Page:Artabanzanus (Ferrar, 1896).djvu/217

Rh 'What!—and leave these papers, and the history of my Helen here to take care of themselves?'

'I will keep them safely, sir, in my pocket, and read them another time.'

'Now or never!' he shouted, and snatching up the papers again, rushed out of the room just as he had rushed in. I was utterly confounded. 'Now he is offended in earnest,' I mused, almost stunned with the suddenness of the occurrence, 'and Heaven only knows what will become of me. Without his friendship and protection, I shall be lost.'

After sitting there in a state of the greatest misery for about an hour, Florian came in, and told me that his master was about to start, and if I wished to accompany him, I could do so: the carriage was ready. I started up with alacrity, and followed the messenger into the street. There I found the Doctor waiting for me, pacing up and down impatiently. He uttered no word of reproach or reproof, however, but told me calmly to take my seat. We drove out, as before, into the great abyss, by the light of the enormous shields, which looked, in consequence of their proximity, like gigantic moons shining through the smoke of a Tasmanian bush fire. Then we passed under the high arch which marked the entrance into the Department of Pleasure; and after driving through many brilliant streets, and amongst dense throngs of people, found ourselves at last in front of the Demon's palace.

A great crowd had assembled there, for the news had spread like wildfire that the King had called his Parliament together for the first time for many years. All kinds of rumours, for the better or the worse, hung suspended in the air. A regiment of gigantic negro guards was drawn up before the royal residence. The Doctor was loudly cheered, but instead of alighting at the palace as I expected, he drove on past it, saying, 'We are too early; let us drive on,