Next morning Dan had evidently quite forgotten the conversation of the landlady, for he made no remark, and although Freddy tried to start the subject again he declined to revert to it. Halliday declared that he did not know what to say, that he was putting two and two together, but as yet could not make four, and that it would be just as well to seek Mr. Solomon Vincent, to hear if he was disposed to supply an aeroplane. "Only I wonder," he remarked irrelevantly, as he walked up the road with his friend, "how it comes that Mrs. Pelgrin speaks more like a Londoner than a Derbyshire woman." "I thought we discussed that question before," replied Laurance. "School-boards are doing away largely with the local dialect. Also Mrs. Pelgrin, as Mildred told me, was in service for some years at Reading. Why do you ask?" "Oh, I ask nothing," said Dan easily; "it was only an idea I had." "Connected with the case?" "Yes, and with Mrs. Jarsell." "Pooh. You see a bird in every bush, Dan." "So you said before," rejoined Halliday drily; "why repeat yourself? Hullo, there is our inventor!" he added, as they drew near to the cottage, "and, by Jove! he's smiling. Mrs. Jarsell had evidently spoken to him." It was as Dan said, for Vincent received the young men with a sour smile, which sat uneasily on his face, since he was more accustomed to frowning. However, as he was disposed to be amiable, Dan was thankful for small mercies, and expressed his feeling loudly when the inventor graciously placed at his disposal an aeroplane of the latest construction. "I owe Mrs. Jarsell much," said Vincent, leading the way toward the shed, "so her requests must be granted. Here is the machine, Mr. Halliday." "It's very good of you----" "It isn't. Don't thank me, but Mrs. Jarsell. Speaking for myself, I shouldn't allow you to have the aeroplane," said Vincent sourly. "I want to keep all my improvements to myself until I make a perfect machine." "Oh, I'll keep all your secrets," Dan assured him cheerfully as they entered the vast shed, "and I'll share the prize money with you." "I don't want it. Win the race and prove that my machine is the best. That is all I ask. By the way, where is Laurance?" "Don't you remember? We left him in the cottage with your niece." "I don't want him to marry her, and he shan't," said Vincent with a frown, speaking on the subject unexpectedly, "and, what is more, since he's a newspaper man, I don't want you to talk too freely to him about my improvements." "Laurance can hold his tongue," rejoined Dan somewhat stiffly; "your trade-secrets are safe with him. So this is the machine," he ended, to avert further discussion on the inventor's part. "Yes," said Vincent, forgetting all else in the passion of his hobby, and he began to explain matters. "A biplane, as you see, and it can carry enough oil and essence for a twelve hours' flight. Wheel it out," he added, turning to a quartette of workmen. "Mr. Halliday will try a flight."