The sun., 1892-02-21
CHAPTER XVIII.

Washington shuddered slightly at the sug.
gestion: then his face took onn dreamy look
and he dropped into trance OF thought AZ
ter a little Sellers asked him what he was
grinding In his mental mill.
"welI. this. Have you got some secret
project in your head which requires Bank OF
England back OF II to make II succeed2 Z"
The Colonel showed lively astonishment.
and said
why. Hawkins. are you mind rendcr9"
"I2 Inever thought OF such II thing
"Well. then. how did you lappcn to drop on
to that idea in this curious fashions It's just
mind reading, that's what it is. though you
may not know 1t. Because have got II private
project that requires a Bank OF England at its
back. How could YOU divine that? What was
the process? This is interesting"
There wasn't any process. A thought like
this hapr ened to slip through my head by ac-
cident. How much would mako you or me
comfortable? A hundred thousand. Yet you
are expecting two or three OF these Inventions
OF yours to turn out some billions OF money.
and you are wanting thcm to do that II you
wanted S1O.OOO.OOO. I could understand that
it's inside the human limits: but billions !!
That's clear outside tho limits There must
be definite project back OF that somewhere" +"
The Earl's interest and surprise augmented
with every word. and when Hawkins finished
he said. with strong admirntion:
Its wonderfully reasoned out Washington.
It certainly Is. 1t shows what think is quite
extraordinary penetration. For you've hit It:
you've driven tho centre; you've plugged the
bull's.eye Of my dream. Now III toll YOU the
whole thing. and you'll understand 1t. don't
need to ask you to keep 1t to yourself. because
you'll see that tho project will prosper all the
bctter for being kept In tho background till the
right time. Have you noticed how many
pamphlets and books I've got lying around
relating to Russian"
"Yes. think most anybody would notice
that-anybod who wasn't dead"
well. I've been posting myself a good
while. That's a great and splendid nation
and deserves to be set free" He paused :
thcn added in matter-of-fact way. when
get this money I'm going to set it free"
Great Cunsv'
Why. what makes you Jump like that?"
Dcar me. when you are going to drop n re-
mark undor mans chair that Is likely to blow
him out through the roof. why don't you put
some expression some force. some noise into
it that will prepare him? You shouldn't flip
out such q gigantic thing rs this in that color
less kind OF a way. You do jolt person up SO.
Go on. now, I'm all right again. Tell me all
aboutit. I'm all interest-and sympathy toe" I"
Well. l We looked the ground over, and con-
cluded that the methods OF the Russian patri-
OTIS. while good enough considering the way
the boys are hnmpered. are not the best: at
least not the quickest. They are trying to
revolutiopize Russia from within: that's pretty
slow. you know. and liable to interruption all
the time. and 1t is full OF perls for the work
ers. Do you know how Peter the Great started
his army? He didn't start it on the family
premises under tho noses Of the StrelitZcs; no,
he started it away OF yonder. privately-only
Just one regiment you know. and he built
to that The first thing the Strelitzes knew.
the regiment was an army: their position was
turned. and they had to take walk. Just that
little idea made the biggest aud worst Of all
the despotismsth world has seen. The same
idea can unmake 1t. I'm going to prove it.
I'm going to get out to one side and work my
scheme tho way Peter did"
This is mighty interesting. Rossmore.
What is it you are going to do?"
Il am going to buy Siberia and start re-
public
ITO be contineA)