HISGREATHOUR
Saturdaynightateighto’clock。
Sothefiathadgoneforth，withnoconcessiontobemadeonaccountofweather。
AsOswaldcamefromhissupperandtookalookattheheavensfromthesmallfrontporch，hewasdeeplytroubledthatOrlandohadremainedsoobstinateonthispoint。Fortherewereominouscloudsrollingupfromtheeast，andthestormsinthisregionofhighmountainsandabruptvalleyswerenotlight，norwithoutdangereventothosewithfeetwellplanteduponmotherearth。
Ifthetempestshouldcomeupbeforeeight！
Mr。Challoner，who，fromsomemysteriousimpulseofbravadoonthepartofBrotherson，wastobeallowedtomakethethirdinthissmallbandofspectators，wasequallyconcernedatthissight，butnotforBrotherson。HisfearswereforOswald，whoseslowlygatheringstrengthcouldillybearthestrainwhichthisadditionalanxietyforhisbrother’slifemustimposeuponhim。AsforDoris，shewasinastateofexcitementmoreconnectedwiththepastthanwiththefuture。ThatafternoonshehadlaidherhandinthatofOrlandoBrotherson，andwishedhimwell。She！inwhosebreaststilllingeredreminiscencesofthoseolddoubtswhichhadbecloudedhisimageforherattheirfirstmeeting。Shehadnotbeenabletoavoidit。Hislookwasacompellingone，andithaddemandedthusmuchfromher；and-aterriblethoughttohergentlespirit-hemightbegoingtohisdeath！
Ithadbeensettledbytheprospectiveaviatorthattheyweretowatchfortheascentfromthemouthofthegrassyroadleadingintothehangar。Thethreeweretomeetthereataquartertoeightandawaitthestrokeandtheair-carsrise。Thattimewasnear，andMr。Challoner，catchingaglimpseofOswald’spallidandunnaturallydrawnfeatures，ashesetdownthelanternhecarried，shudderedwithforebodingandwishedthehourpassed。
Doris’watchfulglanceneverleftthefacewhoselightestchangewasmoretoherthanallOrlando’shopes。Buttheresultuponherwasnottoweakenherresolution，buttostrengthenit。Whatevertheoutcomeofthenextfewminutes，shemuststandreadytosustainherinvalidthroughit。Thatthedarknessofearlyeveninghaddeepenedtooppression，wasunnoticedforthemoment。Thefearsofanhourpasthadbeenforgotten。Theirattentionwastooabsorbedinwhatwasgoingonbeforethem，forevenaglanceoverhead。
SuddenlyMr。Challonerspoke。”WhoisthemanwhomMr。Brothersonhasaskedtogoupwithhim?”
ItwasOswaldwhoanswered。”Hehasnevertoldme。Hehaskepthisowncounselaboutthatasabouteverythingelseconnectedwiththismatter。HesimplyadvisedmethatIwasnottobotherabouthimanymore；thathehadfoundtheassistanthewanted。””Suchreticenceseemsunpardonable。Youhave-displayedgreatpatience，Oswald。””BecauseIunderstandOrlando。Hereadsmen’snatureslikeabook。
Themanhetrusts，wemaytrust。To-morrow，hewillspeakopenlyenough。Allcauseforreticencewillbegone。”Youhaveconfidencetheninthesuccessofthisundertaking?””IfIhadn’t，Ishouldnotbehere。Icouldhardlybeartowitnesshisfailure，eveninasecrettestlikethis。Ishouldfindittoohardtofacehimafterwards。””Idon’tunderstand。””Orlandohasgreatpride。IfthisenterprisefailsIcannotanswerforhim。Hewouldbecapableofanything。Why，Doris！whatisthematter，child?Ineversawyoulooklikethatbefore。”
Shehadbeendownonherkneesregulatingthelantern，andthesuddenflame，shootingup，hadshownhimherfaceturneduptowardshisinanapprehensionwhichvergedonhorror。”DoIlookfrightened?”sheasked，rememberingherselfandlightlyrising。”IbelievethatIamalittlefrightened。If-ifanythingshouldgowrong！Ifanaccident-”Butheresherememberedherselfagainandquicklychangedhertone。”Butyourconfidenceshallbemine。Iwillbelieveinhisgoodangelor-orinhisself-commandandgreatresolution。I’llnotbefrightenedanymore。”
ButOswalddidnotseemsatisfied。Hecontinuedtolookatherinvagueconcern。
Hehardlyknewwhattomakeoftheintensefeelingshehadmanifested。HadOrlandotouchedhergirlishheart?Hadthiscold-bloodednature，withitssteel-likebrilliancyandhonourablebutsternviewsoflife，movedthiswarmandsympatheticsoultomorethanadmiration?Thethoughtdisturbedhimsoheforgotthenearnessofthemomenttheywereallawaitingtillaquickraspingsoundfromthehangar，followedbythesuddenappearanceofanever-wideningbandoflightaboutitsupperrim，drewhisattentionandawakenedthemalltoabreathlessexpectation。
