“Imeantakenoutofthecarcass。”
　　“Whatdoyouthinkofa-hic-cup！-physician？”
　　“Don’tmentionthem！-ugh！ugh！ugh！”HerehisMajestyretchedviolently。“Inevertastedbutone-thatrascalHippocrates！-smeltofasafoetida-ugh！ugh！ugh！-caughtawretchedcoldwashinghimintheStyx-andafterallhegavemethecholeramorbus。”
　　“The-hiccup-wretch！”ejaculatedBon-Bon，“the-hic-cup！-
　　absorptionofapill-box！”-andthephilosopherdroppedatear。
　　“Afterall。”continuedthevisiter，“afterall，ifadev-ifagentlemanwishestolive，hemusthavemoretalentsthanoneortwo；andwithusafatfaceisanevidenceofdiplomacy。”
　　“Howso？”
　　“Why，wearesometimesexceedinglypushedforprovisions。Youmustknowthat，inaclimatesosultryasmine，itisfrequentlyimpossibletokeepaspiritaliveformorethantwoorthreehours；andafterdeath，unlesspickledimmediatelyandapickledspiritisnotgood，theywill-
　　smell-youunderstand，eh？Putrefactionisalwaystobeapprehendedwhenthesoulsareconsignedtousintheusualway。”
　　“Hiccup！-hiccup！-goodGod！howdoyoumanage？”
　　Heretheironlampcommencedswingingwithredoubledviolence，andthedevilhalfstartedfromhisseat；-however，withaslightsigh，herecoveredhiscomposure，merelysayingtoourheroinalowtone：“Itellyouwhat，PierreBon-Bon，wemusthavenomoreswearing。”
　　Thehostswallowedanotherbumper，bywayofdenotingthoroughcomprehensionandacquiescence，andthevisitercontinued。
　　“Why，thereareseveralwaysofmanaging。Themostofusstarve：someputupwiththepickle：formypartIpurchasemyspiritsviventecorpore，inwhichcaseIfindtheykeepverywell。”
　　“Butthebody！-hiccup！-thebody！”
　　“Thebody，thebody-well，whatofthebody？-oh！ah！Iperceive。
　　Why，sir，thebodyisnotatallaffectedbythetransaction。Ihavemadeinnumerablepurchasesofthekindinmyday，andthepartiesneverexperiencedanyinconvenience。TherewereCainandNimrod，andNero，andCaligula，andDionysius，andPisistratus，and-andathousandothers，whoneverknewwhatitwastohaveasoulduringthelatterpartoftheirlives；yet，sir，thesemenadornedsociety。Whypossessionofhisfaculties，mentalandcorporeal？Whowritesakeenerepigram？Whoreasonsmorewittily？Who-butstay！Ihavehisagreementinmypocket-book。”
　　Thussaying，heproducedaredleatherwallet，andtookfromitanumberofpapers。UponsomeoftheseBon-BoncaughtaglimpseofthelettersMachi-Maza-Robesp-withthewordsCaligula，George，Elizabeth。
　　HisMajestyselectedanarrowslipofparchment，andfromitreadaloudthefollowingwords：
　　“Inconsiderationofcertainmentalendowmentswhichitisunnecessarytospecify，andinfurtherconsiderationofonethousandlouisd’or，I
　　beingagedoneyearandonemonth，doherebymakeovertothebearerofthisagreementallmyright，title，andappurtenanceintheshadowcalledmysoul。SignedA……”{*4}HereHisMajestyrepeatedanamewhichI
　　didnotfeeljustifiedinindicatingmoreunequivocally。
　　{*4}Quere-Arouet？
　　“Acleverfellowthat。”resumedhe；“butlikeyou，MonsieurBon-Bon，hewasmistakenaboutthesoul。Thesoulashadow，truly！Thesoulashadow；Ha！ha！ha！-he！he！he！-hu！hu！hu！Onlythinkofafricasseedshadow！”
　　“Onlythink-hiccup！-ofafricasseedshadow！”exclaimedourhero，whosefacultieswerebecomingmuchilluminatedbytheprofundityofhisMajesty’sdiscourse。
　　“Onlythinkofahiccup！-fricasseedshadow！！Now，damme！-hiccup！-
　　humph！IfIwouldhavebeensucha-hiccup！-nincompoop！Mysoul，Mr-
　　humph！”
　　“Yoursoul，MonsieurBon-Bon？”
　　“Yes，sir-hiccup！-mysoulis-“
　　“What，sir？”
　　“Noshadow，damme！”
　　“Didyoumeantosay-“
　　“Yes，sir，mysoulis-hiccup！-humph！-yes，sir。”
　　“Didyounotintendtoassert-“
