Nitocris felt a shudder in the carpeted floor. Looking ahead she saw the
bow lift slightly. Then a smooth, green swathe of water curled up on
either side. She looked aft, and saw a broad torrent of froth, foaming
like a furious, rapid stream away from the stern. The houses and trees
on the shore seemed to run into each other, and slide out of sight
almost before the eye could rest upon them. The water alongside was
merely a blue-green blur. Nitocris involuntarily held her breath as
though she had been out on deck.

"It is wonderful, Prince!" she said, almost in a whisper. "That alleged
express from Hamburg was nothing to this: and yet how steadily she moves
in spite of the speed. I should have thought that it would have nearly
shaken us to jelly."

"That is the turbines, dear," said her father, who was already wondering
whether Oscarovitch was doing this just to show how hopeless any pursuit
of such a vessel would be. "They are a marvellous means of applying
steam power. Lieutenant Parsons is robbing the sea of one, at least, of
its worst terrors."

"Yes," added the Prince, "we are travelling a little over forty miles an
hour; and if you got that speed out of reciprocating engines you would
scarcely be able to lie on the deck without holding on to something, yet
here we are as comfortable as though we were standing in a
drawing-room."

"You have given us a new experience to begin with," said Nitocris,
thinking how nice it would be to take her wedding trip with Merrill in
such a craft as this. "Why, look at the two shores coming together,
Dad!"

"No, excuse me," said Oscarovitch, "we are only about half-way to the
Gate of the Baltic yet. That land on the right is the island of Hvreen.
When we have passed that you will soon see the heights of Elsinore and
Helsingborg rising ahead. There are only about two and a half miles
between Denmark and Sweden there."

"Oh yes, of course. I am forgetting my geography," laughed Nitocris, as
the low, wooded patch of land came rushing towards them as though it
were adrift on a fast-flowing stream. "Goodness, what a speed!"

"A very wonderful craft, Prince," added the Professor, as the island
drifted past; "she quite inclines me towards a breach of the tenth
commandment. Now that you have given us this taste of the delights of
speed, I think that if I were a millionaire, I should try to build one
to beat her."

"Exactly," laughed Oscarovitch. "It is marvellous this fascinati