elizabethpeters.thegoldenone-第3部分

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ian；　had　given　up　a　professional　career　for　domesticity。　Perhaps　she　felt　she　could　now　trust　Nefret　to　look　after　him。
　Basima　brightened　as　soon　as　she　set　foot　on　dry　land；　and　Gargery；　though　still　unsteady；　went　off　with　Daoud　to　see　about　the　luggage。　We　had　a　great　deal　more　than　usual　this　time；　for　we　had　reached　a　momentous　decision。　Ordinarily　we　left　for　Egypt　in　the　autumn　and　ended　our　excavation　season　before　the　summer　heat　set　in；　but　this　time　we　had　e　for　an　indefinite　stay。　Emerson；　who　does　not　fear　man　nor　beast　nor　demon　of　the　night　on　his　own　account；　had　declared　his　nerves　were　unequal　to　having　the　rest　of　us　travel　back　and　forth　as　long　as　the　submarine　menace　remained。
　〃It　will　get　worse　before　it　gets　better；　mark　my　words；〃　he　had　declared。　〃I　don't　mind　people　shooting　at　us　or　shutting　us　up　in　pyramids　or　trying　to　brain　us　with　heavy　objects　…　that　is　to　say；　I　don't　much　like　it；　but　I　have　bee　accustomed　to　it。　Having　a　bloody　ship　sunk　under　us　by　a　bloody　U…boat　is　something　else　again。　Call　me　a　coward　if　you　will　。　。　。〃
　None　of　us　did；　as　Ramses　remarked；　there　was　not　a　man　alive　who　would　have　dared。　I　knew　how　Emerson　felt；　for　I　have　the　same　fear　of　air　raids。　We　had；　all　of　us；　been　in　deadly　peril　on　more　than　one　occasion；　and　felt　quite　fortable　about　our　ability　to　deal　with　ordinary　human　adversaries。　To　be　sure；　there　were　human　beings　at　the　control　of　aeroplanes　and　submarines；　but　since　one　never　saw　them；　one　was　inclined　to　think　of　the　machine　itself　as　the　enemy　…　a　remote　mechanical　menace。
　Nor　for　worlds　would　I　have　questioned　Emerson's　motives　in　proposing　the　scheme；　but　he　had　always　yearned　to　work　year…round　in　Egypt　instead　of　having　to　close　down　the　dig　in　March　or　April；　sometimes　when　the　excavation　was　at　its　most　interesting。　For　the　past　several　seasons　our　archaeological　activities　had　been　even　more　constrained　by　family　matters　and　by　Ramses's　undercover　work　for　the　War　Office。　This　season　Emerson　had　been　awarded　the　firman　for　a　site　in　Luxor。　It　was　of　all　places　in　Egypt　the　one　we　loved　best　…　the　scene　of　several　of　our　greatest　discoveries；　our　home　for　many　happy　years；　and　the　home　as　well　of　our　dear　friends　the　Vandergelts；　who　were　even　then　settling　in　for　a　long　season　of　excavation。
　There　was　only　one　objection　I　could　think　of　to　such　a　splendid　prospect。　I　do　not　refer　to　the　blistering　heat　of　Luxor　in　summer　…　an　objection　that　would　never　have　occurred　to　Emerson；　who　has　the　constitution　of　a　camel　…　but　to　the　fact　that　we　would　leave　behind　for　Heaven　knew　how　long　our　beloved　family。　The　Reader　will　be　cognizant；　after　my　earlier　remarks　on　the　subject；　that　I　was　not　thinking　of　the　members　of　my　side　of　the　family。
　〃Nonsense；〃　said　Emerson；　when　I　mentioned　this。　〃You　are　hopelessly　given　to　melodrama；　Peabody。　We　are　not　bidding　anyone　a　final　farewell；　only　prolonging　the　separation　a　trifle。　Circumstances　may　change；　we　will　not　be　pletely　cut　off。〃
