elizabethpeters.thegoldenone-第109部分

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have　this　sort　of　thing。　It　interferes　with　my　work。　e　now；　Albion；　you　are　a　practical　man。　Admit　you've　lost。〃
　〃Lost？〃　Mrs。　Albion　gasped。　〃Mr。　Albion　does　not　lose。　Mr。　Albion　…〃
　〃Is　a　practical　man；〃　her　husband　said；　with　difficulty。　〃All　right；　then。　I'll　get　them。〃
　〃And　I　will　e　with　you；〃　Emerson　declared。　〃To　make　sure　you　don't　overlook　anything。〃
　They　returned　with　a　heavy　box；　which　Emerson　handed　to　Cyrus。　〃All　there。　All　yours。　Shall　we　go；　my　dears？〃
　Mrs。　Albion　appeared　to　be　in　a　state　of　shock。　Her　eyes　had　a　bewildered　look　and　she　kept　murmuring；　〃Mr。　Albion　does　not　lose。　Mr。　Albion　。　。　。〃
　Was　in　for　a　spot　of　marital　trouble；　if　I　was　any　judge。　I　sincerely　hoped　so。
　〃Just　one　more　thing；〃　Bertie　said；　in　his　quiet　voice。　〃Sebastian；　take　off　your　glasses　and　put　up　your　hands。〃
　〃Hopelessly；　incorrigibly　well…bred；〃　said　Emerson；　shaking　his　head；　as　Bertie　knocked　Sebastian　flat。
　　
　Cyrus's　fantasia　was　remembered　for　years　as　the　finest；　most　extravagant　entertainment　Luxor　had　ever　seen。　The　courtyard　and　the　Castle　were　thrown　open；　tourists；　convalescent　officers；　Egyptian　workmen；　and　the　permanent　residents　of　Luxor　mingled　in　amity；　eating　and　drinking；　dancing　and　singing。　It　was　such　a　crush　I　soon　gave　up　trying　to　do　my　social　duty　and　was　enjoying　the　sight　of　Selim　and　Nefret　trying　to　waltz　to　the　beat　of　an　Egyptian　drum；　when　someone　tapped　me　on　the　shoulder　and　I　turned　to　see　Marjorie　Fisher；　a　longtime　friend　who　lived　in　Luxor。
　〃It's　been　ages；　Amelia；〃　she　said。　〃What　have　you　been　up　to？〃
　〃Just　the　usual；〃　I　replied。　〃And　what　have　you　been　up　to？〃
　She　laughed。　〃The　usual。　Lunches；　teas；　visitors　。　。　。　That　reminds　me；　I　ran　into　someone　recently　who　asked　to　be　remembered　to　you。　A　sweet　little　thing　with　freckles　on　her　nose。　Her　name　is　Molly　Throgmorton。〃
　I　swallowed　the　wrong　way。　〃Molly　what？〃
　〃She　has　been　recently　married；〃　Marjorie　said。　〃Her　husband　was　with　her　…　a　very　pleasant　but　rather　coarse　American；　who　looked　to　be　at　least　fifty　years　her　senior　…　but　she　was　wearing　a　diamond　the　size　of　a　lima　bean；　my　dear；　so　he　must　be　extremely　rich。　She　said　you　knew　her　by　her　maiden　name；　but　I'm　afraid　I　have　forgotten　it。　Do　you　know　who　I　mean？〃
　〃Yes。　I　know　who　you　mean。　Where　is　she　…　where　are　they　staying？〃
　〃They　left　Luxor　on　Tuesday。　Is　something　wrong；　Amelia？〃
　〃No。　It's　just　that　I　am　。　。　。　sorry　to　have　missed　her。　I　don't　suppose　she　happened　to　mention　where　they　were　going？〃
　Marjorie　shook　her　head。　〃She　said　she　hoped　to　see　you　another　time。　Her　exact　words　were　'Tell　her　she　hasn't　seen　the　last　of　me。'　Rather　an　odd　way　of　expressing　it；　but　I　suppose　she　meant　it　as　a　touch　of　humor。〃
　〃No　doubt；〃　I　said。
　〃I　am　going　to　break　all　the　rules　of　decorum　and　ask　Selim　to　dance　with　me；〃　Marjorie　announced　with　a　smile。　〃He　waltzes　beautifully！　e　to　tea　on　Friday；　Amelia？〃
　〃Thank　you。　That　would　be　nice。〃
　The　festivities　were　still　in　progress　when　we　took　our　departure；　leaving　Jumana　to　〃cavort　with　the　young　people；〃　as　Emerson　put　it。　The　sounds　of　revelry　faded　into　silence　as　the　carriage　traversed　the　winding　road；　and　the　still；　starry　night　of　Egypt　enclosed　us。
　〃Vandergelt　informed　me　that　the　Albions　left　Luxor　yesterday；〃　Emerson　remarked。　He　added　pensively；　〃I　must　say　that　the　general　quality　of　criminals　has　sadly　deteriorated。　Not　that　I　mind　…　especially　at　the　present　time。　How　are　you　feeling；　my　dear？〃
　He　put　his　arm　round　Nefret　and　she　leaned　against　his　shoulder。　〃A　little　tired；　perhaps。　But　it　was　a　wonderful　evening。〃
　〃Life；〃　Emerson　declared；　in　such　a　happy　frame　of　mind　he　actually　mitted　an　aphorism；　〃life　could　not　be　better。　Eh；　Peabody？〃
　〃Indeed；　Emerson。〃
　Not　for　worlds　would　I　have　cast　a　shadow　on　his　good　humor。　Nor　was　there　cause　to　do　so；　my　fancies　were　no　more　than　that；　idle　thoughts　of　a　wandering　mind。　Yet　the　words　kept　going　round　and　round　in　my　head；　like　a　broken　gramophone　record。
