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〃They　can　afford　to　wait；〃　said　Graham；　〃they　can

afford　to　wait。　I　know。　I'm　not　a　Latin。　There's

questions　I　want　to　ask　some　expertabout　your

machinery。　I'm　keen。　I　want　no　distractions。〃



〃You　have　the　world　to　choose　from；〃　said　Lincoln；

〃　whatever　you　want　is　yours。〃



Asano　appeared；　and　under　the　escort　of　a　strong

guard　they　returned　through　the　city　streets　to　

Graham's　apartments。　Far　larger　crowds　had　assembled　to

witness　his　return　than　his　departure　had　gathered；　and

the　shouts　and　cheering　of　these　masses　of　people

sometimes　drowned　Lincoln's　answers　to　the　endless

questions　Graham's　aerial　journey　had　suggested。　At

first　Graham　had　acknowledged　the　cheering　and　cries

of　the　crowd　by　bows　and　gestures；　but　Lincoln

warned　him　that　such　a　recognition　would　be　

considered　incorrect　behaviour。　Graham；　already　a　little

wearied　by　rhythmic　civilities；　ignored　his　subjects　for

the　remainder　of　his　public　progress。



Directly　they　arrived　at　his　apartments　Asano　departed　

in　search　of　kinematographic　renderings　of

machinery　in　motion；　and　Lincoln　despatched　Graham's　

commands　for　models　of　machines　and　small

machines　to　illustrate　the　various　mechanical　advances

of　the　last　two　centuries。　The　little　group　of　

appliances　for　telegraphic　communication　attracted　the

Master　so　strongly　that　his　delightfully　prepared　

dinner；　served　by　a　number　of　charmingly　dexterous

girls；　waited　for　a　space。　The　habit　of　smoking　had

almost　ceased　from　the　face　of　the　earth；　but　when　he

expressed　a　wish　for　that　indulgence；　inquiries　were

made　and　some　excellent　cigars　were　discovered　in

Florida；　and　sent　to　him　by　pneumatic　dispatch　while

the　dinner　was　still　in　progress。　Afterwards　came　the

aeronauts；　and　a　feast　of　ingenious　wonders　in　the

hands　of　a　latter…day　engineer。　For　the　time；　at　any

rate；　the　neat　dexterity　of　counting　and　numbering

machines；　building　machines；　spinning　engines；　patent　

doorways；　explosive　motors；　grain　and　water　elevators；　

slaughter…house　machines　and　harvesting　appliances；　

was　more　fascinating　to　Graham　than　any

bayadere。　〃We　were　savages；〃　was　his　refrain；　〃we

were　savages。　We　were　in　the　stone　agecompared

with　this。　。　。　。　And　what　else　have　you？　〃



There　came　also　practical　psychologists　with　some

very　interesting　developments　in　the　art　of　hypnotism。

The　names　of　Milne　Bramwell；　Fechner；　Liebault；

William　James；　Myers　and　Gurney；　he　found；　bore　a

value　now　that　would　have　astonished　their　

contemporaries。　Several　practical　applications　of　

psychology　were　now　in　general　use；　it　had　largely　

supersceeded　drugs；　antiseptics　and　anaesthetics　in　

medicine；　was　employed　by　almost　all　who　had　any　need　of

mental　concentration。　A　real　enlargement　of　human

faculty　seemed　to　have　been　effected　in　this　direction。

The　feats　of　〃calculating　boys；〃　the　wonders；　as　Graham　

had　been　wont　to　regard　them；　of　mesmerisers；

were　now　within　the　range　of　anyone　who　could　afford

the　services　of　a　skilled　hypnotist。　Long　ago　the　old

examination　methods　in　education　had　been　destroyed

by　these　expedients。　Instead　of　years　of　study；　candidates

had　substituted　a　few　weeks　of　trances；　and

during　the　trances　expert　coaches　had　simply　to　repeat

