mething else--introduce him to the
acquaintance of a certain common mineral substance, of a universally
accessible kind, broken into fragments; provide yourself with (say) six
doses of our Stout Friend, and pour those doses consecutively on the
fragments I have mentioned, at intervals of not less than five minutes.
Quantities of little bubbles will rise at every pouring; collect the gas
in those bubbles, and convey it into a closed chamber--and let Samson
himself be in that closed chamber; our stout Friend will kill him in
half an hour! Will kill him slowly, without his seeing anything, without
his smelling anything, without his feeling anything but sleepiness.
Will kill him, and tell the whole College of Surgeons nothing, if they
examine him after death, but that he died of apoplexy or congestion
of the lungs! What do you think of _that_, my dear lady, in the way of
mystery and romance? Is our harmless Stout Friend as interesting _now_
as if he rejoiced in the terrible popular fame of the Arsenic and
the Strychnine which I keep locked up there? Don't suppose I am
exaggerating! Don't suppose I'm inventing a story to put you off with,
as the children say. Ask Benjamin there," said the doctor, appealing
to his assistant, with his eyes fixed on Miss Gwilt. "Ask Benjamin," he
repeated, with the steadiest emphasis on the next words, "if six doses
from that bottle, at intervals of five minutes each, would not, under
the conditions I have stated, produce the results I have described?"

The Resident Dispenser, modestly admiring Miss Gwilt at a distance,
started and colored up. He was plainly gratified by the little attention
which had included him in the conversation.

"The doctor is quite right, ma'am," he said, addressing Miss Gwilt, with
his best bow; "the production of the gas, extended over half an hour,
would be quite gradual enough. And," added the Dispenser, silently
appealing to his employer to let him exhibit a little chemical knowledge
on his own account, "the volume of the gas would be sufficient at the
end of the time--if I am not mistaken, sir?--to be fatal to any person
entering the room in less than five minutes."

"Unquestionably, Benjamin," rejoined the doctor. "But I think we have
had enough of chemistry for the present," he added, turning to Miss
Gwilt. "With every desire, my dear lady, to gratify every passing wish
you may form, I venture to propose trying a more cheerful subject.
Suppose we leave the Dis