colour for ever. Soon it will change to white and in that state will
change all metals into silver. Hereafter, by my art and industry, it
will turn red, and acquire the virtue of transmuting silver into
gold. It certainly would be of advantage to you that, shut in this
laboratory, you should not leave it before these sublime operations
have fully taken place, a process which cannot require more than two
or three months. But as to ask you to do so would perhaps be
imposing too hard a restriction on your youth, be satisfied, for
this time, to observe the preludes of the work, while putting, if
you please, as much wood on the fire as possible."

Having said that he returned to his phials and retorts, and I could
not help thinking of the sad position wherein ill-luck and
imprudence had placed me.

"Alas!" I said to myself, and threw logs into the fire, "at this
very moment the constables are searching for my good tutor and
myself; perhaps we shall have to go to prison, certainly we have to
leave this castle. I have in default of money, at least board and an
honourable position. I shall never again dare to stand before M.
d'Asterac, who believes me to have passed the night in the silent
voluptuousness of magic, which perhaps would have been better for
me. Alas! I'll never more see Mosaide's niece, Mademoiselle Jahel,
who at night-time woke me in my room in such a charming way. No
doubt she will forget me. Perhaps she'll love someone else, and
bestow on him the same caresses as she gave to me." The idea of such
an infidelity became unbearable. But as the world goes, one has to
be ready for anything.

"My son," M. d'Asterac began to say again, "you do not sufficiently