John Vansittart Smith, a versatile and ambitious scientist, becomes engrossed in Egyptology after marrying an Egyptologist. During a visit to the Louvre, he encounters a peculiar Egyptian attendant whose appearance and demeanor intrigue him. After falling asleep in the museum, he awakens to find the attendant performing a mysterious ritual involving a mummy and a collection of ancient rings. The attendant, revealed to be an ancient Egyptian named Sosra, shares his tragic story. He was once a priest in ancient Egypt who discovered a method to prolong life through a powerful elixir. After injecting himself and a fellow priest, Parmes, with the elixir, he fell in love with a woman named Atma. When she fell ill and died from the plague, Sosra was consumed by grief and madness, while Parmes sought to join her in death, claiming to have found a way to counteract the elixir. Parmes dies, leaving Sosra to search for the means to end his own prolonged existence. He learns that the key to this lies in the ring of Thoth, which contains a substance capable of undoing the effects of his elixir. After centuries of searching, he discovers that the ring is associated with Atma's mummy, which has been preserved in the Louvre. Sosra's desperation leads him to steal the ring, but he is confronted by Smith, who has been observing him. Sosra reveals his identity and the tragic history of his love for Atma, explaining that he intends to use the ring to finally escape his eternal life. He offers Smith the choice to share his story or keep it secret, then departs, leaving Smith to grapple with the implications of what he has witnessed. The next day, news reports reveal that the attendant was found dead, clutching the mummy, suggesting that he succeeded in his quest to reunite with Atma, albeit at the cost of his life. The story concludes with Smith reflecting on the extraordinary events he has encountered, pondering the nature of life, death, and the pursuit of immortality.
By Sir Arthur Conan Doyle · First published 1890 · Genre: Fantasy, Adventure, Horror