Thishadneveroccurredbefore。Hehadgivenstrictorders，backedbyhisbrother’sauthority，thathewasnevertobeintrudeduponwheninthisplace；andthoughhehadsometimesencounteredthepryingeyesofthecuriousflashingfrombehindthetreesencirclingthehangar，hisdoorhadneverbeenapproachedbefore，orhisprivacyencroachedupon。Hestartedthen，whenthislowbutpenetratingsoundstruckacrosstheturmoilofhisthoughts，andcastonelookinthedirectionfromwhichitcame；buthedidnotrise，orevenchangehispositiononhisworkman’sstool。
Thenitcameagain，stilllowbutwithaninsistencewhichdrewhisbrowstogetherandmadehishandfallfromthewirehehadbeenunconsciouslyholdingthroughthementaldebatewhichwasabsorbinghim。Stillhemadenoresponse，andtheknockingcontinued。Shouldheignoreitentirely，startuphismotorandrenderhimselfoblivioustoallothersounds?Ateveryotherpointinhiscareerhewouldhavedonethis，butanunknown，andasyetunnamed，somethinghadenteredhisheartduringthisfatalmonth，whichmadeoldwaysimpossibleandoblivionathinghedarednotcourttoorecklessly。ShouldthisbeasummonsfromDoris！Shouldinconceivableidea，yetitseizeduponhimrelentlesslyandwouldnotyieldfortheaskingshoulditbeDorisherself！
Takingadvantageofamomentarycessationoftheceaselesstaptap，helistened。Silencewasneverprofounderthaninthisforestonthatwindlessnight。Earthandairseemed，tohisstrainedear，emptiedofallsound。Theclatterofhisownsteady，unhastenedheart-beatwasallthatbrokeuponthestillness。HemightbealoneintheUniverseforalltokenoflifebeyondthesewalls，orsohewassayingtohimself，whensharp，quick，sinister，theknockingrecommenced，demandingadmission，insistinguponattention，drawinghimagainsthisownwilltohisfeet，andfinally，thoughhemademorethanonestandagainstit，totheverydoor。”Who’sthere?”heasked，imperiouslyandwithsomeshowofanger。
Noanswer，butanotherquietknock。”Speak！orgofrommydoor。Noonehastherighttointrudehere。
Whatisyournameandbusiness?”
Continuedknocking-nothingmore。
Withanoutburstofwrath，whichmadethehangarring，Orlandoliftedhisfisttoanswerthisappealinhisownfiercefashionfromhisownsideofthedoor，buttheimpulsepausedatfulfilment，andhelethisarmfallagaininarushofself-hatredwhichitwouldhavepainedhisworstenemy，evenlittleDoris，towitness。
Asitreachedhisside，theknockcameagain。
Itwastoomuch。Withanoath，Orlandoreachedforhiskey。Butbeforefittingitintothelock，hecastalookbehindhim。Thecarwasinplainsight，fillingthecentralspacefromfloortoroof。Asingleglancefromastranger’seye，anditsprincipalsecretwouldbeasecretnolonger。Hemustnotrunsucharisk。
Beforeheansweredthiscall，hemustdropthecurtainhehadriggedupagainstsuchemergenciesasthese。Hehadbuttopullacordandaveilwouldfallbeforehistreasure，concealingitaseffectuallyasanEasternbrideisconcealedbehindheryashmak。
Steppingtothewall，hedrewthatcord，thenwithanimpatientsigh，returnedtothedoor。
Anotherquietbutinsistentknockgreetedhim。Innofurynow，butwithavaguesenseofportentwhichgaveanaspectoffarewelltotheonequickglancehecastaboutthewell-knownspot，hefittedthekeyinthelock，andstoodreadytoturnit。”Iaskagainyournameandyourbusiness，”heshoutedoutinloudcommand。”Tellthemor-”Hemeanttosay，”orIdonotturnthiskey。”Butsomethingwithheldthethreat。Heknewthatitwouldperishintheutterance；thathecouldnotcarryitout。Hewouldhavetoopenthedoornow，responseornoresponse。”Speak！”wasthewordwithwhichhefinishedhisdemand。
Afinalknock。
Pullingapistolfromhispocket，withhislefthand，heturnedthekeywithhisright。
Thedoorremainedunopened。
Steppingslowlyback，hestaredatitsunpaintedboardsforamoment，thenhespokeupquietly，almostcourteously：”Enter。”
Butthecommandpassedunheeded；thelatchwasnotraised，andonlytheslightesttapwasheard。
Withaboundhereachedforwardandpulledthedooropen。Thenagreatsilencefelluponhimandarigidityasofthegraveseizedandstiffenedhispowerfulframe。
ThemanconfrontinghimfromthedarknesswasSweetwater。
THEMANWITHINANDTHEMANWITHOUT
Aninstantofsilence，duringwhichthetwomeneyedeachother；
then，Sweetwater，withanironicalsmiledirectedtowardsthepistollightlyremarked：”Mr。Challonerandothermenatthehotelareacquaintedwithmypurposeandawaitmyreturn。Ihavecome-”herehecastaglowinglookatthehugecurtaincuttingoffthegreaterportionoftheilly-litinterior-”toofferyoumyservices，Mr。Brotherson。I
havenoothermotiveforthisintrusionthantobeofuse。Iamdeeplyinterestedinyourinvention，tothedevelopmentofwhichI
havealreadylentsomeaid，andcanbringtothetestyouproposeasympathetichelpwhichyoucouldhardlyfindinanyotherpersonliving。”
Thesilencewhichsettleddownatthecompletionofthesewordshadaweightwhichmadethatofthepreviousmomentseemlightandallathrobwithsound。Themanwithinhadnotyetcaughthisbreath；
themanwithoutheldhis，inananxietywhichhadlittletodowiththedirectionoftheweapon，intowhichhelooked。Thenanowlhootedfarawayintheforest，andOrlando，slowlyloweringhisarm，askedinanoddlyconstrainedtone：”Howlonghaveyoubeenintown?”