Thelidwasrising。Nowitwashalf-wayup，andnow，forthefirsttime，itwasliftedtoitsfullheightandstoodabroadovaldiscagainstthebackgroundoftheforest。Theeffectwasstrange。Thehangarhadbeenmadebrilliantbymanylamps，andtheirunitedglarepouringfromitstopandilluminatingnotonlythesurroundingtreetopsbutthebroadfaceofthisuplifteddisc，rousedintheawedspectatorathrillsuchasinmythologicaltimesmighthavegreetedthesuddensightofVulcan’ssmithyblazingonOlympianhills。Buttheclangofirononironwouldhaveattendedtheflashandgleamofthoseunexpectedfires，andhereallwasstillsaveforthatsteadythrobneverheardinOlympusorthehallsofValhalla，thepantofthemotoreagerforflightintheupperair。
Astheylistenedinatranceofburninghopewhichobliteratedallelse，thisnoiseandallothersnearanddistant，wassuddenlylostinaloudclatterofwrithingandtwistingboughswhichsettheforestinaroarandseemedtoheavetheairaboutthem。
Awindhadswoopeddownfromtheeast，bendingeverythingbeforeitandrattlingthehugeovalonwhichtheireyeswerefixedasthoughitwouldtearitfromitshinges。
Thethreecaughtateachother’shandsindismay。Thestormhadcomejustonthevergeoftheenterprise，andnoonemightguesstheresult。”Willhedare?Willhedare?”whisperedDoris，andOswaldanswered，thoughitseemednexttoimpossiblethathecouldhaveheardher：”Hewilldare。Butwillhesurviveit?Mr。Challoner，”hesuddenlyshoutedinthatgentleman’sear，”whattimeisitnow?”
Mr。Challoner，disengaginghimselffromtheirmutualgrasp，kneltdownbythelanterntoconsulthiswatch。”Oneminutetoeight，”heshoutedback。
Theforestwasnowapandemonium。Greatboughs，splitfromtheirparenttrunks，fellcrashingtothegroundinalldirections。Thescreamofthewindrousedechoeswhichrepeatedthemselves，here，thereandeverywhere。Norainhadfallenyet，butthesightofthecloudsskurryingpell-mellthroughtheglarethrownupfromtheshed，createdsuchhavocinthealreadyoverstrainedmindsofthethreeonlookers，thattheyhardlyheeded，whenwithac1atterandcrashwhichatanothertimewouldhavestartledthemintoflight，theswayingovalbeforethemwaswhirledfromitshingesandthrownbackagainstthetreesalreadybendingundertheonslaughtofthetempest。Destructionseemedthenaturalaccompanimentofthemoment，andtheonlyprayerwhichsprangtoOswald’slipswasthatthemotorwhosethrobyetlingeredintheirbloodthoughnolongertakeninbytheear，wouldeitherrefusetoworkorproveinsufficienttolifttheheavycarintothisseethingtumultofwarringforces。
Hisbrother’slifehunginthebalanceagainsthisfame，andhecouldnotbutchooselifeforhim。Yet，asthemultitudinoussoundsabouthimyieldedforamomenttothatbrother’sshout，andheknewthatthemomenthadcome，whichwouldsoonsettleall，hefoundhimselfstaringattheellipticaledgeofthehangar，withananticipationwhichheldinitasmuchterrorasjoy，fortheendofagreathopeorthebeginningofagreattriumphwascompressedintothistremblinginstantandif-
GreatGod！heseesit！Theyallseeit！Plainlyagainstthatportionofthediscwhichstilllifteditselfabovethefurtherwall，acuriousmovingmassappears，lengthens，takesonshape，thenshootssuddenlyaloft，clearingtheencirclingtopsofthebending，twistingandtormentedtrees，straightintotheheartofthegale，whereforonebreathlessmomentitwhirlsmadlyaboutlikeathingdistraught，theninslowbuttriumphantobediencetothemasterhandthatguidesit，steadiesandmountsmajesticallyupwardtillitislosttotheirviewinthedepthsofimpenetrabledarkness。
OrlandoBrothersonhasaccomplishedhistask。Hehasinventedamechanismwhichcansendanair-carstraightupfromitsmooringplace。Asthethreewatchersrealisethis，Oswalduttersacryoftriumph，andDoristhrowsherselfintoMr。Challoner’sarms。
Thentheyallstandtransfixedagain，waitingforadescentwhichmaynevercome。
Buthark！anewsound，minglingitsclatterwithalltheothers。
Itistherain。Quick，maddening，drenching，itcomes；envelopingtheminwetinamoment。Cantheyholdtheirfacesupagainstit?
