ch
could never be solved, and so the case became rarely talked about. In
these days of bustle and worry and competition, it is wonderful how
people forget even important events. If a blue sun arose to lighten
the world instead of a yellow one, after nine days of wonder, man would
settle down quite comfortably to a cerulean existence. Such is the
wonderful adaptability of humanity.

Professor Braddock was less forgetful, as he always bore in mind the
loss of his mummy, and constantly thought of schemes whereby he could
trap the assassin of his late secretary. Not that he cared for the dead
in any way, save from a strictly business point of view, but the capture
of the criminal meant the restitution of the mummy, and--as Braddock
told everyone with whom he came in contact--he was determined to regain
possession of his treasure. He went himself to the Sailor's Rest, and
drove the landlord and his servants wild by asking tart questions and
storming when a satisfactory answer could not be supplied. Quass
was glad when he saw the plump back of the cross little man, who so
pertinaciously followed what everyone else had abandoned.

"Life was too short," grumbled Quass, "to be bothered in that way."

The wooing of Archie and Lucy went on smoothly, and the Professor showed
no sign of wishing to break the engagement. But Hope, as he confided
to Lucy, was somewhat worried, as his pauper uncle, on an insufficient
borrowed capital, had begun to speculate in South African mines, and it
was probable that he would lose all his money. In that case Hope fancied
he would be once more called upon to make good the avuncular loss, and
so the marriage would have to be postponed. But it so happened that the
pauper uncle made some lucky speculative shots and acquired money, which
he promptly reinvested in new mines of the wildcat description. Still,
for the moment all was well, and the lovers had a few halcyon days of
peace and happiness.

Then came a bolt from the blue in the person of Captain Hervey, who
called a fortnight after the funeral to see the Professor. The skipper
was a tall, slim man, lean as a fasting friar, and hard as nails, with
closely clipped red hair, mustache of the same aggressive hue, and
an American goatee. He spoke with a Yankee accent, and in a truculent
manner, sufficiently annoying to the fiery Professor. When he met
Braddock in the museum, the two became enemies at the first glance, and
because both were bad-temp