“You did!” exclaimed Mr. Jones.
“Certainly,” said Guy. “If I were a burglar, and wanted to get into your safe, that lock would not keep me out.”
Mr. Jones looked from one to the other of his companions, and then dropped into a chair, apparently overwhelmed with amazement.
“Is it possible that I have made a failure after all?” said he. “If the secret mechanism of the invention can be so easily discovered, how does it come that the officials in Washington did not see through it at once? Gentlemen, you are either dreaming or joking.”
“No, we are awake and in sober earnest,” said Guy. “We certainly did open that lock, and to convince you of the fact, we’ll do it again. Hand it out here.”
Again Mr. Jones was silent.
“I may have made a mistake,” said he, after gazing thoughtfully at the floor for a few moments, “but I can hardly believe it.”
“Give me the lock,” repeated Guy, “and I will bet you any sum you please that I will open it at the first trial.”
“Oh, I never bet,” said Jones, quickly rising to his feet and buttoning up his coat. “I regard the taking of money gained in that way as but little better than highway robbery.”
“You can’t have much faith in your invention,” said Whitney.