第2章

Hehadseenthewholethingataglance，justwhatitwasandwhatitmightbe。

Athistouch，asitwere，Filmer’slong-pentinvestigationsexplodedintofame。HeinstantlyandmostmagnificentlywasaBoom。Oneturnsoverthefilesofthejournalsoftheyear1907withaquiteincredulousrecognitionofhowswiftandflamingtheboomofthosedayscouldbe。

TheJulypapersknownothingofflying，seenothinginflying，statebyamosteffectivesilencethatmenneverwould，couldorshouldfly。InAugustflyingandFilmerandflyingandparachutesandaerialtacticsandtheJapaneseGovernmentandFilmerandagainflying，shoulderedthewarinYunnanandthegoldminesofUpperGreenlandofftheleadingpage。AndBanghursthadgivententhousandpounds，and，further，Banghurstwasgivingfivethousandpounds，andBanghursthaddevotedhiswell-known，magnificent(buthithertosterile)privatelaboratoriesandseveralacresoflandnearhisprivateresidenceontheSurreyhillstothestrenuousandviolentcompletion——Banghurstfashion——ofthelife-sizepracticableflyingmachine。Meanwhile，inthesightofprivilegedmultitudesinthewalled-gardenoftheBanghursttownresidenceinFulham，Filmerwasexhibitedatweeklygardenpartiesputtingtheworkingmodelthroughitspaces。Atenormousinitialcost，butwithafinalprofit，theNewPaperpresenteditsreaderswithabeautifulphotographicsouvenirofthefirstoftheseoccasions。

HereagainthecorrespondenceofArthurHicksandhisfriendVancecomestoouraid。

“IsawFilmerinhisglory，“hewrites，withjustthetouchofenvynaturaltohispositionasapoetpasse。“Themanisbrushedandshaved，dressedinthefashionofaRoyal-Institution-AfternoonLecturer，theverynewestshapeinfrock-coatsandlongpatentshoes，andaltogetherinastateofextraordinarystreakinessbetweenanowlishgreatmanandascaredabashedself-consciousboundercruellyexposed。Hehasn’tatouchofcolourintheskinofhisface，hisheadjutsforward，andthosequeerlittledarkambereyesofhiswatchfurtivelyroundhimforhisfame。Hisclothesfitperfectlyandyetsituponhimasthoughhehadboughtthemready-made。

Hespeaksinamumblestill，buthesays，youperceiveindistinctly，enormousself-assertivethings，hebacksintotherearofgroupsbyinstinctifBanghurstdropsthelineforaminute，andwhenhewalksacrossBanghurst’slawnoneperceiveshimalittleoutofbreathandgoingjerky，andthathisweakwhitehandsareclenched。

Hisisastateoftension——horribletension。AndheistheGreatestDiscovererofThisorAnyAge——theGreatestDiscovererofThisorAnyAge！Whatstrikesonesoforciblyabouthimisthathedidn’tsomehowquiteexpectitever，atanyrate，notatalllikethis。

Banghurstisabouteverywhere，theenergeticM。C。ofhisgreatlittlecatch，andIswearhewillhaveeveryonedownonhislawntherebeforehehasfinishedwiththeengine；hehadbaggedtheprimeministeryesterday，andhe，blesshisheart！didn’tlookparticularlyoutsize，ontheveryfirstoccasion。Conceiveit！Filmer！

OurobscureunwashedFilmer，theGloryofBritishscience！

Duchessescrowduponhim，beautiful，boldpeeressessayintheirbeautiful，clearloudvoices——haveyounoticedhowpenetratingthegreatladyisbecomingnowadays？——’Oh，Mr。Filmer，howDID

youdoit？’

“Commonmenontheedgeofthingsaretooremotefortheanswer。

Oneimaginessomethinginthewayofthatinterview，’toilungrudginglyandunsparinglygiven，Madam，and，perhaps——Idon’tknow——butperhapsalittlespecialaptitude。’“

SofarHicks，andthephotographicsupplementtotheNewPaperisinsufficientharmonywiththedescription。Inonepicturethemachineswingsdowntowardstheriver，andthetowerofFulhamchurchappearsbelowitthroughagapintheelms，andinanother，Filmersitsathisguidingbatteries，andthegreatandbeautifuloftheearthstandaroundhim，withBanghurstmassedmodestlybutresolutelyintherear。Thegroupingisoddlyapposite。OccludingmuchofBanghurst，andlookingwithapensive，speculativeexpressionatFilmer，standstheLadyMaryElkinghorn，stillbeautiful，inspiteofthebreathofscandalandhereight-and-thirtyyears，theonlypersonwhosefacedoesnotadmitaperceptionofthecamerathatwasintheactofsnappingthemall。

Somuchfortheexteriorfactsofthestory，but，afterall，theyareveryexteriorfacts。Abouttherealinterestofthebusinessoneisnecessarilyverymuchinthedark。HowwasFilmerfeelingatthetime？Howmuchwasacertainunpleasantanticipationpresentinsidethatverynewandfashionablefrock-coat？Hewasinthehalfpenny，penny，six-penny，andmoreexpensivepapersalike，andacknowledgedbythewholeworldas“theGreatestDiscovererofThisorAnyAge。“Hehadinventedapracticableflyingmachine，andeverydaydownamongtheSurreyhillsthelife-sizedmodelwasgettingready。Andwhenitwasready，itfollowedasaclearinevitableconsequenceofhishavinginventedandmadeit——everybodyintheworld，indeed，seemedtotakeitforgranted；therewasn’tagapanywhereinthatserriedfrontofanticipation——thathewouldproudlyandcheerfullygetaboardit，ascendwithit，andfly。

