work, the work which he had
undertaken to do, was the making of exact copies of the mural paintings
and decorations, such as Lampton required, and to help in the evenings
to clean and sort and arrange the small objects which the workmen found
each day. In the debris they often found amulets and small earthenware
vases and minute pieces of broken pottery, the very smallest of which
suggested theories as regards the period and history of the monument.
The texture of the glaze used, or the nature of the pottery itself, the
small remnant of decoration on them, or the trademark on the broken
base of a vase, all were valuable links in the chain of history which
is unfolding itself to the eager eyes of Egyptian exploration schools.

When Michael at last appeared, Freddy looked up from his bacon and
eggs. "I say, Margaret comes to-night."

"Yes, I know."

Freddy raised his blue eyes and gave Michael one of his quick glances.
"Remembered, did you?"

"Yes--the fact suddenly came into my head when I was shaving. I say,
what are you going to do with her? Won't she be awfully bored?"

"Margaret doesn't know what the word bored means. Give her enough
freedom and lots of sunshine--that's all she wants."

"Sounds the right sort."'

"One of the best--old Margaret's all right!"

"Is she like you in appearance?"

"Good Lord, no!"

Michael's enthusiasm was damped. He wanted her to be like Freddy, to
have his short, straight nose and his strong rounded chin and beautiful
mouth. For his looks were wasted on a man; Michael wanted to see them
repeated and softened in a girl. As his eyes rested contemplatingly on
his companion's bent head and youthfully-lean figure, he began to
visualize a very plain, dowdy sister. The "Good Lord, no!" probably
meant that although Freddy was not the least vain of his own
extraordinary good looks, he could not help exclaiming at the idea of
his dowdy sister being considered like him.

Michael had never seen her, because Freddy and Margaret had been left
orphans when they were little children. They had been adopted by
different relatives, so that Michael had never had the opportunity of
meeting his friend's sister while they were together at Oxford or when
he visited Freddy in his uncle's home.

"Pass the marmalade!" said Freddy. "And I say, old chap, I wish you'd
go and meet Margaret!"

Their eyes met as Michael handed him the marmalade, which was the one
thing in the world which Lam