sion which now paralyses the
cells, muscles and nerves, and he will live--yes!--like most people
without brains he will live a long time--probably too long!"

Morgana moved to the bedside and gazed with a solemn earnestness at the
immobile, helpless form stretched out before her as though ready for
burial. Her heart swelled with suppressed emotion,--she thought with
anguish of the brilliant brain, the strong, self-sufficient nature
brought to such ruin through too great an estimate of human capability.
Tears rushed to her eyes--

"Oh, give him life!" she whispered--"Give him life for the sake of the
woman who loves him more than life!"

The Professor gave her a quick, keen glance.

"You?"

She shivered at the question as though struck by a cold wind,--then
conquering the momentary weakness, answered--

"No. The girl you have just seen. He is her world!"

Ardini's brows met in a saturnine frown.

"Her world will be an empty one!" he said, with an expressive
gesture--"A world without fruit or flower,--without light or song! A
dreary world! But such as it is,--such as it is bound to be,--it can
live on,--a life-in-death."

"Are you quite sure of this?" Morgana asked--"Can any of us, however
wise, be quite sure of anything?"

His frown relaxed and his whole features softened. He took her hand and
patted it kindly.

"Signora, you know as well as I do, that the universe and all within it
represents law and order. A man is a little universe in himself--and if
the guiding law of his system is destroyed, there is chaos and
darkness. We scientists can say 'Let there be light,' but the fulfilled
result 'and there was light' comes from God alone!"

"Why should not God help in this case?" she suggested.

"Ah, why!" and Ardini shrugged his shoulders--"How can I tell? My long
experience has taught me that wherever the law has been broken God does
NOT help! Who knows whether this frozen wreck of man has obeyed or
disobeyed the law? I can do all that science allows--"

"And you will do it!" interrupted Morgana eagerly, "You will use your
best skill and knowledge--everything you wish shall be at your
service--name whatever fee your merit claims--"

He raised his hand with a deprecatory gesture.

"Money does not count with me, Signora!" he said--"Nor with you. The
point with both of us in all our work is--success! Is it not so? Yes!
And it is because I do not see a true success in this case that I
hesitate; true succe