would
rather have roast beef than all the poulets and kippers in
Christendom."

Without noticing this interruption, Kelson went on writing.

"You must also concentrate for one hour every morning. Grade two in
the scale of concentration, though sufficient for projection through
ether, will not enable you to offer sufficient resistance to the
pressure of water. You must reach grade three in the scale of
concentration, before you can either walk on, or breathe under, the
water. From six to seven a.m. you must fix your eyes on a glass of
fresh spring water, and concentrate your very hardest on amalgamating
with it, on passing your immaterial ego into it. At night, before
going to bed, you must drink a mixture composed of two drachms of
Vindroo Sookum, one drachm of Harnoon Oobey, and one ounce of
distilled water. Vindroo Sookum and Harnoon Oobey are a species of
seaweed; the former of a pale salmon colour, the latter of a deep
blue. They were formerly shrubs growing in the wood of Endlemoker in
Atlantis, and are now to be found at a depth of two hundred fathoms,
twenty miles to the north-east of Achill Island. These weeds must be
well rinsed first; and when the prescribed amount of each has been
carefully cut off and weighed, it must be boiled in the distilled
water, and the compound, thus formed, allowed to cool before being
drunk. This mixture renders the lungs immune to the action of fluid,
and will enable you to breathe as easily in water as in air. There is
still, however, the action of gravity to be considered, and this must
be counteracted by sound. Before experimenting, these Atlantean words
must be repeated aloud in the following order: Karma--nardka--rapto--
nooman--K--arma--oola--piskooskte.'"

"It's all very well to write all these directions," Curtis said, "but
how am I to obtain the weeds? I can't go and fish for them."

"You must engage the services of Mr. John Waley, formerly employed by
the Brazilian Government in repairing marine cables. He will do all
you want for the sum of L200."

Kelson left off writing, and, wishing Curtis good-night, walked out of
the room.

"You'll be deuced cold without an overcoat," Curtis called out after
him. "Won't you have mine?"

But there was no reply, and though Curtis strained his ears to listen,
he could catch no sound of a vehicle.

Kelson left Curtis at twenty minutes past two. At half-past two,
Hamar, who had been sound asleep, was awakened by a loud rap.