he words he had chosen long ago were gone from
his memory; in his ignorance of what had been a commonplace to Soolsby's
dark reflection so long, the man he had meant to bring low stood up
before him on his own ground, powerful and unabashed.

Eglington wore a blue smock, and over his eyes was a green shade
to protect them from the light, but they peered sharply out at the
chair-maker, and were boldly alive to the unexpected. He was no physical
coward, and, in any case, what reason had he for physical fear in the
presence of this man weakened by vice and age? Yet ever since he was a
boy there had existed between them an antagonism which had shown itself
in many ways. There had ever been something sinister in Soolsby's
attitude to his father and himself.

Eglington vaguely knew that now he was to face some trial of mind and
nerve, but with great deliberation he continued dropping liquid from a
bottle into the glass retort he carried, his eyes, however, watchful of
his visitor, who involuntarily stared around the laboratory.

It was fifteen years since Soolsby had been in this room; and then he
had faced this man's father with a challenge on his tongue such as he
meant to speak now. The smell of the chemicals, the carboys filled with
acids, the queer, tapering glasses with engraved measurements showing
against the coloured liquids, the great blue bottles, the mortars and
pestles, the microscopic instruments--all brought back the far-off,
acrid scene between the late Earl and himself. Nothing had changed,
except that now there were wires which gave out hissing sparks,
electrical instruments invented since the earlier day; except that this
man, gently dropping acids into the round white bottle upon a crystal
which gave off musty fumes, was bolder, stronger, had more at stake than
the other.

Slowly Eglington moved back to put the retort on a long table against
the wall, and Soolsby stepped forward till he stood where the electric
sparks were gently hissing about him. Now Eglington leaned against the
table, poured some alcohol on his fingers to cleanse the acid from them,
and wiped them with a piece of linen, while he looked inquiringly at
Soolsby. Still, Soolsby did not speak. Eglington lit a cigarette, and
took away the shade from his eyes.

"Well, now, what is your experiment?" he asked, "and why bring it here?
Didn't you know the way to the stables or the scullery?"

"I knew my way better here," answered Soolsby, st