ind luxurious repose. The deck, or floor, of the
apartment was covered with a thick, rich Turkey carpet, the colouring of
which matched the upholstery of the furniture; and the ports were draped
with costly silk and lace curtains of the finest texture, to soften or
exclude the light when desired.

Finding everything here to her liking, her ladyship joined the rest of
the party in the dining-room, and intimated that her inspection of the
ship was ended, whereupon the spiral staircase was descended, and in a
few minutes the little group once more found themselves outside the ship
and wending their way back to the house.

CHAPTER FOUR.

A MAIDEN IN DISTRESS.

As the party passed in through the principal entrance of the stately
building, laughing and chatting animatedly together upon the
possibilities of the forthcoming expedition, a footman came forward and
announced that a young lady, who most urgently desired to see Professor
von Schalckenberg, had been waiting for fully an hour in the library, to
which apartment she had been conducted.

The professor looked momentarily surprised and disconcerted by this
intelligence; but, quickly recovering himself, and excusing himself to
Lady Olivia, he hurried away to the library, to see who this unexpected
visitor might be.

Entering the apartment, von Schalckenberg at once found himself
confronted with a singularly handsome young woman, closely veiled, and
quietly but richly attired, who, throwing back her veil and stretching
forth both hands in eager, joyous greeting, exclaimed in Russian--

"At last, Professor, at last I have found you, thank God!"

"What?" stammered the professor, as he gazed in astonishment at his
lovely visitor, holding both her hands in his meanwhile. "Can it be
possible that this is my dear little friend Feodorovna Sziszkinski?
Ach! yes, it must be; there can be no mistaking that charming face!"
And he forthwith kissed his fair visitor on both cheeks, in true
continental fashion. "Welcome, my dear child, welcome a thousand times
to England," continued the professor, beaming benignantly at his visitor
through his spectacles. "And how is your father and my dear friend, the
colonel?"

"Ah, Professor, would that I knew!" answered the girl, as tears sprang
to her eyes. "I fear the worst for him. I am in bitter trouble about
him; and it is on that account that I have sought you. My father had a
foreboding that trouble was in store for us, and