put yourself in his place-第65部分

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　go…betweens　and　leeches　out　of　the　path　of　progress；　no；　the　deputy…vice…go…betweens　all　scowled；　as　well　as　swindled：　they　broke　my　heart　so；　often　I　sat　down　in　their　antechambers　and　the　scalding　tears　ran　down　my　cheeks；　at　being　pillaged　of　my　time　as　well　as　my　money；　and　treated　like　a　criminalfor　what？　　For　being；　in　my　small　way；　a　national　benefactor。〃

〃Ay；〃　said　the　doctor；　〃you　had　committed　the　crime　of　brains；　and　the　worse　crime　of　declining　to　be　starved　in　return　for　them。　　I　don't　rebel　against　the　fees　so　much：　their　only　fault　is　that　they　are　too　heavy；　since　the　monopoly　they　profess　to　secure　is　short…　lived；　and　yet　not　very　secure；　the　Lord　Chancellor；　as　a　judge；　has　often　to　upset　the　patent　which　he　has　sold　in　another　character。　But　that　system　of　go…betweens；　and　deputy…go…betweens；　and　deputy…　lieutenant…go…betweens　and　nobody　doing　his　own　business　in　matters　of　State；　it　really　is　a　national　curse；　and　a　great　blot　upon　the　national　intellect。　　It　is　a　disease；　so　let　us　name　it。　　We　doctors　are　great　at　naming　diseases；　greater　than　at　curing　them。


　　　　　〃'Let　us　call　it　VICARIA；　　　　　　　　This　English　malaria。'


Of　this　Vicaria；　the　loss　of　time　and　money　you　have　suffered　is　only　one　of　the　fruits；　I　think。〃

〃All　I　know　is；　they　made　my　life　hell　for　more　than　a　month；　and　if　I　have　ever　the　misfortune　to　invent　any　thing　more；　I'll　keep　it　to　myself。　　I'll　hide　it；　like　any　other　crime。　　But　no；　I　never　will　invent　another　thing：　never；　never。〃

〃Stuff！　　Methinks　I　hear　a　duck　abjure　natation。　　You　can't　help　inventing。〃

〃I　will　help　it。　　What；　do　you　think　I'll　be　such　an　ass　as　to　have　Brains　in　a　country　where　Brains　are　a　crime？　　Doctor；　I'm　in　despair。〃

〃Then　it　is　time　to　cast　your　eyes　over　this　little　picture。〃

The　inventor　turned　the　little　picture　listlessly　about。　　〃It　is　a　woman；　with　an　anchor。　　It's　a　figure　of　Hope。〃

〃Beautifully　painted；　is　it　not？〃

〃The　tints　are　well　laid　on：　but；　if　you'll　excuse　me；　it　is　rather　flat。〃　　He　laid　the　picture　down；　and　turned　away　from　it。　　〃Ah；　Hope；　my　lass；　you've　come　to　the　wrong　shop。〃

〃Not　she。　　She　was　painted　expressly　for　you；　and　by　a　very　beautiful　girl。〃

〃Oh；　doctor；　not　by〃

〃Yes；　she　sends　it　you。〃

〃Ah！〃　　And　he　caught　Hope　up；　and　began　to　devour　her　with　kisses；　and　his　eyes　sparkled　finely。

〃I　have　some　good　news；　too；　for　you。　　Mr。　Carden　tells　me　he　never　intended　to　separate　you　entirely　from　his　daughter。　　If　you　can　be　moderate；　discreet；　old　before　your　time；　etc。；　and　come　only　about　once　a　week；　and　not　compromise　her　publicly；　you　will　be　as　welcome　as　ever。〃

〃That　IS　good　news；　indeed。　　I'll　go　there　this　very　day；　and　I'll　patent　the　circular　saw。〃

〃There's　a　non…sequitur　for　you！〃

〃Nothing　of　the　kind；　sir。　　Why；　even　the　Queen's　go…betweens　will　never　daunt　me；　now　I　can　go　and　drink　love　and　courage　direct　from　HER　eyes；　and　nothing　can　chill　nor　discourage　me　now。　　I'll　light　my　forge　again　and　go　to　work；　and　make　a　few　sets　of　carving…tools；　and　that　will　pay　the　go…betweens　for　patenting　my　circular…saw　grinder。　　But　first　I'll　put　on　my　coat　and　go　to　heaven。〃

〃Had　you　not　better　postpone　that　till　the　end　of　your　brilliant　career　as　an　inventor　and　a　lover？〃

