points in general, and my own theory in particular, I ask you for the
deduction you draw from your premises."

"It is simply this: that to all animate bodies, however various, there
must be one principle in common,--the vital principle itself. What if
there be one certain means of recruiting that principle; and what if that
secret can be discovered?"

"Pshaw! The old illusion of the mediaeval empirics."

"Not so. But the mediaeval empirics were great discoverers. You sneer at
Van Helmont, who sought, in water, the principle of all things; but Van
Helmont discovered in his search those invisible bodies called gases. Now
the principle of life must be certainly ascribed to a gas.[1] And what
ever is a gas chemistry should not despair of producing! But I can argue
no longer now,--never can argue long at a stretch; we are wasting the
morning; and, joy! the sun is up! See! Out! come out! out! and greet
the great Lifegiver face to face."

I could not resist the young man's invitation. In a few minutes we were
in the quiet lane under the glinting chestnut-trees. Margrave was
chanting, low, a wild tune,--words in a strange language.

"What words are those,--no European language, I think; for I know a little
of most of the languages which are spoken in our quarter of the globe, at
least by its more civilized races."

"Civilized race! What is civilization? Those words were uttered by men
who founded empires when Europe itself was not civilized! Hush, is it not
a grand old air?" and lifting his eyes towards the sun, he gave vent to a