Droop glanced apprehensively at Rebecca and replied in a whisper:
"We'll see the pole a-stickin' up. We can't go wrong, you know. The Panchronicon is fixed to guide itself allus due north."
"You don't need to whisper—speak right up, Mr. Droop," said Rebecca, sharply.
Copernicus started, looked nervously about and then stared out of the window northward with a very business-like frown.
"Is the' really an' truly a pole there?" Phœbe asked.
"Yes," said Droop, shortly.
"An' can ye see the meridians jammed together like in the geographies?" asked Rebecca.
"No," said Droop, "no, indeed—at least, I didn't see any."
"Why, Rebecca," said Phœbe, "the meridians are only conventional signs, you know. They don't——"
"Hallo!" Droop cried, suddenly, "what's that?" He raised a spyglass with which he had hitherto been playing and directed it northward for a few seconds. Then he turned with a look of relief on his face.