experiment with my own blood first. So take the boy out and buy him the
finest plaything you can find, and leave a message at Herr Winckler's; he
is to come to-day to The Three Kings, for I have something very important
to communicate to him."

The old lady was very glad to get the child beyond the reach of his
father. His happiness was as incomprehensible to her, as his design on
the blood of his child was dreadful, and she led the boy forth quickly.
The doctor, however, went into the laboratory with wavering steps, and in
the next half hour prepared more of the elixir into which he mixed some
of his own blood.

The effect was the same as if he had used the blood of his child.

This delighted him so much that he fairly beamed with pleasure. But even
then he gave himself no rest. He took the elixir which he had made the
day before into the library, and there he wrote and wrote.

At noon he allowed a morsel of food to be brought to him, and ate it
seated at his desk. When he had finished he continued his work with his
pen, sealing-wax and seal, until the notary, Herr Winckler, called
towards evening.

For the first time in the course of their long friendship he fell on the
notary's neck, and told him with wet eyes, and broken voice that he had
reached the happiest hour of his life, for the great work to which he had
already dedicated himself while yet in Padua and Bologna, was completed,
and that only the preceding evening he had achieved the most marvellous
discovery of all times.