from him only a short time before, and moreover the trial which he had
made on himself had assured him of the success of his discovery; having
inhaled the essence it had seemed to him as if the burden of oppression
had been suddenly lifted from his mind. And when he turned to the
introspection of himself, and questioned his own heart, he found so many
spots and defects on what he had hitherto considered faultless, that he
was confirmed in the belief that he had seen the true reflection of his
own personality for the first time.

Yes, he might well be certain of his success!

And yet the joy of the discovery was clouded. How often had he dreamed
of the manifold effects that would be produced by the elixir! At such
moments the hope had sprung up within him that it would possess the power
to enlighten him concerning his own nature and existence; would enable
him to pierce the veil that hides the mystery of the future from mortal
eyes; that it would reveal to the mind of man the true nature of things,
and solve the problem of life.

Yet all the questions directed to that end, which he asked himself,
remained unanswered, and for this reason he was desirous of seeing
whether the essence might not perhaps enable others to grasp the real
nature of that which until then had been unfathomable by man.

Consequently he could not resist the temptation, of letting Frau Schimmel
inhale the elixir. Then he asked her why every one who was born was
destined to die, and disappear?

To which she only answered: "Such things you must ask of the good God,
who has so willed it."