Bellingham. "He knew as much as
venerable archdeacons ought to know; but the expert knew more. So the
archdeacon commissioned me to collect the literature on the state of
Egypt at the end of the seventeenth dynasty, which I have done; and
to-morrow I shall go and stuff him, as my father expresses it, and
then----"

"And then," Mr. Bellingham interrupted, "the archdeacon will rush forth
and pelt that expert with Shepherd Kings and Sequenen-Ra and the whole
tag-rag and bobtail of the seventeenth dynasty. Oh, there'll be wigs
on the green, I can tell you."

"Yes, I expect there will be quite a skirmish," said Miss Bellingham.
And thus dismissing the subject she made an energetic attack on the
toast while her father refreshed himself with a colossal yawn.

I watched her with furtive admiration and deep and growing interest.
In spite of her pallor, her weary eyes, and her drawn and almost
haggard face, she was an exceedingly handsome girl; and there was in
her aspect a suggestion of purpose, of strength and character that
marked her off from the rank and file of womanhood. I noted this as I
stole an occasional glance at her or turned to answer some remark
addressed to me; and I noted, too, that her speech, despite a general
undertone of depression, was yet not without a certain caustic,
ironical humor. She was certainly a rather enigmatical young person,
but very decidedly interesting.

When she had finished her repast she put aside the tray and, opening
the shabby handbag, asked:

"Do you take any interest in Egyptian history? We are as mad as
hatters on the subject. It seems to be a family complaint."

"I don't know much about it," I answered. "Medical studies are rather
engrossing and don't leave much time for general reading."

"Naturally," she said. "You can't specialize in everything. But if
you would care to see how the business of a literary jackal is
conducted, I will show you my notes."

I accepted the offer eagerly (not, I fear, from pure enthusiasm for the
subject), and she brought forth from the bag four blue-covered, quarto
notebooks, each dealing with one of the four dynasties from the
fourteenth to the seventeenth. As I glanced through the neat and
orderly extracts with which they were filled we discussed the
intricacies of the peculiarly difficult and confused period that they
covered, gradually lowering our voices as Mr. Bellingham's eyes closed
and his head fell against the back of his