ompanion knew the
various tongues from which Argyropoulos borrowed. "I can place at your
disposal," he went on, "some hundred energetic fellahs who, under the
spur of whip and bakshish, would dig with their finger-nails to the very
centre of the earth. We may try, if it pleases your lordship, to clear
away a buried sphinx or a shrine, or to open up a hypogeum."

On seeing that his lordship remained unmoved by this tempting
enumeration, and that a sceptical smile flitted across the doctor's
face, Argyropoulos understood that he had not to deal with easy dupes,
and he was confirmed in his intention to sell to the Englishman the
discovery on which he reckoned to complete his fortune and to give a
dowry to his daughter.

"I can see that you are scholars, not ordinary tourists, and that vulgar
curiosity does not bring you here," he went on, speaking in English less
mixed with Greek, Arabic, and Italian. "I will show you a tomb which has
hitherto escaped all searchers, which no one knows of but myself. It is
a treasure which I have carefully preserved for a person worthy of it."

"And for which you will have to be paid a high price," said his
lordship, smiling.

"I am too honest to contradict your lordship; I do hope to get a good
price for my discovery. Every one in this world lives by his trade. Mine
is to exhume Pharaohs and sell them to strangers. Pharaohs are becoming
scarce at the rate at which they are being dug up; there are not enough
left for everybody. They are very much in demand, and it is long since
any have been manufactured."

"Quite right," said the scholar; "it is some centuries since the
undertakers, dissectors, and embalmers have shut up shop, and the
Memnonia, peaceful dwellings of the dead, have been deserted by the
living."

The Greek, as he heard these words, cast a sidelong glance at the
German, but fancying from his wretched dress that he had no voice in the
matter, he continued to address himself exclusively to the young
nobleman.

"Are a thousand guineas too much, my lord, for a tomb of the greatest
antiquity, which no human hand has opened for more than three thousand
years, since the priests rolled rocks before its mouth? Indeed, it is
giving it away; for perhaps it contains quantities of gold, diamond, and
pearl necklaces, carbuncle earrings, sapphire seals, ancient idols in
precious metals, and coins which could be turned to account."

"You sly rascal!" said Rumphius, "you are praisin