“What? What heating do you mean?”

“In your new block of buildings,” said Bondy gently.

“What block of buildings?”

“In your new houses.”

“In my houses? I haven’t any houses.”

“Come, come, come!” Mr. Rosenthal exclaimed. “You put them up only last year.”

“I did?” said Machat in tones of surprise. “Oh, yes, you’re right, so I did. But, you see, I have given those houses away, now. I gave them all away.”

Bondy looked at him very attentively. “And to whom did you give them, Mr. Machat?”

Machat flushed slightly. “Well, to poor people. I’ve let poor families occupy them. You see, I . . . I came to the conclusion that . . . well, in short, poor people have got them now, I mean.”

Mr. Bondy kept his eyes on Machat like an examining magistrate. “Why, Mr. Machat?”

“I . . . I couldn’t help it,” Machat stammered. “It took me like that. Our lives should be holy, I mean.”

The Chairman drummed nervously on the table. “And what about your family?”

Machat began to smile beatifically. “Oh, we’re all of the same mind in that matter. Those poor people are such saints. Some of them are ill. My daughter is looking after them, you know. We’ve all changed so tremendously.”

G. H. Bondy dropped his eyes. Machat’s daughter Ellen, the fair-haired Ellen, with her seventy millions, tending the sick! Ellen, who was ready to be, who ought to be, who had half consented to be, Mrs. Bondy! Bondy bit his lip; things had turned out nicely!

“Mr. Machat,” he began, in subdued tones, “I only wanted to know how the new Karburator was doing the heating on your premises.”

“Oh, splendidly! It’s so beautifully warm in every one of the houses! Just as though they were being warmed with eternal love! Do you know,” said Machat rapturously, wiping his eyes, “whoever enters there becomes at one stroke a changed man. It is like Paradise there. We are all living as if we were in Heaven. Oh, come and join us!”

“You see, gentlemen,” said Bondy, controlling himself with an effort, “that the Karburators work exactly as I promised you they would. I ask you to waive any further questions.”

“We only want to know,” cried Dr. Hubka pugnaciously, “why, in that case, you don’t arrange for our new works to be run by Karburator power? Why should we use expensive coal for heating when we’re supplying atomic energy to other people? Is Mr. Bondy disposed to let us have his reasons?”

“By no means,” Bondy declared. “Our heating will be done with coal. For reasons known to myself, the Karburator system will not suit our purposes. Let that suffice, gentlemen. I regard the whole affair as a question of confidence in me.”