“Ihavefoundsomething，“shesaid。“WhenHeliodorefledshestillheldherbasket，whichfromthelookofitwaslastusedbythePharaohs。Atleast，oneofthecakeshasfallenfromorthroughit。
Come。“
Sheledmetothecliff，andupittoperhapstwicetheheightofaman，thenroundaprojectingrock。
“Hereisahole，“shesaid，“suchasjackalsmightmake。Perchanceitleadsintooneoftheoldtombswhereofthemouthissealed。ItwasontheedgeoftheholethatIfoundthecake，thereforedoubtlessHeliodorewentdownit。Now，whatshallwedo？“
“Follow，Ithink。Whereisit？“
“Nay，Igofirst。Givemeyourhand，Olaf，andlieuponyourbreast。“
Ididso，andpresentlyfelttheweightofMartinaswingingonmyarm。
“Leavego，“shesaidfaintly，likeonewhoisafraid。
Iobeyed，thoughwithdoubt，andheardherfeetstrikeuponsomefloor。
“Thanksbethesaints，alliswell，“shesaid。“ForaughtIknewthisholemighthavebeenasdeepasthatintheChamberofthePit。Letyourselfdownit，feetfirst，anddrop。’Tisbutshallow。“
Ididso，andfoundmyselfbesideMartina。
“Now，inthedarknessyouarethebetterguide，“shewhispered。“Leadon，I’llfollow，holdingtoyourrobe。“
SoIcreptforwardwarilyandsafely，astheblindcando，tillpresentlysheexclaimed，“Halt，hereislightagain。Ithinkthattheroofofthetomb，forbythepaintingsonthewallssuchitmustbe，hasfallenin。Itseemstobeakindofcentralchamber，outofwhichrungreatgalleriesthatslopedownwardsandarefullofbats。Ah！oneofthemiscaughtinmyhair。Olaf，Iwillgonofarther。Ifearbatsmorethanghosts，oranythingintheworld。“
Now，Iconsideredawhiletillathoughtstruckme。Onmybackwasmybeggar’sharp。Iunslungitandsweptitschords，andwildandsadtheysoundedinthatsolemnplace。ThenIbegantosinganoldsongthattwiceorthriceIhadsungwithHeliodoreinByzantium。Thissongtoldofaloverseekinghismistress。Itwasfortwovoices，sinceinthesongthemistressansweredverseforverse。HerearethoseofthelinesthatIremember，or，rather，thespiritofthemrenderedintoEnglish。Isangthefirstverseandwaited。
“Dearmaidofmine，IbidmystringsBeatonthyshrineWithmusic’swings。
PalaceorcellAshrineIsee，IftherethoudwellAndanswerme。“
Therewasnoanswer，soIsangthesecondverseandoncemorewaited。
“Onthylove’sfireMypassionbreathes，WindofDesireThyincensewreathes。
Greeting！Tothee，Orsoonorlate，I，bondorfree，Amdedicate。“
Andfromsomewherefarawayintherecessesofthatgreatcavecametheansweringstrophe。
“OLovesublimeAndundismayed，NotouchofTimeUpontheelaid。
Thatthatisthine；
Endedthequest！
Iseek/my/shrineUpon/thy/breast。“
ThenIlaiddowntheharp。
Atlastavoice，thevoiceofHeliodorespeakingwhenceIknewnot，asked，“Dothedeadsing，orisitalivingman？Andifso，howisthatmannamed？“
“Alivingman，“Ireplied，“andheisnamedOlaf，sonofThorvald，orotherwiseMichael。ThatnamewasgivenhiminthecathedralatByzantium，wherefirsthiseyesfellonacertainHeliodore，daughterofMagastheEgyptian，whomnowheseeks。“
IheardthesoundoffootstepscreepingtowardsmeandHeliodore’svoicesay，“Letmeseeyourface，youwhonameyourselfOlaf，forknowthatinthesehauntedtombsghostsandvisionsandmockingvoicesplaystrangetricks。Whydoyouhideyourface，youwhocallyourselfOlaf？“
“Becausetheeyesaregonefromit，Heliodore。Irenerobbeditoftheeyesfromjealousyofyou，swearingthatnevermoreshouldtheybeholdyourbeauty。Perchanceyouwouldnotwishtocometooneartoaneyelessmanwrappedinabeggar’srobe。“
Shelooked——Ifeltherlook。Shesobbed——Iheardhersob，andthenherarmswereaboutmeandherlipswerepresseduponmyown。
SoatlengthcamejoysuchasIcannottell；thejoyoflostlovefoundagain。
Awhilewentby，howlongIknownot，andatlastIsaid，“WhereisMartina？Itistimeweleftthisplace。“
“Martina！“sheexclaimed。“DoyoumeanIrene’slady，andisshehere？
Ifso，howcomesshetobetravellingwithyou，Olaf？“
“Asthebestfriendmaneverhad，Heliodore；asonewhoclungtohiminhisruinandsavedhimfromacrueldeath；asonewhohasriskedherlifetohelphiminhisdesperatesearch，andwithoutwhomthatsearchhadfailed。“
“ThenmayGodrewardher，Olaf，forIdidnotknowthereweresuchwomenintheworld。LadyMartina！Whereareyou，ladyMartina？“
Thriceshecriedthewords，andatthethirdtimeananswercamefromtheshadowsatadistance。
