not as flat, sharply outlined
silhouettes, but as if they had been solid bodies. I saw them with
softened outlines, through two eyes instead of a monocle. I saw them
surrounded by an atmosphere.

"Pretty good, isn't it?" said Gorman. "Tim, turn on that running girl.
I want Sir James to see how you get the effect of her going further and
further away."

The running girl was the best thing accomplished by the old
cinematograph. I never witness her race without a certain feeling of
breathlessness. But Tim's girl ran far better. She was amazingly real.
When she had finished her course, Gorman struck a match and lit the
candles again.

"That'll do, Tim," he said. "We've seen enough."

"I'd like to show you the horses," said Tim. "I think the horses
galloping are the best thing I've got."

"We'll take your word for the horses," said Gorman. "Shut off that light
of yours and stop the whizzing noise. I want to talk." He turned to me.
"Well?"

"It's marvellous," I said.

"There's money in it," said Gorman. "Piles and piles of money. The only
question is, Who's to get it?"

"Tim," I said, "is the one who deserves it."

"Tim will get his share whatever happens. The real question is, How are
we to prevent Ascher grabbing all the rest?"

Tim had finished quieting his machine and came over to us.

"Michael," he said, "I want L100."

"What for?"

"I want more mirrors. The ones I'm using aren't perfect. I must have
others."

"The ones you have," said Gorman, "are good enough for the present.
When we get a bit further on and see how this business is going to be
managed, we may get you other mirrors."

"Very well," said Tim, "I'll ask Ascher for the money. He'll give it to
me. I'd have asked him a week ago only you made me promise not to take
any more money from him without telling you."

"If you take money from Ascher," said Gorman, "he'll simply collar your
whole invention. You'll find in the end that it will be his, not yours.
He'll get every penny that's made out of it, and then he'll tell you
that you owe him more than you can pay. I've told you all along that
that's what will happen if you go borrowing from Ascher."

"I don't care," said Tim, "so long as I get it perfected I don't care
what happens."

"Damn!" said Gorman.

There was some excuse for him. Tim's attitude was hopelessly
unpractical.

"Don't you see," said Tim, "that this is a wonderful thing? It's one of
the greatest things that any one has