"No, I wish I did. How much did you pay for it, Professor?"
"What's that to you?" snapped the other, resuming his seat.
"Nothing at all. But it is a great deal to Don Pedro de Gayangos."
"And who the deuce is he? Some Spanish Egyptologist?"
"I don't think he is an Egyptologist, sir."
"He must be, if he wants my mummy."
"You forget, Professor, that the green mummy comes from Peru."
"Who denied that it did, sir? You are illogical--infernally so." The
little man rose and straddled on the hearth-rug, with his back to the
fire and his hands under his coat-tails. "Now, sir," he said, glaring
at the young man like a school-master--"what the deuce are you talking
about? Out with it: no evasion."
"Oh, hang it, Professor, don't jump down my throat, spurs and all," said
Random, rather annoyed by this dictatorial tone.
"I never wear spurs: go on, sir, and don't argue."
Sir Frank could not help laughing, although he knew that it was useless
to induce Braddock to be civil. Not that the Professor, meant to be
rude, especially as he desired to conciliate Random. But long years of
fighting with other scientists and of having his own scientific way had
turned him into a kind of school-master, and every one knows that they
are the most domineering of the human race.
"It's a long story," said the baronet, with a shrug and a smile.
"Story! story! What story?"
"'That which I am about to tell you." And then Random began hurriedly, so as to prevent further arguments of an
unprofitable kind. "I was at Genoa with my yacht, and there stopped on
shore at the Casa Bianca."
"What place is that?"
"An hotel. I there met with a certain Don Pedro de Gayangos and his
daughter, Donna Inez, He was a gentleman from Lima, and had come to
Europe in search of the green mummy."
Braddock stared.
"And what did this confounded Spaniard want with my green mummy?" he
demanded indignantly. "How did he know of its existence?--what reason
had he to try and obtain it? Answer, sir."
"I shall let Don Pedro answer himself," said Random dryly. "He arrives
in a couple of days, and intends to take rooms at the Warrior Inn along
with his daughter. Then you can question him, Professor."
"I question you," snapped Braddock angrily.
"And I am answering to the best of my ability. Don Pedro told me nothing
beyond the fact that he wanted the mummy, and had come to Europe to get
it. In some way he learned that it was in Malta and was for sale."
"Quite so: quite so," rasped the Professor. "He saw the advertisement in
the newspapers, as I did, and wanted to buy it over my head."