“Well,—no ...yes—not to mean anything, though. I just moved a switch off and on and looked round to see which lights it controlled, but nothing happened, so I did not bother any more with it, but came out and tried that reel thing immediately inside the barrier rail in the saloon and burnt my hand, worse luck!” “Would you mind going downstairs, Godfrey? We’ll be with you in a minute,” said Dennis, politely, and Godfrey descended, surprised at this unusual deference and wondering why they all looked so solemn. When he had gone, Ross exclaimed, “Now what can you make of a fellow like that! He means well and is mad on helping, but if this goes on he’ll kill us all!” “I don’t think so,” said Dennis; “he has kept his word, and will continue to do so. I don’t think he will give us any further anxiety or transgress again; however, we must not let him off lightly, but so frighten him that he will never step on prohibited ground again. It will not do to let any one go behind the barrier.” “We will have everything in contact from this moment,” said Gilbert, severely, “and run no risks either of accidents or of any of the secrets leaking out. If any one except ourselves comes up to the rail he will be held there till we come.” “Yes, that will be best,” said Dennis; “we must, for the sake of our general interests and safety, exercise every care, and from this moment one of us at least must be in charge in turn.” “The switch he moved must have been the one directing the steering, and the vessel turned accordingly and kept the new course when he brought the switch back to ‘block,’” said Gilbert; “had he understood the mechanism, he would not have used that switch only and then we should have resumed our original line, notwithstanding the deviation. As it is—there is Jupiter! and here, in front is—what?” “Let’s go down and deal with Godfrey,” proposed Ross, and they all descended to the saloon, where the delinquent was whistling to himself whilst curiously watching the great mass now below them. He turned at their entrance, inquiring, “What is that? Is it Jupiter?” “No one knows. We are lost!” said Dennis, gloomily, “and it is your doing!” And then the three of them proceeded to frighten the poor microscopist almost out of his wits, with suggestion of the fearful doom they would have met, had not their position been noticed in time to prevent the ship crashing to destruction. They succeeded in instilling into him such consternation as kept him away from the barrier ever after, nor would he come near that part of the saloon or observatory again, though he often begged to be allowed to ‘drive’ the vessel, for he said it only needed a switch moving and she’d go on for ever, which opinion only drew a benign and soothing smile from his friends, which he could not quite understand.