〃No；　I　thirst　for　heaven；　and　I'll　drink　it。〃　　So　he　made　his　toilet；　thanked　and　blessed　the　good　doctor；　and　off　to　Woodbine　Villa。

Grace　Carden　saw　him　coming；　and　opened　the　door　to　him　herself；　red　as　scarlet；　and　her　eyes　swimming。　　She　scarcely　made　an　effort　to　contain　herself　by　this　time；　and　when　she　got　him　into　the　drawing…　room　all　to　herself；　she　cried；　for　joy　and　tenderness；　on　his　shoulder；　and；　it　cost　him　a　gulp　or　two；　I　can　tell　you：　and　they　sat　hand　in　hand；　and　were　never　tired　of　gazing　at　each　other；　and　the　hours　flew　by　unheeded。　　All　their　trouble　was　as　though　it　had　never　been。　　Love　brightened　the　present；　the　future；　and　even　the　past。　　He　did　not　tell　Grace　one　word　of　what　he　had　suffered　from　VicariaI　thank　thee；　doctor；　for　teaching　me　that　wordit　had　lost　all　interest　to　him。　　Love　and　happiness　had　annihilated　its　true　characterlike　the　afternoon　sun　gilding　a　far…off　pig…sty。　He　did　mention　the　subject；　however；　but　it　was　in　these　terms：　〃And；　dearest；　I'm　hard　at　work　inventing；　and　I　patent　all　my　inventions；　so　I　hope　to　satisfy　your　father　before　two　years。〃

And　Grace　said；　〃Yes；　but　don't　overwork　your　poor　brain　and　worry　yourself。　　I　am　yours　in　heart；　and　that　is　something；　I　hope。　　I　know　it　is　to　me；　I　wouldn't　change　with　any　wife　in　Christendom。〃


CHAPTER　XXIX。


At　the　end　of　two　months　the　situation　of　affairs　was　as　follows：

Grace　Carden　received　a　visit　every　week　from　Henry；　and　met　him　now　and　then　at　other　houses：　she　recovered　her　health　and　spirits；　and；　being　of　a　patient　sex；　was　quite　contented；　and　even　happy。　Frederick　Coventry　visited　her　often；　and　she　received　his　visits　quite　graciously；　now　that　the　man　she　loved　was　no　longer　driven　from　her。　　She　even　pitied　him；　and　was　kind　to　him　and　had　misgivings　that　she　had　used　him　ill。　　This　feeling　he　fostered；　by　a　tender；　dejected；　and　inoffensive　manner。　　Boiling　with　rage　inside；　this　consummate　actor　had　the　art　to　feign　resignation；　whereas；　in　reality；　he　was　secretly　watching　for　an　opportunity　to　injure　his　rival。　　But　no　such　opportunity　came。

Little；　in　humble　imitation　of　his　sovereign；　had　employed　a　go…　between　to　employ　a　go…between；　to　deal　with　the　State　go…betweens；　and　deputy…go…betweens；　that　hampered　the　purchasethe　word　〃grant〃　is　out　of　place；　bleeding　is　no　boonof　a　patent　from　the　crown；　and　by　this　means　he　had　done；　in　sixty　days；　what　a　true　inventor　will　do　in　twenty…four　hours；　whenever　the　various　metallic　ages　shall　be　succeeded　by　the　age　of　reason；　he　had　secured　his　two　saw…　grinding　inventions；　by　patent；　in　Great　Britain；　the　Canadas；　and　the　United　States　of　America。　　He　had　another　invention　perfected；　it　was　for　forging　axes　and　hatchets　by　machinery：　but　this　he　did　not　patent：　he　hoped　to　find　his　remuneration　in　the　prior　use　of　it　for　a　few　months。　　Mere　priority　is　sometimes　a　great　advantage　in　this　class　of　invention；　and　there　are　no　fees　to　pay　for　it　nor　deputy…lieutenant…vice…go…betweens'　antechambers　for　genius　to　cool　its　heels　and　heart　in。

But　one　thing　soon　became　evident。　　He　could　not　work　his　inventions　without　a　much　larger　capital。

Dr。　Amboyne　and　he　put　their　heads　together　over　this　difficulty；　and　the　doctor　advised　him　in　a　more　erudite　style　than　usual。

