Прокляття мумії, або Камінь Семи Зірок
Chapter 12
Itwaseasytoseethatintheyearsthathadelapsedtherehadbeenothervisitorstothetomb;andmyheartsankwithinmewhenIthoughtthatsomeofthemmightbychancehavecomeacrossthesecretplace.Itwouldbeabitterdiscoveryindeedtofindthattheyhadforestalledme;andthatmyjourneyhadbeeninvain.
"ThebitternesswasrealisedwhenIlitmytorches,andpassedbetweentheseven-sidedcolumnstotheChapelofthetomb.
"There,intheveryspotwhereIhadexpectedtofindit,wastheopeningofaserdab.Andtheserdabwasempty.
"ButtheChapelwasnotempty;forthedried-upbodyofamaninArabdresslaycloseundertheopening,asthoughhehadbeenstrickendown.IexaminedallroundthewallstoseeifTrelawny’ssurmisewascorrect;andIfoundthatinallthepositionsofthestarsasgiven,thePointersofthePloughindicatedaspottothelefthand,orsouthside,oftheopeningoftheserdab,wherewasasinglestaringold.
"Ipressedthis,anditgaveway.Thestonewhichhadmarkedthefrontoftheserdab,andwhichlaybackagainstthewallwithin,movedslightly.Onfurtherexaminingtheothersideoftheopening,Ifoundasimilarspot,indicatedbyotherrepresentationsoftheconstellation;butthiswasitselfafigureofthesevenstars,andeachwaswroughtinburnishedgold.Ipressedeachstarinturn;butwithoutresult.
