A Memorable Lesson 



pening, even though it be merely a couple of 

 mongrels fighting. Let us withdraw and leave 

 these officious ones to themselves. There is 

 so much to see here, while the oxygen is being 

 prepared. Let us make the most of the oc- 

 casion and take a look round the chemist's 

 arsenal. 



Under the spacious chimney-mantel is a 

 collection of queer stoves, bound round with 

 bands of sheet-iron. There are long and short 

 ones, high and low ones, all pierced with little 

 windows that are closed with a terra-cotta 

 shutter. This one, a sort of little tower, is 

 formed of several parts placed one above the 

 other and each supplied with big round 

 handles to hold them by when you take the 

 monument to pieces. A dome, with an iron 

 chimney, tops the whole edifice, which must 

 be capable of producing a very hell-fire to 

 roast a stone of no significance. Another, a 

 squat one, stretches out like a curved spine. 

 It has a round hole at either end; and a thick 

 porcelain tube sticks out from each. It is im- 

 possible to conceive the purpose which such in- 

 struments as these can serve. The seekers of 

 the philosopher's stone must have had many 

 like them. They are torturers' engines, tear- 

 ing the metals' secrets from them. 



435 



