an hour, the
President, who now saw with clearer eyes than any of the disputants,
rose and put an end to the discussion by remarking that they had not the
whole night before them, and that all that Professor Marmion had said
and done would be published in the scientific papers; further, that such
a controversy would perhaps be more profitably conducted in print than
by word of mouth. Such a course would give every one ample leisure to
work out the problems in the light of the new demonstrations, and also
give a much better prospect of reaching a logical, and therefore just,
conclusion than a discussion in which haste, and possibly pre-conceived
opinions, from the influence of which no human being was really free,
could possibly promise.

This, of course, put an end to the matter for the time being, and, after
the usual votes of thanks and acknowledgments, the distinguished company
dispersed--amused, mystified, gratified, bewildered, and exasperated:
but, saving only four of its members, with no idea of the effect which
that evening's proceedings were destined to have upon the fate of
Europe, perhaps of the whole human race.

CHAPTER XV

THE ADVANCEMENT OF NITOCRIS--THE RESOLVE OF OSCAROVITCH

Franklin Marmion and Hoskins van Huysman parted that evening in what may
be described as a state of armed neutrality, but with more cordiality
than Brenda, at any rate, had hoped for. Still, they were both
gentlemen, and, moreover, the American scientist was honestly looking
forward to the discovery of some fatal flaw in the reasoning of his
English rival which should leave the final triumph with him--and such a
triumph would be not only final but crushing.

Brenda whirled her father and Lord Leighton--who, of course, sat beside
her in front as she drove--off to supper; Merrill went to his club to
ruminate happily for an hour; and the hero of the evening and his
daughter drove home almost in silence, and it was a silence for which
there was a very sufficient reason. Such people do not talk about
trivialities when they are thinking about much more serious concerns.

After supper Nitocris followed her father into the study, as he quite
expected her to do, and when she had shut the door, she faced him and
said in a voice that was not quite her own:

"Dad, there seems to me to be only one explanation of what you did
to-night. I know enough mathematics to see that it is the only one. If
you tell me that I am wrong, of co