The Crack of Doom

ch a man of the world easily assumes, and his apology for being unable to pass the evening with me in his own house was a model of social style. The

and as this privilege may not be again accorded to outsiders, you ought to come before you decide finally to join us. I must go n

to the hall," I answered, changing the sentence in

ot? If you prefer it that way, please have

a word of renewed apology, left us, and presently I

s Brande said. "He has much to think of, and

y disclaimer was absolutely true. Brande could not have pleas

elt whenever she blundered into the pseudo-scientific nonsense which was her brother's favourite affectation. At least, it seemed nonsense to me. I could not well foresee then that the theses which appeared to be mere theoretical absurdities, would ever be proven-as they have been-very terrible realities. On subjects of ordinary educational interest my hostess displayed such full knowledge of the question and ease in d

g the crowd seething and swarming past. Her dark eyes followed the people with a strange wondering, pitying look which I did not understand. Her face, exquisite in its expression at all times, was now absolutely transformed, beatified. Brande had often spoken to me of mesmerism, clairvoyance, and similar s

y to Miss Brande that she started. I meant to sta

terrible sight

" I said hastily, and dr

s not thinkin

he silence which followed this, until a break in the

were thinking of jus

eir lives-their w

ed. "You take a morbid view. Misery is not

d with a sigh. "What is the end of it all-the

on upon it save that my dislike for her enigmatic aberrations was becoming more intense as my liking f

ber of the Cui

re not allowed to j

said heartily, "and I hope th

se. "Why should you mind?

adies mixing themselves up in these curi

kled with simple fun. The change in

e satisfaction she now looked almost misch

ttle

be vexed? That is right. H

aintained a dignified reticence, which unhappily she regard

s soon turned into a new channel. Secrets of science, which I had been accustomed to look upon as undiscoverable, were bandied about like the merest commonplaces of education. The absurdity of individuality and the subjectivity of the emotions were alike insisted on without notice of the paradox, which to me appeared extreme. The Associates were altruistic for the sake of altruism, not for the sake of it

h-water mark of scientific achievement in the history of humanity

ome white metal was placed. A large number of wires were connected with vari

ike an ordinary microscope, but its magnifying power was to me unbelievable. It magnified the o

revolved in orbits, some almost circular, some elliptical, some parabolic. As I looked, Brande touched a key, and the little globules began to fly more rapidly round their primary, and make wider

w!" Brande

y cloud obscured the blue light. When it clea

ink of it?" he

ar system or some other system illustrated in

ed, the wreckage not merely of the molecule of marsh gas you were examining-which any educated chemist might do as easily as I-but the wreckage of its constituent atoms. This is a scientifi

are you talking about

be to you if I could reduce my own life work-and that of every scientific amateur who has preceded me since the world began-into half a dozen se

ers molecules and atoms but their diffusion visible? It

man eye. I add much to that. I restore to the rays themselves the luminosity which they lost in their passage through our atmosphere. I give them back all their visual properties, and turn them with their full etheric blaze on the object under examination. Great as that ac

asked with a pretence of interest. Candidly, I d

ne grain of matter contains sufficient energy, if etherised, to raise a hundred thousand tons nearly tw

scription of scientific ex

an can say to science 'thus far and no farther.' No