Elmer scratched his cheek. "I understand," he began, and then broke off and went on, "I'm putting this as a personal favour, Challis; but it is more than that. You know my theories with regard to the future of the race. I have a steady faith in our enormous potentialities for real progress. But it must be organised, and Grossmann is just now standing in our way. That stubborn materialism of his has infected many fine intelligences; and I would make very great sacrifices in order to clear this great and terrible obstacle out of the way." "And you believe that this interview ..." interrupted Challis. "I do, indeed," Elmer said. "It will destroy one of Grossmann's most vital premisses. This prodigy of yours--he is unquestionably a prodigy--demonstrates the fact of an immense progressive variation. Once that is conceded, the main argument of Grossmann's 'Heredity' is invalidated. We shall have knocked away the keystone of his mechanistic theory of evolution...." "But suppose that the boy refuses...." "He did not refuse to see us." "That was to save himself from further trouble." "But isn't he susceptible to argument?" "Not the kind of argument you have been using to me," Challis said gravely. Elmer blew like a porpoise; looked very thoughtful for a moment, and then said: "You could represent Grossmann as the final court of appeal--the High Lord Muck-a-muck of the L.E.A." "I should have to do something of the sort," Challis admitted, and continued with a spurt of temper. "But understand, Elmer, I don't do it again; no, not to save the reputation of the Royal Society." III Unhappily, no record exists of the conversation between the Wonder and Herr Grossmann. The Professor seems at the last moment to have had some misgiving as to the nature of the interview that was before him, and refused to have a witness to the proceedings. Challis made the introduction, and he says that the Wonder regarded Grossmann with perhaps rather more attention than he commonly conceded to strangers; and that the Professor exhibited the usual signs of embarrassment. Altogether, Grossmann was in the library for about half an hour, and he displayed no sign of perturbation when he rejoined Challis and Elmer in the breakfast-room. Indeed, only one fact of any significance emerges to throw suspicion on Grossmann's attitude during the progress of that secluded half-hour with the greatest intellect of all time--the Professor's spectacles had been broken.