The Portland daily press., 1875-07-31

requisite 10 remove This little hand"
|. AT the mention Of the bilthmalk, Geolgi-
ana, as usual, shrank as if red-lot iron had
| touched her cheek.
Again Aylmer applied himself to his labors.
She could hear his voice in the distant fur
mace room giving direction 10 Aminadab,
whose harsh, uncouth, mishapen zones were
audible in response, more like the grunt and
growl OF a brute than human speech. After
| hours OF absence, Aymer reappeared and
proposed that she should now examine his
cabinet OF chemical products and natural
| treasures of the earth, Among the former
| he showed her small vial, in which, he re-
| marked, was contained a gentle yet most
powerful fragrance, capable of ;mpregnating
all the breezes that blow across a kingdom.
| They were of inestimable value, the contents
! of that little vial; and as he said so he threw
some of the perfume into the air and filled
the room with piercing and invigorating de-
light.
pointing to small crystal globe containing
| gold colored liquid. ut is so beautiful to
lfe."
Gin one sense ii is" replied Aylmer; "or
rather, the elixir of immortality. 1t is the
| most precious poison that ever was con-
cocted in this world. By its aid could ap-
| portion the lifetime Of any mortal at whom
you might point your finger. The strength
of the dose would determine whether he were
to linger out years, or drop dead in the
| midst of a breath. No king ON his guarded
throne could keep his life it /, in my private
station, should deem that the welfare of mil
| lions justified me in depriying him of it."
| "Why do you keep such a terrific drug?'
inquired Georgana in horror.
| "Do you mistrust, dearest ?" said her hus-
band, smiling; sits virtuous potency is yet
| greater than its harmful one. But see here
| is a powerful cosmetic. With few drops of
this in vase OF water, freckles may be
| washed away as easily as the hands are
cleansed A stronger infusion would take
| the blood out of the cheek, and leave the
rosiest beauty pale ghost"
| SIS it with this lotion that you intend to
battle my cheek?" asked Georgiana, anx-
| iously.
80 no." hastily replied her husband; sthis
| is merely superficial. Your case demands
remedy that shall go deeper"
In his interviews with Georgiana, Aylmer
| generally made minute inquiries as to her
sensations, and whether the confinement of
the rooms and temperature of the atmosphere
| agreed with her. These questions had such a
particular drift that Georgiana began to con-
| lecture that she was already subjected to cef-
| tain physical influences, either breathed in
! with the fragrant air or taken with her food.
She faneied, likewise, but it might be alto
| gether fancy-a strange, indefinite sensation
| creeping through her veins, and tingling, half
painfully, half pleasurably, at her heart. Still,
whenever she dared to look into the mirror,
there she beheld herself pale as the white
| rose and with the crimson birthmark stamped
| upon her cheek. Not even Aylmer now hat
| ed it so much as she.
To dispel the tedium of the hours which
her husband found it necessary to devote to
| the processes DENOMINATION and analysis,
| Ceorgiana turned over the volumes of his sci
| entific library. In many dark old tones she
met with chapters full ofromance and poetry.
They were the works of the philosophers of
the Middle Ages, such as Albertus Msgnus,
| Cornelius Agrippa, Paracelsus, and the famous
friar who created the prophetic Brazen Head.
All these antique naturalists stood in advance
of their centuries, yet were imbued with some
of their credulity, and therefore were believed,
and perhaps imagined themselves to have ac.
| quired from the investigation Of nature a
power above nature, and from physics sway
over the spiritual world. Hardly less curious
and imaginative were the early volumes of the
Transactions of the Royal Society, in which
the members, knowing little of the limits of
natural possibility, were continually recording
wonders or proposing methods whereby won
ders might be wrought.
But, to Georgiana, the most engrossing
VOluulc WAS d large IOllO lrOm u6r QuSDdQQS
| own hand, in which he had recorded every
| experiment in his scientific career, its original
| aim, the methods adopted for its Development,
| and its final success or failure, with the cir
cumstances to which either event was attrib
utable. The book, in truth, was both the
history and emblem of his ardent, ambitious,
| imaginative, yet practical and laborious life.
He handled physical details as if there were
nothing beyond them; yet spiritualized them
| oil rolo Ii fc1
| by his strong and eager aspiration toward the
infinite. In his grasp the veriest clod of earth
| assumed soul. Georgiana, as she read, rev.
erenced Aylmer and loved him more pro-
| foundly than ever, but with a less entire de-
| pendence on his Judgment than heretofore.
! Much as he had accomplished, she could not
but observe that his most splendid successes
were almost invariably failures, if compared
with the ideal at which he aimed. His bright
est diamonds were the merest pebbles, and
| felt to be so by himself, in comparison with
the inestimable which lay hidden beyond his
reach. The volume, rich with achievements
that had won renown for its author, was yet
as melancholy a record as ever mortal hand
| had penned. 1t was the sad confession and
| continual exemplifcation of shortcomings of
the composite man, the spirit burdened with
clay and working in matter, and of the despair
that assails the higher nature at finding itself
81 lniserapiy tnWaIIeu Wy the edrlniy part.
| Perhaps every man of genius, in whatever
| sphere, might recognize the image of his own
experience in Aylmer's journal.
| So deeply did these reflections affect Geor-
| giana, that she laid her face upon the open
| volume and burst into tears. In this situation
she was found by her husband.
SIT is dangerous to read in sorcerer's
| books" said he with smile, though his
| countenance was uneasy and displeased.
'sGeorgfana, there are pages in that volume
| which can scarcely glance over and keep my
senses. Take heed lest it prove as detrimen-
| tai to you"
SIT has made me worship you more an
ever" said she.
Sab, wait for this one success" .ejoined
he, then worship me if you will. shall
deem myself hardly unworthy of it. But
come, have sought you for the luxury of
your voice. Sing to me, dearest.'
So she poured out the liquid music of her
voice to quench the thirst of his spirit. He
then took his leave with a boyish exuberance
of gayety, assuring her that her seclusion
result was already certain. Scarcely had ne
departed when Georgiana felt irresstbly i'm
PEELED to follow him. She had forgotten to
inform Aylmer of a symptom which for two
or three hours past had begun to excite her
attention. 1t was sensation in the fatal
blrth-mark, not painful, but which induced
restlesshess throughout her system. Hasten
ing after her husband, she intruded for the
first time into his laboratory.
The first thing that struck her eyes was the
furnace, that hot and feverish worker, with
the intense glow of its fire, which by the
quantities of SCOT clustered above it, seemed
to have been burning for ages. There was
dstilling apparatusin full operation. Around
the room were retorts, tubes, cylinders, cruel
bles, and other apparatus of chemical research.
An electrical machine stood ready for imme-
date use. The atmosphere felt oppressively
close, and was tainted with gaseous odors
which had been tormented forth by the pro-
cesses of science. The severe and homely
simplicity of the apartment, with its naked
walls and brick pavement, looked strange,
accustomed as Georgiana had become to the
fantastic elegance OF her boudoir. But what
chiefly, indeed almost solely, drew her atten-
ton, was the aspect of Aylmer himself.
He was pale as death, anxious and absorbed,
and hung over the furnace as if it depended
upon bis utmost watchfulness whether the
liquid which it was distillng should be the
draught of immortal happiness or misery.
How different from the sanguine and joyous
mien that he had assumed for Georgiana's
encouragement!
s.Carnfi11lu NOM yoipoIoL. ooro(,ll,, 4I,a,,