　He　had　readily　agreed　that　we　must　spend　Christmas　with　our　loved　ones　and　we　did　our　best　to　make　a　merry　time　of　it；　for　the　sake　of　the　children　…　Sennia；　and　Lia　and　David's　little　Dolly；　who　was　just　old　enough　to　toddle　about。　All　our　surviving　nieces　and　nephews　were　there：　Raddie　and　his　new　wife；　the　widow　of　a　friend　who　had　died　in　France；　Margaret；　newly　engaged　to　a　young　officer；　even　Willie；　on　leave　from　France；　who　tried；　dear　lad；　to　make　twice　as　many　jokes　to　pensate　for　the　absence　of　his　twin　brother；　Johnny；　who　had　been　killed　in　action　the　year　before。　There　were　tears　as　well　as　laughter；　the　war　was　too　much　with　us；　but　we　carried　it　off；　I　think；　and　there　was　one　moment　of　genuine　hilarity　when　Emerson　asked　David　if　he　had　considered　ing　out　later　in　the　season。
　〃Up　to　you；　of　course；〃　he　added　hastily。　〃But　little　Dolly　is　fit　and　healthy；　and　Lia　…〃
　〃She　is　doing　very　well；〃　said　Nefret。　〃All　things　considered。〃
　She　smiled　at　David；　whose　candid　countenance　betrayed　his　relief　at　her　intervention。　He　had　difficulty　in　refusing　Emerson　anything；　and　he　had　not　known　how　to　break　the　news。
　I；　of　course；　had　known　the　moment　I　set　eyes　on　Lia。
　Emerson's　jaw　dropped。　〃Oh；　good　Gad！〃　he　shouted。　〃Not　again！　Just　like　her　mother！　It　must　be　a　hereditary　…〃
　〃Emerson！〃　I　exclaimed。
　The　reminder　was　sufficient；　for　Emerson　is　really　the　kindest　of　men。　He　managed　to　choke　out　a　few　words　of　congratulatory　import；　but　everyone　had　heard　his　bellow　and　most　of　them　knew　what　had　occasioned　it。　Even　Evelyn；　who　had　not　laughed　a　great　deal　since　Johnny's　death；　had　to　retreat　behind　the　Christmas　tree　to　conceal　her　mirth。　She　was　well　aware　that　Emerson　had　never　entirely　forgiven　her　for　abandoning　a　promising　career　as　a　copier　of　Egyptian　scenes　in　favor　of　motherhood。
　We　would　miss　David　and　Lia；　and　not　only　for　their　affectionate　panionship；　David　was　one　of　the　best　artists　and　epigraphers　in　the　field　and　Lia　had　learned　enough　about　Egyptology　to　have　bee　a　valued　assistant。　Their　absence　would　leave　us　somewhat　shorthanded　that　season。　I　did　not　allow　that　to　worry　me。　We　would　manage　somehow。　As　I　stood　on　the　dock　at　Alexandria；　the　old　joy　of　being　back　in　Egypt　pervaded　every　atom　of　my　being。　We　got　ourselves　and　our　baggage　onto　the　train　for　Cairo　with　only　the　usual　confusion；　which　was　pounded　by　the　presence　of　the　cat。　Horus　had　to　sit　between　Sennia　and　Nefret；　since　he　refused　to　tolerate　anyone　else。
　Other　members　of　our　Egyptian　family　awaited　us　at　the　station　in　Cairo。　We　were　soon　the　center　of　a　shouting；　cheering　mob；　which　included　not　only　our　friends　but　practically　every　Egyptian　who　happened　to　be　there；　all　greeting　us　by　our　Egyptian　names。　Emerson　disliked　formal　titles　and　would　not　allow　our　workers　to　address　him　as　Effendi；　but　he　rather　reveled　in　his　well…deserved　sobriquet　of　the　Father　of　Curses。　Many　Egyptians　still　called　me　Sitt　Hakim；　though　a　lady　doctor　I　was　not；　however；　in　my　early　days　in　Egypt；　when　medical　services　for　the　fellahin　were　practically　nonexistent；　even　my　limited　medical　skills　were　appreciated。　The　title　should　have　been　Nefret's；　but　she　had　long　been　known　as　Nur　Misur；　〃Light　of　Egypt〃；　and　Ramses　was　Brother　of　Demons　…　a　tribute　to　his　supposedly　supernatural　powers。
