“I’ll need quite a supply of advice, too,” returned Allan.
Owen and Mr. Wincher did not always agree as to what was best to do. When they agreed on any point Allan was likely to accept their decision. When they did not agree, Allan made the best use he could of their judgment. The truth is that Allan had been reading so much about photography lately that he had made up his mind on a great many points. Dr. Hartel had told him that he must experiment on his own account. “What you will learn from these experiments,” he said, “may be worth more to you than the pictures. You must try and learn something from each experiment. This is the only way you will ever really know a thing. We act on the best advice we can get to begin with; then we prove to ourselves that what has been said is true or not true—or, maybe, that it is partly true and partly not true. An Englishman once said that he would like photography better if it weren’t for the pictures. He was taking a scientific view of the matter. He liked the chemical fun better than the picture fun. I think you will not like the picture fun any the less for taking an interest in the chemistry, and the better your chemistry the more you are likely to find to enjoy in your pictures. But chemistry will give you many disappointments. In any case, you will have disappointments—and they will do you good.”
As the boys were all eager to see proofs of the fire negatives, they hurried back to the stable with their bundles, McConnell asking leave to carry the camera.
“There is one thing I like about this sort of printing,” said Owen, “and that is that you don’t have to have ink. I always get mussed up so with my ink press.”
“But when you get the thing started,” said McConnell, “you can print quicker on the printing press.”
“I believe you can get mussed up in photography, if you want to,” suggested Allan.
V.
THE DARK-ROOM MYSTERY.
WHEN the boys reached the coach-house, the plates were found to be quite dry, and after unpacking a printing-frame and slipping from the stiff paper envelope a sheet of printing paper, the first of the fire negatives was soon in the sunlight on a front window-sill.