two I turned the deceased at intervals so that he should dry evenly, and then I proceeded to get the case ready.  I divided the lacing and extracted the mummy with great care—­with great care as to the case, I mean; for the mummy suffered some injury in the extraction.  It was very badly embalmed, and so brittle that it broke in several places while I was getting it out; and when I unrolled it the head separated and both the arms came off.

“On the sixth day after the removal from the sarcophagus, I took the bandages that I had removed from Sebek-hotep and very carefully wrapped the deceased in them, sprinkling powdered myrrh and gum benzoin freely on the body and between the folds of the wrappings to disguise the faint odour of the spirit and the formalin that still lingered about the body.  When the wrappings had been applied, the deceased really had a most workmanlike appearance; he would have looked quite well in a glass case even without the cartonnage, and I felt almost regretful at having to put him out of sight for ever.

“It was a difficult business getting him into the case without assistance, and I cracked the cartonnage badly in several places before he was safely enclosed.  But I got him in at last, and then, when I had closed up the case with a new lacing, I applied a fresh layer of bitumen which effectually covered up the cracks and the new cord.  A dusty cloth dabbed over the bitumen when it was dry disguised its newness, and the cartonnage with its tenant was ready for delivery.  I notified Doctor Norbury of the fact, and five days later he came and removed it to the Museum.

“Now that the main difficulty was disposed of, I began to consider the further difficulty to which you, sir, have alluded with such admirable perspicuity.  It was necessary that John Bellingham should make one more appearance in public before sinking into final oblivion.

“Accordingly, I devised the visit to Hurst’s house, which was calculated to serve two purposes.  It created a satisfactory date for the disappearance, eliminating me from any connection with it, and by throwing some suspicion on Hurst it would make him more amenable—­less likely to dispute my claim when he learned the provisions of the will.

“The affair was quite simple.  I knew that Hurst had changed his servants since I was last at his house, and I knew his habits.  On that day I took the suit-case to Charing Cross and deposited it in the cloak-room, called at Hurst’s office to make sure that he was there, and went from thence direct to Cannon Street and caught the train to Eltham.  On arriving at the house, I took the precaution to remove my spectacles—­the only distinctive feature of my exterior—­and was duly shown into the study at my request.  As soon as the housemaid had left the room I quietly let myself out by the French window, which I closed behind me but could not fasten, went out at the side gate and closed that also behind me, holding the bolt of the latch back with my pocket-knife so that I need not slam the gate to shut it.