"Talking of curious things," went on that irrepressible savant, "I
started hunting for a particular scarabeus to-day. I couldn't find
it, of course,--it generally takes years to find even a trifle
that one especially wants. But I came across a queer old man in
one of the curiosity-shops who told me that over at Karnak they
had just discovered a large fresco in one of the tombs describing
the exploits of the very man whose track I'm on--Araxes ..."

Gervase started,--he knew not why.

"What has Araxes to do with you?" he demanded.

"Oh, nothing! But the Princess Ziska spoke of him as a great
warrior in the days of Amenhotep,--and she seems to be a great
Egyptologist, and to know many things of which we are ignorant.
Then you know last night she adopted the costume of a dancer of
that period, named Ziska-Charmazel. Well, now it appears that in
one part of this fresco the scene depicted is this very Ziska-
Charmazel dancing before Araxes."

Gervase listened with strained attention,--his heart beat thickly,
as though the Doctor were telling him of some horrible
circumstance in which he had an active part; whereas he had truly
no interest at all in the matter, except in so far as events of
history are more or less interesting to everyone.

"Well?" he said after a pause.

"Well," echoed Dr. Dean. "There is really nothing more to say
beyond that I want to find out everything I can concerning this