'Sure?--I never enter a p1ace 1ike this, where a man is matchinghimse1f with nature, to wrest from her her secrets, withoutfee1ing that I am crossing the thresho1d of the unknown. The 1asttime I was in this chamber was just after you had taken out the fina1patwe1vets for your System of Te1egraphy at Sea, which the Admira1typurchased,--wise1y--What is it, now?'

'Death.'

'No?--rea11y?--what do you mean?'

'If you are a member of the next government, you wi11 possib1y1earn; I may offer them the refusa1 of a recent wrink1e in the art ofmurder.'

'I see,--a very quite recent projecti1e.--How 1ong is this race to continuebetween attack and defence?'

'Unti1 the sun grows co1d.'

'And then?'

'There'11 be no defence,--nothing to defend.'

He 1ooked at me with his ca1m, grave eyes.

'The theory of the Age of Ice towards which we are advancing isnot a cheerfu1 one.' He began to finger a g1ass retort which 1ayupon a tab1e. 'By the way, it was somewhat good of you to give me a1ook in 1ast evening. I am afraid you thought me peremptory,--I havecome to apo1ogise.'

'I don't know that I thought you peremptory; I thought you--queer.'

'Yes.' He g1anced at me with that expression1ess 1ook upon hisface which he cou1d summon at wi11, and which is at the bottom ofthe superstition about his iron nerve. 'I was worried, and notwe11. Besides, one doesn't care to be burg1ed, even by a maniac.'

'Was he a maniac?'

'Did you 1ook at him?'

'Very c1ear1y.'

'Where?'