　　“Mysoulis-hiccup！-peculiarlyqualifiedfor-hiccup！-a-“
　　“What，sir？”
　　“Stew。”
　　“Ha！”
　　“Soufflee。”
　　“Eh！”
　　“Fricassee。”
　　“Indeed！”
　　“Ragoutandfricandeau-andseehere，mygoodfellow！I’llletyouhaveit-hiccup！-abargain。”HerethephilosopherslappedhisMajestyupontheback。
　　“Couldn’tthinkofsuchathing。”saidthelattercalmly，atthesametimerisingfromhisseat。Themetaphysicianstared。
　　“Amsuppliedatpresent。”saidhisMajesty。
　　“Hiccup-e-h？”saidthephilosopher。
　　“Havenofundsonhand。”
　　“What？”
　　“Besides，veryunhandsomeinme-“
　　“Sir！”
　　“Totakeadvantageof-“
　　“Hiccup！”
　　“Yourpresentdisgustingandungentlemanlysituation。”
　　Herethevisiterbowedandwithdrew-inwhatmannercouldnotpreciselybeascertained-butinawell-concertedefforttodischargeabottleat“thevillain。”theslenderchainwasseveredthatdependedfromtheceiling，andthemetaphysicianprostratedbythedownfallofthelamp。
　　THE_symposium_oftheprecedingeveninghadbeenalittletoomuchformynerves。Ihadawretchedheadache，andwasdesperatelydrowsy。
　　InsteadofgoingoutthereforetospendtheeveningasIhadproposed，itoccurredtomethatIcouldnotdoawiserthingthanjusteatamouthfulofsupperandgoimmediatelytobed。
　　Alightsupperofcourse。IamexceedinglyfondofWelshrabbit。Morethanapoundatonce，however，maynotatalltimesbeadvisable。Still，therecanbenomaterialobjectiontotwo。Andreallybetweentwoandthree，thereismerelyasingleunitofdifference。Iventured，perhaps，uponfour。Mywifewillhaveitfive；but，clearly，shehasconfoundedtwoverydistinctaffairs。Theabstractnumber，five，Iamwillingtoadmit；
　　but，concretely，ithasreferencetobottlesofBrownStout，withoutwhich，inthewayofcondiment，Welshrabbitistobeeschewed。
　　Havingthusconcludedafrugalmeal，anddonnedmynight-cap，withtheserenehopeofenjoyingittillnoonthenextday，Iplacedmyheaduponthepillow，and，throughtheaidofacapitalconscience，fellintoaprofoundslumberforthwith。
　　Butwhenwerethehopesofhumanityfulfilled？Icouldnothavecompletedmythirdsnorewhentherecameafuriousringingatthestreet-doorbell，andthenanimpatientthumpingattheknocker，whichawakenedmeatonce。
　　Inaminuteafterward，andwhileIwasstillrubbingmyeyes，mywifethrustinmyfaceanote，frommyoldfriend，DoctorPonnonner。Itranthus：
　　“Cometome，byallmeans，mydeargoodfriend，assoonasyoureceivethis。Comeandhelpustorejoice。Atlast，bylongperseveringdiplomacy，IhavegainedtheassentoftheDirectorsoftheCityMuseum，tomyexaminationoftheMummyyouknowtheoneImean。Ihavepermissiontounswatheitandopenit，ifdesirable。Afewfriendsonlywillbepresentyou，ofcourse。TheMummyisnowatmyhouse，andweshallbegintounrollitatelevento-night。
　　“Yours，ever，PONNONNER。
　　BythetimeIhadreachedthe“Ponnonner。”itstruckmethatIwasaswideawakeasamanneedbe。Ileapedoutofbedinanecstacy，overthrowingallinmyway；dressedmyselfwitharapiditytrulymarvellous；andsetoff，atthetopofmyspeed，forthedoctor’s。
　　ThereIfoundaveryeagercompanyassembled。Theyhadbeenawaitingmewithmuchimpatience；theMummywasextendeduponthedining-table；andthemomentIentereditsexaminationwascommenced。
　　Itwasoneofapairbrought，severalyearspreviously，byCaptainArthurSabretash，acousinofPonnonner’sfromatombnearEleithias，intheLybianmountains，aconsiderabledistanceaboveThebesontheNile。Thegrottoesatthispoint，althoughlessmagnificentthantheThebansepulchres，areofhigherinterest，onaccountofaffordingmorenumerousillustrationsoftheprivatelifeoftheEgyptians。Thechamberfromwhichourspecimenwastaken，wassaidtobeveryrichinsuchillustrations；
