ctance,
from a conspicuous place in the front row of the audience, and
immediately assailed the new hypothesis in his most uncompromising
fashion.

"Never in his experience of the Society," he said, "and never perhaps in
the history of astronomy, had an alleged discovery of such magnitude and
consequence been promulgated on the strength of such flimsy evidence;"
and after traversing in detail all the arguments of his opponent, he
declared it his firm conviction that the effects which Professor Gazen
had thought fit to advance as a "discovery," were neither more nor less
than an optical illusion, not to say a mental hallucination.

Judging from the applause which greeted his remarks, the majority of his
hearers were evidently of the same opinion.

A grim smile settled on my companion's face, and I could see that he
maintained his temper with increasing difficulty, as one speaker after
another delivered his mind in much the same sarcastic style of
criticism.

At length his turn came to make a reply.

"Mr. President and gentlemen," said he with an air of smiling
confidence, "at this late hour I do not propose to occupy the meeting
with a refutation of all the various comments of the distinguished
Fellows who have spoken; but as my learned friend, Professor Possil, has
thought fit to charge me with bringing my discovery before the Society
on insufficient grounds, I think it right to say that I possess much
more conclusive evidence, which for the present, circumstances have
prevented me from laying before you."

"Mr. President," exclaimed the celebrated Possil, starting to his feet,
"I should like to ask whether it is altogether in good faith for a
Fellow of this Society to bring forward what he calls a discovery, and
keep back the most important part of the proof. Might I enquire of the
author of the paper what is the nature of this suppressed evidence?"

"Simply that I have been there," answered Gazen, forgetting his promise
to me in the excitement of the combat.

"Where?" demanded the astonished Possil.

"Venus."

There was a loud burst of sceptical laughter.

"I think, sir," said Professor Possil to the Chair, with exasperating
coolness, "I think, sir, that after the astounding revelation of the
learned professor, we shall be perfectly justified in concluding on
sufficient evidence that the professor's head, and not the planet Venus,
has been 'wobbling' of late."

"What I say is true," cried Gazen, nettle