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Was she leading him on and on nowhere deliberately？ Or was it the sweet and innocent simplicity it seemed？ He could not tell。 He would have broken the charm and put the matter to the test had he not been afraid of the consequences。 What had he to fear？ Was she not in his power？ Was she not his； whenever he should stretch forth his hand and claim her？ Yesno doubt not the slightest doubt。 But He was afraid to break the charm； it was such a satisfying charm。
Thenthere was her father。
Men who arrive anywhere in any direction always have the habit of ignoring the nonessential more or less strongly developed。 One reasonperhaps the chief reasonwhy Norman had got up to the high places of material success at so early an age was that he had an unerring instinct for the essential and wasted no time or energy upon the nonessential。 In his present situation Dorothy's father； the abstracted man of science； was one of the factors that obviously fell into the nonessential class。 Norman knew little about him； and cared less。 Also； he took care to avoid knowing him。 Knowing the father would open up possibilities of discomfort But； being a wise young man； Norman gave this matter the least possible thought。
Still； it was necessary that the two men see something of each other。 Hallowell discovered nothing about Norman； not enough about his personal appearance to have recognized him in the street far enough away from the laboratory to dissociate the two ideas。 Human beingsexcept his daughterdid not interest Hallowell； and his feeling for her was somewhat in the nature of an abstraction。 Norman； on the other hand； was intensely interested in human beings； indeed； he was interested in little else。 He was always thrusting through surfaces； probing into minds and souls。 He sought thoroughly to understand the living machines he used in furthering his ambitions and desires。 So it was not long before he learned much about old Newton Hallowelland began to admire himand with a man of Norman's temperament to admire is to like。
He had assumed at the outset that the scientist was more or less the crank。 He had not talked with him many times before he discovered that； far from being in any respect a crank； he was a most able and well… balanced mentalitya genius。 The day came when； Dorothy not having returned from a shopping tour； he lingered in the laboratory talking with the father； or； rather； listening while the man of great ideas unfolded to him conceptions of the world that set his imagination to soaring。
Most of us see but dimly beyond the ends of our noses； and visualize what lies within our range of sight most imperfectly。 We know little about ourselves； less about others。 We fancy that the world and the human race always have been about as they now are； and always will be。 History reads to us like a fairy tale； to which we give conventional acceptance as truth。 As to the future； we can conceive nothing but the continuation of just what we see about us in the present。 Norman； practical man though he was； living in and for the present； had yet an imagination。 He thought Hallowell a kind of fool for thinking only of the future and working only for itbut he soon came to think him n divine fool。 And through Hallowell's spectacles he was charmed for many an hour with visions of the world that is to be when； in the slow but steady processes of evolution； the human race will become intelligent； will conquer the universe with the weapons of science and will make it over。
When he first stated his projects to Norman； the young man had difficulty in restraining his amusement。 A new idea； in any line of thought with which we are not familiar； always strikes us as ridiculous。 Norman had been educated in the ignorant conventional way still in high repute among the vulgar and among those whose chief delight is to make the vulgar gape in awe。 He therefore had no science； that is； no knowledgeoutside his professionbut only what is called learning； though tommyrot would be a fitter name for it。 He had only the most meager acquaintance with that great fundamental of a sound and sane education； embryology。 He knew nothing of what science had already done to destroy all the still current notions about the mystery of life and birth。 He still laughed； as at a clever bit of legerdemain； when Hallowell showed him how far science had progressed toward mastery of the life of the lower forms of existencehow those 〃worms〃 could be artificially created； could be aged； made young again； made diseased and decrepit； restored to perfect health； could be swung back and forth or sideways or sinuously along the span of existencecould even be killed and brought back to vigor。
〃We've been at this sort of thing only a few years；〃 said Hallowell。 〃I rather think it will not be many years now before we shall not even need the initial germ of life to enable us to create but can do it by pure chemical means； just as a taper is lighted by holding a match to it。〃
Norman ceased to think of sleight…of…hand。
〃Life；〃 continued the juggler； transformed now into practical man； leader of men； 〃life has been demonstrated to be simply one of the forms of energy； or one of the consequences of energy。 The final discovery is scientifically not far away。 Then〃 His eyes lighted up。
〃Then what？〃 asked Norman。
〃Then immortalityin the body。 Eternal youth and health。 A body that is renewable much as any of our inanimate machines of the factory is renewable。 Why not？ So far as we know； no living thing ever dies except by violence。 Diseaseold agethey are quite as much violence as the knife and the bullet。 What science can now do with these ‘worms；' as my daughter calls themthat it will be able to do with the higher organisms。〃
〃And the world would soon be jammed to the last acre；〃 objected Norman。
Hallowell shrugged his shoulders。 〃Not at all。 There will be no necessity to create new people； except to take the place of those who may be accidentally obliterated。〃
〃But the world is dyingthe earth； itself； I mean。〃
〃True。 But science may learn how to arrest that cooling processor to adapt man to it。 Or； it may be that when the world ceases to be inhabitable we shall have learned how to cross the star spaces； as I think I've suggested before。 Thenwe should simply find a planet in its youth somewhere； and migrate to it； as a man now moves to a new house when the old ceases to please him。〃
〃That is a long flight of the fancy；〃 said Norman。
〃Longbut no stronger than the telegraph or the telephone。 The trouble with us is that we have been long stupefied by the ignorant theological ideas of the universeideas that have come down to us from the childhood of the race。 We haven't got used to the new erathe scientific era。 And that is natural。 Why； until less than three generations ago there was really no such thing as science。〃
〃I hadn't thought of that；〃 admitted Norman。 〃We certainly have got on very fast in those three generations。〃
〃Rather fast。 Not so fast； however； as we shall in the next three。 Sciencechemistryis going speedily to change all the conditions of life because it will turn topsy…turvy all the ways of producing thingsfood； clothing； shelter。 Less than two generations ago men lived much as they had for thousands of years。 But it's very different to…day。 It will be inconceivably different to…morrow。〃
Norman could not get these ideas out of his brain。 He began to understand why Hallowell cared nothing about the active life of the dayabout its religion； politics； modes of labor； its habits of one creature preying upon another。 To…morrow； not religion； not politics； but chemistry； not priests nor politicians； but chemists； would change all thatand change it by the only methods that compel。 An abstract idea of liberty or justice can be rejected； evaded； nullified。 But a telephone； a steam engine； a mode of prolonging lifethose realizations of ideas COMPEL。
When Dorothy came； Norman went into the garden with her in a frame of mind so different from any he had ever before experienced that he scarcely recognized himself。 As the influence of the father's glowing imagination of genius waned before the daughter's physical loveliness and enchantment for him； he said to himself； 〃I'll keep away from him。〃 Why？ He did not permit himself to go on to examine into his reasons。 But he could not conceal them from himself quickly enough to hide the knowledge that they were moral。
〃What is the matter with you to…day？〃 said Dorothy。 〃You are not a bit interesting。〃
〃Interested； you mean；〃 he said with a smile of raillery； for he had long since discovered that she was not without the feminine vanity that commands the centering of all interest in the woman herself and resents any wandering of thought as a slur upon her own powers of fascination。
〃Well； interested then；〃 said she。 〃You are thinking about something else。〃
〃Not now；〃 he assured her。
But he left early。 No sooner had he got away from the house than the scientific dreaming vanished and he wished himself back with her againback where every glance at her gave him the most exquisite sensations。 And when he came the following day he apparently had onc