day. He had taken Olga's warning and appeal to heart, and he had done so all the more easily for the reason that he felt somewhat ashamed of himself for

a suspicion of condescension, that he felt at ease with them at once, and even began to re

she was going when she passed the train, until ten o'clock on the following morning, so it was arranged that they would begin the day with a sleigh drive-a luxury which not even Aeri

would see the ice palaces illuminated at dusk, then dine, and finish the day at the opera. When the air-ship arrived, a rapid flight was to be taken across Europe over the

panion, and who, not a little to Serge's disgust, won it, after a desperate struggle, by a head. The race was a revelation to the two Aerians, and when Alan handed Olga out of the sleigh afte

e fortress prisons of Russia had been preserved intact as a fitting monument of fallen despotism and a warning to all future generations. Once at lea

a massive gold plate riveted on to the rough, damp, stone wall. Its surface was kept brightly polished, and it looked stra

the Terror, was imprisoned in the year 1881, previous to his exile to S

6

ront of this memorial plate, and read the simple and yet pregnant words. Alan and Alexis both bent their heads as if in reverence for a mom

the Prophet is to the Moslems. I wonder what the Last of the Tsars would have thought if he could ha

atas, no Terror, and no Terrorist air-fleet, and Alexander Romanoff would have died master of the world instead of a chained felon in Siberia

Let us thank God that Natas lived to do his work!" said Alan in a tone of solemn reverence, wonder

s through rather than say "Amen" to it, and anything else they dare not have said. Aft

the air of this

perfect as she and Serge were in skating, the two Aerians were little inferior to t

went sweeping over the ice in long, easy curves. "I suppo

6

when we want a skating surface, we just pump the water up and flood them and let it freeze. Besides this-I don't think

Then I suppose that is why the streets of your sp

ut with pain. It was some moments before he recovered from his astonishment sufficiently to ask her the meaning of her un

ause I have

y determined to test the truth of her vision and

even at the risk of contradicting you I must tell you that that is impossible.

ell now, listen and tell me whether this description is entirely incorrec

ty of Aeria as she had seen them in her dream-vision. When she had finished he was silent for several mom

ot be an Aerian girl in disguise, for none

7

ow I shall take my revenge for your reticence in the train yesterday, and tell you no more.

r it came about that Olga and Serge were skating together in an unfrequented part of the lake, and here Olga took an opportunity that she m

must be ready to go to any extremities to get possession of it. It is the first step to the command o

ly about to see if there was anyone within earshot. "How are we going to do t

, during to-morrow's voyage," came the reply, in a whisper th

ble thing to do, when they are trusting us and taking

Remember that we have solemnly sworn war to the knife against this people, and that, armed as t

send twenty people to sleep so that nothing will wake them for several hours. I[71] will give you half of this to-night and keep half myself, and one of us mu

r action by eight to-morrow night, and must wait, if necessary, night after night till we come. If all goes well we shall select the new crew of t

risk anything, not excepting life itself, to take the best advantage of it. It would be madness

that showed that his horror at the deed they contemplated had succumbed, at least

ns to get an hour together before to-night to arrange matters further, and we will have Alan and Alexis to supper with us after the opera, and then I will begin my share of the work. Once

te room before going to the theatre, and put the finishing touches to their plans for the momentous venture of the following

vate sitting-room occupied by Olga and Serge, had but one incident which calls for descri

ia, they should drink a glass of punch, brewed in the Russian style; and as she volunte

versation was not interrupted for an instant, and no one saw a couple of drops of sparkling, blue liquid fall into each of three of the glasses from the little flask that she h

wn up from the side-table where she had left it. She we

each of us has nearest

elve a few minutes later, the two Aerians too

f the work to-night," said he, as soon

mine to-night," replied Olga, looking steadily into his eyes a

lga's burning eyes were fixed on his, his[73] tongue was paralysed, nay, more than this, his mind even refused to shape the sentences that he

I preferred Alan as a lover to you, and that I would rather

y, that I have no law but your will, and that it is

ort of hypnotic trance than in full command of his senses. A strange, subtle influence had been steal

ss of this fact was fading from his mind. All his passions were absolutely in abeyance. Even his love for Olga failed to inspire him with an

meaning for him; so far as his volition was concerned he was an autom

addressing a servant. "Now go to bed and sleep well,

omary good-night kiss, he walked out of the room, leaving her to the enjoyment of h

efore ten the next[74] morning. It sank slowly and gracefully to within a hundred feet of the

n to one of the snow-covered lawns of the garden, a door opened in the glass covering of the deck, a short, light, folding ladder wi

have a crowd round u

hundreds of people in the streets, and many of them had already made the

lowed by Serge and Alexis. The moment they got on to the deck the ladder was drawn up, th

faster and faster, and she shot forward and upward over the trees amid the admiring murmurs of the crowds in the streets about the hotel. But little did those light-hearted sightseers dream, any more than did the captain and crew of the Ithuriel, that this aerial pleasure-cruise was destined to mark the beginning of a tr