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of　water　from　the　Nile；　filled　for　them　by　the　good　imams；　whose

hospitality　they　repay　by　making　heard　in　the　courts；　beneath　the

arched　roofs；　beneath　the　ceilings　of　cedarwood；　the　sweet；　piping

music　of　birds。







CHAPTER　IV



THE　HALL　OF　THE　MUMMIES



There　are　two　of　us；　and　as　we　light　our　way　by　the　aid　of　a　lantern

through　these　vast　halls　we　might　be　taken　for　a　night　watch　on　its

round。　We　have　just　shut　behind　us　and　doubly　locked　the　door　by　which

we　entered；　and　we　know　that　we　are　alone；　rigorously　alone；　although

this　place　is　so　vast；　with　its　endless；　communicating　halls；　its　high

vestibules　and　great　flights　of　stairs；　mathematically　alone；　one

might　say；　for　this　palace　that　we　are　in　is　one　quite　out　of　the

ordinary；　and　all　its　outlets　were　closed　and　sealed　at　nightfall。

Every　night　indeed　the　doors　are　sealed；　on　account　of　the　priceless

relics　that　are　collected　here。　So　we　shall　not　meet　with　any　living

being　in　these　halls　to…night；　in　spite　of　their　vast　extent　and

endless　turnings；　and　in　spite　too　of　all　these　mysterious　things　that

are　ranged　on　every　side　and　fill　the　place　with　shadows　and　hiding…

places。



Our　round　takes　us　first　along　the　ground　floor　over　flagstones　that

resound　to　our　footsteps。　It　is　about　ten　of　the　clock。　Here　and　there

through　some　stray　windows　gleams　a　small　patch　of　luminous　blue　sky；

lit　by　the　stars　which　for　the　good　folk　outside　lend　transparency　to

the　night；　but　there；　none　the　less；　the　place　is　filled　with　a　solemn

gloom；　and　we　lower　our　voices；　remembering　perhaps　the　dead　that　fill

the　glass　cases　in　the　halls　above。



And　these　things　which　line　the　walls　on　either　side　of　us　as　we　pass

also　seem　to　be　in　the　nature　of　receptacles　for　the　dead。　For　the

most　part　they　are　sarcophagi　of　granite；　proud　and　indestructible：

some　of　them；　in　the　shape　of　gigantic　boxes；　are　laid　out　in　line　on

pedestals；　others；　in　the　form　of　mummies；　stand　upright　against　the

walls　and　display　enormous　faces；　surmounted　by　equally　enormous　head…

dresses。　Assembled　there　they　look　like　a　lot　of　malformed　giants；

with　oversized　heads　sunk　curiously　in　their　shoulders。　There　are；

besides；　some　that　are　merely　statues；　colossal　figures　that　have

never　held　a　corpse　in　their　interiors；　these　all　wear　a　strange；

scarcely　perceptible　smile；　in　their　huge　sphinxlike　headgear　they

reach　nearly　to　the　ceiling　and　their　set　stare　passes　high　above　our

heads。　And　there　are　others　that　are　not　larger　than　ourselves；　some

even　quite　little；　with　the　stature　of　gnomes。　And；　every　now　and

then；　at　some　sudden　turning；　we　encounter　a　pair　of　eyes　of　enamel；

wide…open　eyes；　that　pierce　straight　into　the　depths　of　ours；　that

seem　to　follow　us　as　we　pass　and　make　us　shiver　as　if　by　the　contact

of　a　thought　that　comes　from　the　abysm　of　the　ages。



We　pass　on　rapidly；　however；　and　somewhat　inattentively；　for　our

business　here　to…night　is　not　with　these　simulacra　on　the　ground

floor；　but　with　the　more　redoubtable　hosts　above。　Besides　our　lantern

sheds　so　little　light　in　these　great　halls　that　all　these　people　of

granite　and　sandstone　and　marble　appear　only　at　the　precise　moment　of

our　passage；　appear　only　to　disappear；　and；　spreading　their　fantastic

