last resting-place in the Cathedral of SS. Peter and Paul in the Fortress of Petropaulovski, where reposed the dust of the Tyrants of Russia, f

over the face of society, and it was still the custom to bring the ashes of those who claimed noble de

the region that had once been made hideous by the slums and sweating-dens of Southwark. The ground floor was occupied by waiting-rooms, dining-saloons, conservatories, and wi

ch. Of these, the centre set was entirely devoted to continental traffic, a

steel, and zinc, while about a fifth of their weight was borne by another single insulating rail of forged glass,-the re

h no more friction than that of a steel skate on ice. On the upper rail ran double-flanged wheels with b

y which Olga and Serge were about to travel, stopped only at Brussels, Berlin, K?nigsberg, Moscow, Nijni Novgorod, Tomsk, Tobolsk, Irkutsk, and Pekin, which was reached by a line running through the Salenga val

runs; and that of the ordinary trains, from a hundred to a hundred and fifty. Higher speeds could of cou

od and iron, but of aluminium and forged glass. Their interiors were, of course, absolutely impervious to wind and dust,

eller, from London to Pekin or Montreal, was not under the slightest necessity

nd rapid transit being considered an absolute necessity of a high state of civilisation, just as armies and navies had once been thought to be, every sel

ich the lines passed, set apart a portion of their rent-tax for the mainte

arture and his destination to the superintendent of the nearest station, and send his heavier baggage on in advance by one of the t

press; for people were leaving the Capital of the World in thousands just then, to spend Christmas and New Year with friends in the other cities of Eur

lifts to the platform, and went to find their seats. As they walked

3

are two Aerians, a

I didn't know you had any acquaintan

erly that even the mere suspicion that his idolised betrothed should

ishing to make their distinguished acquaintance. I recognise one of these because he sat beside Alan Arnold, the President of t

im, he can be no one but the son of Alan Arnold, and therefore the future ruler of Aeria, and the present or future possessor o

nglish their language of general intercourse. The words "handsome lads" had grated harshly upon Serge's ears, but he saw the force of Olga's question at once, and

ood enough to let me look upon my enemies without anger. Of course, you are right; and if they are go

3

h, the Fates are kind! Look! There is Alderman[2] Heatherstone talking to them. I suppose he has come to see them off, fo

ians, whose names he gave as Alan Arnoldson, the son of the President of the late Supreme Council, and Alexis Masarov, a descendant of the Alexis Mazanoff who had play

er six feet in the long, soft, white leather boots which rose above their knees, meeting their close-fitting, grey tunics of silk-embroidered cloth, confined at

er fur and kept in place across the breast by silver chains and clasps of a strange, b

h century, and a plain, broad band of the gleaming blue metal, from which rose above the temples a pair of marvellously-chased, golden wings abou

med instinctively to read at once love and hate, frank admiration and equally undisguised defiance. Their eyes held each other for a moment of mutual fascinat

panions from the other world! For my own part, I seem to remind myse

f her daring speech, and looked u

n, appearing to correct herself, she went on, with a half-s

not exactly that, but

gh, half startled by her words, and wholly charmed by the indescribable fascination of the way in which she s

e eyes, and at that moment the signal sounde

nding on the platform were sliding backwards than that the train was moving forward. The speed[41] increased rapidly, but so evenly that, almost before they were well aware of it, the passengers were

an hour. Without pausing for a moment in its rapid flight, the express swept out from the land over the

o leap, as it were, from land to land. As they swept along in mid-air over the waves, O

smoky steamboat, mingling their sorrows and their sea-sickness in one common misery! I really think

tting against each other, and brought the ready blood to Olga's cheeks; "o

g the compliment to herself, and seeming in no way displeased with it. "It wo

ell the absolute truth under all circumstances, no matter whether it pleases or offends; so, you see, what is usually known as flattery could hardly b

the flush died from Olga's cheek, leaving her for the moment

ayed. "It is nothing. This is the first time for a year or so that I have travelled by one of these very fast

who are denied a glimpse of its glories, and it is so very rarely that one of us enjoys the privilege that is mine ju

ternness. The laughing light died out of his eyes, and she saw them darken in a f

on his brow. He spoke slowly and steadily, but with a manifest r

g with one of his own nation. I see you have been looking at these two golden wings on the band round my head. I w

n a youth of Aeria reaches the age of twenty he is entitled to wear these wings as a sign that he is invested w

4

do anything to lift the veil which it has pleased our forefathers in their wisdom to draw round the realm of Aeria. Before we assume the citizenship of which these wings ar

r a year or so through the different countries of the outside world, in order to ge

d lead even to a possibility of other peoples of the earth overtaking us in the progress which we have made

laid her hand upon his arm, with that pretty gesture which Serge knew so well, and watched now with

ets as yours must be, should be kept. You have been masters of the world for more than a century, and even now, although you have

lse on earth. Still, you have mistaken me if you thought I asked for any of these. All I really wanted was, that[44] you

still resting upon his arm, and interru

e and breaks it, even in the spirit though not in the letter, is

pressure which he returned before he very well knew what he was doing; and while the magic of

itely superior wisdom of the rulers of Aeria, whether it is not rather a risky thing for you to travel thus about the world, possessing secrets whic

umbers? Supposing you were taken unawares under circumstances which make your superior knowledge unavailing. You

ou possess, would even resort to the tortures used by the Inquisition in the sixteenth century. Suppose you found

p. But at the last sentence he snatched it suddenly away, half-turned in his seat, and faced him. Then, looking him strai

ife and death in his hands. If you laid a hand on me now in anger, or with an intent to

, would trust ourselves amongst those who might be our enemies were we not amply protected against you? Tell me

sibilities contained in the secret will of Paul Roma

, to all intents and purposes, the dream that Lytton dreamt when he wrote that book. I can tell you so much without breaking

ath the seas. We have realised what he called the Vril force as a sober, scientific fact; and if I thought that you, for instance, were my enemy, I could strik

to the floor of the car, "but the turn the conversation has taken obliged me to say what I have done. Suppose

ted hint, and so the talk drifted into genera