When he saw a chance, Mr. Harding spoke.

"So the government really means to give us an opportunity to show the
worth of our machines?" he grated out, rubbing his hands as if washing
them in some sort of invisible soap.

"Yes, so it seems. At any rate, they notified me that this officer would
be here to-day to inspect the place. It means a great deal for us if the
government consents to adopt our form of machine for the naval
experiments."

"To us! To you, you mean," echoed Mr. Harding, with an unpleasant laugh.
"I've put enough capital into this thing now, Mortlake. I'm not the man to
throw good money after bad. If we are defeated by any other make of
machine at the tests I mean to sell the whole thing and at least realize
what I've put into it."

Mortlake turned a little pale under his swarthy skin. He rubbed his blue
chin nervously.

"Why, you wouldn't chuck us over now, Mr. Harding," he said deprecatingly.
"It was at your solicitation that the plant was put up here, and I had
relied on you for unlimited support. Why did you go into the manufacture
of aerial machines, if you didn't mean to stick it out?"

"I had two reasons," was the rejoinder, in tones as cold as a frigid blast
of wind, "one was that I thought it was certain we should capture the
government contract, and the other was--well, I had a little grudge I
wished to satisfy."