ncient thief broke in it had recently been flooded by a rain…storm； and there on the walls were the marks of his hand printed on the paint which then was wet。 Also a hermit bee had built its nest upon the roof — two thousand or so of years ago！ The sarcophagus had been broken up for its costly granite； which doubtless was worked into statues by some old…world sculptor； and the body of the beautiful favourite queen of Rameses destroyed。 Some bones lay about in the tomb…chamber； probably those of the funeral offerings； and among them ushapti figures； laid there to serve her Majesty in the other world。
I wrote a series of articles for the Daily Mail about these Egyptian experiences； which have never been republished； for such newspaper matter must needs be very scrappy。 In one of these； however； I dwelt upon the wholesale robbery of the ancient Egyptian tombs and the consequent desecration of the dead who lie therein。 It does indeed seem wrong that people with whom it was the first article of religion that their mortal remains should lie undisturbed until the Day of Resurrection should be haled forth； stripped and broken up； or sold to museums and tourists。 How should we like our own bodies to be treated in such a fashion； or to be left lying； as I have often see those of the Egyptians； naked and unsightly on the sand at the mouths of the holy sepulchres which with toil and cost they had prepared for themselves in their life…days？ If one puts the question to those engaged in excavation； the answer is a shrug of the shoulders and a remark to the effect that they died a long while ago。 But what is time to the dead？ To them； waking or sleeping； ten thousand years and a nap after dinner must be one and the same thing。 I have tried to emphasise this point in a little sto