Your grandmother!' I replied. 'Polly!' said Miss Nora, looking at me with quite needlessly flashing eyes, 'you and I will set out on the search for this unhappy mummied one.' 'Don't you think the critics will call the _motive_ rather thin?' I demurred. 'Thin, to rescue my ancestress from a curse!' said Leonora. 'There's just one other thing,' she mused. 'Shall we take a low comedy character this time, or not?' 'Let's take Ustâni,' I proposed, 'he can double the part with that of the Faithful Black! A great saving in hotel bills and railway fares.' CHAPTER IV. THE EQUIPMENT. After it had been decided that we should start in search of '_He_ who had been mummified alive,' the next step seemed to be to go. But Leonora demurred to this. 'We must have our things,' she said; 'what do you think we should take?' 'Scissors,' I replied; and I regret to say that at first she misinterpreted the phrase. Leonora is a powerful as well as a pretty girl, and when the bear fight that ensued was over my rooms were a little mixed.