she-第5章

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death。　There　were　three　of　them；　the　largest　a　
comparatively　modern　key；　the　second　an　exceedingly　
ancient　one；　and　the　third　entirely　unlike　anything　of　
the　sort　that　we　had　ever　seen　before；　being　fashioned　
apparently　from　a　strip　of　solid　silver；　with　a　bar　
placed　across　to　serve　as　a　handle；　and　some　nicks　cut　
in　the　edge　of　the　bar。　It　was　more　like　a　model　of　
some　antediluvian　railway　key　than　anything　else。

〃Now；　are　you　both　ready？〃　I　said；　as　people　do　when　
they　are　going　to　fire　a　mine。　There　was　no　answer；　so　
I　took　the　big　key；　rubbed　some　salad　oil　into　the　
wards；　and　after　one　or　two　bad　shots；　for　my　hands　
were　shaking；　managed　to　fit　it；　and　shoot　the　lock。　
Leo　bent　over　and　caught　the　massive　lid　in　both　his　
hands；　and　with　an　effort；　for　the　hinges　had　rusted；　
leaned　it　back。　Its　removal　revealed　another　case　
covered　with　dust。　This　we　extracted　from　the　iron　
chest　without　any　difficulty；　and　removed　the　
accumulated　filth　of　years　from　it　with　a　clothes…
brush。

It　was；　or　appeared　to　be；　of　ebony；　or　some　such　
close…grained　black　wood；　and　was　bound　in　every　
direction　with　flat　bands　of　iron。　Its　antiquity　must　
have　been　extreme；　for　the　dense；　heavy　wood　was　
actually　in　parts　commencing　to　crumble　away　from　age。

〃Now　for　it；〃　I　said；　inserting　the　second　key。

Job　and　Leo　bent　forward　in　breathless　silence。　The　
key　turned；　and　I　flung　back　the　lid；　and　uttered　an　
exclamation；　as　did　the　others；　and　no　wonder；　for　
inside　the　ebony　case　was　a　magnificent　silver　casket；　
about　twelve　inches　square　by　eight　high。　It　appeared　
to　be　of　Egyptian　workmanship；　for　the　four　legs　were　
formed　of　Sphinxes；　and　the　dome…shaped　cover　was　also　
surmounted　by　a　Sphinx。　The　casket　was　of　course　much　
tarnished　and　dinted　with　age；　but　otherwise　in　fairly　
sound　condition。

I　drew　it　out　and　set　it　on　the　table；　and　then；　in　
the　midst　of　the　most　perfect　silence；　I　inserted　the　
strange…looking　silver　key；　and　pressed　this　way　and　
that　until　at　last　the　lock　yielded；　and　the　casket　
stood　open　before　us。　It　was　filled　to　the　brim　with　
some　brown　shredded　material；　more　like　vegetable　
fibre　than　paper；　the　nature　of　which　I　have　never　
been　able　to　discover。　This　I　carefully　removed　to　the　
depth　of　some　three　inches；　when　I　came　to　a　letter　
enclosed　in　an　ordinary　modern　looking　envelope；　and　
addressed　in　the　handwriting　of　my　dead　friend　Vincey…
…

〃To　my　son　Leo；　should　he　live　to　open　this　casket。〃

I　handed　the　letter　to　Leo；　who　glanced　at　the　
envelope；　and　then　put　it　down　upon　the　table；　making　
a　motion　to　me　to　go　on　emptying　the　casket。

The　next　thing　that　I　found　was　a　parchment　carefully　
rolled　up。　I　unrolled　it；　and　seeing　that　it　was　also　
in　Vincey's　handwriting；　and　headed　〃Translation　of　
the　Uncial　Greek　writing　on　the　Potsherd；〃　put　it　down　
by　the　letter。　Then　followed　another　ancient　roll　of　
parchment；　that　had　become　yellow　and　crinkled　with　
the　passage　of　years。　This　I　also　unrolled。　It　was　
likewise　a　translation　of　the　same　Greek　original；　but　
into　black…letter　Latin　this　time；　which　at　the　first　
glance　appeared　to　me　from　the　style　and　character　to　
date　from　somewhere　about　the　beginning　of　the　
sixteenth　century。　Immediately　beneath　this　roll　was　
something　hard　and　heavy；　wrapped　up　in　yellow　linen；　
and　reposing　upon　another。　layer　of　the　fibrous　
material。　Slowly　and　carefully　we　unrolled　the　linen；　
exposing　to　view　a　very　large　but　undoubtedly　ancient　
potsherd　of　a　dirty　yellow　color！　This　potsherd　had；　
in　my　judgment；　once　been　a　part　of　an　ordinary　
amphora　of　medium　size。　For　the　rest；　it　measured　ten　
and　a　half　inches　in　length　by　seven　in　width；　was　
about　a　quarter　of　an　inch　thick；　and　densely　covered　
on　the　convex　side　that　lay　towards　the　bottom　of　the　
box　with　writing　in　the　later　uncial　Greek　character；　
faded　here　and　there；　but　for　the　most　part　perfectly　
legible；　the　inscription　having　evidently　been　
executed　with　the　greatest　care；　and　by　means　of　a　
reed　pen；　such　as　the　ancients　often　used。　I　must　not　
forget　to　mention　that　in　some　remote　age　this　
wonderful　fragment　had　been　broken　in　two；　and　
rejoined　by　means　of　cement　and　eight　long　rivets。　
Also　there　were　numerous　inscriptions　on　the　inner　
side；　but　these　were　of　the　most　erratic　character；　
and　had　clearly　been　made　by　different　hands　and　in　
many　different　ages；　and　of　them；　together　with　the　
writings　on　the　parchments；　I　shall　have　to　speak　
presently。

