Page:The land of enchantment (1907, Cassell).djvu/57

 a white woollen garment over this. But they did not like woollen garments, and never wore them in the temples or were buried in them.”

“It does seem so strange to think of wool and linen and ah 1 the things we use now being just as common in those days,” said Harry. “And I saw in a book, yesterday, pictures of some Egyptians weaving and cooking, and doing things very much as we do now. Oh, bother the gnats! How they do sting!”

And Harry made a frantic grasp at the air.

Herodotus smiled.

“Thy friends the Egyptians had devised a plan to defeat the attacks of the gnats. In certain parts of Egypt they slept in high towers out of the reach of these pests, but in other parts they spread the nets with which they fished by day over their beds at night, and crept beneath them and slept secure from the insects.”

“Why, that′s like the mosquito nets they have nowadays,” said Harry in surprise. "It seems to me they had everything we have."

“Many things not all things,” said Herodotus, as the sound of a motor-car, panting up the drive, reached their ears. “They had not such strange engines in my day. Doubtless friends of thine await thee. Farewell.”

And he was gone.

“Bother!” cried Harry. “I wonder when he′ll come again.”

motor-car which cut short Herodotus′ last visit was one belonging to Harry′s Uncle Peter, and Uncle Peter himself was inside it, as well as his son Harry′s cousin Dick. Uncle Peter had come to carry Harry off for a Saturday to Monday motor tour, and, sorry though he was to miss Herodotus, the thought of such a novel experience was a very pleasant one, and Harry was in a wild state of excitement when they set off. His old nurse had hurriedly packed up a few things and stood on the doorstep side by side with the butler and the footman, her eyes turned up to heaven and her hands uplifted, as the motor whisked out of sight at a rate of twenty miles an hour.

“I trust I may see my precious lamb again,” she said, as she turned indoors; “but I have my fears.”

So had the butler, but he did not like to say so, for fear of being thought old-fashioned.