shadows　on　the　walls；　mingle　the　next　moment　with　the　great　mute

crowd；　that　grows　ever　more　numerous　behind　us。



Placed　at　intervals　are　apparatus　for　use　in　case　of　fire；　coils　of

hose　and　standpipes　that　shine　with　the　warm　glow　of　burnished　copper；

and　I　ask　my　companion　of　the　watch：　〃What　is　there　that　could　burn

here？　Are　not　these　good　people　all　of　stone？〃　And　he　answers：　〃Not

here　indeed；　but　consider　how　the　things　that　are　above　would　blaze。〃

Ah！　yes。　The　〃things　that　are　above〃which　are　indeed　the　object　of

my　visit　to…night。　I　had　no　thought　of　fire　catching　hold　in　an

assembly　of　mummies；　of　the　old　withered　flesh；　the　dead；　dry　hair；

the　venerable　carcasses　of　kings　and　queens；　soaked　as　they　are　in

natron　and　oils；　crackling　like　so　many　boxes　of　matches。　It　is

chiefly　on　account　of　this　danger　indeed　that　the　seals　are　put　upon

the　doors　at　nightfall；　and　that　it　needs　a　special　favour　to　be

allowed　to　penetrate　into　this　place　at　night　with　a　lantern。



In　the　daytime　this　〃Museum　of　Egyptian　Antiquities〃　is　as　vulgar　a

thing　as　you　can　conceive；　filled　though　it　is　with　priceless

treasures。　It　is　the　most　pompous；　the　most　outrageous　of　those

buildings；　of　no　style　at　all；　by　which　each　year　the　New　Cairo　is

enriched；　open　to　all　who　care　to　gaze　at　close　quarters；　in　a　light

that　is　almost　brutal；　upon　these　august　dead；　who　fondly　thought　that

they　had　hidden　themselves　for　ever。



But　at　night！　。　。　。　Ah！　at　night　when　all　the　doors　are　closed；　it　is

the　palace　of　nightmare　and　of　fear。　At　night；　so　say　the　Arab

guardians；　who　would　not　enter　it　at　the　price　of　goldno；　not　even

after　offering　up　a　prayerat　night；　horrible　〃forms〃　escape；　not

only　from　the　embalmed　bodies　that　sleep　in　the　glass　cases　above；　but

also　from　the　great　statues；　from　the　papyri；　and　the　thousand　and　one

things　that；　at　the　bottom　of　the　tombs；　have　long　been　impregnated

with　human　essence。　And　these　〃forms〃　are　like　unto　dead　bodies；　and

sometimes　to　strange　beasts；　even　to　beasts　that　crawl。　And；　after

having　wandered　about　the　halls；　they　end　by　assembling　for　their

nocturnal　conferences　on　the　roofs。



We　next　ascend　a　staircase　of　monumental　proportions；　empty　in　the

whole　extent；　where　we　are　delivered　for　a　little　while　from　the

obsession　of　those　rigid　figures；　from　the　stares　and　smiles　of　the

good　people　in　white　stone　and　black　granite　who　throng　the　galleries

and　vestibules　on　the　ground　floor。　None　of　them；　to　be　sure；　will

follow　us；　but　all　the　same　they　guard　in　force　and　perplex　with　their

shadows　the　only　way　by　which　we　can　retreat；　if　the　formidable　hosts

above　have　in　store　for　us　too　sinister　a　welcome。



He　to　whose　courtesy　I　owe　the　relaxation　of　the　orders　of　the　night

is　the　illustrious　savant　to　whose　care　has　been　entrusted　the

direction　of　the　excavations　in　Egyptian　soil；　he　is　also　the

comptroller　of　this　vast　museum；　and　it　is　he　himself　who　has　kindly

consented　to　act　as　my　guide　to…night　through　its　mazy　labyrinth。



Across　the　silent　halls　above　we　now　proceed　straight　towards　those　of

whom　I　have　demanded　this　nocturnal　audience。



To…night　the　succession　of　these　rooms；　filled　with　glass　cases；　which

cover　more　than　four　hundred　yards　along　the　four　sides　of　the

building；　seems　to　be　without　end。　After　passing；　in　turn；　the　papyri；

