at's this? Trying to make a steam
engine?"

"No, not exactly an engine; but I thought that perhaps I might make a
little machine that would turn a wheel."

"And supply you with motive-power. Well, I will tell you at once that
it would not."

"Why not?" said Vane, with a little more confidence, as he grew used to
his companion's abrupt ways.

"Because you have gone the wrong way to work, groping along in the dark.
I'll be bound to say," he continued, as he stood turning over the
rough, clumsy contrivance upon which he had seized--a bit of mechanism
which had cost the boy a good many of his shillings, and the blacksmith
much time in filing and fitting in an extremely rough way--"that
Newcomen and Watt and the other worthies of the steam engine's early
days hit upon exactly the same ideas. It is curious how men in
different places, when trying to contrive some special thing, all start
working in the same groove."

"Then you think that is all stupid and waste of time, sir?"

"I did not say so. By no means. The bit of mechanism is of no use--
never can be, but it shows me that you have the kind of brain that ought
to fit you for an engineer, and the time you have spent over this has
all been education. It will teach you one big lesson, my lad. When you
try to invent anything again, no matter how simple, don't begin at the
very beginning, but seek out what has already been done, and begin where
others have left off--making use of what is good in their work as a
foundation for yours."

"Yes, I see now," said Vane. "I shall not forget that."

Their visitor laughed.

"Then you will be a very exceptional fellow, Vane Lee. But, there, I
hope you will not forget. Humph!" he continued, looking round, "You
have a capital lot of material here: machinery and toys. No, I will not
call them toys, because these playthings are often the parents of very
useful machines. What's that--balloon?"

"An attempt at one," replied Vane.

"Oh, then, you have been trying to solve the flying problem."

"Yes," cried Vane excitedly; "have you?"

"Yes, I have had my season of thought over it, my lad; and I cannot help
thinking that it will some day be mastered or discovered by accident."

Vane's lips parted, and he rested his elbows on the workbench, placed
his chin in his hands, and gazed excitedly in his companion's face.

"And how do you think it will be done?"

"Ah, that's a difficult question to answer, boy. There is