“Iamhere，“saidMartina’svoicewithalittleyawn。“Iwaswearyandhavesleptwhileyoutwogreetedeachother。Wellmetatlast，ladyHeliodore。See，IhavebroughtyoubackyourOlaf，blinditistrue，butotherwiselackingnothingofhealthandstrengthandstation。“
ThenHeliodorerantoherandkissedfirstherhandandnextherlips。
InafterdaysshetoldmethatforthoseofonewhohadbeensleepingtheeyesofMartinaseemedtobestrangelywetandred。Butifthisweresohervoicetremblednotatall。
“TrulyyoutwoshouldgivethankstoGod，“shesaid，“Whohasbroughtyoutogetheragaininsowondrousafashion，asIdoonyourbehalffromthebottomofmyheart。Yetyouarestillhemmedroundbydangersmanyandgreat。Whatnow，Olaf？WillyoubecomeaghostalsoanddwellhereinthetombwithHeliodore；andifso，whattaleshallItelltoPalkaandtherest？“
“Notso，“Ianswered。“IthinkitwillbebestthatweshouldreturntoKurna。HeliodoremustplayherpartasthespiritofaqueentillwecanhiresomeboatandescapewithherdowntheNile。“
“Never，“shecried，“Icannot，Icannot。Havingcometogetherwemustseparatenomore。Oh！Olaf，youdonotknowwhatalifehasbeenmineduringallthesedreadfulmonths。WhenIescapedfromMusabystabbingtheeunuchwhowasinchargeofme，forwhichhideousdeedmayIbeforgiven，“andIfelthershudderatmyside，“IfledIknewnotwhithertillIfoundmyselfinthisvalley，whereIhidtillthenightwasgone。ThenatdaybreakIpeepedoutfromthemouthofthevalleyandsawtheMoslemssearchingforme，butasyetalongwayoff。AlsonowIknewthisvalley。Itwasthattowhichmyfatherhadbroughtmeasachildwhenhecametosearchfortheburying-placeofhisancestor，thePharaoh，whichrecordshehadreadtoldhimwashere。I
rememberedeverything:wherethetombshouldbe，howwehadentereditthroughahole，howwehadfoundthemummyofaroyallady，whosefacewascoveredwithagildedmask，andonherbreastthenecklacewhichI
wear。
“Iranalongthevalley，searchingtheleftsideofitwithmyeyes，tillIsawaflatstonewhichIknewagain。ItwascalledtheTableofOfferings。Iwassurethattheholebywhichwehadenteredthetombwasquiteneartothisstoneandalittleaboveit，inthefaceofthecliff。Iclimbed；Ifoundwhatseemedtobethehole，thoughofthisI
couldnotbecertain。Icreptdownittillitcametoanend，andthen，inmyterror，hungbymyhandsanddroppedintothedarkness，notknowingwhitherIfell，orcaringovermuchifIwerekilled。Asitchanceditwasbutalittleway，and，findingmyselfunhurt，I
crawledalongthecaverntillIreachedthisplacewherethereislight，forheretheroofofthecavehasfallenin。WhileIcrouchedamidtherocksIheardthevoicesofthesoldiersaboveme，heardtheirofficeralsobiddingthembringropesandtorches。Totheleftofwhereyoustandthereisaslopingpassagethatrunsdowntothegreatcentralchamberwheresleepssomemightyking，andoutofthispassageopenotherchambers。Intothefirstofthesethelightofthemorningsunstrugglesfeebly。Ienteredit，seekingsomewheretohidemyself，andsawapaintedcoffinlyingonthefloorneartothemarblesarcophagusfromwhichithadbeendragged。Itwasthatinwhichwehadfoundthebodyofmyancestress；butsincethenthieveshadbeeninthisplace。Wehadleftthecoffininthesarcophagusandthemummyinthecoffin，andreplacedtheirlids。Nowthemummylayonthefloor，halfunwrappedandbrokenintwobeneaththebreast。Moreover，theface，whichIrememberedasbeingsolikemyown，wasgonetodust，sothatthereremainedofitnothingbutaskull，towhichhungtressesoflongblackhair，as，indeed，youmayseeforyourself。
“Bythesideofthebodywasthegildedmask，withblackandstaringeyes，andthepaintedbreast-pieceofstifflinen，neitherofwhichthethieveshadfoundworthstealing。
“Ilookedandathoughtcametome。Liftingthemummy，Ithrustitintothesarcophagus，allofitsavethegildedmaskandthepaintedbreast-pieceofstifflinen。ThenIlaidmyselfdowninthecoffin，ofwhichthelid，stilllyingcrosswise，hidmetothewaist，anddrewthegildedmaskandpaintedbreast-pieceovermyheadandbosom。
Scarcelywasitdonewhenthesoldiersentered。Bynowthereflectedsunlighthadfadedfromtheplace，leavingitindeepshadow；butsomeofthemenheldburningtorchesmadefromsplintersofoldcoffins，thatwerefullofpitch。
