Page:Robert William Cole - The Struggle for Empire; A Story of the Year 2236 (1900).djvu/44

32 The individual addressed started and looked up, and showed a face that was seamed with lines, in spite of his youth.

'Ah, Lieutenant!' he said in an absent-minded voice, as he fastened his dreamy eyes on Alec; 'how do you do? Good-evening, Miss Houghton. I am just getting a little fresh air after my labours.'

'Have you found out anything yet, Doctor?' inquired Alec.

Tarrant shook his head somewhat sadly.

'There is one difficulty that I cannot get over,' he replied. 'If it were not for that, I could achieve the greatest discovery that has been made during the last fifty years. I could render all your great war-ships practically useless.'

'That is not so easily done as you think,' said Alec, flushing slightly. 'Besides,' he added, with a slight laugh, 'you couldn't do it!'

'We shall see! we shall see!' said Tarrant somewhat bitterly. 'I have spent all my life so far on this one subject, and find it