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"There is no need to be rude to Archie, father," corrected Lucy sharply

"Rude! Rude! I am never rude But this mummy" Braddock peered closely

at it and rapped the wood to assure himself it was no phantom "Yes!

it is my mummy, the mummy of Inca Caxas Now I shall learn how the

Peruvians embalmed their royal dead Mine! mine!the coffin; then suddenly drew hinant eye "So it was you,

madaht of

you my wife Oh, what an escape I have had Sharew redder than the rouge on her

cheeks, and she stamped furiously in the neat Louis Quinze slippers in

which she had in judiciously come out

"How dare you say what you have said?" she cried, her voice shrill and

hard with anger "Mr Hope has been saying the sa Are you both

in ht

you told s, I don't doubt, madam But that

is not the question My mummy! my mummy!" he rapped the wood

furiously--"how does my mummy come to be here?"

"I don't know," said Mrs Jasher, still furious, "and I don't care"

"Don't care: don't care, when I look forward to your helping me in my

lifework! As my wife--"

"I shall never be your wife," cried the , staain "I

wouldn't be your wife for a thousand or a million pounds Marry your

mummy, you horrid, red-faced, crabbed little--"

"Hush! hush!" whispered Lucy, taking the angry woman round the waist,