As soon as silence was restored, Dennis spoke up,—“My friends, let us with one accord thank Spenser here for showing us our duty. Our pride has humbled us to the dust, and we have fallen—fallen lower than I care to think about, but we will make what reparation we can! Ainley has already corrected the current and in a few hours the air will improve. Rollsborough and Sorrel, we want your advice as to what we shall do with the other planet, if we have not forfeited the right to ask for it.” Their eyes filled with tears, the two stepped forward and remained in long conversation with the three owners, looking at photographs and drawings and making many calculations. While they were thus engaged, the rest, now as repentant as they had been reckless, went to the windows and looked out. All restraint was now over, and every one without exception felt happy in having taken the one and only honourable course—and as they gazed at the sea of fire around them, which cut off all view from below, a great cloud burst above them and rain fell in torrents; the lightning ran down the rain as it fell, filling the air with solid pillars of fire. Flash followed flash in such quick succession that they seemed to strike one another long before reaching the ground; and the focus of the storm was ever the good old ship, which stood unmoved, as though imperturbably defiant, while the whole heavens seemed to have combined to wage war against her in revenge for the disturbance she had caused. All the electricity projected seemed to return with angry energy, flashing and beating round the ship in mighty fury, the _Regina_ answering flash with flash till the fury was augmented instead of reduced, as the teeming heavens sluiced fire. As far as the eye could reach the rain brought down the lightning in floods of vivid flame, and on all sides the clouds were incessantly opening and belching out their overcharges of electricity, accompanied by deafening thunder. In ten or fifteen minutes the storm was spent, and gradually nothing remained but an occasional feeble flicker and roll of thunder. Soon even this ceased, and slowly the light returned as the clouds dispersed or were dissipated, and around the ship only a faint glow remained. This began to flicker like the light from a dying candle, each flicker seeming the last; and finally, with a last splash of light, all was gone. Instantly the ship fell and the occupants came out, to be greeted effusively by the grateful people. “You have done this!” telepathed the principal of the observatory. “How can we thank you?” “Thanks!” telepathed Dennis, stepping forward. “You have little to thank us for!” and with feelings of deep shame, he telepathed a full confession. “But what have you done with the planet? How can it remain where it is if the forces are stopped?”