Прокляття мумії, або Камінь Семи Зірок

           WhenDoctorWinchesterhadgone,Mr.Corbeck,whoseemedtoknowtheDutchman’sworkbyheart,talkedthewholematteroverwithme.ItoldhimthatIwasinterruptedbyachangeofnurses,justasIhadcometothedescriptionofthering.Hesmiledashesaid:

           "Sofarasthatisconcerned,youneednotbedisappointed.NotinVanHuyn’stime,norfornearlytwocenturieslater,couldthemeaningofthatengravinghavebeenunderstood.ItwasonlywhentheworkwastakenupandfollowedbyYoungandChampollion,byBirchandLepsiusandRoselliniandSalvolini,byMarietteBeyandbyWallisBudgeandFlindersPetrieandtheotherscholarsoftheirtimesthatgreatresultsensued,andthatthetruemeaningofhieroglyphicwasknown.

           "Later,Ishallexplaintoyou,ifMr.Trelawnydoesnotexplainithimself,orifhedoesnotforbidmeto,whatitmeansinthatparticularplace.IthinkitwillbebetterforyoutoknowwhatfollowedVanHuyn’snarrative;forwiththedescriptionofthestone,andtheaccountofhisbringingittoHollandattheterminationofhistravels,theepisodeends.Endssofarashisbookisconcerned.Thechiefthingaboutthebookisthatitsetsothersthinking—andacting.AmongstthemwereMr.Trelawnyandmyself.Mr.TrelawnyisagoodlinguistoftheOrient,buthedoesnotknowNortherntongues.AsformeIhaveafacultyforlearninglanguages;andwhenIwaspursuingmystudiesinLeydenIlearnedDutchsothatImightmoreeasilymakereferencesinthelibrarythere.