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him on occasion. When he had left us, we sat down together and planned the further action that we would take regarding any further dangers presented by the Wilton Collection.
    We decided that the following morning Mina and Sarah would visit Mrs Flinzer to ask if she knew anything concerning the sale of the ceremonial sword or any of the other tomb goods. Meanwhile Professor Van Helsing and I would visit the Clarendon Institute of Archaeology, to try to persuade the Director to return the coffin of Karnos II to the Wilton Collection.

 
     
    Chapter 4
     
    Next morning, Mina took a hansom to Endsleigh Street, where she planned to collect Sarah Wilton en route to Mrs Flinzer’s house. Professor Van Helsing and I set off a little later for Bloomsbury, and shortly afterwards we arrived at the impressive reception hall of the Clarendon Institute of Archaeology.
    ‘The Clarendon is considerably smaller than the British Museum,’ Van Helsing observed as we waited for the clerk to attend to us. ‘However, last year it received a large endowment from the American meatpacking magnate, Mr Orville Culkin.’
    ‘Ah yes,’ I replied. ‘Why did he choose the Clarendon Institute, I wonder?’
    ‘I believe that the gentleman is a keen amateur Egyptologist. But if I am not mistaken, here is the clerk now. Let us hope we are not kept waiting for too long.’
     
    *
     
    As it transpired, the Director was able to see us immediately. He announced himself as Dr Franklin Harris, a politeness that was somewhat redundant, given that his title and name was emblazoned on the door of his office in large gold lettering. After we had exchanged customary introductions he asked us to sit down.
    ‘Mr Harker, Professor Van Helsing,’ he said with a smile. ‘I am of course familiar with your names, although I do not believe we have met. Let me see – it must have been four years ago that the papers were full of your dramatic adventure in the Carpathian Mountains. Now gentlemen, how may I help you?’
    As the Director spoke I observed him closely. Even to someone as uninterested in the fashionable world as I, it was clear that his bespoke lounge suit of fine dark wool was the epitome of modern tailoring. He wore highly-polished, patent leather shoes, which chimed congruously with his carefully-pomaded, dark hair and neatly-clipped goatee beard. The whole effect – taken together with his somewhat artificial smile, which gave his physiognomy an unpleasant, frozen character – was somehow un-British: if I had not been aware of his status, I might have taken him for an ambassador from one of the smaller, Middle European nations. His office, likewise, had crossed that subtle threshold between opulence and vulgarity: its contents included a deep, luxurious carpet and heavy, ornate mahogany furniture, evidently recently manufactured. Surprisingly there were no books or papers to be seen, his shelves being occupied by tastefully arranged objets d’art of miscellaneous provenance.
    I looked towards Van Helsing, who gave me a barely perceptible nod. ‘Dr Harris, I will come straight to the point,’ I said. ‘I am led to understand that some three weeks ago you – or rather the Clarendon Institute – purchased the coffin of the Pharaoh Karnos II.’
    ‘Yes, indeed. We bought it from a Mr Theodore Flinzer, a dealer in art who had very recently inherited a valuable collection of tomb goods. I can tell you in confidence that we would have been happy to have purchased the collection in its entirety, but unfortunately Flinzer wanted an excessive sum for it. However, once he has tried his luck elsewhere I hope we can persuade him to deal with us.’
    ‘I’m afraid that will be impossible,’ I said. ‘Poor Flinzer died on Monday night, in most unfortunate circumstances. I am afraid that I cannot reveal more to you, as the whole business in currently being investigated by the Metropolitan Police. However, I expect that Scotland Yard will be releasing a