Page:Robert William Cole - The Struggle for Empire; A Story of the Year 2236 (1900).djvu/73

Rh Flora's eyes were blinded with tears. Dr. Houghton gently drew her arm within his own and led her away to a carriage that was waiting for them. As they drove along they passed by James Tarrant, who was walking along as if in a dream, with his head bent towards the ground. He looked up as they passed, and a slight smile passed over his pale, tired face as he raised his hat to Flora and nodded slightly to the doctor.

'Clever man that—clever man!' muttered Dr. Houghton half aloud, half to himself. 'Will do great things some day.'

Meanwhile the fleet was fast vanishing out of sight. High up in the sky the ships were shining like bright dust in the sunlight. When evening came they had vanished; but as soon as it was quite dark the signal-lights could be seen flashing out in all directions. The lights got fainter every minute. Soon they formed a misty haze like a nebula, and then they