to Mr. Clewe and Mrs. Raleigh, congratulating them upon the happy
event of which they had been informed. Sarah Block insisted on
sending a supplementary message for herself, in which she was
privately congratulatory to as great an extent as her husband
would allow her to go, and which ended with a hope that if they
lived to be married they would content themselves with doing
their explorations on solid ground. She did not want to come
back until she had seen the pole, but some of her ideas about
that kind of travelling were getting to be a good deal more fixed
than they had been.

The advice which Roland Clewe gave to Samuel Block was simple
enough and perhaps unnecessary, but there was noshing else for
him to say. He urged that the strictest watch be kept on
Rovinski; that he should never be allowed to go near the
telegraph instrument; and if, by insubordination or any bad
conduct, a pretext for his punishment should offer itself, he
should be immediately shut up where he could not communicate with
the men. It was very important to keep him as much as possible
in ignorance of what was going on and of what should be
accomplished; that, after all, was the main point. If the pole
should be discovered, Rovinski must have nothing to do with it.
Sammy replied that everything should he reported as soon as it
turned up, and any orders received from Mr. Clewe should be
carried out so long as he was alive to help carry them.

"Now," said Roland to Margaret, "there's nothing more that we can
do in regard to that affair. As soon as there are any new
developments we shall have to consider it again, but until then
let us give up our whole souls to each other and the Artesian