silk. But
never was spun or woven silk which lay in such gracious folds,
constrict though they were by the close wrappings of the mummy cloth,
and fixed into hardness by the passing of thousands of years.

Round the neck it was delicately embroidered in pure gold with tiny
sprays of sycamore; and round the feet, similarly worked, was an
endless line of lotus plants of unequal height, and with all the
graceful abandon of natural growth.

Across the body, but manifestly not surrounding it, was a girdle of
jewels. A wondrous girdle, which shone and glowed with all the forms
and phases and colours of the sky!

The buckle was a great yellow stone, round of outline, deep and curved,
as if a yielding globe had been pressed down. It shone and glowed, as
though a veritable sun lay within; the rays of its light seemed to
strike out and illumine all round. Flanking it were two great
moonstones of lesser size, whose glowing, beside the glory of the
sunstone, was like the silvery sheen of moonlight.

And then on either side, linked by golden clasps of exquisite shape,
was a line of flaming jewels, of which the colours seemed to glow.
Each of these stones seemed to hold a living star, which twinkled in
every phase of changing light.

Margaret raised her hands in ecstasy. She bent over to examine more
closely; but suddenly drew back and stood fully erect at her grand
height. She seemed to speak with the conviction of absolute knowledge
as she said:

"That is no cerement! It was no meant for the clothing of death! It
is a marriage robe!"

Mr. Trelawny leaned over and touched the linen robe. He lifted a fold
at the neck, and I knew from the quick intake of his breath that
something had surprised him. He lifted yet a little more; and then he,
too, stood back and pointed, saying:

"Margaret is right! That dress is not intended to be worn by the dead!
See! her figure is not robed in it. It is but laid upon her." He
lifted the zone of jewels and handed it to Margaret. Then with both
hands he raised the ample robe, and laid it across the arms which she
extended in a natural impulse. Things of such beauty were too precious
to be handled with any but the greatest care.

We all stood awed at the beauty of the figure which, save for the face
cloth, now lay completely nude before us. Mr. Trelawny bent over, and
with hands that trembled slightly, raised this linen cloth which was of
the same fineness as the robe. As he