college；　and　me　they　nicknamed　the　Beast。　Beauty　and
  the　Beast　was　what　they　called　us　when　we　went　out
  walking　together；　as　we　used　to　do　every　day。　Once　Leo
  attacked　a　great　strapping　butcher's　man；　twice　his
  size；　because　he　sang　it　out　after　us；　and　thrashed
  him；　toothrashed　him　fairly。　I　walked　on　and
  pretended　not　to　see；　till　the　combat　got　too
  exciting；　when　I　turned　round　and　cheered　him　on　to
  victory。　It　was　the　chaff　of　the　college　at　the　time；
  but　I　could　not　help　it。　Then　when　he　was　a　little
  older　the　undergraduates　got　fresh　names　for　us。　They
  called　me　Charon　and　Leo　the　Greek　god！　I　will　pass
  over　my　own　appellation　with　the　humble　remark　that　I
  was　never　handsome；　and　did　not　grow　more　so　as　I　grew
  older。　As　for　his；　there　was　no　doubt　about　its
  fitness。　Leo　at　twenty…one　might　have　stood　for　a
  statue　of　the　youthful　Apollo。　I　never　saw　anybody　to
  touch　him　in　looks；　or　anybody　so　absolutely
  unconscious　of　them。　As　for　his　mind；　he　was　brilliant
  and　keen　witted；　but　not　a　scholar。　He　had　not　the
  dullness　necessary　for　that　result。　We　followed　out
  his　father's　instructions　as　regards　his　education
  strictly　enough；　and　on　the　whole　the　results；
  especially　so　far　as　the　Greek　and　Arabic　went；　were
  satisfactory。　I　learned　the　latter　language　in　order
  to　help　to　teach　it　to　him；　but　after　five　years　of　it
  he　knew　it　as　well　as　I　didalmost　as　well　as　the
  professor　who　instructed　us　both。　I　always　was　a　great
  sportsmanit　is　my　one　passionand　every　autumn　we
  went　away　somewhere　shooting　or　fishing；　sometimes　to
  Scotland；　sometimes　to　Norway；　once　even　to　Russia。　I
  am　a　good　shot；　but　even　in　this　he　learned　to　excel
  me。
  When　Leo　was　eighteen　I　moved　back　into　my　rooms；　and
  entered　him　at　my　own　college；　and　at　twenty…one　he
  took　his　degreea　respectable　degree；　but　not　a　very
  high　one。　Then　it　was　that　I；　for　the　first　time；　told
  him　something　of　his　own　story；　and　of　the　mystery
  that　loomed　ahead。　Of　course　he　was　very　curious　about
  it；　and　of　course　I　explained　to　him　that　his
  curiosity　could　not　be　gratified　at　present。　After
  that；　to　pass　the　time　away；　I　suggested　that　he
  should　get　himself　called　to　the　bar；　and　this　he　did；
  reading　at　Cambridge；　and　only　going　up　to　London　to
  eat　his　dinners。
  I　had　only　one　trouble　about　him；　and　that　was　that
  every　young　woman　who　came　across　him；　or；　if　not
  every　one；　nearly　so；　would　insist　on　falling　in　love
  with　him。　Hence　arose　difficulties　which　I　need　not
  enter　into　here；　though　they　were　troublesome　enough
  at　the　time。　On　the　whole；　he　behaved　fairly　well；　I
  cannot　say　more　than　that。
  And　so　the　time　went　by　till　at　last　he　reached　his
  twenty…fifth　birthday；　at　which　date　this　strange　and；
  in　some　ways；　awful　history　really　begins。
  CHAPTER　III
  THE　SHERD　OF　AMENARTAS
  ON　the　day　preceding　Leo's　twenty…fifth　birthday　we
  both　proceeded　to　London；　and　extracted　the　mysterious
  chest　from　the　bank　where　I　had　deposited　it　twenty
  years　before。　It　was；　I　remember；　brought　up　by　the
