Прокляття мумії, або Камінь Семи Зірок

           Somedayyouwillknow—andunderstand!’Irespectedhisreticence;andbeyondaskingafterheronmyreturnafterajourney,Ihaveneverspokenofheragain.IhadneverseenhertillIdidsoinyourpresence.

           "Well,whenthetreasureswhichwehad—ah!—takenfromthetombhadbeenbroughthere,Mr.Trelawnyarrangedtheirdispositionhimself.Themummy,allexcepttheseveredhand,heplacedinthegreatironstonesarcophagusinthehall.ThiswaswroughtfortheThebanHighPriestUni,andis,asyoumayhaveremarked,allinscribedwithwonderfulinvocationstotheoldGodsofEgypt.Therestofthethingsfromthetombhedisposedabouthisownroom,asyouhaveseen.Amongstthemheplaced,forspecialreasonsofhisown,themummyhand.Ithinkheregardsthisasthemostsacredofhispossessions,withperhapsoneexception.Thatisthecarvenrubywhichhecallsthe’JewelofSevenStars’,whichhekeepsinthatgreatsafewhichislockedandguardedbyvariousdevices,asyouknow.

           "Idaresayyoufindthistedious;butIhavehadtoexplainit,sothatyoushouldunderstandalluptothepresent.ItwasalongtimeaftermyreturnwiththemummyofQueenTerawhenMr.Trelawnyre-openedthesubjectwithme.HehadbeenseveraltimestoEgypt,sometimeswithmeandsometimesalone;andIhadbeenseveraltrips,onmyownaccountorforhim.Butinallthattime,nearlysixteenyears,henevermentionedthesubject,unlesswhensomepressingoccasionsuggested,ifitdidnotnecessitate,areference.