must say I am the better resigned
to his departure, from the reflection that Miriam will henceforth be
undisturbed in the possession of her own individuality."

"As near as I could make out, she called herself Semitzin," put in
Freeman.

"Semitzin?" repeated the general. "Why, if I'm not mistaken, there are
accounts of an Aztecan princess of that name, an ancestress of my wife's
family, in some old documents that I have in a box, at home."

"That would only add the marvel of heredity to the other marvels," said
Meschines. "Suppose we leave the things we can't understand, and come to
those we can?"

"I have something to say, General Trednoke," said Freeman.

"I think I have already guessed what it may be, Mr. Freeman," returned
the general, gravely. "Old people have eyes, and hearts too, as well as
young ones."

"Come, Trednoke," interposed the professor, with a chuckle, "your eyes
might not have seen so much, if I hadn't held the lantern."

"I love your daughter, and I told her so yesterday morning," went on
Freeman, after a pause. "I meant to tell you on my return. I know
I don't appear desirable as a son-in-law. But I came here on a
commission----"

"Meschines and I have talked it all over," the general said. "When
an old West-Pointer and a professor of physics get together, they are
sometimes able to put two and two together. And, to tell the truth,
I received a letter from a member of your syndicate, who is also
an acquaintance of mine, which explained your position. Under the
circumstances, I consider your course to have been honorable. You and
I were both in search of the same thing, and now, as it appears, nature
has sent an earthquake to do our affair for us. No operations of ours
could have achieved such a result as last night's disturbance did; and
if that do not prove effective, nothing else will."

"If it turns out well, I was promised a share in the benefits," said
Freeman, "and that would put me in a rather better condition, from a
worldly point of view."

"After all," interrupted Meschines, "you found your way to the spot from
which the waters broke forth, and may fairly be entitled to the credit
of the discovery.--Eh, Trednoke? At any rate, we found nothing.--Yes,
I think they'll have to admit you to partnership, Harvey: and Miriam
too,--who, by the way, seems to be the only one who actually penetrated
into this cave you speak of. Maybe the removal of the chest pulled
the plug out of the bu