bother, and only by telling his
name, did he pass the police cordon. Once inside, he rushed to the back
door and found, oh! great luck--Mila. Dressed in white, to his taste she
was angelic. He had great difficulty in keeping his arms pinioned to his
side; but his eyes shone with the truth beating at the bars of his
bosom, and Mila knew it. He felt this and was light-headed in his
happiness.

They greeted. Mila's face wore a serious expression.

"I'm very glad you have come down. I think uncle will be glad also. I am
_happy_ to see you again; I have missed you these past weeks. But my
happiness is nothing just now, Gerald! [He started.] My uncle, you must
speak with him. From brooding so much over the Holy Scriptures, and the
natural excitement of his discoveries--they are so extraordinary, dear
friend, that he means always to keep them to himself, for he rightly
believes that the governments of the world would employ them for wicked
purposes, war, the destruction of weaker nations--he has become
overwrought. You may not know it, he has a very strong, sane head on his
shoulders; but this scheme for lifting up the masses, I suspect, may
upset his own equilibrium. And his constant study of the Apocalypse and
the Hebraic revelations--it has filled him with strange notions.
Understand me: a man who can swim in the air like a fish in the sea is
apt to become unstrung. He has begun to identify himself with the
prophets. He insists on showing biblical pictures,--worse still,
appearing in them himself."

"How 'appearing in them'?" asked Gerald, wonderingly.

"In actual person. I, too, have promised to go with him."

"In a transparency of fire, you mean? Isn't it dangerous?" She hung her
head.

"No, in mid air, in a fiery chariot," she murmured.

"The Woman of the Apocalypse!" he cried. "Oh! Princess Mila, dearest
Mila Georgovics, promise me that you will not risk such a crazy
experiment." Gerald pressed his fingers to his throbbing temples.

"It is no experiment at all," she said, in almost inaudible tones;
_"last night we flew over the house."_ He stared at her, his hands
trembling, and no longer able to play the incredulous.

"But, dear friend, I fear one other thing; the gas which uncle has
discovered is so tenuous that it is a million times lighter than air;
but it is ever at a terrible tension--I mean it is dangerous if not
carefully treated. Last summer, one afternoon, a valve broke and a large
quantity escaped