The Flutter of the Goldleaf; and Other Plays Part 4

I'm afraid that's not a comfortable chair, Dr. Seymour.

_Seymour_

Quite comfortable, Mrs. Warner.

_Mrs. W._ (_rapidly_)

Philo is my oldest boy, and I never could keep him away from books.

Will, my second son, is as steady in the store as his father himself, and Johnny is just fine on the wagon. As for Alice, there's not a neater all-round girl to be found anywhere. They're healthy, sensible children, every one of 'em, and don't care what's inside any book in the world--but Philo was just bent on going to college----

_Seymour_

A very natural bent for an ambitious boy.

_Bellows_

Tell us about the discovery, Philo, my lad.

_Philo_ (_rising and walking slowly up and down the room_)

I think I will. It will be another experiment. I know what the effect will be on Dr. Bellows. He is an old friend of mine--but you, sir, are a stranger. I should like to try your mind and see if you are awake or asleep.

(BELLOWS _winks toward_ SEYMOUR, _who takes no notice, but gives_ PHILO _careful attention._)

_Seymour_

I hope I shall not disappoint you.

_Philo_

I believe we have some points of view in common, for your profession needs to take note of many problems connected with both evolution and electricity. I have been a reader of general science for many years.

The fact that on the earth we have had a slow evolution from a monad to a man contains a promise of further development of man into--let us say an angel.

_Bellows_

Not very soon, I guess.

_Philo_ (_sharply_)

Hardly in your day, doctor. You needn't worry about the fashion in wing-feathers.

_Seymour_

Go on, Mr. Warner.

_Philo_

In others of the many millions of globes about us in s.p.a.ce, a similar evolution is going on, and in some the evolution is less advanced than in ours, in others incomparably more advanced.

_Seymour_

We may admit that.

(BELLOWS _looks to_ WARNER _for sympathy, and shakes his head._)

_Philo_

We have reached a stage when we have begun to peer out into the stellar depths and question them. We are beginning to master the light and the lightning, to measure the vastness of s.p.a.ce, to weigh the suns, to determine the elements that comprise them, to talk and send messages thousands of miles without wires. Each year uncovers new wonders, infinitely minute, infinitely great.

_Seymour_

True,--all true.

_Philo_ (_becoming more repressed and tensely excited as he goes on_)

The dreams of the alchemists are being realized. That machine yonder detects the waves from a millionth of a millionth of a milligramme of radium.

_Seymour_

What!

_Philo_

I have invented a tuned electroscope that would be destroyed by such waves, so sensitive as to react only to waves from an inconceivable distance, beyond thirty-five million miles.

_Seymour_ (_trying to take it in_)

Thirty-five million miles!

_Philo_ (_with great tension_)

Three weeks ago I made this instrument, and ever since then, at regular intervals, there have been rhythmic flutterings of the goldleaf, regular repet.i.tions, as if it were knocking at the door of earth from the eternal silences. I have watched it--the same measured fluttering--two beats--then three--then two--then four and a pause! It is a studied measure! It has meaning! When I first noticed it--the faint flutter of the goldleaf--and knew that any waves from a nearer point than thirty-five million miles would utterly destroy so delicate an instrument--my hair stood on end. I have watched it three weeks--alone--and you ask me why I do not sleep!... Look!

(_The doctors spring up electrified, and stare at the instrument._)

_Philo_

There it is again! Two beats--then three--then two--then four--now it is over!

(SEYMOUR _continues to stare at the instrument._ BELLOWS _subsides into a chair, looking foolish._)

_Seymour_ (_to himself_)

Impossible!... (_To_ PHILO.) What was it you were saying? What did you see?

_Philo_

I saw what you saw--signals from a distance farther than the distance of the nearest planet to our earth.