alled his _fiancee_, offering
her his hand and leading her to a chair. He resumed his tunic and took
his place beside her. The clergyman remained standing behind the
table, under the threat of a revolver.

The ceremony, of which the details must have been arranged beforehand,
was short. The parson stammered the customary words. Rolleston
declared that he took Isabel Bakefield to be his wife. Isabel, when
the question was put, bowed her head in assent, Rolleston slipped a
wedding-ring upon her finger; then he unfastened from his uniform the
miniature set in pearls and pinned it to the girl's bodice:

"My wedding-present, darling," he said, cynically.

And he kissed her hand. She seemed overcome with dizziness and
collapsed for a moment, but recovered herself immediately.

"Till this evening, darling," said Rolleston, "when your loving
husband will visit you and claim his rights. Till this evening,
darling."

He made a sign to the two viragoes to lead their prisoner away.

A few bottles of champagne were opened, the clergyman received a
dagger-thrust as his fee and Rolleston, waving his glass and
staggering on his legs, shouted:

"Here's the health of my wife! What do you say to that, M. Dubosc?
She'll be a lucky girl, eh? To-night makes her King Rolleston's bride!
You may die easy, M. Dubosc."

He drew near, knife in hand, when suddenly there broke out, from the
arena, a succession of crackling noises, followed by a great uproar.
The fireworks were beginning again, as on the night before.

In a moment the scene was changed. Rolleston appeared to sober down at
once. Leaning over the side of the wreck, he issued his commands in a
voice of thunder:

"To the barricades! Every man to his post! . . . Independent fire! No
quarter!"

The deck resounded with the feet of his adherents, who rushed to the
ladders. Some, the favoured members of the guard of honour, remained
with Rolleston. The remaining captives were tied together and more
cords were added to the bonds that bound Simon to the foot of the
mast.

However, he was able to turn his head and to see the whole extent of
the arena. It was empty. But from one of the four craters which rose
in the centre a vast sheaf of water, steam, sand and pebbles spurted
and fell back upon the ground. In the midst of these pebbles rolled
coins of the same colour, gold coins.

It was an inconceivable spectacle, reminding Simon of the Iceland
geyser. The phenomenon was obvio