"Finished, is it?" queried Gwent, abstractedly--"And you have it here?--in a finished state?"
Seaton nodded affirmatively.
"Then I suppose"--said Gwent with a nervous laugh--"you could 'finish' ME, if it suited your humour?"
"I could, certainly!" and Seaton gave him quite an encouraging smile--"I could reduce Mr. Senator Gwent into a small pinch of grey dust in about forty seconds, without pain! You wouldn't feel it I assure you! It would be too swift for feeling."
"Thanks! Much obliged!" said Gwent--"I won't trouble you this morning! I rather enjoy being alive."
"So do I!" declared Seaton, still smiling--"I only state what I COULD do."
Gwent stood at the door of the hut and surveyed the scenery.
"You've a fine, wild view here"--he said--"I think I shall stay at the Plaza a day or two before returning to Washington. There's a very attractive girl there."
"Oh, you mean Manella"--said Seaton, carelessly; "Yes, she's quite a beauty. She's the maid, waitress or 'help' of some sort at the hotel."
"She's a good 'draw' for male visitors"--said Gwent--"Many a man I know would pay a hundred dollars a day to have her wait upon him!"
"Would YOU?" asked Seaton, amused.
"Well!--perhaps not a hundred dollars a day, but pretty near it! Her eyes are the finest I've ever seen."
Seaton made no comment.
"You'll come and dine with me to-night, won't you?" went on Gwent--"You can spare me an hour or two of your company?"
"No, thanks"--Seaton replied--"Don't think me a churlish brute--but I don't like hotels or the people who frequent them. Besides--we've done our business."
"Unfortunately there was no business doing!" said Gwent--"Sorry I couldn't take it on."
"Don't be sorry! I'll take it on myself when the moment comes. I would have preferred the fiat of a great government to that of one unauthorised man--but if there's no help for it then the one man must act."
Gwent looked at him with a grave intentness which he meant to be impressive.
"Seaton, these new scientific discoveries are dangerous tools!" he said--"If they are not handled carefully they may work more mischief than we dream of. Be on your guard! Why, we might break up the very planet we live on, some day!"