a seat beside him, but she held
back. "No," she said resolutely, "it would never do for us to be seen
together. If my father should suspect anything now, all hope would be
lost."

Thorndyke reluctantly released her hand.

"You are right, I beg your pardon," he said humbly. "I shall meet you
promptly. Of course I want to save poor Johnston, but the delight of
being with you again, even for a moment, so intoxicates me that I forget
even my duty to him."

After she left him he wandered out in the streets along the busy
thoroughfares, and into the beautiful parks, the flowers and foliage
changing color as each new hour dawned. The fragrance of the flowers
delighted his sense of smell, and the luscious fruits hung from vine and
tree in great abundance.

He was impatient for the time to arrive at which he was to meet the
princess. After awhile he noticed the people closing the shops and
booths, and in holiday dress going to the parks and public squares.
He hastened to the palace. The great rotunda and the throne-room were
energetically astir. Everybody wore rich apparel and was talking of
the coming fete. The king was on his throne surrounded by his men
of science. In a cluster of ladies in court dress, the Englishman
recognized Bernardino. Catching his eye, she looked startled for an
instant, and, then, with a furtive glance at the king, she swept
her eyes back to Thorndyke and raised them significantly toward his
chambers. He understood, and his quick movement was his reply. He turned
immediately to an elevator that was going up, and entered it. Again
he was alone on the palace roof. The color of the sunlight looked
so natural that he studied it closely to see if he could not detect
something artificial in its appearance, but in vain. He found that it
did not pain his eyes to look at the sun steadily. He took from his
pocket a small sunglass, and focussed the rays on his hand, but the heat
was not intensified sufficiently to burn him.

Just then he heard a loud blast of a trumpet in a tall tower to the left
of the palace. It seemed a momentous signal. The jostling crowds in the
streets below suddenly stood motionless. Every eye was raised to the
sky. Not a sound broke the stillness. Following the glances of the crowd
a few minutes later, Thorndyke noticed a dark cloud rising in the west,
and spreading along the horizon. A feeling of awe came over him as it
gradually increased in volume, and, in vast black billows, be