anean coast, the
Nemi remained unconquered and retreated to the mountain fastnesses, west
of the source of the Nile."

"Well, I know all about that," Kit answered, encouragingly, perching
herself on the arm of a chair, across from him. "Just see," and she
counted off on her fingers, "Livingstone-Stanley,--Victoria
Falls--Zambesi--and Kipling wrote all about the people in 'Fuzzy-Wuzzy.'"

"No, no, no, not a bit like it!" the Dean exclaimed. "My dear child, learn
to think in centuries and epochs. The long and short of it is, there have
been some very wonderful remains of the Nemi recently discovered, and I
have been honored by a commission from the Institute to write a complete
summary of the results of the expedition and its historic significance."

"Don't you wish you'd been there when they dug them up? That's what I'd
love, the exploring part, don't you know. I should think it would be
fearfully dry trying to make bones sit up and talk, when you are so far
away from it all."

"They are not sending me bones," replied the Dean with dignity, "but they
are sending me the Amenotaph urn, and a sitting image of Annui. I believe
with these two I shall be able to establish as a fact the survival of the
Greek influence in ancient Egypt. My dear, you have no idea," he added,
warmly, "how much this explains if it is true. There may be even some
Phoenician data before I finish investigating."

"Phoenicians," thought Kit, although she said nothing. "Yes, I do remember
about them, too. Tin,--ancient Britain--and something about Carthage, or
was that Queen Dido?" Then she said aloud very positively and earnestly:

"I know I can help you a lot with this, Uncle Cassius, if you will only
let me, because history is my favorite study, and the reason I came to
speak to you to-night is this: We girls are going to have a Founders' Tea,
Saturday afternoon, up at Hope; just a little informal affair, but I'd
like to give it a----" She hesitated for the right word, and the Dean
nodded encouragingly, being in a better mood.

"Semblance of verity? Are you preparing a treatise?"

"No. I want something they can look at," Kit explained, "and I knew if I
told you about it, you'd let us take a few of the old things out of that
cabinet in your room at Assembly Hall. All I need would be--well, say a
few portraits of any of the founders of Hope, and any of the relics of the
Indians or French explorers."

The Dean graciously detached a key from the