Andthewind！Surelyitmusttossthataerialmessengerbeforeitandflingitbacktoearth，abrokenanddespisedtoy。”Orlando?”wentupinashriek。”Orlando?”Oh，forarayoflightinthosefar-offheavensForalullinthetremendoussoundsshiveringtheheavensandshakingtheearth！Butthetempestrageson，andtheycanonlywait，fiveminutes，tenminutes，looking，hoping，fearing，withoutthoughtofselfandalmostwithoutthoughtofeachother，tillsuddenlyasithadcome，therainceasesandthewind，withonefinalwailofrageanddefeat，rushesawayintothewest，leavingbehinditasuddensilencewhich，totheirterrifiedhearts，seemsalmostmoredreadfultobearthantheaccumulatednoisesofthemomentjustgone。
Orlandowasinthatshoutofnaturalforces，butheisnotinthisstillness。Theylookaloft，buttheheavensarevoid。Emptinessiswherelifewas。Oswaldbeginstosway，andDoris，rememberinghimnowandhimonly，hasthrownherstrongyoungarmabouthim，when-Whatisthissoundtheyhearhighup，highup，intherapidlyclearingvaultoftheheavens！Athrob-asteadypant，-drawingnearandyetnearer，-enteringthecircletofgreatbranchesovertheirheads-descending，slowlydescending，-tilltheycatchanotherglimpseofthosehazyoutlineswhichhadnosoonertakenshapethanthecardisappearedfromtheirsightwithintheellipticalwallopentoreceiveit。
Ithadsurvivedthegale！Ithasre-entereditshaven，andthat，too，withoutcollidingwithaughtaroundoranyshocktothosewithin，justasOrlandohadpromised；andtheworldwashenceforthhis！HailtoOrlandoBrotherson！
Oswaldcouldhardlyrestrainhismadjoyandenthusiasm。Boundingtothedoorseparatinghimfromthisconquerorofalmostinvincibleforces，hepoundeditwithimpatientfist。”Letmein！”hecried。”You’vedonethetrick，Orlando，you’vedonethetrick。””Yes，Ihavesatisfiedmyself，”camebackinstudiedself-controlfromtheothersideofthedoor；andwithaquickturningofthelock，Orlandostoodbeforethem。
Theyneverforgothimashelookedatthatmoment。Hewasdrenched，battered，palpitatingwithexcitement；butthemajestyofsuccesswasinhiseyeandinthebearingofhisincomparablefigure。
AsOswaldboundedtowardshim，hereachedouthishand，buthisglancewasforDoris。
Yes，”hewenton，intonesofsuppressedelation，”there’snoflawinmytriumph。IhavedoneallthatIsetouttodo。Now-”
Whydidhestopandlookhurriedlybackintothehangar?HehadrememberedSweetwater。Sweetwater，whoatthatmomentwassteppingcarefullyfromhisseatinsomeremoteportionofthecar。Thetriumphwasnotcomplete。Hehadmeant-
Buttherehisthoughtstopped。Nothingofevil，nothingevenofregretshouldmarhisgreathour。Hewasaconqueror，anditwasforhimnowtoreapthejoyofconquest。