The Miller press. [volume] (Miller, S.D.) 190?-current, 1907-10-03
CHAPTER Kill.
Lord Malvin's Party.


world of Europe, Lord Malvin stood
as its official igurehead. He was the
Grand Old Man" Of science, and was
regarded by everyone as a final court
Of appeal in all such matters.
He was of great ~age-almost eighty,
in fact-yet his, health was perfect,
his intellect unimpafred, and his in
terest In human events as keen and
vigorous as that of a man but half his
age and in the full prime and meridian
Of life.
In science he represented what the
president Of the Royal Academy repre-
sents In art or the lord chief Justice
In law; and, though he had almost
ceased independent Investigations, he
was always appealed TO and consulted
when anything new and revolutionary
in science was discovered or promul.
gated by any Of the younger men.
The younger men themselves, while
allowing their chiefs vast knowledge
and experience, his real and wndenia-
BILE eminence, were apt to call him
conservative and to hint that he was
of an alien generation. They would
say that his judgment was sometimes
obscured by his veneration and love
for the past, and because he found
himself unable to leap SO rapidly to
conclusions as they did they put him
down as an old fogy who had done
valuable and remarkable work In his
time, but who ought to be content
with his peerage and immense fortune
and retire to the planting of ~cabbages
or the growing of roses in the country.
In the public eye, nevertheless,
Lord Malvin remained as familiar and
necessary a part of the English land
scape as st. Paul's; and whenever a
great man died and the newspapers
enumerated the few remaining veter-
ans OF the commonwealth, Lord Nal
vim was usually the first to be men
toned.
For many years there had been an
antagonism between Lord Malvin and
Sir William Gouldesbrough. 1t was
not personal so much as scientiic-an
abstract and intellectual antagonism.
When Sir Williams star first began
to rise above the horizon-he was only
Mr.. Gouldesbrough then-Lord Malvin
had recognized his talent as an invent
or, but deprecated many of his theo-
rinc rThnGn i1noG thnGn nnCcfhfltttno
for the future which Gouldesbrough
was fond of giving to the world in
lectures and reviews, seemed horribly
dangerous, subversive, and fantastic
to the older man.
He said so in no uncertain voice,
and for some years, though he was
always kind and civil to Gouldes-
brough, he certainly did much to dis
count the rising stars power Of ,llu-
mination.
But as time went on each daring
theory put forth by Gouldesbrough
passed into the realm of actual fact.
Lord Malvin saw that Sir William
had been almost invariably right. He
saw that the new man not only told
the world that some day this OF that
marvel would come to pass, but imme-
diately afterward set to work and him.
self made 1t come to pass!
Lord Malvin was a noble man as
veil as a nobleman-a somewhat rare
combination-and he confessed himself
in the wrong. Directly he saw that he
had been mistaken, and that Sir Will
lam was no charlatan, but one of the
most daring and brilliant scientists
the world had ever known, the peer
gave the newer mar all the weight of
his support.
Nevertheless, while forced by CIR
cumstances and Gouldesbrough's justi-
fication OF his own ideas into scientific
brotherhood. Lord Malvin, who
stantly met the other, found q new
problem confronting him.
While he had not believed In
Gouldesbrough's theories, Lord Malvin
had rather liked him personally.
Now that he was compelled to be-
lieve In Gouldesbrough's theories,
Lord Malvin found that he expert
enced a growing dislike for the man
himself. And as he was q fair and
honorable man Lord Malvin did every
thing he possibly could to rid himself
of this prejudice, with the result that,
while his efforts to do so were quite
u~navailing, he redoubled his kindness
and attentions to the man he disliked.
All the scientific world knew that
Sir William was p~erfecting some mar
velous discovery. In Berlin, Paris. st.
Petersburg, Vienna and Budapest
learned savants were writing to their
c~onfreres in London to know what
this might be. The excitement was
intense. the rumors were endless, and
It Is not too much to say that the
whole scientific intellect of the globe
was reused and waiting.
Now, when a number Of leading
brains r asitated upon n subject.
something Of that agitation begins to
stir and move In the outside world.
Already some hints had got about,
and the press of Europe and America
securing some extraordinary
news.
The whole business had ct length
eliminated In the giving Of . great re-
ception by Lord Malvin. Everybody