〃Is　there　anything　more？〃　asked　Leo；　in　a　kind　of　
excited　whisper。

I　groped　about；　and　produced　something　hard；　done　up　
in　a　little　linen　bag。　Out　of　the　bag　we　took　first　a　
very　beautiful　miniature　done　upon　ivory；　and；　
secondly；　a　small　chocolate　colored　composition　
scarabaeus；　marked　thus：

＇graphic　omitted＇

symbols　which；　we　have　since　ascertained；　mean　〃Suten　
se　Ra^；〃　which　is；　being　translated；　the　〃Royal　Son　of　
Ra^　or　the　Sun。〃　The　miniature　was　a　picture　of　Leo's　
Greek　mother；　a　lovely；　dark…eyed　creature。　On　the　
back　of　it　was　written　in　poor　Vincey's　handwriting；　
〃My　beloved　wife。〃　

〃That　is　all；〃　I　said。

〃Very　well；〃　answered　Leo；　putting　down　the　miniature；　
at　which　he　had　been　gazing　affectionately；　〃and　now　
let　us　read　the　letter；〃　and　without　further　ado　he　
broke　the　seal；　and　read　aloud　as　follows：

〃MY　SON　LEOWhen　you　open　this；　if　you　ever　live　to　
do　so；　you　will　have　attained　to　manhood；　and　I　shall　
have　been　long　enough　dead　to　be　absolutely　forgotten　
by　nearly　all　who　knew　me。　Yet　in　reading　it　remember　
that　I　have　been；　and　for　anything　you　know　may　still　
be；　and　that　in　it；　through　this　link　of　pen　and　
paper；　I　stretch　out　my　hand　to　you　across　the　gulf　of　
death；　and　my　voice　speaks　to　you　from　the　unutterable　
silence　of　the　grave。　Though　I　am　dead；　and　no　memory　
of　me　remains　in　your　mind；　yet　am　I　with　you　in　this　
hour　that　you　read。　Since　your　birth　to　this　day　I　
have　scarcely　seen　your　face。　Forgive　me　this。　Your　
life　supplanted　the　life　of　one　whom　I　loved　better　
than　women　are　often　loved；　and　the　bitterness　of　it　
endureth　yet。　Had　I　lived　I　should　in　time　have　
conquered　this　foolish　feeling；　but　I　am　not　destined　
to　live。　My　sufferings；　physical　and　mental；　are　more　
than　I　can　bear；　and　when　such　small　arrangements　as　I　
have　to　make　for　your　future　well…being　are　completed　
it　is　my　intention　to　put　a　period　to　them。　May　God　
forgive　me　if　I　do　wrong。　At　the　best　I　could　not　live　
more　than　another　year。〃

〃So　he　killed　himself；〃　I　exclaimed。　〃I　thought　so。〃

〃And　now；〃　Leo　went　on；　without　replying；　〃enough　of　
myself。　What　has　to　be　said　belongs　to　you　who　live；　
not　to　me；　who　am　dead；　and　almost　as　much　forgotten　
as　though　I　had　never　been。　Holly；　my　friend　（to　whom；　
if　he　will　accept　the　trust；　it　is　my　intention　to　
confide　you）；　will　have　told　you　something　of　the　
extraordinary　antiquity　of　your　race。　In　the　contents　
of　this　casket　you　will　find　sufficient　to　prove　it。　
The　strange　legend　that　you　will　find　inscribed　by　
your　remote　ancestress　upon　the　potsherd　was　
communicated　to　me　by　my　father　on　his　deathbed；　and　
took　a　strong　hold　upon…my　imagination。　When　I　was　
only　nineteen　years　of　age　I　determined；　as；　to　his　
misfortune；　did　one　of　ancestors　about　the　time　of　
Elizabeth；　to　investigate　its　truth。　Into　all　that　
befell　me　I　cannot　enter　now。

But　this　I　saw　with　my　own　eyes。　On　the　coast　of　
Africa；　in　a　hitherto　unexplored　region；　some　distance　
to　the　north　of　where　the　Zambesi　falls　into　the　sea；　
there　is　a　headland；　at　the　extremity　of　which　a　peak　
towers　up；　shaped　like　the　head　of　a　negro；　similar　to　
that　of　which　the　writing　speaks。　I　landed　there；　and　
learned　from　a　wandering　native；　who　had　been　cast　out　
by　his　people　because　of　some　crime　which　he　had　
committed；　that　far　inland　are　great　mountains；　shaped　
like　cups；　and　caves　surrounded　by　measureless　swamps。　
I　learned　also　that　the　people　there　speak　a　dialect　
of　Arabic；　and　are　ruled　over　by　a　_i_　beautiful　white　
woman　_i_　who　is　seldom　seen　by　them；　but　who　is　
reported　to　have　power　over　all