Fanny had some extra visits from the housekeeper, and several servants sent up to her arrived either late or in an unnatural daze. At more than one point, Fanny herself interrupted strange goings on in the hallways, once even disengaging a maid from the pawing advances of a slow moving but obviously hungry mummy—ahem—a servant with grossly peeling skin.

“Whoever you are, sir,” exclaimed Fanny to the creature, “I insist you take yourself away, for I know very well what you intend to do to this poor girl, and that is just unacceptable. Truly, I insist you withdraw and quit the premises! I beg you not to make me repeat myself.”

And when the mummy ignored her polite firmness, and continued reaching for the hypnotized maid, Fanny took the heavy roll of muslin from the maid’s limp arms and calmly bashed the mummy in the head.

But—this creature fought back!

Making hollow deep rumblings, the mummy raised its arms, and advanced on Fanny! Suddenly Fanny could see the peeling ghastly fingers grew into bony claws before her eyes, and the face—oh! the face was a squirming mass of maggots where she had hit it flatly with the roll of fabric.

Fanny’s breath caught in her throat. Head pounding in terror, yet she stood her ground and did not step back.

The mummy opened its already gaping maw wide . . . and it continued opening—wider, wider—and it drew forward, just inches away from Fanny’s face.

The cross, the tiny hidden cross at her chest, fell out of her bodice. But it did not seem to make a bit of difference. . . . Indeed, her fevered thoughts tumbled, this creature, surely of Ancient Egypt, predates the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ, ands would likely not even know its holy meaning!

Desperately, Fanny clutched the roll of muslin in her hands, crumpling the soft fabric intended for her ball dress. Driven by a mad instinct, she bunched together the end into a ball, and—allowing the rest of the roll to unravel to the floor—she used both hands to shove the muslin directly into the mummy’s terrifying huge mouth, effectively plugging it.

Whatever had prompted her to wad its mouth, she had no notion! But the mummy made a horrifying stifled noise; and then, as Fanny continued to press and shove the fabric deeper into the unnatural cavity, feeling a crush of something horrible giving way, the mummy flailed its horrible desiccated limbs and backed away.

And then it crumbled to the floor.

In a matter of breaths, there was nothing left of it, not even a trace of bones. It became a tiny pile of sand and dust.

Fanny stood breathing harshly, holding the destroyed muslin in her hands, sobbing with fury, sorrow, and a sudden inspiration.