Проклятие мумии, или Камень Семи Звезд

           Itwascarven—itcouldnotpossiblyhavebeenitsnaturalshape,butjewelsdonotshowtheworkingofthetool—intotheshapeofascarab,withitswingsfolded,anditslegsandfeelerspressedbacktoitssides.Shiningthroughitswondrous"pigeon’sblood"colourweresevendifferentstars,eachofsevenpoints,insuchpositionthattheyreproducedexactlythefigureofthePlough.Therecouldbenopossiblemistakeastothisinthemindofanyonewhohadevernotedtheconstellation.Onitweresomehieroglyphicfigures,cutwiththemostexquisiteprecision,asIcouldseewhenitcametomyturntousethemagnifying-glass,whichMr.Trelawnytookfromhispocketandhandedtous.

           Whenweallhadseenitfully,Mr.Trelawnyturneditoversothatitrestedonitsbackinacavitymadetoholditintheupperhalfofthebox.Thereversewasnolesswonderfulthantheupper,beingcarvedtoresembletheundersideofthebeetle.It,too,hadsomehieroglyphicfigurescutonit.Mr.Trelawnyresumedhislectureasweallsatwithourheadsclosetothiswonderfuljewel:

           "Asyousee,therearetwowords,oneonthetop,theotherunderneath.Thesymbolsonthetoprepresentasingleword,composedofonesyllableprolonged,withitsdeterminatives.Youknow,allofyou,Isuppose,thattheEgyptianlanguagewasphonetic,andthatthehieroglyphicsymbolrepresentedthesound.Thefirstsymbolhere,thehoe,means’mer’,andthetwopointedellipsestheprolongationofthefinalr:mer-r-r.