I think we all felt the solemnity of the moment as we stepped into the
black hull which might prove our living coffin. No friends were by to
sadden us with their parting; but the old earth had grown dearer to us
now that we were about to leave it, perhaps for ever. Mr. Carmichael
descended by the trap into the engine room, while we others stood on the
landing beside the open door, mute and expectant.

Presently, a shudder of the vessel sent a strange thrill to our hearts,
and almost before we knew it, we had left the ground.

"We're off!" ejaculated Gazen, and although a slight vibration was all
the movement we could feel, we saw the earth sinking away from us. At
first we rose very slowly, because the machine had to contend against
the force of gravity; but as the weight of the car diminished the higher
we ascended, our speed gradually augmented, and we knew that in the long
run it would become prodigious. The night was moonless, and a thick
mantle of clouds obscured the heavens; but the planet Venus was now an
evening star, and after attaining a considerable height, we steered
towards the west. Our course took us over the metropolis, which lay
beneath us like a vast conflagration.

Far as the eye could see, myriads of lights glimmered like watch fires
through the murk of the dismal streets, growing thicker and thicker as
we approached the heart of the city, and appearing to blend their
lustres. Through the midst of the glittering expanse we could trace the
black tide of the river, crossed by the sparkling lines of the bridges,
and reflecting the red lanterns of the ships and barges. The principal
squares and thoroughfares were picked out, with rows and clusters of gas
and electric lamps, as with studs of gold and silver. The clock on the