poor girl, at this moment the happiest of expectant brides. I knew that
I had not the power to even attempt to explain to her the nature of the
dreadful calamity that had fallen upon her. But I could not let my wife
go alone. She, indeed, must speak to Lilian, but there were other
members of the family; I might do something.

To my great surprise, Mrs. Colesworthy did not turn into the street
which led to the Budworths' house, but went straight on. I thought at
first she was going to the church to countermand the wedding
preparations. But before I could put a question to her she had gone
around a corner, and was hurrying up the steps of the principal hotel in
our town.

"Is Dr. Hildstein in?" she asked of the first person she met.

The man, gazing astonished at her pallid face, replied that he was, and
immediately conducted us to a little parlor on the first floor, the door
of which stood partly open. Without knocking, Mrs. Colesworthy hastily
entered, I closely following. A middle-aged man suddenly arose from a
small table at which he was sitting, and turning quickly toward us, made
an abrupt exclamation in German.

As I have said, I do not understand German, but Mrs. Colesworthy knows
the language well, and, stepping up to the man, she said (she afterward
told me the meaning of the words that passed between them): "Are you Dr.
Hildstein?"

"I am," he said, his face agitated by emotion, and his eyes sparkling,
"but I can see no one, speak to no one! I go out this moment to observe
the result of an important experiment!"