But Sellers began to speak now, and the storm ceased.  He began to tell about an enormous speculation he was thinking of embarking some capital in—­a speculation which some London bankers had been over to consult with him about—­and soon he was building glittering pyramids of coin, and Washington was presently growing opulent under the magic of his eloquence.  But at the same time Washington was not able to ignore the cold entirely.  He was nearly as close to the stove as he could get, and yet he could not persuade himself, that he felt the slightest heat, notwithstanding the isinglass’ door was still gently and serenely glowing.  He tried to get a trifle closer to the stove, and the consequence was, he tripped the supporting poker and the stove-door tumbled to the floor.  And then there was a revelation—­there was nothing in the stove but a lighted tallow-candle!  The poor youth blushed and felt as if he must die with shame.  But the Colonel was only disconcerted for a moment—­he straightway found his voice again: 

“A little idea of my own, Washington—­one of the greatest things in the world!  You must write and tell your father about it—­don’t forget that, now.  I have been reading up some European Scientific reports—­friend of mine, Count Fugier, sent them to me—­sends me all sorts of things from Paris—­he thinks the world of me, Fugier does.  Well, I saw that the Academy of France had been testing the properties of heat, and they came to the conclusion that it was a nonconductor or something like that, and of course its influence must necessarily be deadly in nervous organizations with excitable temperaments, especially where there is any tendency toward rheumatic affections.  Bless you I saw in a moment what was the matter with us, and says I, out goes your fires!—­no more slow torture and certain death for me, sir.  What you want is the appearance of heat, not the heat itself—­that’s the idea.  Well how to do it was the next thing.  I just put my head, to work, pegged away, a couple of days, and here you are!  Rheumatism?  Why a man can’t any more start a case of rheumatism in this house than he can shake an opinion out of a mummy!  Stove with a candle in it and a transparent door—­that’s it—­it has been the salvation of this family.  Don’t you fail to write your father about it, Washington.  And tell him the idea is mine—­I’m no more conceited than most people, I reckon, but you know it is human nature for a man to want credit for a thing like that.”

Washington said with his blue lips that he would, but he said in his secret heart that he would promote no such iniquity.  He tried to believe in the healthfulness of the invention, and succeeded tolerably well; but after all he could not feel that good health in a frozen, body was any real improvement on the rheumatism.

CHAPTER VIII.

—­Whan pe horde is thynne, as of seruyse,
Nought replenesshed with grete diuersite
Of mete & drinke, good chere may then suffise
With honest talkyng——­
The Book of Curtesye.