ted into his pale cheeks; he came close up to me, and set
his teeth, and said wrathfully that I must and I should save him, and
with him my own brother, if I did but clearly understand the sense and
purpose of his entreaty. And he began with a flood of speech to tell me
how near he was to his end, with a number of outlandish, magical words
such as "the great Magisterium," "the Red Lion," "the Red Tincture,"
and the like, till meseemed my brain reeled with the sinful gibberish;
notwithstanding, to this day I believe that in all truth he was nigh
attaining his purpose; and he might have done so at last were it not
that, a short space after this, he was choked by the vapor from an
alembic which burst.

But whence might I at that day procure the means to succor him?

Again and again I strove to check his fiery zeal, but in vain, till
I told him plainly that I had not at my command three pounds of brass
farthings, much less three pounds of gold, and that he must apply
elsewhere and no longer keep me tarrying.

And I gave him my hand to bid him farewell; howbeit he seized it with
both of his, and wrung and shook my arm till it ached; and being beside
him self with rage, he admonished me with threatening words and gestures
not to ruin his life's work, and him, and those dear to me, by my base
avarice. When I had got over my first fear I snatched myself free from
the miserable little man, and turned my back upon him; but he leaped
in front of me, spread forth his arms to bar the doorway, and shrieked,
foaming with fury:

"Away, away, down to the depths! Away with us all! Woe unto thee, mean,
blind fool that thou art! Woe unto us all! Take away that hand! Verily
even if my mouth were gagged, yet shouldst thou hear what is coming
upon thee and all thy race! I could have hindered it, and I would have
hindered it; but now it shall be fulfilled. Oh, it was not for nothing
that we were young together! I read thy horoscope and that arrogant
brawler thy brother's long ago, and when I interpret it to thee, if the
blood does not curdle in thy veins...."

Hereupon the blood of the Schoppers surged up; I laid hands on the
mad wight, whose strength was scarce greater than mine, but he hit and
stamped about like one bereft, crying: "Your planets stand over the
houses of Death, Captivity, and Despair. The fulfilment thereof began on
Saint Lazarus' day, and on this day it falls first on thee; and thus the
doom shall run its course till it