ed."

"John!"--she just whispered his name, and the soft, firm fold of her
fingers closed round his, strengthening, cheering. Her husband faintly
smiled.

"Here!"--He unlocked the door, and called to the people outside. "Come
in, two of you fellows, and see how my devils work. Now then! Boys,
keep out of the way; my little girl"--his voice softened--"my pet will
not be frightened? Now, my men--ready?"

He opened the valve.

With a strange noise, that made the two Enderley men spring back as if
the six devils were really let loose upon them, the steam came rushing
into the cylinder. There was a slight motion of the piston-rod.

"All's right! it will work?"

No, it stopped.

John drew a deep breath.

It went on again, beginning to move slowly up and down, like the strong
right arm of some automaton giant. Greater and lesser cog-wheels
caught up the motive power, revolving slowly and majestically, and with
steady, regular rotation, or whirling round so fast you could hardly
see that they stirred at all. Of a sudden a soul had been put into
that wonderful creature of man's making, that inert mass of wood and
metal, mysteriously combined. The monster was alive!

Speechless, John stood watching it. Their trial over, his energies
collapsed; he sat down by his wife's side, and taking Muriel on his
knee, bent his head over hers.

"Is all right, father?" the child whispered.

"All quite right, my own."

"You said you could do it, and you have done it," cried his wife, her
eyes glowing with triumph, her head erect and proud.

John dropped his lower, lower still. "Yes," he murmured; "yes, thank
God."

Then he opened the door, and let all the people in to see the wondrous
sight.

They crowded in by dozens, staring about in blank wonder, gaping
curiosity, ill-disguised alarm. John took pains to explain the
machinery, stage by stage, till some of the more intelligent caught up
the principle, and made merry at the notion of "devils." But they all
looked with great awe at the master, as if he were something more than
man. They listened open-mouthed to every word he uttered, cramming the
small engine-room till it was scarcely possible to breathe, but keeping
at a respectful distance from the iron-armed monster, that went
working, working on, as if ready and able to work on to everlasting.

John took his wife and children out into the open air. Muriel, who had
stood for the last few minutes by her father