His enthusiasm at first seeing Shejeret ed-Durr was explainable by the really uncanny resemblance which the girl bore to the modeled figure. Studying her, from my seat on the _dîwan_, as she posed in that gauzy raiment depicted upon the lid of the sarcophagus, it seemed indeed that the ancient priestess was reborn in the form of Shejeret ed-Durr the _ghazîyeh_. Bréton had evidently tabooed make-up, with the exception of the characteristic black bordering to the eyes (which appeared in the presentment of the servant of Isis); and seen now in its natural coloring the face of the dancing-girl had undoubted beauty. Presently, whilst the model rested, I informed Bréton of my conversation with Abû Tabâh; but, as I had anticipated, he was sceptical to the point of derision. "My dear Kernaby," he said, "is it likely that I am going to interrupt my work now that I have found such an inspiring model, because some ridiculous _darwîsh_ disapproves?" "It is highly unlikely," I admitted; "but do not make the mistake of treating the matter lightly. You are right off the map here, and Cairo is not Paris." "It is a great deal safer!" he cried in his boisterous fashion, "and infinitely more interesting." But my mind was far from easy; for in the dark eyes of the model, when their glance rested upon Felix Bréton, there was that to have aroused poisonous sentiments in the bosom of the Man of the Glare. III During the course of the following month I saw Felix Bréton two or three times, and he was enthusiastic about the progress of his picture and the beauty of his model. The first hint that I received of the strange idea which was to lead to stranger happenings came one afternoon when he had called upon me at Shepheard's. "Do you believe in reincarnation, Kernaby?" he asked suddenly. I stared at him in surprise. "Regardless of my personal views on the matter," I replied, "in what way does the subject interest you?" Momentarily he hesitated; then-- "The resemblance between Yâsmîna" (this was the real name of Shejeret ed-Durr) "and the priestess of Isis," he said, "appears to me too marked to be explainable by mere coincidence. If the mummy were my personal property I should unwrap it----" "Do you seriously desire me to believe that you regard Yâsmîna as a reincarnation of the elder lady?" "That or a lineal descendant," he answered. "The tribe of the _Ghawâzi_ is of unknown antiquity and may very well be descended from those temple dancers of the days of the Pharaohs. If you have studied the ancient wall paintings, you cannot have failed to observe that the dancing girls represented have entirely different forms from those of any other women depicted and from those of the ordinary Egyptian women of to-day." His enthusiasm was tremendous; he was one of those uncomfortable fanatics who will ride a theory to the death. "I cannot say that I have noticed it," I replied. "Your knowledge of the female form divine is doubtless more extensive than mine."