the　enamels；　the　vases　that　contain　human　entrails；　we　reach　the

mummies　of　the　sacred　beasts：　cats；　ibises；　dogs；　hawks；　all　with

their　mummy　cloths　and　sarcophagi；　and　monkeys；　too；　that　remain

grotesque　even　in　death。　Then　commence　the　human　masks；　and；　upright

in　glass…fronted　cupboards；　the　mummy　cases　in　which　the　body；　swathed

in　its　mummy　cloths；　was　moulded；　and　which　reproduced；　more　or　less

enlarged；　the　figure　of　the　deceased。　Quite　a　lot　of　courtesans　of　the

Greco…Roman　epoch；　moulded　in　paste　in　this　wise　after　death　and

crowned　with　roses；　smile　at　us　provokingly　from　behind　their　windows。

Masks　of　the　colour　of　dead　flesh　alternate　with　others　of　gold　which

gleam　as　the　light　of　our　lantern　plays　upon　them　momentarily　in　our

rapid　passage。　Their　eyes　are　always　too　large；　the　eyelids　too　wide

open　and　the　dilated　pupils　seem　to　stare　at　us　with　alarm。　Amongst

these　mummy　cases　and　these　coffin　lids　fashioned　in　the　shape　of　the

human　figure；　there　are　some　that　seem　to　have　been　made　for　giants；

the　head　especially；　beneath　its　cumbrous　head…dress；　the　head　stuffed

as　it　were　between　the　hunchback　shoulders；　looks　enormous；　out　of　all

proportion　to　the　body　which；　towards　the　feet；　narrows　like　a

scabbard。



Although　our　little　lantern　maintains　its　light　we　seem　to　see　here

less　and　less：　the　darkness　around　us　in　these　vast　rooms　becomes

almost　overpoweringand　these　are　the　rooms；　too；　that；　leading　one

into　the　other；　facilitate　the　midnight　promenade　of　those　dread

〃forms〃　which；　every　evening；　are　released　and　roam　about。　。　。　。



On　a　table　in　the　middle　of　one　of　these　rooms　a　thing　to　make　you

shudder　gleams　in　a　glass　box；　a　fragile　thing　that　failed　of　life

some　two　thousand　years　ago。　It　is　the　mummy　of　a　human　embryo；　and

someone；　to　appease　the　malice　of　this　born…dead　thing；　had　covered

its　face　with　a　coating　of　goldfor；　according　to　the　belief　of　the

Egyptians；　these　little　abortions　became　the　evil　genii　of　their

families　if　proper　honour　was　not　paid　to　them。　At　the　end　of　its

negligible　body；　the　gilded　head；　with　its　great　foetus　eyes；　is

unforgettable　for　its　suffering　ugliness；　for　its　frustrated　and

ferocious　expression。



In　the　halls　into　which　we　next　penetrate　there　are　veritable　dead

bodies　ranged　on　either　side　of　us　as　we　pass；　their　coffins　are

displayed　in　tiers　one　above　the　other；　the　air　is　heavy　with　the

sickly　odour　of　mummies；　and　on　the　ground；　curled　always　like　some

huge　serpent；　the　leather　hoses　are　in　readiness；　for　here　indeed　is

the　danger　spot　for　fire。



And　the　master　of　this　strange　house　whispers　to　me：　〃This　is　the

place。　Look！　There　they　are。〃



In　truth　I　recognise　the　place；　having　often　come　here　in　the　daytime；

like　other　people。　In　spite　of　the　darkness；　which　commences　at　some

ten　paces　from　usso　small　is　the　circle　of　light　cast　by　our　lantern

I　can　distinguish　the　double　row　of　the　great　royal　coffins；　open

without　shame　in　their　glass　cases。　And　standing　against　the　walls；

upright；　like　so　many　sentinels；　are　the　coffin　lids；　fashioned　in　the

shape　of　the　human　figure。



We　are　there　at　last；　admitted　at　this　unseasonable　hour　into　the

guest…chamber　of　kings　and　queens；　for　an　audience　that　is　private

indeed。



And　there；　first