ught him to the
conclusion that the sooner his presence on board the _Grashna_ was
dispensed with the better for his plans. There was a sense of quiet
mastery in Franklin Marmion's manner which made him uneasy.

"Ah! there is the famous fortress, is it not? the home of Hamlet and
Ophelia and the Ghost!" she exclaimed, pointing ahead to where a
grey-blue mass was rising out of the water. "Do you believe in ghosts,
Prince?" she added suddenly, flashing a glance at him which seemed to
pierce his brain like a ray of unearthly light.

"Ghosts? No, Miss Marmion. I'm afraid I am too hopelessly materialistic
for that. I never saw or heard of an authentic ghost, and I do not
propose to believe until I see."

"We have a ghost at 'The Wilderness,'--the wraith of a poor young lady
who killed herself after some royal blackguard had abused his own
hospitality. She often comes to visit me in my study," said the
Professor, as though he were relating the most ordinary occurrence.

"Ah," smiled the Prince, "that is very interesting: but, of course, it
would be in the power of a man like yourself to have experiences which
are denied to ordinary mortals. Still, granted all that, I confess that
I have often wondered whether or not I should be frightened if I really
did see a ghost."

"Yes, I wonder?" murmured Nitocris, with a great deal more meaning than
he had any idea of just then.

All three felt that the conversation was getting a little difficult, and
they were not sorry when the rapid rising of the rock of Elsinore made
it necessary for Oscarovitch to go out to the engine telegraph.

"His Highness doesn't believe in ghosts now," whispered Nitocris to her
father, when the door shut behind him, "but I think he will before very
long. I wonder what he is really going to do? I've half a mind to----"

"No, no, Niti," he said quickly; "keep this side of the Border till you
really have to cross it. What on earth, literally, would happen if he
came back and found me standing here alone?"

"Oh, of course I didn't mean it," she smiled. "It would be very poor
sport to spoil both the comedy and the tragedy before the curtain goes
up. I wonder if the drama will begin to-night? I shouldn't be
surprised."

"Nor I," said the Professor, a trifle grimly. "I didn't at all like his
looks when I was talking about the flying machine. The brute looked as
if he were quite capable of locking me up and starving or torturing me
until I gave him the s