　Emerson　was　soon　so　enveloped　by　well…wishers　that　only　his　head　（hatless；　as　usual）　showed　above　the　crowd；　some　of　whom　attempted　to　embrace　him　while　others　knelt　for　his　blessing　（and　baksheesh）。
　All　at　once　Emerson's　voice　rose　in　a　vehement　swearword。　〃Stop　him！〃　he　shouted；　spinning　round　in　a　circle　and　swatting　his　admirers　away　with　wide　sweeps　of　his　arms。　〃Where　did　he　go？〃
　〃Why；　Emerson；　what　is　the　matter？〃　I　demanded；　hastening　to　his　side。
　Red…faced　and　shaking　with　rage；　Emerson　invoked　the　Creator　in　a　manner　of　which　I　thoroughly　disapprove。　〃He　was　here　a　second　ago。　Dressed　in　rags；　smelling　like　a　camel；　squatting　at　my　feet　。　。　。　Where　is　he？〃
　〃Vanished；〃　I　said；　as　the　crowd　again　closed　in。　〃Did　he　speak　to　you？〃
　〃Oh；　yes；　he　spoke。　'Wele　back；　brother！　And　thank　you。'　〃　Said　Emerson；　between　clenched　teeth；　〃I　had　just　given　him　fifty　piastres。〃
　　
　Emerson's　other　brother。　Strictly　speaking；　he　was　a　half　brother；　the　son　of　Emerson's　father　and　a　lady　who　had　had　the　misfortune　not　to　be　married　to　that　gentleman。　Only　recently　had　we　discovered　the　true　identity　of　the　man　who　had　been　for　many　years　our　most　formidable　opponent；　a　master　of　disguise　and　the　head　of　a　ring　of　criminals　that　specialized　in　tomb　robbing　and　antiquities　fraud；　and　the　additional；　equally　astonishing　fact　that　Sethos；　as　he　chose　to　be　called；　was　one　of　Britain's　most　valued　secret　agents。　These　revelations　had　forced　us　to　reevaluate　a　relationship　that　had　been　marked　by　considerable　acrimony。　As　I　pointed　out　to　Emerson；　one　cannot　wholly　despise　a　man　who　has　risked　his　life　for　us　and　for　his　country。
　I　made　the　point　again　as　my　seething　spouse　spun　round　and　round　in　a　vain　attempt　to　locate　the　insolent　beggar。　Ramses　and　Nefret　hastened　to　us；　demanding　to　know　what　had　happened。　A　few　brief　sentences　of　explanation　sufficed；　they　were　only　too　well　acquainted　with　Sethos's　skill　at　disguise　and　bizarre　sense　of　humor。　Ramses's　enigmatic　countenance　remained　unmoved　except　for　a　faint　line　between　his　brows；　but　Nefret's　dimples　were　very　much　in　evidence。　She　had　a　certain　weakness　for　the　man。　Most　women　did；　and　Sethos　was　not　above　exploiting　it　for　his　own　advantage。
　There　was　nothing　to　be　done　about　locating　him　in　that　mob；　so；　with　the　assistance　of　the　children；　I　forced　Emerson　into　a　carriage　and　persuaded　him　to　delay　discussion　of　the　matter　until　we　had　got　ourselves　settled　into　the　hotel。
　Although　he　was　anxious　to　get　on　to　Luxor；　Emerson　had　agreed　to　spend　a　few　days　in　Cairo　catching　up　on　the　news。　Press　censorship　was　so　strict；　we　had　only　the　faintest　idea　of　what　had　been　going　on　in　our　part　of　the　world。　We　were　staying　at　Shepheard's；　and　it　was　with　a　sense　of　agreeable　nostalgia　that　I　found　myself　once　again　in　the　ambience　that　had　provided　the　prelude　to　so　many　remarkable　experiences。　The　villai