about ten o'clock
But he likes to view it from afar , and supported by his fellows , not thrust incongruously into the midst of things , as was the case with this panic-stricken engineer . As I passed out , I cast a glance over my shoulder at the humble artisan content with a profit of a few francs a day , and at the millionaire inventor opposite him , Edison 's face , which during the address had been cold and impassive , reminding me vividly of a bust of Napoleon , was now all aglow with enthusiasm as he turned to his humble visitor . He cried joyfully to the workman : -- ` A minute 's demonstration is worth an hour 's explanation . I 'll call round tomorrow at your shop , about ten o'clock , and show you how to make the thing work . ' I lingered in the hall until the Frenchman came out , then , introducing myself to him , asked the privilege of visiting his shop next day at ten . This was accorded with that courtesy which you will always find among the industrial classes of France , and next day I had the pleasure of meeting Mr. Edison . During our conversation I complimented him on his invention of the incandescent electric light , and this was the reply that has ever remained in my memory : -- ` It was not an invention , but a discovery .