of the Hurd
Deep?"

"Oh!" answered the professor, "we managed well enough. We reached
Portsmouth at three o'clock, and found the boat all ready for us--that
man, Sparshott, who has had the care of her, is a really good man, and a
thoroughly discreet fellow--so we at once got on board and made our way
very soberly out of Portsmouth harbour, not putting on the speed until
we were well clear of all observation. We cut ourselves rather too
fine, however, in the matter of time, not arriving at our destination
until it was nearly dark; consequently we had some difficulty in finding
our bearings, and at one moment I almost feared that we should have to
defer our search until morning. But at length, just as we were
seriously thinking of giving it up for the night, a lucky cast of the
lead showed us to be immediately over the ship; so I at once donned my
diving-dress, went down, turned on my electric light, and found myself
within half a dozen fathoms of the _Flying Fish_. After that,
everything was easy. I opened the trap-door in her bottom without the
slightest difficulty, entered the chamber, expelled all the water, and
passed into the diving-room, which I found absolutely dry. Then I
divested myself of my diving-suit, entered the engine-room, and
forthwith proceeded to charge the generator from the reserve stock of
crystals which we had left on board. Everything was looking exactly as
we left it six years ago; there was not a sign of damp discoverable
anywhere; and the only objectionable thing noticeable was that the air
in the hull smelt decidedly stale and offensive. However, I soon had
vapour enough generated to start the dynamo, when I switched on the
light in the pilot-house lantern, as a warning to Mildmay to get out of
the way; after which I slowly ejected the water from the water chambers,
and rose very gently to the surface. Then, throwing open the door of
the pilot-house--and so letting some fresh air into the hull--I went out
on deck to look for Mildmay, and immediately fell heavily to the deck,
which I found completely covered with a thick growth of slippery
sea-grass. Ach, my friends, I reproach myself that I did not think of
and guard against that when we sank the _Flying Fish_ to the bottom for
her long rest, six years ago! But I am only human, you see, after all;
I have not yet acquired the gift of thinking of everything. It is a
trifle, however, and I will soon put it right to-morrow. Well, I f