r voyage to Cairo,
whence we start inland up the Nile for Ethiopia--I shall make love
whenever you like. And, confound it, Selina, I admire you no end--to
use a slang phrase. You are a fine woman and a sensible woman, and I
am afraid that you are throwing yourself away on a snuffy old man like
myself."

"Oh no! no! Pray do not say that," cried Mrs. Jasher, visibly moved
by this flattery. "You will make a very good husband if you will only
strive to govern your temper."

"Temper! temper! Bless the woman--I mean you, Selina--I have the very
best temper in the world. However, you shall govern it and myself also
if you like. Come," he took her hand, "let us be friends and fix the
wedding day."

Mrs. Jasher did not withdraw her hand.

"Then you do not believe that I have anything to do with this terrible
murder?" she asked playfully.

"No! no! I was heated last night. I spoke rashly and hastily. Forgive
and forget, Selina. You are innocent--quite innocent, in spite of
the mummy being in your confounded garden. After all, the evidence is
stronger against Random than against you. Perhaps he put it there: it's
on his way to the Fort, you see. Never mind. He has exonerated himself,
and no doubt, when confronted with Hervey, will be able to silence that
blackguard. And I am quite sure that Hervey is a blackguard," ended
Braddock, rubbing his bald head.

The two ladies looked at one another in amazement, not knowing what
to say. They were ignorant of the theft of the emeralds and of the
accusation of Sir Frank by the Yankee skipper. But, with his usual
absentmindedness, Braddock had forgotten all about that, and sat in his
chair rubbing his head quite pink and rattling on cheerfully.

"I went down with Hope to the embankment," he continued, "but neither
of us could see any sign of a boat. There's the rude, short jetty, of
course, and if a boat came, a boat could go away without leaving any
trace. Perhaps that is so. However, we must wait until we see Don Pedro
and Hervey again, and then--"

Lucy broke in desperately.

"What are you talking about, father? Why do you bring in Sir Frank's
name in that way?"

"What do you expect me to say?" retorted the little man. "After all, the
manuscript was found in his room, and the emeralds are gone. I saw that
for myself, as did Hope and Don Pedro, in whose presence I opened the
mummy case."

Mrs. Jasher rose in her astonishment.

"Are the emeralds gone?" she gasped.

"Yes!