"Well, I hardly know," he replied doubtfully. "It is rather out of my
line, and after my experience with Mars the other night, I am not
inclined to dogmatise. At all events, I should like to see and try the
machine before giving an opinion."

"I will arrange for that with the inventor."

"Possibly I can find out something about him from my American
friends--if he is genuine. What's his name again?"

"Carmichael--Nasmyth Carmichael."

"Nasmyth Carmichael," repeated Gazen, musingly. "It seems to me I've
heard the name somewhere. Yes, now I recollect. When I was a student at
Cambridge, I remember reading a textbook on physics by Professor Nasmyth
Carmichael, an American, and a capital book it was--beautifully simple,
clear, and profound like Nature herself. Professors, as a rule, and
especially professors of science, are not the best writers in the world.
Pity they can't teach the economy of energy without wasting that of
their readers. Carmichael's book was not a dead system of mathematics
and figures, but rather a living tale, with illustrations drawn from
every part of the world. I got far more help from it than the prescribed
treatises, and the best of that was a liking for the subject. I believe
I should have been plucked without it."

"The very man, no doubt."

"He was remarkably sane when he wrote that book, whatever he is now. As
to his character, that is another question. Given a work of science, to