“How can you endure such mummery?” said he to Rosabella, after a short pause.
“Anything for a change,” said she, sighing. The father’s dark eye glanced upon the King, and then upon Rosabella, as with a gloomy frown he stalked on. The Queen coloured, and hastily waving her hand to the minstrel, as a sign that he might depart, she turned away, and the disappointed ladies were reluctantly obliged to follow in her train. In a few minutes a page returned with a chain and a purse of gold, which he gave the minstrels, and retired. Clara was upon the point of refusing her share of this bounty, but a look from the Mummy made her sensible of her error, and she took it without uttering a syllable. Her hesitation, however, did not pass unnoticed, and she found, to her infinite horror, when they quitted the palace, that two of the Queen’s servants had followed them. Clara trembled excessively, and clung tightly to the Mummy’s arm for protection; but that mysterious being still stalked on with the same indifference as before. Clara longed to give him some intimation of the danger which awaited him, but she could not speak; the words seemed to swell in her throat and almost choke her, whilst she found herself dragged along by an irresistible influence, too powerful to admit of her even struggling against it. Inexpressible agony seized her as she found herself hurried on towards the river; and when, as they reached the brink, she beheld Cheops stamp with supernatural force upon the fragile bridge which stretched across the water, and saw the slender plank sink beneath his weight, she could bear no more, but, screaming with horror, rushed forward to save him. A strong arm, however, pulled her back; she felt herself whirled round, and for the moment her senses seemed to desert her. The next instant she found she had been dragged under some bushes, and saw their pursuers rush down to the place where the broken bridge had been.
“They are gone, by Jupiter!” said one; “I heard them fall into the water. It was a tremendous crash.”
“I heard them too,” returned the other; “they fell as heavy as lead; and how they screamed!”
“The young one screamed,” said the first; “but the old one groaned.”
“What does it matter,” resumed the second, “whether they screamed or groaned? They are gone to the devil a little before their time, and so we have only to go back as we came. Between ourselves, it was nonsense to take the trouble to watch them. They were evidently only what they seemed to be; and even Father Morris, suspicious as he is, gave us no orders about them.”
“Thy dull head cannot see,” said the first. “The father’s negligence was the very motive of my vigilance. Things are not with him as they have been—he wants to rule the Queen with a rod of iron, and Rosabella will not endure control. Now, it struck me when I saw the youth’s hesitation, that all was not right, and, I thought, if I could discover what had escaped him—”
“I see,” said the other; “his lifeless trunk might have had the honour of serving as a stepping-stone to enable you to rise.”
“It was possible,” returned the other, laughing; and they retired, their voices gradually dying away till they became inaudible in the distance. Clara now perceived that the Mummy stood beside her. He did not speak, but pressed his finger upon his lips in token of silence, and for some minutes they stood fixed to the spot:—till, as the last faint echo of the servants’ footsteps died away, he again seized the arm of Clara, and hurried her away towards a gloomy cave.
They stopped at the entrance; and though the poor girl was still too much terrified to speak, yet she felt somewhat relieved by the discovery that the Mummy had evidently saved her from danger, instead of, as she feared, precipitating her into it. She still gazed with awe, however, at his strange unearthly figure, as he stood with his eyes fixed earnestly upon a star, apparently occupied in muttering prayers addressed to it.
“Clara!” at length said he, his deep, full voice echoing solemnly through the vaulted cave; “Clara!” again he repeated, whilst the blood of his terrified companion seemed to curdle in her veins at the awful sound. She slowly and tremblingly advanced—he grasped her arm—she attempted to shrink back, but seemed fixed as though by magic;—“Hear me,” continued the Mummy, in a low, hollow tone, which appeared to rise from the tomb, and contrasted fearfully with the lighter accents he had employed as a minstrel—“Elvira understood my signal, and she will soon be here; but you must do the rest. Prince Ferdinand keeps guard tonight. Pass through this cave; the outlet will bring you to his station. Throw yourself at his feet, and appeal to his compassion in whatever language the feelings of the moment may inspire. He will readily listen to you, for he has not forgotten your visit to him in prison, and will swear to devote himself to your service. Tell him you accept his offers, and entreat him to convey yourself and the Queen to Ireland—where Roderick will receive and protect you. He will immediately comply; and his being the companion of your flight, will induce the belief that you are gone to Germany, and will consequently prevent the least danger of pursuit.”
At this moment a slight figure, wrapped in a large mantle, appeared at the entrance of the cavern. “Elvira!” cried Cheops, and the stranger sprang forward. “Then I am right,” exclaimed she, whilst her whole frame trembled with agitation.
“This is your guide,” said Cheops, in his deep sepulchral tone; “follow
