he building.
At first sight it seemed in amazing disorder. Huge as it was, it was
cluttered with curious shaped machines and instruments. A twisted
conglomeration of glass tubing, bent into fantastic tangles, stood on
a central table, and had evidently been occupying the Professor's
attention at the time he was interrupted. The place was lined with
shelving, where the walls were not occupied by cupboards, and every
shelf was burdened with bottles and apparatus of different kinds.
Whatever care Professor Seigfried took of his apparatus, he seemed to
have little for his furniture. There was hardly a decent chair in the
room, except one deep arm-chair, covered with a tiger's skin, in which
the Professor evidently took his ease while meditating or watching the
progress of an experiment. This chair he did not offer to the young
lady; in fact, he did not offer her a seat at all, but sank down on
the tiger's skin himself, placed the tips of his fingers together, and
glared at her through his glittering glasses.

"Now, young woman," he said abruptly, "what have you brought for me?
Don't begin to chatter, for my time is valuable. Show me what you have
brought, and I will tell you all about it; and most likely a very simple
thing it is."

Jennie, interested in so rude a man, smiled, drew up the least decrepit
bench she could find, and sat down, in spite of the angry mutterings
of her irritated host. Then she opened her satchel, took out the small
bottle of gold, and handed it to him without a word. The old man
received it somewhat contemptuously, shook it backward and forward
without extracting the cork, adjusted his glasses, then suddenly seemed
to take a nervous interest in the material presented to him. He rose and
went nearer the light. Drawing out the cork with trembling hands, he
poured some of the contents into his open palm. The result was startling
enough. The old man flung up his hands, letting the vial crash into a
thousand pieces on the floor. He staggered forward, shrieking, "Ah, mein
Gott--mein Gott!"

Then, to the consternation of Jennie, who had already risen in terror
from her chair, the scientist plunged forward on his face. The girl had
difficulty in repressing a shriek. She looked round hurriedly for a bell
to ring, but apparently there was none. She tried to open the door and
cry for help, but in her excitement could neither find handle nor latch.
It seemed to be locked, and the key, doubtless, was in the