in honour bound to it. Later on, if all be well, I shall of course
tell you, Margaret, and you too, Ross, under the conditions that I am
bound to make."

He rose up, and we all followed him. Leaving us in the outer hall, he
went away alone for a few minutes; and returning, beckoned us to follow
him.

In the inside hall we found a whole section of an outstanding angle
moved away, and from the cavity saw a great hole dimly dark, and the
beginning of a rough staircase cut in the rock. As it was not pitch
dark there was manifestly some means of lighting it naturally, so
without pause we followed our host as he descended. After some forty
or fifty steps cut in a winding passage, we came to a great cave whose
further end tapered away into blackness. It was a huge place, dimly
lit by a few irregular slits of eccentric shape. Manifestly these were
faults in the rock which would readily allow the windows be disguised.
Close to each of them was a hanging shutter which could be easily swung
across by means of a dangling rope. The sound of the ceaseless beat of
the waves came up muffled from far below. Mr. Trelawny at once began
to speak:

"This is the spot which I have chosen, as the best I know, for the
scene of our Great Experiment. In a hundred different ways it fulfils
the conditions which I am led to believe are primary with regard to
success. Here, we are, and shall be, as isolated as Queen Tera herself
would have been in her rocky tomb in the Valley of the Sorcerer, and
still in a rocky cavern. For good or ill we must here stand by our
chances, and abide by results. If we are successful we shall be able
to let in on the world of modern science such a flood of light from the
Old World as will change every condition of thought and experiment and
practice. If we fail, then even the knowledge of our attempt will die
with us. For this, and all else which may come, I believe we are
prepared!" He paused. No one spoke, but we all bowed our heads
gravely in acquiescence. He resumed, but with a certain hesitancy:

"It is not yet too late! If any of you have a doubt or misgiving, for
God's speak it now! Whoever it may be, can go hence without let or
hindrance. The rest of us can go on our way alone!"

Again he paused, and looked keenly at us in turn. We looked at each
other; but no one quailed. For my own part, if I had had any doubt as
to going on, the look on Margaret's face would have reassured me. It
wa