THE ADVANCEMENT OF NITOCRIS--THE RESOLVE OF OSCAROVITCH Franklin Marmion and Hoskins van Huysman parted that evening in what may be described as a state of armed neutrality, but with more cordiality than Brenda, at any rate, had hoped for.

Still, they were both gentlemen, and, moreover, the American scientist was honestly looking forward to the discovery of some fatal flaw in the reasoning of his English rival which should leave the final triumph with him--and such a triumph would be not only final but crushing.
Brenda whirled her father and Lord Leighton--who, of course, sat beside her in front as she drove--off to supper; Merrill went to his club to ruminate happily for an hour; and the hero of the evening and his daughter drove home almost in silence, and it was a silence for which there was a very sufficient reason.

Such people do not talk about trivialities when they are thinking about much more serious concerns.
After supper Nitocris followed her father into the study, as he quite expected her to do, and when she had shut the door, she faced him and said in a voice that was not quite her own: "Dad, there seems to me to be only one explanation of what you did to-night.

I know enough mathematics to see that it is the only one.

If you tell me that I am wrong, of course I shall believe you--and then I shall ask you how else you did it." As she spoke he felt that his soul was asking itself a momentous question.