and deliver you from
his toils. Had you been a total stranger to us all, it would still have
been a pleasant task to have done what we have done, in the somewhat
unlikely event of the facts of the case becoming known to us. But you
happen to be a friend of our dear professor, here, and to be the friend
of one is to be the friend of all of us; and, that being the case, we
all felt bound to help you, even before we had heard the particulars of
your story from your charming daughter. Now it happened that, just
before breakfast, while you were below, we four adventurers were
discussing the question of the direction in which we should next head
the _Flying Fish_--for I must explain to you that, although we have a
programme of a sort, it is a very elastic one, and subject to alteration
at short notice for any good and sufficient reason,--and we eventually
decided to settle nothing until we had consulted you. It may be that,
having recovered your freedom, there are certain things that you would
desire to do; and if so, it will afford us the greatest possible
pleasure to assist you to the utmost of our ability. If, on the other
hand, however, you have as yet no definite plans, let me now say that it
will give us _all_ the greatest possible satisfaction if you and your
daughter will afford us the pleasure of your society during our cruise,
or for so much of it as may be agreeable to you."

"Sir Reginald," exclaimed Sziszkinski, with some emotion, as he grasped
the baronet's extended hand, "I am completely at a loss for words in
which to express adequately the gratitude I feel for your most kindly
and generous offer. You will, perhaps, the better be able to appreciate
the depth of my feeling when I explain to you that, through the
machinations of that villain Vasilovich, my daughter and I are, save for
your kindly hospitality, homeless, and--with the exception of any money
or jewellery that my daughter may possibly happen to have upon her
person--penniless. Furthermore, apart from yourselves, we have not a
friend on the face of the earth to whom we can turn for help or
shelter--or rather, who would dare to risk the anger of the Tsar by
affording us either? Nor have I, at this moment, any plans; for I know
only too well that any attempt to secure the reversal of my sentence and
the return of my confiscated property would be worse than useless, since
it would not only end in failure, but also put me for the second time in
t