　　thewallsbeingcompletelycoveredwithfrescopaintingsandbas-reliefs，whilestatues，vases，andMosaicworkofrichpatterns，indicatedthevastwealthofthedeceased。
　　ThetreasurehadbeendepositedintheMuseumpreciselyinthesameconditioninwhichCaptainSabretashhadfoundit；thatistosay，thecoffinhadnotbeendisturbed。Foreightyearsithadthusstood，subjectonlyexternallytopublicinspection。Wehadnow，therefore，thecompleteMummyatourdisposal；andtothosewhoareawarehowveryrarelytheunransackedantiquereachesourshores，itwillbeevident，atoncethatwehadgreatreasontocongratulateourselvesuponourgoodfortune。
　　Approachingthetable，Isawonitalargebox，orcase，nearlysevenfeetlong，andperhapsthreefeetwide，bytwofeetandahalfdeep。Itwasoblongnotcoffin-shaped。Thematerialwasatfirstsupposedtobethewoodofthesycamore_platanus_，but，uponcuttingintoit，wefoundittobepasteboard，or，moreproperly，_papiermache_，composedofpapyrus。
　　Itwasthicklyornamentedwithpaintings，representingfuneralscenes，andothermournfulsubjectsinterspersedamongwhich，ineveryvarietyofposition，werecertainseriesofhieroglyphicalcharacters，intended，nodoubt，forthenameofthedeparted。Bygoodluck，Mr。Gliddonformedoneofourparty；andhehadnodifficultyintranslatingtheletters，whichweresimplyphonetic，andrepresentedtheword_Allamistakeo_。
　　Wehadsomedifficultyingettingthiscaseopenwithoutinjury；buthavingatlengthaccomplishedthetask，wecametoasecond，coffin-shaped，andveryconsiderablylessinsizethantheexteriorone，butresemblingitpreciselyineveryotherrespect。Theintervalbetweenthetwowasfilledwithresin，whichhad，insomedegree，defacedthecolorsoftheinteriorbox。
　　Uponopeningthislatterwhichwedidquiteeasily，wearrivedatathirdcase，alsocoffin-shaped，andvaryingfromthesecondoneinnoparticular，exceptinthatofitsmaterial，whichwascedar，andstillemittedthepeculiarandhighlyaromaticodorofthatwood。Betweenthesecondandthethirdcasetherewasnointervaltheonefittingaccuratelywithintheother。
　　Removingthethirdcase，wediscoveredandtookoutthebodyitself。Wehadexpectedtofindit，asusual，envelopedinfrequentrolls，orbandages，oflinen；but，inplaceofthese，wefoundasortofsheath，madeofpapyrus，andcoatedwithalayerofplaster，thicklygiltandpainted。Thepaintingsrepresentedsubjectsconnectedwiththevarioussupposeddutiesofthesoul，anditspresentationtodifferentdivinities，withnumerousidenticalhumanfigures，intended，veryprobably，asportraitsofthepersonsembalmed。Extendingfromheadtofootwasacolumnar，orperpendicular，inscription，inphonetichieroglyphics，givingagainhisnameandtitles，andthenamesandtitlesofhisrelations。
　　Aroundtheneckthusensheathed，wasacollarofcylindricalglassbeads，diverseincolor，andsoarrangedastoformimagesofdeities，ofthescarabaeus，etc，withthewingedglobe。Aroundthesmallofthewaistwasasimilarcollarorbelt。
　　Strippingoffthepapyrus，wefoundthefleshinexcellentpreservation，withnoperceptibleodor。Thecolorwasreddish。Theskinwashard，smooth，andglossy。Theteethandhairwereingoodcondition。Theeyesitseemedhadbeenremoved，andglassonessubstituted，whichwereverybeautifulandwonderfullylife-like，withtheexceptionofsomewhattoodeterminedastare。Thefingersandthenailswerebrilliantlygilded。
　　Mr。Gliddonwasofopinion，fromtherednessoftheepidermis，thattheembalmmenthadbeeneffectedaltogetherbyasphaltum；but，onscrapingthesurfacewithasteelinstrument，andthrowingintothefiresomeofthepowderthusobtained，theflavorofcamphorandothersweet-scentedgumsbecameapparent。