Theanswercutcleanthroughanylingeringhopehemayhavehad。”Eversincethedayyourbrotherwastoldthestoryofhisgreatmisfortune。””Ah！stillatyouroldtricks！Ithoughtyouhadquitthatbusinessasunprofitable。””Idon’tknow。Ineverexpectquickreturns。Hewhoholdsonforarisesometimesreapsunlooked-forprofits。”
ThearmandfistofOrlandoBrothersonachedtohurlthisfellowbackintotheheartofthemidnightwoods。
ButtheyremainedquiescentandhespokeinsteadIhaveburiedthebusiness。Youwillneverresuscitateitthroughme。”
Sweetwatersmiled。Therewasnomirthinhissmilethoughtherewaslightnessinhistoneassaid：”Thenletusgobacktothematterinhand。Youneedahelper；
whereareyougoingtofindoneifyoudon’ttakeme?”
AgrowlfromBrotherson’ssetlips。Neverhadhelookedmoredangerousthanintheoneburninginstantfollowingthisdaringrepetitionofthedetective’soutrageousrequest。Butashenotedhowslightwasthefigureopposinghimfromtheothersideofthethreshold，hewasswayedbyhisnaturaladmirationofpluckinthephysicallyweak，andlosthisthreateningattitude，onlytoassumeonewhichSweetwatersecretlyfounditevenhardertomeet。”Youareafool，”wasthestingingremarkheheardflungathim。”Doyouwanttoplaythepolice-officerhereandarrestmeinmidair?””Mr。Brotherson，youunderstandmeaslittleasIamsupposedtounderstandyou。Humbleasmyplaceisinsocietyand，Imayadd，intheDepartmentwhoseinterestsIserve，thereareinmetwomen。
Oneyouknowpassablywell-thedetectivewhosemethods，onlyindifferentlyclevershowthathehasverymuchtolearn。Oftheother-theworkmanacquaintedwithhammerandsaw，butwithsomeknowledgetooofhighermathematicsandtheprinciplesuponwhichgreatmechanicalinventionsdepend，youknowlittle，andmustimaginemuch。IwasplayingthegawkywhenIhelpedyouintheoldhouseinBrooklyn。Iwasinterestedinyourair-ship-Oh，Irecogniseditforwhatitwas，notwithstandingitsoddityandlackofostensiblemeansforflying-butIwasnotcaughtinthewhirlofitsidea；theideabywhichyoudoubtlessexpect，andwithverygoodreasontoo，torevolutionisethescienceofaviation。
ButsincethenI’vebeenthinkingitover，andamsofilledwithyourownhopesthateitherImusthaveahandinthefinishingandsailingoftheoneyouhaveyourselfconstructed，orgotoworkmyselfonthehintsyouhaveunconsciouslygivenme，andmakeacarofmyown。”
Audacityoftensucceedswheresubtliermeansfail。Orlando，withacurioustwistofhisstronglip，tookholdofthedetective’sarmanddrewhimin，shuttingandlockingthedoorcarefullybehindhim。”Now，”saidhe，”youshalltellmewhatyouthinkyouhavediscovered，tomakeanyideasofyourownavailableinthemanufactureofasuperiorself-propellingair-ship。”
Sweetwaterwhohadbeensoviolentlywheeledaboutinenteringthathestoodwithhisbacktothecurtainconcealingthecar，answeredwithouthesitation。”Youhaveadevice，entirelynewsofarasIcanjudge，bywhichthiscarcanleapatonceintospace，holditsowninanydirection，andalightagainuponanygivenspotwithoutshocktothemachineordangertothepeoplecontrollingit。”