,' said Miss Paulo.

'If Mr. Copping is correct about the great work,' said Mr. Wilkins.

'Ay, yes, the great work. And what is the great work? Did Mr. Copping
communicate that as well?'

Oh, yes, Mr. Copping had communicated that as well. The great work was a
study in American folk-lore, and it went to establish, as far as Mr.
Wilkins could gather from Mr. Copping's glowing but somewhat
disconnected phrases, that all the legends of the world were originally
the property of the Ute Indians, who, with the Apaches, constituted,
according to the Professor, the highest intellectual types on the
surface of the earth.

'Well,' said Dolores, 'all that, I dare say, is very interesting and
exciting, and even exhilarating to the studious inhabitants of Denver
and of Sacramento. I wonder if it will greatly interest London? Where
have you put Professor Flick?'

Professor Flick was located, it appeared, upon the first floor. It
seemed, according to the representations of the devoted Copping, that
Professor Flick was a very nervous man about the possibility of fires;
that he never willingly went higher than the first floor in consequence,
and that he always carried with him in his baggage a patent rope-ladder
for fear of accidents.

'On the first floor,' said Miss Paulo. 'Which rooms?'

'The end suite at the right. On the same side as the rooms of his
Excellency, but further off. Mr. Copping seems to like their situation
the best of all the rooms I showed him.'

'On the same side as his Excellency's rooms? Well, I should think
Professor Flick would be a quiet neighbour.'

'Probably, for he was very anxious to be quiet himself. But I am afraid
the fame of our illustrious guest does not extend so far as Denver, for
Mr. Copping asked what the flag was flying for, and when I told him he
did not seem to be a bit the wiser.'

'The stupid man!' said Miss Paulo scornfully.

'And Professor Flick is just as bad. When I mentioned to him that his
rooms were near those of Mr. Ericson, the Dictator of Gloria, he said
that he had never heard of him, but that he hoped he was a quiet man,
and did not sit up late.'

'Really,' said Miss Paulo, frowning, 'this Mr. Flick would seem to think
that the world was made for folk-lore, and that he was folk-lore's
Caesar.'

'Ah, Miss Paulo,' said the practical Wilkins, with a smile, 'these
scholars have queer ways.'

'Evidently,' answered Miss Paulo, 'evidently. Well, I suppose we must
humour