with simple-minded enthusiasm. Love casts out fear, and there is no
doubt that Tim loved every screw and lever of the complicated mechanism.

Mr. Mildmay left his place near the door and came forward. His
deferential manner dropped off from him. He revealed himself as a
mechanical expert with a special knowledge of cash registers. He and
Tim Gorman pressed keys, twisted handles and bent together in absorbed
contemplation over some singular feature of the machine's organism.
Gorman, the elder brother, watched them with a confident smile. Ascher
and Stutz sat gravely silent. They waited Mildmay's opinion. He was the
man of the moment. A few minutes before he had bowed respectfully to
Ascher. In half an hour he would be bowing respectfully to Ascher
again. Just then, while he handled Tim Gorman's machine, he was Ascher's
master, and mine of course. They were all my masters.

The inspection of the machine was finished at last. Tim stood flushed
and triumphant. The child of his ingenious brain had survived the tests
of an expert. Mildmay turned to Ascher and bowed again.

"It's a wonderful invention," he said. "I see no reason why it should
not be a commercial success."

"Perhaps, Mr. Mildmay," said Ascher, "you will study the subject further
and submit a report to us in writing."

Mr. Mildmay left the room. I had no doubt that he would report
enthusiastically on the new cash register. Mechanical experts do not, I
suppose, write poetry, but there was without doubt a lyric in Mildmay's
heart as he left the room. Tim packed the thing up again. Now that the
mechanical part of the business was over, he relapsed into shy silence
in a corner. His brother took out a cigarette and lit it I would not
have ventured to light a cigarette in that sanctuary for a hundred
pounds. But Gorman is entirely without reverence.

"Well," he said, "there's no doubt about the value of the invention."

"We shall wait for Mr. Mildmay's report," said Ascher, "before we
come to any decision; but in the meanwhile we should like to hear any
proposal you have to make."

"Yes," said Stutz, "your proposals. We are prepared to listen to them."

Stutz seemed to me to speak English with difficulty. His native language
was perhaps German, perhaps Hebrew or Yiddish or whatever the language
is which modern Jews speak in private life.

"The matter is simple enough," said Gorman. "Our machine will drive
any other out of the market. There's no possibility