“I came that way with several friends from the Collect,” he answered.
“Why the Collect?” asked the hostess, who was now seated with the two blacks towering above her.
“There is a man there who has a boat which is to go without sail, as I understand it, providing his idea is correct. It is to go by steam, I believe, only he did not succeed in making it so do to-day, at least not while I was there. It may have gone, though. I could not wait to see.”
“Oh marvelous,” exclaimed Eulalie, putting up a pair of pretty hands, “and really is it a boat that will travel so?”
“I cannot vouch for that,” returned the youth gravely. “It was not going when we visited it. The fire and my engagement took the entire audience of the inventor away,” and he smiled.
“I shall have no faith in any such trap as that until I see it,” observed Madame Kortright. “Fancy being on the water and no sail to waft you. Mercy!”
“I fancy it will be some time before men will venture afar on any such craft,” returned the youth; “but it is a bit curious.”
“Dangerous, I should say,” suggested Mistress Sophia.
“No,” said Walton, “not that, I think. My father has often told me that Master Franklin predicted to him that men should harness the lightning before many years. That is even more strange than this.”
“That may all be true,” said Madame Kortright, “but it has not come to pass yet. It will never be in our time, I fear. But did you hear of the case of jewels at Maton’s?”