ing of decorated aethereum sprang from the upper edge of
the richly moulded cornice; and a skylight of magnificent stained glass,
somewhat similar to that of the dining saloon, surmounted the whole. A
grand piano and a noble chamber organ, both in superbly modelled
aethereum cases, occupied opposite sides of the apartment; a very
handsome clock, with a set of silvery chimes for the quarters and a deep
rich-toned gong for the hours, occupied a conspicuous position on a wall
bracket; chairs, couches, and divans of seductive shape and ample
capacity were dotted here and there about the rich carpet; and a
handsome table occupied the centre of the room, supporting and
reflecting in the silvery depths of its undraped top a noble epergne of
choice hot-house flowers.

"Why, how is this?" exclaimed the colonel as he sank into the luxurious
depths of a most inviting arm-chair; "my watch must be all wrong, and
your clock there is also wrong, professor; they both assert that it is
half-past twelve o'clock, yet the sun has not yet set," pointing aloft
to the skylight, through which a brilliant flood of sunshine was
streaming down into the magnificent apartment.

"The sun has not yet set? Then we will soon make it do so," laughingly
remarked the professor, rising from his seat and approaching one of the
walls of the apartment, whilst the baronet and the lieutenant stared in
dismay at their own watch-faces. The German began to manipulate a
couple of tiny knobs which occupied unobtrusive positions in the base of
one of the pilasters, and the sunlight gradually deepened into a rich
orange hue, then changed to a soft pearly grey, which gradually deepened
into a dim delicious twilight in which little was visible save the
pictured glass in the skylight above; then it gradually brightened
again, and presently a flood of glorious silvery moonlight streamed down
through the skylight and suffused the room. Finally, with an
instantaneous change, the brilliant sunlight was again restored.
"Another wonder!" exclaimed Sir Reginald. "How do you manage it,
professor?"

"Oh! that is a very simple matter," was the reply; "it is merely a
cunning arrangement of variously tinted glass shades interposed between
the electric light above the centre of the skylight and the mirrors
which reflect the light down through the stained glass into the room.
As you probably noticed when on the deck, there are no actual skylights
in the usual acceptation of th