last the
name and place of the undiscoverable unknown! And to know if he would
agree to some bargain with the government! It goes without saying
that America does things on a magnificent scale. Millions would not
be lacking for the inventor. If necessary all the millionaires in the
country would open their inexhaustible purses!

The day passed. To how many excited and impatient people it seemed to
contain more than twenty-four hours! And each hour held far more than
sixty minutes! There came no answer, no letter, no telegram! The
night following, there was still no news. And it was the same the
next day and the next.

There came, however another result, which had been fully foreseen.
The cables informed Europe of what the United States government had
done. The different Powers of the Old World hoped also to obtain
possession of the wonderful invention. Why should they not struggle
for an advantage so tremendous? Why should they not enter the contest
with their millions?

In brief, every great Power took part in the affair, France, England,
Russia, Italy, Austria, Germany. Only the states of the second order
refrained from entering, with their smaller resources, upon a useless
effort. The European press published notices identical with that of
the United States. The extraordinary "chauffeur" had only to speak,
to become a rival to the Vanderbilts, the Astors, the Goulds, the
Morgans, and the Rothschilds of every country of Europe.

And, when the mysterious inventor made no sign, what attractive
offers were held forth to tempt him to discard the secrecy in which
he was enwrapped! The whole world became a public market, an auction
house whence arose the most amazing bids. Twice a day the newspapers
would add up the amounts, and these kept rising from millions to
millions. The end came when the United States Congress, after a
memorable session, voted to offer the sum of twenty million dollars.
And there was not a citizen of the States of whatever rank, who
objected to the amount, so much importance was attached to the
possession of this prodigious engine of locomotion. As for me, I said
emphatically to my old housekeeper: "The machine is worth even more
than that."

Evidently the other nations of the world did not think so, for their
bids remained below the final sum. But how useless was this mighty
struggle of the great rivals! The inventor did not appear! He did not
exist! He had never existed! It was all a monstro