The Green Mummy - Page 22/191

For the next two or three days, Archie felt decidedly, worried over

his projected marriage with Lucy. Certainly he had--to put it

bluntly--purchased Braddock's consent, and that gentleman could scarcely

draw back from his plighted word, which had cost the lover so much.

Nevertheless, Hope did not entirely, trust the Professor, as, from the

few words which he had let drop at the dinner party, it was plain that

he hankered after money with which to fit out the expedition in search

of the mysterious tomb to which he had alluded. Archie knew, as did the

Professor, that he could not supply the necessary five thousand pounds

without practically ruining himself, and already he had crippled his

resources in paying over the price of the green mummy. He had fondly

believed that Braddock would have been satisfied with the relic of

Peruvian humanity; but it seemed that the Professor, having got what he

wanted, now clamored for what was at present beyond his reach. The mummy

was his property, but he desired the contents of Queen Tahoser's tomb

also. This particular moon, which he cried for, was a very expensive

article, and Hope did not see how he could gain it.

Unless--and here came in the cause of Archie's worry--unless the five

thousand pounds was borrowed from Sir Frank Random, the Professor would

have to content himself with the Maltese mummy. But from what the young

man had seen of Braddock's longing for the especial sepulchre, which

he desired to loot, he believed that the scientist would not readily

surrender his whim. Random could easily lend or give the money, since he

was extremely rich, and extremely generous, but it was improbable that

he would aid Braddock without a quid pro quo. As the sole desire of the

baronet's heart was to make Lucy his wife, it could easily be guessed

that he would only assist the Professor to realize his ambition on

condition that the savant used his influence with his step-daughter.

That meant the breaking of the engagement with Hope and the marriage

of the girl to the soldier. Of course such a state of things would make

Lucy unhappy; but Braddock cared very little for that. To gratify his

craze for Egyptian research, he would be willing to sacrifice a dozen

girls like Lucy.

Undoubtedly Lucy would refuse to be passed along from one man to another

like a bale of goods, and Archie knew that, so far as in her lay, she

would keep to her engagement, especially as she denied Braddock's right

to dispose of her hand. All the same, the Professor, in spite of

his cherubical looks, could make himself extremely disagreeable, and

undoubtedly would do so if thwarted. The sole course that remained,

should Braddock begin operations to break the present engagement, would

be to marry Lucy at once. Archie would willingly have done so, but

pecuniary difficulties stood in the way. He had never told any one of

these, not even the girl he loved, but they existed all the same. For

many years he had been assisting needy relatives, and thus had hampered

himself, in spite of his income. By sheer force of will, so as to force

Braddock into giving him Lucy, he had contrived to secure the necessary

thousand pounds, without confusing the arrangements he had made to pay

off certain debts connected with his domestic philanthropy; but this

brought him to the end of his resources. In six months he hoped to

be free to have his income entirely to himself, and then--small as it

was--he could support a wife. But until the half year elapsed he could

see no chance of marrying Lucy with any degree of comfort, and meanwhile

she would be exposed to the persecutions of the Professor. Perhaps

persecutions is too harsh a word, as Braddock was kind enough to the

girl. Nevertheless, he was pertinacious in gaining his aims where his

pet hobby was concerned, and undoubtedly, could he see any chance of

obtaining the money from Random by selling his step-daughter, he

would do so. Assuredly it was dishonorable to act in this way, but the

Professor was a scientific Jesuit, and deemed that the end justified the

means, when any glory to himself and gain to the British Museum was in

question.