  same　clerk　who　had　taken　it　down。　He　perfectly
  remembered　having　hidden　it　away。　Had　he　not　done　so；
  he　said；　he　should　have　had　difficulty　in　finding　it；
  it　was　so　covered　up　with　cobwebs。
  In　the　evening　we　returned　with　our　precious　burden　to
  Cambridge；　and　I　think　that　we　might　both　of　us　have
  given　away　all　the　sleep　we　got　that　night　and　not
  have　been　much　the　poorer。　At　daybreak　Leo　arrived　in
  my　room　in　a　dressing…gown；　and　suggested　that　we
  should　at　once　proceed　to　business。　I　scouted　the　idea
  as　showing　an　unworthy　curiosity。　The　chest　had　waited
  twenty　years；　I　said；　so　it　could　very　well　continue
  to　wait　until　after　breakfast。　Accordingly　at　ninean
  unusually　sharp　ninewe　breakfasted；　and　so　occupied
  was　I　with　my　own　thoughts　that　I　regret　to　state　that
  I　put　a　piece　of　bacon　into　Leo's　tea　in　mistake　for　a
  lump　of　sugar。　Job；　too；　to　whom　the　contagion　of
  excitement　had；　of　course；　spread；　managed　to　break
  the　handle　off　my　Se‘vres　china　tea…cup；　the　identical
  one　I　believe　that　Marat　had　been　drinking　from　just
  before　he　was　stabbed　in　his　bath。
  At　last；　however；　breakfast　was　cleared　away；　and　Job；
  at　my　request；　fetched　the　chest；　and　placed　it　upon
  the　table　in　a　somewhat　gingerly　fashion；　as　though　he
  mistrusted　it。　Then　he　prepared　to　leave　the　room。
  〃Stop　a　moment；　Job；〃　I　said。　〃If　Mr。　Leo　has　no
  objection；　I　should　prefer　to　have　an　independent
  witness　to　this　business；　who　can　be　relied　upon　to
  hold　his　tongue　unless　he　is　asked　to　speak。〃
  〃Certainly；　Uncle　Horace；〃　answered　Leo；　for　I　had
  brought　him　up　to　call　me　unclethough　he　varied　the
  appellation　somewhat　disrespectfully　by　calling　me
  〃old　fellow；〃　or　even　〃my　avuncular　relative。〃
  Job　touched　his　head；　not　having　a　hat　on。
  〃Lock　the　door；　Job；〃　I　said；　〃and　bring　me　my
  despatch…box。〃
  He　obeyed；　and　from　the　box　I　took　the　keys　that　poor
  Vincey；　Leo's　father；　had　given　me　on　the　night　of　his
  death。　There　were　three　of　them；　the　largest　a
  comparatively　modern　key；　the　second　an　exceedingly
  ancient　one；　and　the　third　entirely　unlike　anything　of
  the　sort　that　we　had　ever　seen　before；　being　fashioned
  apparently　from　a　strip　of　solid　silver；　with　a　bar
  placed　across　to　serve　as　a　handle；　and　some　nicks　cut
  in　the　edge　of　the　bar。　It　was　more　like　a　model　of
  some　antediluvian　railway　key　than　anything　else。
  〃Now；　are　you　both　ready？〃　I　said；　as　people　do　when
  they　are　going　to　fire　a　mine。　There　was　no　answer；　so
  I　took　the　big　key；　rubbed　some　salad　oil　into　the
  wards；　and　after　one　or　two　bad　shots；　for　my　hands
  were　shaking；　managed　to　fit　it；　and　shoot　the　lock。
  Leo　bent　over　and　caught　the　massive　lid　in　both　his
  hands；　and　with　an　effort；　for　the　hinges　had　rusted；
  leaned　it　back。　Its　removal　revealed　another　case
  covered　with　dust。　This　we　extracted　from　the　iron
  chest　without　any　difficulty；　and　removed　the
  accumulated　filth　of　years　from　it　with　a　clothes…
  brush。
  It　was；　or　appeared　to　be；　of　ebony；　or　some　such
  close…grained　black　wood；　and　was　bound　in　every
