‘I still don’t see how.’

’Why the submarine must have been flying a kite, with a pendent wire, to catch messages from Blake and the wireless machine at Castle Skrae.  How else could a kite—­“a dragon,” the sailor said—­have been flying above the empty sea?’

‘Logan is rather sharp,’ said Bude.

‘But, Mr. Macrae,’ asked Merton, ‘how about the false Gianesi?’

’Oh, when Gianesi came of course we settled his business.  We had him tight, as a conspirator.  He had been met, when expelled for misdeeds from Gianesi’s and Giambresi’s, by a beautiful young man, to whom he sold himself.  He believed the beautiful young man to be the devil, but, of course, it was our friend Blake. He, in turn, must have been purchased by Van Huytens while he was lecturing in America as a poet-Fenian.  In fact, he really had a singular genius for electric engineering; he had done very well at some German university.  But he was a fellow of no principle!  We are well quit of a rogue.  I turned his unlucky victim, the false Gianesi, loose, with money enough for life to keep him honest if he chooses.  His pension stops if ever a word of the method of rescue comes out.  The same with my crew.  They shall all be rich men, for their station, till the tale is whispered and reaches my ears.  In that case—­all pensions stop.  I think we can trust the crew of the friendly submarine to keep their own counsel.’

‘Certainly!’ said Merton.  ‘Wealth has its uses after all,’ he thought in his heart.

* * * * * *

Merton and Logan gave a farewell dinner in autumn to the Disentanglers—­to such of them as were still unmarried.  In her napkin each lady of the Society found a cheque on Coutts for 25,000_l_. signed with the magic name Ronald Macrae.

The millionaire had insisted on being allowed to perform this act of munificence, the salvage for the recovered millions, he said.

Miss Martin, after dinner, carried Mr. Macrae’s health in a toast.  In a humorous speech she announced her own approaching nuptials, and intimated that she had the permission of the other ladies present to make the same general confession for all of them.

‘Like every novel of my own,’ said Miss Martin, smiling, ’this enterprise of the Disentanglers has a HAPPY ENDING.’

Footnotes: 

{232} Part III.  No.  I, 1896.  Baptist Mission Press.  Calcutta, 1897.

{242} See also Monsieur Henri Junod, in Les Ba-Ronga.  Attinger, Neuchatel, 1898.  Unlike Mr. Skertchley, M. Junod has not himself seen the creature.

{406} Periscope not necessary with conning tower out of water.  Man could see out of port.