"I can not thank you enough for your kindness, Lady Medenham," I
replied, as I rose from my chair. "I will go and see Sir George at
once."
"And I hope you may be successful. If I can help you in any other way be
sure I will do so. But before you go, Mr. Forrester, let me give you
another piece of advice. You should really consult a doctor without
delay. I do not like your appearance at all. We shall hear of your being
seriously ill if you do not take more care of yourself."
I laughed uneasily. In my own heart I knew my ailment was not of the
body but of the mind, and until my suspicions concerning Pharos were set
at rest it was beyond the reach of any doctor's science to do me good.
Once more I thanked Lady Medenham for her kindness, and then left her
and made my way back to the cab.
"To the Egyptian Museum," I cried to the driver, as I took my seat in
the vehicle, "and as quickly as you can go!"
The man whipped up his horse, and in less than ten minutes from the time
the butler closed the front door upon me at Medenham House I was
entering the stately portico of the world-famous Museum. For some years
I had been a constant visitor there, and as a result was well known to
the majority of the officials. I inquired from one, whom I met in the
vestibule, whether I should find Sir George in his office.
"I am not quite certain, sir," the man replied. "It's only just gone
half past ten, and unless there is something important doing, we don't
often see him much before a quarter to eleven. However, if you will be
kind enough, sir, to step this way, I'll very soon find out."
So saying he led me along the corridor, past huge monuments and blocks
of statuary, to a smaller passage on the extreme left of the building.
At the farther end of this was a door, upon which he knocked. No answer
rewarded him.
"I am very much afraid, sir, he has not arrived," remarked the man, "but
perhaps you will be good enough to step inside and take a seat. I feel
sure he won't be very long."
"In that case I think I will do so," I replied, and accordingly I was
ushered into what is perhaps the most characteristic office in London.
Having found the morning paper and with unconscious irony placed it
before me, the man withdrew, closing the door behind him.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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