all　the　points　necessary　for　adequate　answering；　adding　

a　suggestion　of　the　post　hypnotic　recollection　of

these　points。　In　process　mathematics　particularly；　this

aid　had　been　of　singular　service；　and　it　was　now　

invariably　invoked　by　such　players　of　chess　and　games

of　manual　dexterity　as　were　still　to　be　found。　In　fact；

all　operations　conducted　under　finite　rules；　of　a　

quasi…mechanical　sort　that　is；　were　now　systematically　

relieved　from　the　wanderings　of　imagination　and　emotion；　

and　brought　to　an　unexampled　pitch　of　accuracy。

Little　children　of　the　labouring　classes；　so　soon　as　they

were　of　sufficient　age　to　be　hypnotised；　were　thus　

converted　into　beautifully　punctual　and　trustworthy

machine　minders；　and　released　forthwith　from　the

long；　long　thoughts　of　youth。　Aeronautical　pupils；

who　gave　way　to　giddiness；　could　be　relieved　from

their　imaginary　terrors。　In　every　street　were　

hypnotists　ready　to　print　permanent　memories　upon　the

mind。　If　anyone　desired　to　remember　a　name；　a　series

of　numbers；　a　song　or　a　speech；　it　could　be　done　by

this　method；　and　conversely　memories　could　be

effaced；　habits　removed；　and　desires　eradicateda

sort　of　psychic　surgery　was；　in　fact；　in　general　use。

Indignities；　humbling　experiences；　were　thus　forgotten；　

amorous　widows　would　obliterate　their　previous

husbands；　angry　lovers　release　themselves　from　their

slavery。　To　graft　desires；　however；　was　still　impossible；

and　the　facts　of　thought　transference　were　yet　

unsystematised。　The　psychologists　illustrated　their　

expositions　with　some　astounding　experiments　in　mnemonics

made　through　the　agency　of　a　troupe　of　pale…faced

children　in　blue。



Graham；　like　most　of　the　people　of　his　former　time；

distrusted　the　hypnotist；　or　he　might　then　and　there

have　eased　his　mind　of　many　painful　preoccupations。

But　in　spite　of　Lincoln's　assurances　he　held　to　the　old

theory　that　to　be　hypnotised　was　in　some　way　the　

surrender　of　his　personality；　the　abdication　of　his　will。　At

the　banquet　of　wonderful　experiences　that　was　beginning；　

he　wanted　very　keenly　to　remain　absolutely

himself。



The　next　day；　and　another　day；　and　yet　another　day

passed　in　such　interests　as　these。　Each　day　Graham

spent　many　hours　in　the　glorious　entertainment　of

flying。　On　the　third　day　he　soared　across　middle

France；　and　within　sight　of　the　snow…clad　Alps。　These

vigorous　exercises　gave　him　restful　sleep；　and　each　day

saw　a　great　stride　in　his　health　from　the　spiritless

anaemia　of　his　first　awakening。　And　whenever　he　was

not　in　the　air；　and　awake；　Lincoln　was　assiduous　in　the

cause　of　his　amusement；　all　that　was　novel　and　curious

in　contemporary　invention　was　brought　to　him；　until

at　last　his　appetite　for　novelty　was　well…nigh　glutted。

One　might　fill　a　dozen　inconsecutive　volumes　with　the

strange　things　they　exhibited。　Each　afternoon　he　held

his　court　for　an　hour　or　so。　He　speedily　found　his

interest　in　his　contemporaries　becoming　personal　and

intimate。　At　first　he　had　been　alert　chiefly　for　

unfamiliarity　and　peculiarity；　any　foppishness　in　their

dress；　any　discordance　with　his　preconceptions　of

nobility　in　their　status　and　manners　had　jarred　upon

him；　and　it　was　remarkable　to　him　how　soon　that

strangeness　and　the　faint　hostility　that　arose　from　it；

disappeared；　how　soon　he　came　to　appreciate　the　true

