aken the bit in its teeth and run away with him; "an'
spikes put on 'em to keep the little boys from swinging on 'em, an'
gettin' into mischief. Oh! what jolly fun it would be. Only think!
we'd advertise cheap excursion trains along the Arkimeedis Line, Mondays
an' Toosdays. Fares, two hundred pounds, fust class. No seconds or
parleys allowed for love or money. Starts from the Fuddlecrum Sta--"

"Fulcrum," said Mr Tippet, correcting.

"Fulcrum Station," resumed Willie, "at 2:30 a.m. of the mornin'
precisely. Stops at the Quarter, Half-way, an' Three-quarter Stations,
allowin' twenty minutes, more or less, for grub--weather permittin'."

"Your observations are quaint," said Mr Tippet, with a smile; "but
there is a great deal of truth in them. No doubt, the connection of
such ideas, especially as put by you, sounds a little ludicrous; but
when we come to analyse them, we see their possibility, for, _if_ a
lever of the size indicated by the ancient philosopher were erected (and
theoretically, the thing _is_ possible), then the subordinate
arrangements as to a line of railway and stations, etcetera, would be
mere matters of detail. It might be advertised, too, that the balance
of the lever would be so regulated, that, on the arrival of the train at
the terminus, the world would rise (a fact which might be seen by the
excursionists, by the aid of enormous telescopes, much better than by
the people at home), and that, on the return of the train, the world
would again sink to its ancient level.

"There would be considerable risk, no doubt," continued Mr Tippet
meditatively, "of foolish young men and boys getting over the rails in
sport or bravado, and falling off into the depths of illimitable
profundity, but--"

"We could have bobbies stationed along the line," interrupted Willie,
"an' tickets put up warnin' the passengers not to give 'em money on no
account wotsomedever, on pain o' bein' charged double fare for the
first offence, an' pitched over the rails into illimidibble
pro-what's-'is-name for the second."

"I'll tell you what it is, William," said Mr Tippet suddenly, getting
off the bench and seizing the boy's hand, "your talents would be wasted
in my office. You'll come and assist me here in the workshop. I'm
greatly in want of an intelligent lad who can use his hands; but, by the
way, can you use your hands? Here, cut this piece of wood smooth, with
that knife."

He handed Willie a piece of cross-gr