all the more
readily now, because he did not believe in the possibility of my ascent;
he was convinced that even though the balloon should mount a few feet
into the air, it would collapse immediately, whereon I should fall and
break my neck, and he should be rid of me. He demonstrated this to her
so convincingly, that she was alarmed, and tried to talk me into giving
up the idea, but on finding that I persisted in my wish to have the
balloon made, she produced an order from the King to the effect that all
facilities I might require should be afforded me.

At the same time her Majesty told me that my attempted ascent would be
made an article of impeachment against me in case I did not succeed in
prevailing on the air god to stop the drought. Neither King nor Queen
had any idea that I meant going right away if I could get the wind to
take me, nor had he any conception of the existence of a certain steady
upper current of air which was always setting in one direction, as could
be seen by the shape of the higher clouds, which pointed invariably from
south-east to north-west. I had myself long noticed this peculiarity in
the climate, and attributed it, I believe justly, to a trade-wind which
was constant at a few thousand feet above the earth, but was disturbed by
local influences at lower elevations.

My next business was to break the plan to Arowhena, and to devise the
means for getting her into the car. I felt sure that she would come with
me, but had made up my mind that if her courage failed her, the whole
thing should come to nothing. Arowhena and I had been in constant
communication through her maid, but I had thought it best not to tell her
the details of my scheme till everything was settled. The time had now
arrived, and I arranged with the maid that I should be admitted by a
private door into Mr. Nosnibor's garden at about dusk on the following
evening.

I came at the appointed time; the girl let me into the garden and bade me
wait in a secluded alley until Arowhena should come. It was now early
summer, and the leaves were so thick upon the trees that even though some
one else had entered the garden I could have easily hidden myself. The
night was one of extreme beauty; the sun had long set, but there was
still a rosy gleam in the sky over the ruins of the railway station;
below me was the city already twinkling with lights, while beyond it
stretched the plains for many a league until they blended with