It was plain that nothing could be learned about the vessel but what the owners permitted, and patience was a trying virtue to cultivate, but at last the delay which the alterations had occasioned came to an end, and the actual date of flight was fixed for the following Tuesday. The first flight of the _Regina_ was altogether eclipsed by this, the most important voyage of all. On the Monday, the city of Derwent was again packed with people, and both on land and in the air business began to be restricted, and before the day was out ceased altogether. The following day crowds of people and ships assembled to see the mysterious net; and punctually at half-past ten in the morning the vessel rose out of her shed into the brilliant sunshine to be greeted with roar after roar of enthusiastic applause. She floated clear of the roof, then sank to within about twelve feet of the ground and there remained stationary. Over all her surface was a wonderful covering of network, fitting her shape exactly like a glove, woven without a seam to fit the contour of the vessel; at every point where the threads crossed, it was knotted, and the sun, glinting on these fine projections, reflected sparks of brilliant light, making the shimmering net appear as if studded with myriads of diamonds. The people went into ecstasies of delight and wonder, and every one wanted to know all about it. In response to the clamouring call, the three owners and Godfrey emerged to give a demonstration of the wonderful properties of the net, and on a platform specially erected, in full view of the assembled throng, they performed many experiments with the heat-resisting material, amongst which were fruitless attempts to ignite gunpowder, cordite, and other explosives with heat and flame and blazing liquids, none of which would pass the net in which the explosives were wrapped; even a powerful oxyhydrogen blowpipe failed to ignite dry phosphorus under the same conditions, and having successfully gone through dozens of tests with all forms of materials and substances, there followed a perfect furore of applause; for all in that vast assemblage were sufficiently experienced in chemistry and physics to comprehend the full import of the discovery, and what possibilities were open to the owners now the question of heat—as the world knows it—had been overcome. Whether the material would withstand the inconceivable heat of the sun could only be ascertained by going there, and none were more fully aware than those embarking that, severe and successful as the tests had been, they might all meet their doom in the crucial test. All at once Dennis called his three friends aside. “You look excited, old chap,” said Ross. “What’s in the wind?” “An idea has just struck me!” was the reply, his eyes shining. “Ideas must be scarce to cause such a to-do!” remarked Godfrey. “You look as excited as a schoolboy.”