seemed about to speak to me, but changed his mind. Then the Time Traveller put forth his finger towards the lever. ѓNo,Ш he said suddenly. ѓLend me your hand.Ш And turning to the Psychologist, he took that individualЈs hand in his own and told him to put out his forefinger. So that it was the Psychologist himself who sent forth the model Time Machine on its interminable voyage. We all saw the lever turn. I am absolutely certain there was no trickery. There was a breath of wind, and the lamp flame jumped. One of the candles on the mantel was blownout, and the little machine suddenly swung round, became indistinct, was seen as a ghost for a second perhaps, as an eddy of faintly glittering brass and ivory; and it was gone ‡ vanished! Save for the lamp the table was bare.

Everyone was silent for a minute. Then Filby said he was damned.

The Psychologist recovered from his stupor, and suddenly looked under the table. At that the Time Traveller laughed cheerfully.ѓWell?Ш he said, with a reminiscence of the Psychologist. Then, getting up, he went to the tobacco jar on the mantel, and with his back to us began to fill his pipe.

We stared at each other.ѓLook here,Ш said the Medical Man, ѓare you in earnest about this? Do you seriously believe that that machine has travelled into time?Ш

ѓCertainly,Ш said the Time Traveller, stooping to light a spill at the fire. Then he turned, lighting his pipe, to look at the PsychologistЈs face. (The Psychologist, to show that he was not unhinged, helped himself to a cigar and tried to light it uncut.) ѓWhat is more, I have a big machine nearly finished in thereШ ‡ he indicated the laboratory ‡ ѓand when that is put together I mean to have a journey on my own account.Ш

ѓYou mean to say that that machine has travelled into the future?Ш said Filby.

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