One of
these three things was, I say, to be expected. Indeed each and all
of these lines of conduct might have been very plausibly pursued. And,
upon my word, I am at a loss to know how or why it was that we pursued
neither the one nor the other. But, perhaps, the true reason is to
be sought in the spirit of the age, which proceeds by the rule of
contraries altogether, and is now usually admitted as the solution
of every thing in the way of paradox and impossibility. Or, perhaps,
after all, it was only the Mummy's exceedingly natural and
matter-of-course air that divested his words of the terrible.
However this may be, the facts are clear, and no member of our party
betrayed any very particular trepidation, or seemed to consider that
any thing had gone very especially wrong.
For my part I was convinced it was all right, and merely stepped
aside, out of the range of the Egyptian's fist. Doctor Ponnonner
thrust his hands into his breeches' pockets, looked hard at the Mummy,
and grew excessively red in the face. Mr. Glidden stroked his whiskers
and drew up the collar of his shirt. Mr. Buckingham hung down his
head, and put his right thumb into the left corner of his mouth.
The Egyptian regarded him with a severe countenance for some minutes
and at length, with a sneer, said:
"Why don't you speak, Mr. Buckingham? Did you hear what I asked you,
or not? Do take your thumb out of your mouth!"
Mr. Buckingham, hereupon, gave a slight start, took his right
thumb out of the left corner of his mouth, and, by way of
indemnification inserted his left thumb in the right corner of the
aperture above-mentioned.
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