“I watch that.  The instant that the psychical current reaches and awakens her, crack!—­a minute point of blue incandescence tips the tentacle.  It’s done; psychical communication is established.  And that man and that woman, wherever they may be on earth, surely, inexorably, will be drawn together, even from the uttermost corners of the world, to fulfill that for which they were destined since time began.”

There was a semirespectful silence; Linda looked at the little jewel-like machine with a slight shudder; Sacharissa shrugged her young shoulders.

“How much of this,” said she, “is theory and how much is fact?—­for, William, you always were something of a poet.”

“I don’t know.  A month ago I tried it on your father’s footman, and in a week he’d married a perfectly strange parlor maid.”

“Oh, they do such things, anyway,” observed Sacharissa, and added, unconvinced:  “Did that tentacle burn blue?”

“It certainly did,” said Destyn.

Linda murmured:  “I believe in it.  Let’s issue stock.”

“To issue stock is one thing,” said Destyn, “to get people to buy it is another.  You and I may believe in Green Mouse, Limited, but the rest of the world is always from beyond the Mississippi.”

“The thing to do,” said Linda, “is to prove your theory by practicing on people.  They may not like the idea, but they’ll be so grateful, when happily and unexpectedly married, that they’ll buy stock.”

“Or give us testimonials,” added Sacharissa, “that their bliss was entirely due to a single dose of Green Mouse, Limited.”

“Don’t be flippant,” said Linda.  “Think what William’s invention means to the world!  Think of the time it will save young men barking up wrong trees!  Think of the trouble saved—­no more doubt, no timidity, no hesitation, no speculation, no opposition from parents.”

“Any of our clients,” added Destyn, “can be instantly switched on to a private psychical current which will clinch the only girl in the world.  Engagements will be superfluous; those two simply can’t get away from each other.”

“If that were true,” observed Sacharissa, “it would be most unpleasant.  There would be no fun in it.  However,” she added, smiling, “I don’t believe in your theory or your machine, William.  It would take more than that combination to make me marry anybody.”

“Then we’re not going to issue stock?” asked Linda.  “I do need so many new and expensive things.”

“We’ve got to experiment a little further, first,” said Destyn.

Sacharissa laughed:  “You blindfold me, give me a pencil and lay the Social Register before me.  Whatever name I mark you are to experiment with.”

“Don’t mark any of our friends,” began Linda.

“How can I tell whom I may choose.  It’s fair for everybody.  Come; do you promise to abide by it—­you two?”

They promised doubtfully.

“So do I, then,” said Sacharissa.  “Hurry up and blindfold me, somebody.  The bus will be here in half an hour, and you know how father acts when kept waiting.”