hall belong to no one
else. I will obey my father to the letter, but the spirit is my
affair. Now kiss me again, dear, and say good-bye. We have had our
glimpse of heaven, and this is not the only life."

For one more brief moment she surrendered herself to him again. Their
lips met and parted, and in an instant she had slipped out of his
arms and was gone, leaving him dazed with her beauty and her
winsomeness.

CHAPTER XXXVI.

LOVE AND DUTY.

An hour later he walked back to the settlement, looking five years
older than he had done a couple of hours before, but with his nerves
steady and with the light of a solemn resolve burning in his eyes. He
went straight to the _Ithuriel_, and made a minute personal
inspection of the whole vessel, inside and out. He saw that every
cylinder was charged, and that there was an ample supply of spare
ones and ammunition on board, including a number of his new
fire-shells. Then he went to Lieutenant Marston's quarters, and told
him to have the crew in their places by half-past eleven; and this
done, he paid a formal visit to the Master to report all ready.

Natas received him as usual, just as though nothing out of the common
had happened; and if he noticed the change that had come over him, he
made no sign that he did so. When Arnold had made his report, he
merely said--

"Very good. You will start at twelve. The Chief has told you the
nature and purpose of the voyage you are about to make, I presume?"

He bowed a silent affirmative, and Natas went on--

"The Chief and Anna Ornovski will go with you as witnesses for
Michael Roburoff and Natasha, and the Chief will be provided with my
sealed orders for your guidance in the immediate future. The
rendezvous is a house on one of the spurs of the Alleghany Mountains.
What time will it take to reach there?"

"The distance is about seven thousand miles. That will be from thirty
to thirty-five hours' flight according to the wind. With a fair wind
we shall reach the Alleghanies a little before sunrise on the 18th."

"Then to make sure of that, if possible, you had better start an hour
earlier. Natasha is making her preparations, and will be on board at
eleven."

"Very well; I will be ready to start then," replied Arnold, speaking
as calmly and formally as Natas had done. Then he saluted and walked
out.

When he got into the open air he drew a deep breath. His teeth came
together with a sharp snap, and his hands clenched.