In spite of newspapers and letters and tape-machines and telegrams and

such like aids to the speedy diffusion of news, the same travels

quicker in villages than in cities. Word of mouth can spread gossip

with marvelous rapidity in sparsely inhabited communities, since it is

obvious that in such places every person knows the other--as the saying

goes--inside out. In every English village walls have ears and windows

have eyes, so that every cottage is a hot-bed of scandal, and what is

known to one is, within the hour, known to the others. Even the Sphinx

could not have preserved her secret long in such a locality.

Gartley could keep up its reputation in this respect along with the

best, therefore it was little to be wondered at, that early next morning

every one knew that Professor Braddock had found his long-lost mummy in

Mrs. Jasher's garden, and had removed the same to the Pyramids without

unnecessary delay. It was not particularly late when the hand-cart, with

its uncanny burden, had passed along the sole street of the place, and

several men had emerged from the Warrior Inn ostensibly to offer help,

but really to know what the eccentric master of the great house was

doing. Braddock brusquely rejected these offers; but the oddly shaped

mummy case, stained green, having been seen, it needed little wit

for those who had caught a sight of it to put two and two together,

especially as the weird object had been described at the inquest and had

been talked over ever since in every cottage. And as the cart had been

seen coming out of the widow's garden, it naturally occurred to the

villagers that Mrs. Jasher had been concealing the mummy. Shortly the

rumor spread that she had also murdered Bolton, for unless she had

done so, she certainly--according to village logic--could not have been

possessed of the spoil. Finally, as Mrs. Jasher's doors and windows were

small and the mummy was rather bulky, it was natural to presume that she

had hidden it in the garden. Report said she had buried it and had dug

it up just in time to be pounced upon by its rightful owner. From which

it can be seen that gossip is not invariably accurate.

However this may be, the news of Professor Braddock's good fortune

shortly came to Don Pedro's ears through the medium of the landlady. As

she revealed what she had heard in the morning, the Peruvian gentleman

was spared a sleepless night. But as soon as he learned the truth--which

was surprising enough in its unexpectedness--he hastily finished his

breakfast and hurried to the Pyramids. As yet he had not intended to

see Braddock so promptly, or at least not until he had made further

inquiries at Pierside, but the news that Braddock possessed the royal

ancestor of the De Gayangoses brought him immediately into the museum.

He greeted the Professor in his usual grave and dignified manner, and

no one would have guessed from his inherent calmness that the unexpected

news of Braddock's arrival, and the still more unexpected information

about the green mummy, had surprised him beyond measure. Being somewhat

superstitious, it also occurred to Don Pedro that the coincidence meant

good fortune to him in the recovery of his long-lost ancestor.




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