PREPARING THE WAY.
Promptness was one of the valuable characteristics of Mr. Sharp. But no
general remark is without its exceptions.
On the present occasion our legal friend decided to call at once on Mr.
Ford, in pursuance of the commission which he received from Lewis Rand.
It involved a species of double dealing for which Mr. Sharp felt that he
had peculiar qualifications.
Taking down from the nail his invariable white hat, he adjusted it
somewhat jauntily upon his head, and walked forth with a benevolent
smile irradiating his countenance, as if he were meditating some scheme
by which he expected to add largely to the sum-total of human happiness.
There are others than he who go out with a smile upon the lips, but an
evil purpose in their hearts.
The lawyer took his way to Mrs. Morton’s lodging-house. He went up
stairs, and entered Mr. Ford’s room without ceremony, knowing that Helen
would be absent at that hour, and that the habitual abstraction of her
father would probably prevent his knock being heard.
“Ah, good afternoon, Mr. Ford,” he said, with affability, cordially
grasping the inventor’s hand. “Still at your work, I see. I could not
resist the impulse to call and inquire after your progress. It seems
such a welcome relief to come from the close, dusty court-room to this
little retreat of yours. And how are you getting on, my dear friend?”
“I am advancing as rapidly as I anticipated,” said Mr. Ford, pausing in
the midst of an intricate calculation. “I feel that I have every reason
to be encouraged.”
“I am delighted to hear it,” exclaimed the lawyer, with friendly
enthusiasm. “Then you really think that before many years we shall be
able to skim from country to country on the wings of the wind, so to
speak.”
“I have not a doubt of it,” answered the inventor, in a tone of quiet
confidence. “We already know how great a degree of speed has been
attained by our steamers and locomotives, in the face of far greater
obstacles than are to be encountered in the case of aërial navigation.
The great impediment to the speed of the locomotive is, as you are
doubtless aware, the friction that necessarily results from its constant
contact with the earth.”
Mr. Sharp nodded assent.
“While the speed of the ocean-steamer is in like manner very materially
lessened by the resistance of the water.”
Mr. Sharp had often been struck by this very thought. Indeed, he had
expended considerable time and thought in the leisure stolen from his
professional cares in attempting to devise means for remedying to some
extent these causes of loss. For, as he had before assured Mr. Ford,
though a lawyer by profession, his tastes lay in quite a different
direction.
“Now in traversing the air,” continued Mr. Ford, “we have the advantage
of not being obliged to contend either with the friction generated by
constant contact with the earth, or with the resistance of a foreign
element like water. All that needs to be overcome is the resistance of
the air, which is no greater than in the other cases, while the other
obstacles are removed.”
“Very true,” said Mr. Sharp, with an air of profound conviction.
“All that is needed to establish aërial navigation on a firm basis is to
find some means of steadying and regulating the motion, which no doubt
would be incredibly rapid. It is intended that the machine shall partake
of the nature of a balloon, as buoyancy will of course be requisite.”
“My dear sir,” said Mr. Sharp, warmly grasping the hand of the inventor,
“nothing could be more clear and lucid than your explanation. The same
course of reasoning, if you will permit me to say so, has more than once
suggested itself to me, but, if I may be allowed the expression, it is
an idiosyncrasy of mine to possess more theoretical than practical
ability. Therefore even if my many engagements would suffer it, I doubt
whether I should become a successful inventor. You, my dear sir, who so
happily combine both, are admirably adapted to that high vocation.”
“I ought to succeed,” said Mr. Ford, with a little sigh, “if the labor
and thought of many years employed in one direction can achieve
success.”
“I hope,” said the visitor, as if the question had just occurred to him,
“that you have made free use of the money it was my privilege to offer
you recently.”
Mr. Ford replied gratefully, that he had expended about one half of it.
He hoped to be able to repay it some day.
“Of course,” argued the lawyer to himself, “he could not pay it now.
That is what I wanted to know.”
“I ought perhaps to mention,” he said, carelessly, “that having a large
claim unexpectedly presented for payment yesterday, I raised money upon
your note, _expressly stipulating_ that you should not be called upon
for it, as I should be able to redeem it in a day or two.”
“You are very kind,” said Mr. Ford. “Perhaps I had better return you the
money yet remaining in my hands.”
“By no means, my dear sir,” exclaimed Mr. Sharp, almost indignantly;
“shall I recall the humble offering which I have laid upon the altar of
science? Nay, I am resolved that my name shall be humbly connected with
yours, when the world has learned to recognize your genius, and numbers
you among its benefactors.”
How was it possible to suspect a friendship so disinterested?