on of
speed. Your poet, Henley, touched the pulse of the times when he wrote
those splendid lines of his. But surely, Professor, _you_ would not have
very much difficulty in leaving all far behind. A man to whom
mathematical impossibilities are as easy as an addition sum ought to be
able to realise the dream of the ages and solve the problem of aerial
navigation."

He looked him straight in the eyes as he said this. He fully believed in
the possibility of human flight, given the transcendent genius who could
work out the equation of weight and power. Perhaps that genius might be
with him now in the bridge-house. His vivid imagination was already
picturing the lovely girl at his side crowned Empress of the Russias and
the East, and himself in command of an aerial navy, beneath whose
assault the armies and navies and fortresses of the rest of the world
would be as so many toys to play with and destroy.

"If I could do that, and I do not think it would be so very difficult
after all," said Franklin Marmion, returning his glance, "I would not
do it. It would put too much power in the hands of a few men, and we
have enough of that already. The owner of a fleet of aerial warships
would be above all human law. He could terrorise the earth, and make
mankind his slaves. Life would become unendurable under such conditions.
Commercialism, which only means slavery plus the liberty to starve, is
bad enough, but it is at least possible. The other would be impossible.
There is no man quite honest enough to be trusted with such a power as
that. I have worked the thing out, and it is perfectly feasible, but I
burnt my designs and calculations."

"What!" exclaimed Oscarovitch, flushing in spite of his effort to keep
the blood back from his face. "You have solved the problem, and won't
make use of the greatest invention of all the ages! Surely, Professor,
that is a little quixotic, is it not?"

"Who am I that I should bring a curse upon humanity, Prince?" he
answered gravely. "Do you not kill each other fast enough now? No, the
world is not fit for such a development yet. My results will remain my
own until Tom Hood's ideal of good government has been realised."

"And what was that, Dad?" asked Nitocris, who had a double reason for
being interested in the conversation. "If I ever knew it, I have
forgotten it."

"Despotism, Niti--and an angel from heaven for the despot," he replied,
with another look into the Prince's eyes which bro