e
hundred-branched candlestick. Then:

"Mr. St. George's disappearance," he said, "has prevented a still
more unpleasant catastrophe."

"Catastrophe!" repeated Mrs. Hastings, quite without tucking in her
voice at the corners, "I have thought of no other word since I got
to be royalty."

"A world experience, a world experience, dear Madame," contributed
Mr. Frothingham, his hands laid trimly along his blue velvet lap.

"But that doesn't make it any easier to bear, no matter what anybody
says," retorted the lady.

"Inasmuch," pursued Prince Tabnit with infinite regret, "as these
Americans have, as you say, assisted in the search for your father,
the king, they have most unfortunately violated that ancient law
which provides that no State or satrapy shall receive aid, whether
of blood or of bond, from an alien. The Royal House alone is
exempt."

"And the penalty," demanded Olivia fearfully. "Is there a penalty?
What is that, Prince Tabnit?"

The voice of the prince was never more mellow.

"Do not be alarmed, I beg," he hastened his reassurance. "Upon the
return of Mr. St. George, he and his friend will simply be set
adrift in a rudderless airship, an offering to the great idea of
space."

Mrs. Hastings swayed toward the prince in her chair of verd antique,
and her voice seemed to become brittle in the air.

"Oh, is that what you call being ahead of the time," she demanded
shrilly, "getting behind science to behave like Nero? And for my
part I don't see anything whatever about the island that is ahead of
the times. You haven't even got silk shoe-laces. I actually had to
use a cloth-of-gold sandal strap to lace my oxfords, and when I lost
a cuff-link I was obliged to make shift with two sides of one of
Queen Agothonike's ear-rings that I found in the museum at the
palace. And that isn't all," went on the lady, wrong kindling wrong,
"what do you do for paper and envelopes? There is not a quire to be
found in Med. They offered me _wireless blanks_--an ultra form that
Mr. Hastings would never have considered in good taste. And how
about visiting cards? I tried to have a plate made, and they showed
me a wireless apparatus for flashing from the doorstep the name of
the visitor--an electrical entrance which Mr. Hastings would have
considered most inelegant. Ahead of the times, with your rudderless
airships! I have always said that the electric chair is a way to be
barbarous and good form at the same time, and that i