THE FUNGUS, OR COLORLESS PLANT. 



9 



thing that looked like the " yeast's spirit " as Charley 

 said ; " but, of course, we couldn't see a spirit, if there 

 was one," as Simon said. Then we got some buck- 

 wheat and' put the yeast into it, stirring and beating it 

 just as they did in the kitchen, intending to watch how 

 the batter came up, thinking that the secret could not 

 hide itself from us in the day-time while we were look- 

 ing, as it did in the night-time while we were sleeping. 

 But, alas ! the experiment was a failure, for the sound 

 of the beating brought Bridget herself in our midst. 

 She was in an awful rage because of the litter we had 

 made and the yeast we had wasted, while we young 

 rogues scampered away as fast as possible, glad to make 

 good our escape. But what have these buckwheat-cakes 

 to do with Science ? Well, I had long since forgotten 

 about the queer old jar and our first experiment in the 

 store-room, when, one morning, away over in London, I 

 went to hear a great professor lecture on Biology : that 

 means, he was going to tell about plants and animals — 

 every thing that has life. Now, I had heard a great 

 deal about this professor, how he believed that the mon- 

 keys were our relations, and how he loved to vivisect, 

 that means, cut up alive, all kinds of animals. So I 

 expected to see a cruel-looking man, doing very cruel 

 things. But I saw nothing of the sort. With a kind 

 and peaceful look, he stood upon a platform at one end 