ButweknownowprettyclearlythatsimpleprideandcheerfulnessinsuchanactweresingularlyoutofharmonywithFilmer’sprivateconstitution。Itoccurredtonooneatthetime，buttherethefactis。

Wecanguesswithsomeconfidencenowthatitmusthavebeendriftingaboutinhismindagreatdealduringtheday，and，fromalittlenotetohisphysiciancomplainingofpersistentinsomnia，wehavethesoundestreasonforsupposingitdominatedhisnights，——theideathatitwouldbeafterall，inspiteofhistheoreticalsecurity，anabominablysickening，uncomfortable，anddangerousthingforhimtoflapaboutinnothingnessathousandfeetorsointheair。ItmusthavedawneduponhimquiteearlyintheperiodofbeingtheGreatestDiscovererofThisorAnyAge，thevisionofdoingthisandthatwithanextensivevoidbelow。Perhapssomewheninhisyouthhehadlookeddownagreatheightorfallendowninsomeexcessivelyuncomfortableway；perhapssomehabitofsleepingonthewrongsidehadresultedinthatdisagreeablefallingnightmareoneknows，andgivenhimhishorror；ofthestrengthofthathorrorthereremainsnownotaparticleofdoubt。

Apparentlyhehadneverweighedthisdutyofflyinginhisearlierdaysofresearch；themachinehadbeenhisend，butnowthingswereopeningoutbeyondhisend，andparticularlythisgiddywhirlupabovethere。HewasaDiscovererandhehadDiscovered。

ButhewasnotaFlyingMan，anditwasonlynowthathewasbeginningtoperceiveclearlythathewasexpectedtofly。Yet，howevermuchthethingwaspresentinhismindhegavenoexpressiontoituntiltheveryend，andmeanwhilehewenttoandfrofromBanghurst’smagnificentlaboratories，andwasinterviewedandlionised，andworegoodclothes，andategoodfood，andlivedinanelegantflat，enjoyingaveryabundantfeastofsuchgood，coarse，wholesomeFameandSuccessasaman，starvedforallhisyearsashehadbeenstarved，mightbereasonablyexpectedtoenjoy。

Afteratime，theweeklygatheringsinFulhamceased。ThemodelhadfailedonedayjustforamomenttorespondtoFilmer’sguidance，orhehadbeendistractedbythecomplimentsofanarchbishop。

Atanyrate，itsuddenlydugitsnoseintotheairjustalittletoosteeplyasthearchbishopwassailingthroughaLatinquotationforalltheworldlikeanarchbishopinabook，anditcamedownintheFulhamRoadwithinthreeyardsofa’bushorse。Itstoodforasecondperhaps，astonishingandinitsattitudeastonished，thenitcrumpled，shiveredintopieces，andthe’bushorsewasincidentallykilled。

Filmerlosttheendofthearchiepiscopalcompliment。Hestoodupandstaredashisinventionswoopedoutofsightandreachofhim。

Hislong，whitehandsstillgrippedhisuselessapparatus。

Thearchbishopfollowedhisskywardstarewithanapprehensionunbecominginanarchbishop。

ThencamethecrashandtheshoutsanduproarfromtheroadtorelieveFilmer’stension。“MyGod！“hewhispered，andsatdown。

Everyoneelsealmostwasstaringtoseewherethemachinehadvanished，orrushingintothehouse。

Themakingofthebigmachineprogressedallthemorerapidlyforthis。OveritsmakingpresidedFilmer，alwaysalittleslowandverycarefulinhismanner，alwayswithagrowingpreoccupationinhismind。Hiscareoverthestrengthandsoundnessoftheapparatuswasprodigious。Theslightestdoubt，andhedelayedeverythinguntilthedoubtfulpartcouldbereplaced。Wilkinson，hisseniorassistant，fumedatsomeofthesedelays，which，heinsisted，wereforthemostpartunnecessary。BanghurstmagnifiedthepatientcertitudeofFilmerintheNewPaper，andrevileditbitterlytohiswife，andMacAndrew，thesecondassistant，approvedFilmer’swisdom。“We’renotwantingafiasco，man，“saidMacAndrew。“He’sperfectlywelladvised。“

AndwheneveranopportunityaroseFilmerwouldexpoundtoWilkinsonandMacAndrewjustexactlyhoweverypartoftheflyingmachinewastobecontrolledandworked，sothatineffecttheywouldbejustascapable，andevenmorecapable，whenatlastthetimecame，ofguidingitthroughtheskies。

NowIshouldimaginethatifFilmerhadseenfitatthisstagetodefinejustwhathewasfeeling，andtotakeadefinitelineinthematterofhisascent，hemighthaveescapedthatpainfulordealquiteeasily。Ifhehadhaditclearlyinhismindhecouldhavedoneendlessthings。Hewouldsurelyhavefoundnodifficultywithaspecialisttodemonstrateaweakheart，orsomethinggastricorpulmonary，tostandinhisway——thatisthelineIamastonishedhedidnottake，——orhemight，hadhebeenmanenough，havedeclaredsimplyandfinallythathedidnotintendtodothething。

Butthefactis，thoughthedreadwashugelypresentinhismind，thethingwasbynomeanssharpandclear。Ifancythatallthroughthisperiodhekepttellinghimselfthatwhentheoccasioncamehewouldfindhimselfequaltoit。Hewaslikeamanjustgrippedbyagreatillness，whosayshefeelsalittleoutofsorts，andexpectstobebetterpresently。Meanwhilehedelayedthecompletionofthemachine，andlettheassumptionthathewasgoingtoflyittakerootandflourishexceedinglyabouthim。Heevenacceptedanticipatorycomplimentsonhiscourage。And，barringthissecretsqueamishness，therecanbenodoubthefoundallthepraiseanddistinctionandfusshegotadelightfulandevenintoxicatingdraught。