  direction　with　flat　bands　of　iron。　Its　antiquity　must
  have　been　extreme；　for　the　dense；　heavy　wood　was
  actually　in　parts　commencing　to　crumble　away　from　age。
  〃Now　for　it；〃　I　said；　inserting　the　second　key。
  Job　and　Leo　bent　forward　in　breathless　silence。　The
  key　turned；　and　I　flung　back　the　lid；　and　uttered　an
  exclamation；　as　did　the　others；　and　no　wonder；　for
  inside　the　ebony　case　was　a　magnificent　silver　casket；
  about　twelve　inches　square　by　eight　high。　It　appeared
  to　be　of　Egyptian　workmanship；　for　the　four　legs　were
  formed　of　Sphinxes；　and　the　dome…shaped　cover　was　also
  surmounted　by　a　Sphinx。　The　casket　was　of　course　much
  tarnished　and　dinted　with　age；　but　otherwise　in　fairly
  sound　condition。
  I　drew　it　out　and　set　it　on　the　table；　and　then；　in
  the　midst　of　the　most　perfect　silence；　I　inserted　the
  strange…looking　silver　key；　and　pressed　this　way　and
  that　until　at　last　the　lock　yielded；　and　the　casket
  stood　open　before　us。　It　was　filled　to　the　brim　with
  some　brown　shredded　material；　more　like　vegetable
  fibre　than　paper；　the　nature　of　which　I　have　never
  been　able　to　discover。　This　I　carefully　removed　to　the
  depth　of　some　three　inches；　when　I　came　to　a　letter
  enclosed　in　an　ordinary　modern　looking　envelope；　and
  addressed　in　the　handwriting　of　my　dead　friend　Vincey…
  …
  〃To　my　son　Leo；　should　he　live　to　open　this　casket。〃
  I　handed　the　letter　to　Leo；　who　glanced　at　the
  envelope；　and　then　put　it　down　upon　the　table；　making
  a　motion　to　me　to　go　on　emptying　the　casket。
  The　next　thing　that　I　found　was　a　parchment　carefully
  rolled　up。　I　unrolled　it；　and　seeing　that　it　was　also
  in　Vincey's　handwriting；　and　headed　〃Translation　of
  the　Uncial　Greek　writing　on　the　Potsherd；〃　put　it　down
  by　the　letter。　Then　followed　another　ancient　roll　of
  parchment；　that　had　become　yellow　and　crinkled　with
  the　passage　of　years。　This　I　also　unrolled。　It　was
  likewise　a　translation　of　the　same　Greek　original；　but
  into　black…letter　Latin　this　time；　which　at　the　first
  glance　appeared　to　me　from　the　style　and　character　to
  date　from　somewhere　about　the　beginning　of　the
  sixteenth　century。　Immediately　beneath　this　roll　was
  something　hard　and　heavy；　wrapped　up　in　yellow　linen；
  and　reposing　upon　another。　layer　of　the　fibrous
  material。　Slowly　and　carefully　we　unrolled　the　linen；
  exposing　to　view　a　very　large　but　undoubtedly　ancient
  potsherd　of　a　dirty　yellow　color！　This　potsherd　had；
  in　my　judgment；　once　been　a　part　of　an　ordinary
  amphora　of　medium　size。　For　the　rest；　it　measured　ten
  and　a　half　inches　in　length　by　seven　in　width；　was
  about　a　quarter　of　an　inch　thick；　and　densely　covered
  on　the　convex　side　that　lay　towards　the　bottom　of　the
  box　with　writing　in　the　later　uncial　Greek　character；
  faded　here　and　there；　but　for　the　most　part　perfectly
  legible；　the　inscription　having　evidently　been
  executed　with　the　greatest　care；　and　by　means　of　a
  reed　pen；　such　as　the　ancients　often　used。　I　must　not
  forget　to　mention　that　in　some　remote　age　this
  wonderf