ith early dawn, muffled up, and in her maid's dress. She was
supposed to be gone to an early performance at one of the Musical Banks,
and told me that she should not be missed till breakfast, but that her
absence must then be discovered. I arranged the ballast about her so
that it should conceal her as she lay at the bottom of the car, and
covered her with wrappings. Although it still wanted some hours of the
time fixed for my ascent, I could not trust myself one moment from the
car, so I got into it at once, and watched the gradual inflation of the
balloon. Luggage I had none, save the provisions hidden in the ballast
bags, the books of mythology, and the treatises on the machines, with my
own manuscript diaries and translations.

I sat quietly, and awaited the hour fixed for my departure--quiet
outwardly, but inwardly I was in an agony of suspense lest Arowhena's
absence should be discovered before the arrival of the King and Queen,
who were to witness my ascent. They were not due yet for another two
hours, and during this time a hundred things might happen, any one of
which would undo me.

At last the balloon was full; the pipe which had filled it was removed,
the escape of the gas having been first carefully precluded. Nothing
remained to hinder the balloon from ascending but the hands and weight of
those who were holding on to it with ropes. I strained my eyes for the
coming of the King and Queen, but could see no sign of their approach. I
looked in the direction of Mr. Nosnibor's house--there was nothing to
indicate disturbance, but it was not yet breakfast time. The crowd began
to gather; they were aware that I was under the displeasure of the court,
but I could detect no signs of my being unpopular. On the contrary, I
received many kindly expressions of regard and encouragement, with good
wishes as to the result of my journey.

I was speaking to one gentleman of my acquaintance, and telling him the
substance of what I intended to do when I had got into the presence of
the air god (what he thought of me I cannot guess, for I am sure that he
did not believe in the objective existence of the air god, nor that I
myself believed in it), when I became aware of a small crowd of people
running as fast as they could from Mr. Nosnibor's house towards the
Queen's workshops. For the moment my pulse ceased beating, and then,
knowing that the time had come when I must either do or die, I called
vehemently to thos