turalists. I sat alone and watched the sun
sink down into the glassy ocean on which our rushing vessel was the only
thing that moved. As the darkness of that hot, still night gathered,
weird gleams of phosphorus broke from the steamer's bows and streamed
away behind us in long lines of flashing spangles. Where the swell
caused by the passage of the ship rose in curling waves, these, as they
splashed into mimic breakers, burst into showers of flamboyant light.
The water from the discharge-pipe poured down in a cascade, that shone
like silver. Every turn of the screw dashed a thousand flashes on either
side, and the heaving of the lead was like the flight of a meteor, as it
plunged with a luminous trail far down into the dark unfathomable depths
below.

My name was spoken softly. Natalie Brande stood beside me. The spell was
complete. The unearthly glamour of the magical scene had been compassed
by her. She had called it forth and could disperse it by an effort of
her will. I wrenched my mind free from the foolish phantasmagoria.

"I have good news," Natalie said in a low voice. Her tones were soft,
musical; her manner caressing. Happiness was in her whole bearing,
tenderness in her eyes. Dread oppressed me. "Herbert is now well again."

"He has been well for some time," I said, my heart beating fast.

"He is not thoroughly restored even yet. But this evening he was able to
receive a message from me by the thought waves. He thinks you are
plotting injury to him. His brain is not yet sufficiently strong to show
how foolish this fugitive fancy is. Perhaps you would go to him. He is
troubling himself over this. You can set his mind at rest."

"I can--and will--if I am not too late," I answered.

CHAPTER XVI.

L5000 TO DETAIN THE SHIP.

Brande was asleep when I entered his cabin. His writing-table was
covered with scraps of paper on which he had been scribbling. My name
was on every scrap, preceded or followed by an unfinished sentence,
thus: "Marcel is thinking-- When I was ill, Marcel thought-- Marcel
means to--" All these I gathered up carefully and put in my pocket. Then
I inoculated him with as strong a solution of the drug I was using on
him as was compatible with the safety of his life. Immediate danger
being thus averted, I determined to run no similar risk again.

For many days after this our voyage was monotonous. The deadly secret
shared by Edith Metford and myself drew us gradually nearer to each