The people below, experienced as they were, and knowing there was no real danger so long as the vessel was the centre of the storm, as they believed, could not help being disturbed by the change in the atmosphere, now so powerfully charged with electricity; and as the world revolved, community after community beheld the wonderful stationary ship, their preserver, and felt thankful it had come in time to save them by bringing the elements to the focus of itself. At her elevated position the _Regina_ remained poised and motionless—not moving with the atmosphere, yet still in it—sending forth a steady, continuous force, unerringly in the same direction. “Is it wise to carry this so far?” again remonstrated Godfrey. “Won’t the world come on and on and crash into this?” “It would, of course, if we didn’t stop it in time,” smiled Gilbert. “But how can you tell when it _is_ near enough to stop?” “There are four days yet.” “But Gilbert,” pleaded Godfrey, “are you justified in causing these good people all this inconvenience? Is it fair play?” And turning round impetuously, he spoke up so that all should hear,—“Rollsborough and I and all of us who originally objected to this mad scheme decided neither to hinder nor to help, but to be perfectly neutral, and to this decision I was fully intending to adhere, but I had to keep saying something in protest. Nobody admires and appreciates more than I do the capabilities of the vessel and the amazing skill of the owners, but because we have power and skill here, are we to misuse them, merely to let these people see what we can do? It might be excusable in a youngster, but it does not sit very well on any of us. _We_ are in here, with pure air, good food, and everything to make us happy, and yet we are calmly looking on while we cause visible discomfort, if not actual pain, to the people below who are gasping for breath; these people who have been so exceedingly good to us,—and we allow them to think we are their benefactors! I call it cowardly! yes, cowardly!! and a thing we shall look back upon with shame to our dying day. Believe me, we shall! Planet-shifting is not in my line, I know nothing of it—but I feel very warm on this matter. We are Britons, bred and born; do let us act like Britons! and above all, like gentlemen; men of too much honour to abuse our privileges. Surely in sending that planet out of its orbit we did damage enough! You know what Shakespeare says,—‘It is excellent to have a giant’s strength, but tyrannous to use it like a giant.’ Let us be merciful! I can say no more, friends, or I shall break down!” and good, well-meaning Godfrey, quite overcome, stepped down from the stool upon which he had jumped. For the space of a few seconds there was a deadly silence, and then as if from one voice, they cheered Godfrey, and finally ‘chaired’ him.