o drink, and clink glasses with him because the greatest piece of
good luck had happened to him that day that it was in the power of the
blessed saints to grant to mortal man. He, the father, had discovered
in Leipsic what his son had sought in vain at all the most famous
Universities of Italy, and if he should succeed in one remaining step,
the fame of the Ueberhells, like that of the Roman Horatii, would reach
to the skies.

Then he became more serious and confessed that he was very weak and
broken, and that when he had gone to bed earlier in the evening he had
felt that his last hour was not far distant. Death itself sometimes
floats 'twixt cup and lip, as has been remarked by a heathen
philosopher, and if he should be called away before he had seen Melchior
again, then must she be his messenger and tell his son that he had found
that part of the White Lion, of the white tincture of argentum potabile
or potable silver, which his letter had put him on the track of. His
son would know what he meant, and to-morrow he would write down the
particulars if he should succeed that night in finding again the
substance through which he had attained to the greatest wonder that
science had achieved since the days of Adam.

He emptied bumper after bumper and clinked glasses at least a dozen
times with Frau Vorkel, who was immensely tickled with the unwonted
honour.

After that he drew his chair closer to hers that he might better impress
upon her what she was to say to Melchior. He began by telling her that
she could never understand the full meaning of what had happened but
that she must take his word for it, he had discovered an elixir whose
effect was most wonderful and would change the whole course of events.
From now onwards, lying would be impossible, the reign of truth was at
hand and deceit had been routed from its last stronghold.

As she, however, shrank back from him, still somewhat fearful, he
demanded loftily if she ever would have dared to announce to him, her
old master, so candidly what she thought of him, as she had done an hour
ago, if she had not inhaled the contents of the phial. And Frau Vorkel
had to admit that she had been forced by some occult power to utter
those disrespectful speeches. She looked with awed wonder, first at her
master, then at the little bottle, and suddenly broke out with: "My! My
What will be left for the judges to do when everyone can be forced to
speak out boldly and disclose his s