〃True　invention；〃　said　he；　〃whether　literary　or　mechanical；　is　the　highest　and　hardest　effort　of　the　mind。　　It　is　an　operation　so　absorbing　that　it　often　weakens　those　pettier　talents　which　make　what　we　call　the　clever　man。　　Therefore　the　inventor　should　ally　himself　with　some　person　of　talent　and　energy；　but　no　invention。　Thus　supported；　he　can　have　his　fits　of　abstraction；　his　headaches；　his　heartaches；　his　exultations；　his　depressions；　and　no　harm　done；　his　dogged　associate　will　plow　steadily　on　all　the　time。　　So；　after　all；　your　requiring　capital　is　no　great　misfortune；　you　must　look　out　for　a　working　capitalist。　　No　sleeping　partner　will　serve　your　turn；　what　you　want　is　a　good　rich；　vulgar；　energetic　man；　the　pachydermatouser　the　better。〃

Henry　acted　on　this　advice；　and　went　to　London　in　search　of　a　moneyed　partner。　　Oh；　then　it　was　he　learned


　　　　　〃The　hell　it　is　in　suing　long　to　bide。〃


He　found　capitalists　particularly　averse　to　speculate　in　a　patent。　It　took　him　many　days　to　find　out　what　moneyed　men　were　open　to　that　sort　of　thing　at　all；　and；　when　he　got　to　them；　they　were　cold。

They　had　all　been　recently　bitten　by　harebrained　inventors。

Then　he　represented　that　it　was　a　matter　of　judgment；　and　offered　to　prove　by　figures　that　his　saw…grinding　machines　must　return　three　hundred　per　cent。　　These　he　applied　to　would　not　take　the　trouble　to　study　his　figures。　　In　another　words；　he　came　at　the　wrong　time。　And　the　wrong　time　is　as　bad　as　the　wrong　thing；　or　worse。

Take　a　note　of　that；　please：　and　then　forget　it。

At　last　he　gave　up　London　in　despair；　and　started　for　Birmingham。

The　train　stepped　at　Tring；　and；　as　it　was　going　on　again；　a　man　ran　toward　the　third…class　carriage　Little　was　seated　in。　　One　of　the　servants　of　the　company　tried　to　stop　him；　very　properly。　　He　struggled　with　that　official；　and　eventually　shook　him　off。　Meantime　the　train　was　accelerating　its　pace。　　In　spite　of　that；　this　personage　made　a　run　and　a　bound；　and；　half　leaping；　half　scrambling；　got　his　head　and　shoulders　over　the　door；　and　there　oscillated；　till　Little　grabbed　him　with　both　hands；　and　drew　him　powerfully　in；　and　admonished　him。　　〃That　is　a　foolhardy　trick；　sir；　begging　your　pardon。〃

〃Young　man；〃　panted　the　invader；　〃do　you　know　who　you're　a…speaking　to？〃

〃No。　　The　Emperor　of　China？〃

〃No　such　trash；　it's　Ben　Bolt；　a　man　that's　bad　to　beat。〃

〃Well；　you'll　get　beat　some　day；　if　you　go　jumping　in　and　out　of　trains　in　motion。〃

〃A　many　have　been　killed　that　way；〃　suggested　a　huge　woman　in　the　corner　with　the　meekest　and　most　timid　voice　imaginable。

Mr。　Bolt　eyed　the　speaker　with　a　humorous　voice。　　〃Well；　if　I'm　ever　killed　that　way；　I'll　send　you　a　letter　by　the　post。　　Got　a　sweetheart；　ma'am？〃

〃I've　got　a　good　husband；　sir；〃　said　she；　with　mild　dignity；　and　pointed　to　a　thin；　sour　personage　opposite；　with　his　nose　in　a　newspaper。　　Deep　in　some　public　question；　he　ignored　this　little　private　inquiry。

〃That's　unlucky；〃　said　Bolt；　〃for　here　am　I；　just　landed　from　Victoria；　and　money　in　both　pockets。　　And　where　do　you　think　I　am　going　now？　to　Chester；　to　see　my　father　and　mother；　and　show　them　I　was　right　after　all。　　They　wanted　me　to　go　to　school；　I　wouldn't。　Leathered　me；　I　howled；　but　wouldn't　spell；　I　was　always　bad　to　beat。　　Next　thing　was；　they　wanted　to　make　a　tanner　of　me。　　I　wouldn't。　　'Give　me　fifty　pounds　and　let　me　try　the　world；'　says　I。　THEY　wouldn't。　　We　quarreled。　　My　uncle　interfered　one　day；　and　gave　me　fifty　pounds。　　'Go　to　the　devil；'　said　he；　'if　you　like；　so　as　you　don't　come　back。'　　I　went　to　Sydney；　and　doubled　my　fifty；　got　a　sheep…run；　and　turned　my　hundred　into　a　thousand。　　Then　they　fou