perspective　of　his　position；　and　see　the　old　Victorian

days　remote　and　quaint。　He　found　himself　particularly　

amused　by　the　red…haired　daughter　of　the　Manager　

of　the　European　Piggeries。　On　the　second　day

after　dinner　he　made　the　acquaintance　of　a　latter…day

dancing　girl；　and　found　her　an　astonishing　artist。　And

after　that；　more　hypnotic　wonders。　On　the　third　day

Lincoln　was　moved　to　suggest　that　the　Master　should

repair　to　a　Pleasure　City；　but　this　Graham　declined；

nor　would　he　accept　the　services　of　the　hypnotists　in

his　aeronautical　experiments。　The　link　of　locality　held

him　to　London；　he　found　a　perpetual　wonder　in　

topographical　identifications　that　he　would　have　missed

abroad。　〃Hereor　a　hundred　feet　below　here；〃　he

could　say；　〃I　used　to　eat　my　midday　cutlets　during

my　London　University　days。　Underneath　here　was

Waterloo　and　the　perpetual　hunt　for　confusing　trains。

Often　have　I　stood　waiting　down　there；　bag　in　hand；

and　stared　up　into　the　sky　above　the　forest　of　signals；

little　thinking　I　should　walk　some　day　a　hundred　yards

in　the　air。　And　now　in　that　very　sky　that　was　once　a

grey　smoke　canopy；　I　circle　in　an　aeropile。〃



During　those　three　days　Graham　was　so　occupied

with　such　distractions　that　the　vast　political　

movements　in　progress　outside　his　quarters　had　but　a　small

share　of　his　attention。　Those　about　him　told　him

little。　Daily　came　Ostrog；　the　Boss；　his　Grand　Vizier；

his　mayor　of　the　palace；　to　report　in　vague　terms　the

steady　establishment　of　his　rule；　〃a　little　trouble〃

soon　to　be　settled　in　this　city；　〃a　slight　disturbance〃

in　that。　The　song　of　the　social　revolt　came　to　him　no

more；　he　never　learned　that　it　had　been　forbidden　in

the　municipal　limits；　and　all　the　great　emotions　of　the

crow's　nest　slumbered　in　his　mind。



But　on　the　second　and　third　of　the　three　days

he　found　himself；　in　spite　of　his　interest　in　the

daughter　of　the　Pig　Manager；　or　it　may　be　by；

reason　of　the　thoughts　her　conversation　suggested；

remembering　the　girl　Helen　Wotton；　who　had

spoken　to　him　so　oddly　at　the　Wind…Vane　

Keeper's　gathering。　The　impression　she　had　made　was　a

deep　one；　albeit　the　incessant　surprise　of　novel　

circumstances　had　kept　him　from　brooding　upon　it　for　a

space。　But　now　her　memory　was　coming　to　its　own。

He　wondered　what　she　had　meant　by　those　broken

half…forgotten　sentences；　the　picture　of　her　eyes　and

the　earnest　passion　of　her　face　became　more　vivid　as

his　mechanical　interests　faded。　Her　beauty　came　

compellingly　between　him　and　certain　immediate　

temptations　of　ignoble　passion。　But　he　did　not　see　her　again

until　three　full　days　were　past。



CHAPTER　XVIII



GRAHAM　REMEMBERS



She　came　upon　him　at　last　in　a　little　gallery　that

ran　from　the　Wind　Vane　Offices　toward　his　state

apartments。　The　gallery　was　long　and　narrow；　with　a

series　of　recesses；　each　with　an　arched　fenestration　that

looked　upon　a　court　of　palms。　He　came　upon　her

suddenly　in　one　of　these　recesses。　She　was　seated。

She　turned　her　head　at　the　sound　of　his　footsteps　and

started　at　the　sight　of　him。　Every　touch　of　colour

vanished　from　her　face。　She　rose　instantly；　made　a

step　toward　him　as　if　to　address　him；　and　hesitated。

He　stopped　and　stood　still；　expectant。　Then　he　perceived　

that　a　nervous　tumult　silenced　her；　pe