I thought at first some scientific
rival had sent you here to play the spy on me, and learn what I was
doing. I assure you I heard nothing about the explosion you speak of,
yet I was certain it had occurred somewhere along that line which I drew
on the map. I had hoped it was not serious, and begun to believe it was
not. The anxiety of the last month has nearly driven me insane, and, as
you say quite truly, my actions have been childish." The old man in his
excitement had risen from his chair and was now pacing up and down the
room, running his fingers distractedly through his long white hair, and
talking more to himself than to his auditor.

Jennie had edged her chair nearer to the door, and had made no protest
against his rising, fearing to interrupt his flow of talk and again
arouse his suspicions.

"I have no wish to protect my inventions. I have never taken out a
patent in my life. What I discover I give freely to the world, but I
will not be robbed of my reputation as a scientist. I want my name to go
down to posterity among those of the great discoverers. You talked just
now of going to the police and telling them what you knew. Foolish
creature! You could no more have gone to the central police office
without my permission, or against my will, than you could go to the
window and whistle back those bits of paper I scattered to the winds.
Before you reached the bottom of the stairs I could have laid Vienna
in a mass of ruins. Yes, I could in all probability have blown up the
entire Empire of Austria. The truth is, that I do not know the limit of
my power, nor dare I test it."

"Oh, this is a madman!" thought Jennie, as she edged still nearer to the
door. The old man paused in his walk and turned fiercely upon her.

"You don't believe me?" he said.

"No, I do not," she answered, the colour leaving her cheeks.

The aged wizard gave utterance to a hideous chuckle. He took from one of
his numerous shelves a hammer-head without the handle, and for a moment
Jennie thought he was going to attack her; but he merely handed the
metal to her and said,--

"Break that in two. Place it between your palms and grind it to powder."

"You know that is absurd; I cannot do it."

"Why can't you do it?"

"Because it is of steel."

"That is no reason. Why can't you do it?"

He glared at her fiercely over his glasses, and she saw in his wild eye
all the enthusiasm of an instructor enlightening a pupil.

"I'll tell you why