dden and terrible certainty? Silence, horrible silence, was all that
answered. In the distant railway there was an interval of peace.

The door was opened again; the flood of light streamed out on the
darkness. Suddenly the yellow glow was spotted by the black figures of
small swiftly-running creatures--perhaps cats, perhaps rabbits--escaping
from the laboratory. The tall form of the master followed slowly, and
stood revealed watching the flight of the animals. In a moment more, the
last of the liberated creatures came out--a large dog, limping as if one
of its legs was injured. It stopped as it passed the master, and tried
to fawn on him. He threatened it with his hand. "Be off with you, like
the rest!" he said. The dog slowly crossed the flow of light, and was
swallowed up in darkness.

The last of them that could move was gone. The death shrieks of the
others had told their fate.

But still, there stood the master alone--a grand black figure, with
its head turned up to the stars. The minutes followed one another: the
servant waited, and watched him. The solitary man had a habit, well
known to those about him, of speaking to himself; not a word escaped him
now; his upturned head never moved; the bright wintry heaven held him
spellbound.

At last, the change came. Once more the silence was broken by the scream
of the railway whistle.

He started like a person suddenly roused from deep sleep, and went
back into the laboratory. The last sound then followed--the locking and
bolting of the door.

The servant left his hiding-place: his master's secret, was no secret
now. He hated himself for eating that master's bread, and earning that
master's money. One of the ignorant masses, this man! Mere sentiment had
a strange hold on his stupid mind; the remembrance of the poor wounded
dog, companionable and forgiving under cruel injuries, cut into his
heart like a knife. His thought at that moment, was an act of treason to
the royalty of Knowledge,--"I wish to God I could lame _him,_ as he has
lamed the dog!" Another fanatic! another fool! Oh, Science, be merciful
to the fanatics, and the fools!

When he got back to the house, the women were still on the look-out
for him. "Don't speak to me now," he said. "Get to your beds. And, mind
this--let's be off to-morrow morning before _he_ can see us."

There was no sleep for him when he went to his own bed.

The remembrance of the dog tormented him. The other lesser animals
wer