Anxiety, yes, for it was manifestly becoming more and more difficult for him to fulfill his duty of protecting the public.
How could we arrest criminals, if they could flee from justice at such speed over both land and sea?
How could we pursue them under the oceans?
And when dirigible balloons should also have reached their full perfection, we would even have to chase men through the air! I asked myself if my colleagues and I would not find ourselves some day reduced to utter helplessness?
If police officials, become a useless incumbrance, would be definitely discarded by society?
Here, there recurred to me the jesting letter I had received a fortnight before, the letter which threatened my liberty and even my life.

I recalled, also, the singular espionage of which I had been the subject.

I asked myself if I had better mention these things to Mr.Ward.But they seemed to have absolutely no relation to the matter now in hand.

The Great Eyrie affair had been definitely put aside by the government, since an eruption was no longer threatening.
And they now wished to employ me upon this newer matter.

I waited, then, to mention this letter to my chief at some future time, when it would be not so sore a joke to me.
Mr.Ward again took up our conversation.