The Green Mummy Part 20

"But surely he desired to get it back, after paying nearly one thousand pounds for it," said Mrs. Jasher, with well-feigned astonishment.

"Oh, of course; but he would scarcely look for it in London."

"Has Professor Braddock gone to search for the mummy?" asked Don Pedro.

"No," answered Lucy. "He is visiting the British Museum to make some researches in the Egyptian department."

"When do you expect him back, please?"

Lucy shrugged her shoulders.

"I can't say, Don Pedro. My father comes and goes as the whim takes him."

The Spanish gentleman looked thoughtfully into the fire.

"I shall be glad to see the Professor when he returns," he said in his excellent, slow-sounding English. "My concern about this mummy is deep."

"Dear me," remarked Mrs. Jasher, shielding her fair cheek with the unnecessary fan, and venturing on a joke, "is the mummy a relative?"

"Yes, madame," replied Don Pedro, gravely and unexpectedly.

At this every one, very naturally, looked astonished--that is, all save Donna Inez, who still preserved her fixed smile. Mrs. Jasher took a mental note of the same, and decided that the young lady was not very intelligent. Meanwhile Don Pedro continued his speech after a glance round the circle.

"I have the blood of the royal Inca race in my veins," he said with pride.

"Ha!" murmured the widow to herself, "then that accounts for your love of color, which is so un-English;" then she raised her voice. "Tell us all about it, Don Pedro," she entreated; "we are usually so dull here that a romantic story excites us dreadfully."

"I do not know that it is very romantic," said Don Pedro with a polite smile, "and if you will not find it dull--"

"Oh, no!" said Archie, who was as anxious as Mrs. Jasher to hear what was to be said about the mummy. "Come, sir, we are all attention."

Don Pedro bowed again, and again swept the circle with his deep-set eyes.

"The Inca Caxas," he remarked, "was one of the decadent rulers of ancient Peru. At the Conquest by the Spaniards, Inca Atahuallpa was murdered by Pizarro, as you probably know. Inca Toparca succeeded him as a puppet king. He died also, and it was suspected that he was slain by a native chief called Challcuchima. Then Manco succeeded, and is looked upon by historians as the last Inca of Peru. But he was not."

"This is news, indeed," said Random lazily. "And who was the last Inca?"

"The man who is now the green mummy."

"Inca Caxas," ventured Lucy timidly.

Don Pedro looked at her sharply. "How do you come to know the name?"

"You mentioned it just now, but, before that, I heard my father mention it," said Lucy, who was surprised at the sharpness of his tone.

"And where did the Professor learn the name?" asked Don Pedro anxiously.

Lucy shook her head.

"I cannot say. But go on with the story," she continued, with the naive curiosity of a child.

"Yes, do," pleaded Mrs. Jasher, who was listening with all her ears.

The Peruvian meditated for a few minutes, then slipped his hand into the pocket of his coat and brought out a discolored parchment, scrawled and scribbled with odd-looking letters in purple ink somewhat faded.

"Did you ever see this before?" he asked Lucy, "or any ma.n.u.script like it?"

"No," she answered, bending forward to examine the parchment carefully.

Don Pedro again swept an inquiring eye round the circle, but everyone denied having seen the ma.n.u.script.

"What is it?" asked Sir Frank curiously.

Don Pedro restored the ma.n.u.script to his pocket.

"It is an account of the embalming of Inca Caxas, written by his son, who was my ancestor."

"Then you are descended from this Inca?" said Mrs. Jasher eagerly.

"I am. Had I my rights I should rule Peru. As it is, I am a poor gentleman with very little money. That," added Don Pedro with emphasis, "is why I wish to recover the mummy of my great ancestor."

"Is it then so valuable?" asked Archie suddenly. He was thinking of some reason why the mummy should have been stolen.

"Well, in itself it is of no great value, save to an archaeologist," was Don Pedro's reply; "but I had better tell you the story of how it was stolen from my father."

"Go on, go on," cried Mrs. Jasher. "This is most interesting."

Don Pedro plunged into his story without further preamble.

"Inca Caxas held his state amidst the solitudes of the Andes, away from the cruel men who had conquered his country. He died and was buried.

This ma.n.u.script,"--he touched his pocket--"was written by his son, and details the ceremonies, the place of sepulchre, and also gives a list of the jewels with which the mummy was buried."

"Jewels," murmured Hope under his breath. "I thought as much."

"The son of Inca Caxas married a Spanish lady and made peace with the Spaniards. He came to live at Cuzco, and brought with him, for some purpose which the ma.n.u.script does not disclose, the mummy of his father.

But the ma.n.u.script was lost for years, and although my family--the De Gayangoses--became poor, no member of it knew that, concealed in the corpse of Inca Caxas, were two large emeralds of immense value. The mummy of our royal ancestor was treated as a sacred thing and venerated accordingly. Afterwards my family came to live at Lima, and I still dwell in the old house."

"But how was the mummy stolen from you?" asked Random curiously.

"I am coming to that," said Don Pedro, frowning at the interruption.

"I was not in Lima at the time; but I had met the man who stole the precious mummy."

"Was he a Spaniard?"

"No," answered Don Pedro slowly, "he was an English sailor called Vasa."

"Vasa is a Swedish name," observed Hope critically.