'What is that, Mr. Noakes?' came in deep, calm tones from the door. 'Good morning, Mr. Maxineff,' said Noakes, turning slowly. 'The racket? Some half-baked fulminate I put in the ditch out there an hour ago.' 'So long since?' said the older man, advancing toward the window. 'Yes, sir. I think the jarring of the wagon you see leaving the chemical house caused it.' A hole several feet in diameter marked the spot where the crucible fell. The stuff had delayed not an instant in working its havoc. Noakes was glad there was too little of it to cause a suspicious deal of damage. Maxineff looked reflectively about the yard, while Noakes nervously eyed his chief's expressive profile. His eyes wandered to the fine gray head of this tall, straight man. He could not fail to be impressed afresh by the forceful exterior, significant of the inner attitude which had won for Henry Maxineff a name honored among nations. 'What of your work?' he said. Noakes was glad those seeing eyes were not on him. 'I'm beat,' he said. 'I've gone at it every way I know, and I have been consistently and finally unsuccessful.' In the ensuing pause Noakes realized that this was the first admission of failure he had ever made to his chief. The surprise it called forth was grateful to him. 'What's the trouble? But I think the trouble with you is that you have overreached yourself, Noakes.' 'Oh, no; the idea is a fine, tremendous one. Sheer stupidity is my trouble, I think.' His humility seemed real, and perhaps the unusualness of it brought a curious expression to Maxineff's face, and into his eyes a contemplative light that Noakes did not care to meet. 'I met Miss Hallam as I entered,' Maxineff said carelessly. The remark may have meant much, or it may have had merely an intentional indication of the intimacy accorded Noakes above the other assistants in the laboratories. 'Yes? She came to tell me that Mrs. Max will permit me to have tea with her this afternoon.' 'You are coming, I hope?' 'Indeed, yes. I confess I am tired out. I gave up the experiment early this morning. I understood the fulminate was running low, and spent my morning blundering over making some. I couldn't do that even, familiar as I am with the process.' 'Well, leave it all and come with me over the yard. I am inspecting this morning. Be my secretary for a while.' Five o'clock had passed when they emerged upon the New England town's stolid main street. They walked beneath the venerable flanking trees toward the Maxineff villa, which surmounted a wooded continuation of the street. In a high gray-and-white room they found Mrs. Maxineff. She touched a bell as she said in an odd manner of inflecting, 'But you are late!' Moving to one end of the spindle-legged sofa, she made place at her side for Maxineff, and motioned Noakes to a chair near them.