　〃If　she　blames　me　for　her　mother's　death；　how　do　you　suppose　she　feels　about　you？〃　。　。　。　〃Tell　her　she　hasn't　seen　the　last　of　me　。　。　。〃
　〃The　young　serpent　also　has　poisoned　fangs。〃
　
　　
　
　
　The　Amelia　Peabody　Mysteries
　　
　Crocodile　on　the　Sandbank
　When　strong…willed　Amelia　Peabody's　studious　father　dies；　Amelia　decides　to　use　her　ample　inheritance　to　travel。　After　rescuing　a　gentlewoman　（Evelyn　Barton…Forbes）　in　considerable　distress；　the　two　bee　friends　and　Amelia　hires　Evelyn　to　be　her　panion　on　the　next　leg　of　her　trip；　which　takes　them　to　Egypt。　There　Amelia　encounters　mysteries；　missing　mummies；　and　Radcliffe　Emerson；　an　opinionated　archaeologist　who　doesn't　need　a　woman's　help　to　solve　the　mystery　…　or　so　he　thinks。
　　
　The　Curse　of　the　Pharaohs
　When　Lady　Baskerville's　husband　Sir　Henry　dies　after　discovering　what　may　be　an　undisturbed　royal　tomb　in　Luxor；　she　appeals　to　eminent　archaeologist　Radcliffe　Emerson　and　his　wife　Amelia　to　take　over　the　excavation。　Amid　rumors　of　a　curse　haunting　all　those　involved　with　the　dig；　the　intrepid　couple　proceeds　to　Egypt；　where　they　begin　to　suspect　that　Sir　Henry　did　not　die　a　natural　death；　and　they　are　confident　that　the　accidents　that　plague　the　dig　are　caused　by　a　sinister　human　element；　not　a　pharaoh's　curse。
　　
　The　Mummy　Case
　Amelia　and　Emerson　bring　their　young　son　Ramses　along　on　this　adventure；　where　they　find　themselves　investigating　the　mysterious　death　of　a　dealer　in　illegal　antiquities。　Before　long；　mummy　cases　start　appearing　and　disappearing　and　a　second　murder　plicates　the　mystery。　When　it　bees　clear　that　a　Master　Criminal　is　behind　the　mysterious　goings　on；　Amelia　determines　to　unmask　the　dastardly　fiend。
　　
　Lion　in　the　Valley　
　Amelia　finally　gets　her　wish　…　she　is　returning　to　Egypt　with　her　beloved　husband　and　colleague　in　archaeology；　Emerson；　to　excavate　a　pyramid。　However；　her　excavation　is　quickly　plicated　by　a　disguised　nobleman；　distressed　damsels；　and　a　brilliant　（and　dashing！）　Master　Criminal。　Amelia；　with　a　pyramid　to　explore　and　a　mystery　to　solve；　is　in　her　element。
　　
　The　Deeds　of　the　Disturber　＇PerfectBound　e…book＇
　This　time　Amelia　doesn't　need　to　leave　England　to　find　murder　and　mayhem。　When　a　night　watchman　at　the　British　Museum　dies　with　a　terrified　expression　on　his　face　in　front　of　a　〃haunted〃　mummy　case；　Amelia　knows　she　needs　to　get　to　the　bottom　of　it。
　　
　The　Last　Camel　Died　at　Noon
　In　this　affectionate　tribute　to　H。　Rider　Haggard　（King　Solomon's'　Mines）　the　Emerson　family　heads　to　the　Sudan　for　the　season；　following　an　ancient　map　they　hope　will　lead　them　to　a　secret　oasis。　What　they　find　is　one　of　the　most　perilous　adventures　of　their　lives。
　　
　The　Snake；　the　Crocodile；　and　the　Dog
　With　the　children　at　home　in　England　pursuing　their　studies；　Amelia　and　Emerson　head　back　to　Amarna　for　a　dig　that　promises　to　be　just　like　old　times。　The　trip　turns　out　to　be　more　like　old　times　than　they　plan；　however：　Emerson's　memory　disappears；　and　Amelia　must　try　to　win　his　love　again；　amid　peril　from　enemies　both　old　and　new！
　　
　The　Hippopotamus　Pool　
　Popular；　plucky　19th…century　Egyptologist　Amelia　Peabody　romps　through　her　eighth　archaeological　adventure。　When　Amelia；　her　husband　Emerson；　and　their　thirteen…year…old　son　Ramses　return　to　Egypt　to　begin　excavation　on　an　undisturbed　Royal　Tomb；　they　find　themselves　faced　with　a　surprising　new　villain　who　is　every　bit　as　clever　and　resourceful　as　the　intrepid　Amelia　herself！
　　
　Seeing　a　Large　Cat
　Peabody　and　Emerson　receive　a　warning：　〃Stay　away　from　tomb　Twenty…A！〃　Along　the　way　to　solving　the　mystery；　the　Emersons　meet　a　spoiled　young　woman；　an　overprotective　father；　and　an　intelligent　con　artist　…　in　addition　to　discovering　that　Ramses　has　grown　from　a　precocious　child　to　a　teenage　heartthrob。　Ramses　strikes　out　with　his　adopted　cousin　David　and　beautiful　Nefret　on　adventures　that　are　best　not　known　to　anybody　。　。　。　especially　Amelia。
　　
　The　Ape　Who　Guards　the　Balance　
　Has　all　the　elements　necessary　for　a　classic　Amelia　Peabody　mystery：　a　dead　body　（mauled　by　crocodiles？）；　young　lovers；　a　reunion　of　old　friends　（and　enemies）；　archaeologic