“Come, come, General!” exclaimed the Professor, “this is sheer flattery. You are amusing yourself at my expense, I fear. I hardly expected this of you.”
“I speak only the truth!” said the General solemnly.
“We will let that pass,” replied the Professor somewhat testily. “You have not yet answered my question. Do you think the invention I have mentioned would find any market in these days?”
“I was coming to that point,” answered General Mainwarren. “I see no reason why your—your—invention when completed should not yield beneficial results.”
“Completed!” replied the Professor, “as far as that is concerned, it is substantially completed.”
“Perfected!” exclaimed General Mainwarren, with an air of astonishment.
“Yes,” replied the Professor.
“You could in—in—a comparatively short time,” resumed General Mainwarren, “turn out a practical air-ship! Do you mean this?”
“Absolutely,” replied the Professor confidently.
General Mainwarren reflected for some moments.