, which is ever old and
ever young, I clasp my wrist--the wrist of the hand on which the
paper-knife rests--with the other hand, and--you see.'

As the sorcerer spoke, he deftly turned his hand palm downwards, and
the paper-knife fell with a crash and a clatter on the floor. It was
terrible to see the dumb wrath of the swathed figure at this new
defeat.

Even in this moment the Boshman glided like a serpent among us, picked
up the paper-knife, and triumphantly performed the very miracle in
which the wizard had failed. A harsh cackle of laughter announced his
success. But the mage was even with him, or rather he was 'odds and
evens.' Rapidly he drew his forefinger across the Boshman's face,
perpendicularly and horizontally--

[Illustration:

| |
--+--+--
| |
--+--+--
| |
]

On the skin of Ustani, azure with terror, appeared the above diagram in
lines of white! The mage then made the sign of a +, thus--

[Illustration:

| |+
--+--+--
| |
--+--+--
| |
]

and challenged Leonora to a contest of skill in 'oughts and crosses.'
But the Boshman, catching a view of his own altered aspect in a mirror,
exclaimed, 'You 'standy Ustani? Him no standy He! Him show hisself for
tin! Adults one shilling, kids tizzy. _Me Umslopoguey!_' And he sloped;
nor did we ever again see this victim of an overwhelming Power
(limited).

We presently took our leave of the mage, promising to call next day,
and bring a policeman.

CHAPTER X.

A BODY IN PAWN.

'Gin a body meet a body!'--BURNS.

Though Leonora's faith in the magician had been a good deal shaken by
his failures in his black art, she admitted that, as a clairvoyant, he
might be more inspired. We therefore went, as he had directed us, to
the neighbourhood of Clare Market, where he had prophesied that we
should find a Temple adorned with the Three Balls of Gold, which the
Lombards bore with them from their far Aryan home in Frangipani. Nor
did this part of the prophecy fail to coincide with the document on the
mummy case. Through the thick and choking darkness which has made 'The
Lights of London' a proverb, we beheld the glittering of three aureate
orbs. And now, how to win our way, without pass-word or, indeed,
pass-book, into this home of mystery?

Here, in these immemorial recesses, the natives had long been wont to
bury, as we learned, their oldest objects of interest and value. There,
when