Olga Romanoff

ning, the Eastern express divided: five of the cars went northward to St. Petersburg, carrying those passengers who were

ded in persuading him, much against his will, of the necessity of postponing their marriage, and therefore their visit to Moscow, fo

ake Olga irrevocably his, so far as human laws could bind her to him, was so far under the domination of her imperio

ust wage with the Aerians, no personal considerations whatever could be permitted[48] a moment's serious thought. If she could sacrifice her own feelings, and disguise her hatred of the tyrants of the world under the mask of f

and, as she said in conclusion, he must find some influence stronger than hers in their dealings with him who would one day be the ru

could not hope to rival her in this regard where a man was concerned, and so he perfor

of the change in their plans; and when the train once more glided out over the frozen plains of the North, the four were once more

an frontier, a dazzling gleam of light suddenly blazed down from the black darkness ove

is a bright light shining down

ndow, and, without even troublin

Petersburg. You know, we usually have one of[49] them in attendance, whe

conviction that their previous conversation had by no means been forgotten. Serge, perhaps fearing to give uttera

t at your beck and call. I suppose that air-ship would not have the slightest difficulty in blowing thi

t has no such hostile intentions, you shall, if you please, take a voyag

ld permit a daughter of the earth, as I am told you call the women who have not the good fortune to be born in Aeria, to go on board one of tho

p beyond the clouds? We are not so selfish as all that; and if the novel experience wou

my life for as many hours on board that air-ship of yours," said Olga; "and if you will do as you say, you wi

ould do that," retorted Alan, with almost boyish candour. "As it is, I am afraid I must be sati

peless inferiority which, I need hardly tell you, is just a trifle bitter to my f

suddenly swooping down from the clouds to the level of the windows of the train, which was

been drawn down at nightfall, were sprung up again by the passengers, who were all eager to get a gli

er hull was about two hundred feet from stem to stern, not counting a long, ramlike projection which stretched some twenty-five feet in front of the stem, with its point level with the keel, or rather

e, measuring some hundred feet from point to point, and about twice the width of

e, and were divided into a vast number of sections by transverse ribs. These sections vibrated and undulated rhythmically from f

on a shaft in a straight line with the centre of the deck, while the shafts of the other two were inclined outwards at a slight angle from the middle line. F

of which was invisible, and which showed about half a dozen figures clad in the graceful costume of the Aerians, and all wearing the headdress with golden w

in full view of the passengers in the cars, and lighted up the snowy landscape for

as much apparent ease as though it had been stationary. Amid the murmurs of irrepressible admiration which greeted it from th

passed between them, a parting salute was waved from the air-ship to the express; and then, with a speed that seemed to rival

fleet at[52] close quarters," said Alan, turni

breath; and then Olga went on, her voice

g in the very idea of the awful power lying in the hands of those who can create and command such a vessel a

etely for the time being. Alan appeared for the moment as a god in her eyes, until she saw his lips curve

nder the most favourable circumstances possible, and w

ledgment of his modesty, "by this time to-morrow you shall be my slave,