(_By Our Imaginary Interviewer._)
I found The great man surrounded by plans and models of any number of
wonderful inventions. Here was a clever scheme for spending a week's
holiday in the Mountains of the Moon, there a recipe for removing the
spots from the face of the sun. It would take too long to give an
inventory of all the marvels. Enough to say their name was legion.
"And so you have discovered the secret of aërial navigation?" I asked,
after I was comfortably seated.
The great man smiled. He evidently had solved the difficult problem.
"I suppose that now you and all will be able to do without ships and
railways? I presume we shall be independent of cabs and omnibuses?"
[Illustration]
Once more there was a smile. I was answered. "Of course," I continued,
"you will be able to take your aërial contrivances to all the countries
of the earth? What is there to prevent you from starting flying-machines
from London to Paris, or Berlin, or even Timbuctoo?" Again there was a
pleasant smile. Evidently my guess was a good one.
"You will be able to travel thousands of miles without the assistance of
rails? You will dispense with land and water? All you will require will
be the atmosphere, and that is always with us--always at our service."
Again my suggestions remained uncontradicted.
"It is truly marvellous," I remarked; "truly marvellous! And you have
commenced? You have been able to float through the air for a dozen, a
hundred feet?" There was a smile once again.
"And yet, perhaps, as railways and steamships are still 'firm' on the
Stock Exchange, it may be just as well to allow our holdings in those
securities to remain undisturbed? What do you think? It is scarcely time
to speculate for a fall?" Once more he smiled, and as smiling is
infectious, I joined him in his merriment.
* * * * *