palatial building, which had no doubt once been magnificent in its
exterior adornment, but which now, owing to long neglect, had
fallen into somewhat melancholy decay. The sombre portal,
fantastically ornamented with designs copied from some of the
Egyptian monuments, rather resembled the gateway of a tomb than an
entrance to the private residence of a beautiful living woman, and
Fulkeward, noting his companion's silence, added:

"Not a very cheerful corner, is it? Some of these places are
regular holes, don'cher know; but I daresay it's all right
inside."

"You have never been inside?"

"Never." And Fulkeward lowered his voice: "Look up there; there's
the beast that keeps everybody out!"

Gervase followed his glance, and perceived behind the projecting
carved lattice-work of one of the windows a dark, wrinkled face
and two gleaming eyes which, even at that distance, had, or
appeared to have, a somewhat sinister expression.

"He's the nastiest type of Nubian I have ever seen," pursued
Fulkeward. "Looks just like a galvanized corpse."

Gervase smiled, and perceiving a long bell-handle at the gateway,
pulled it sharply. In another moment the Nubian appeared, his
aspect fully justifying Lord Fulkeward's description of him. The
parchment-like skin on his face was yellowish-black, and wrinkled
in a thousand places; his lips were of a livid blue, and were