the other, and between them they
carried a limp, motionless human form completely covered by a great rug
of dark fur. It was taken to the boat. All embarked, and the pinnace
shot away out through the little headlands. A mile out to seaward lay
the long black shape of a torpedo destroyer. The pinnace ran alongside
and they all went on board, two of the sailors carrying the body as
before.

Professor Marmion found himself accompanying them. The body was taken
into a little cabin and laid in a berth. The rug was turned down from
the face, and he recognised Prince Zastrow. A few minutes later he found
himself in the main cabin of the destroyer. The two men who had come in
the carriage were sitting at a little table with a man in mufti. This
man raised his head and said something. He did not hear the words--but,
to his amazement, he recognised the handsome face as that of Prince
Oscarovitch, whom he had never seen before he came as his guest to the
garden-party at "The Wilderness."

On the bulkhead of the cabin at the Prince's head there hung a little
block-calendar, and the exposed leaf showed the date, Monday, 6th June.
As he read it an impulse caused him to look round at the calendar
standing upon his own mantel-shelf. It showed the date, Friday, 24th
June. He turned back to the window and saw nothing but his own lawn and
the moonlit Common beyond.

CHAPTER XVII

M. NICOL HENDRY

Franklin Marmion sat down and began to think the situation over. It was
not an easy one, for, as it appeared to him, it would be very difficult,
if not impossible, for Nitocris and himself to help in the elucidation
of the Zastrow mystery, and the prevention of any European complications
that might arise out of it, on both the higher and the lower planes of
existence. Of course, it would have been perfectly easy to do so in one
sense, for now, practically nothing in human affairs was impossible of
achievement to them; but, on the other hand, it would never do to allow
people on the lower plane to become aware of their extra-human powers.
This was out of the question for many reasons, not the least of which
was that they had their lives to live under the ordinary conditions of
time and space and among their fellow-mortals, every one of whom would
shun them in fear, perhaps even horror, if they knew their secret. What,
for instance, would happen to Nitocris in her temporal state if even
only Merrill came to know it? No, the idea was