he will."

"Well done, boy," said the Vicar, clapping the lad on the back. "I wish
my parishioners would all have as much faith in my words as you have in
your uncle's. But silence in the audience. The lecturer will now
proceed with the experiment."

"Yes," said Uncle Richard, taking the great glass jar. "Now watch the
magical action of Nature, and see what is a great wonder. See, I pour
eight ounces--fluid ounces, Tom, not weighed ounces--into the glass
measure from this bottle. There: and pour them into this glass jar,
which will hold eight times as much. From the next bottle I take an
equal quantity and pour it into the jar; and from this bottle I take
another equal quantity and pour it into the others. Shake them all up
together, and I have so much liquid which looks like water, but, as you
may have observed, one of them was the limpid silver solution."

"Yes, I saw that," said Tom.

"I didn't," said the Vicar; "but boys always do see the critical thing
in the conjuring trick. But go on, Professor Brandon."

"I must come to a halt here," said Uncle Richard.

"No, no, don't say that, uncle," cried Tom. "You've raised us up to
such a pitch of expectation."

"Only for a few moments," said Uncle Richard, "while I prepare my glass.
Now then, when I lift out the piece, Tom, you take up the tray, and
empty the water into the sink, and bring the empty tray back, place it
where it was before, and then come and hold the glass here upon this
blotting-paper to drain."

All this was done as requested, and then the lecturer was set free by
Tom holding the three-cornered piece of glass, from which nearly all the
water had run.

"Now observe," said Uncle Richard, "this is the critical point of the
experiment. You see, I take this fourth bottle, and pour the same
quantity of this clear liquid into my measure. There--done; and as long
as I keep them separate no action takes place, but the moment I pour
this clear liquid into that clear liquid, you will see that a change
takes place. Look--I ought to say behold!"

The contents of the measure were poured into the glass jar.

"Gets cloudy and thick," cried Tom.

"And thicker and thicker," said the Vicar, as the contents of the jar
were well shaken up, and then quickly poured into the tray.

"Now, Tom, the glass," said Uncle Richard sharply; and, taking a couple
of little pieces of wood, he placed them in the tray at the sides, and
then seizing the piece of