puts t'e germs of good butter into bad cream and it becomes goot. It
ripens. It is educated, led in t'e right vay. Tradition vaits for years to
ripen vine and make it perfect. Science finds t'e bacillus of t'e perfect
vine and puts it in t'e cask of fresh grape juice, and soon t'e vine
drinkers of t'e vorld svear it is t'e rare old vintage. T'e bacillus,
inconceivably tiny, svarming vit' life, reproducing itself a billion from
one, t'at is Nature's tool. And t'e physiologist helps Nature.

"See now," continued Prof. Darmstetter. "I haf a vonderful discofery made.
I must experiment vit' it--_experimentum in corpore vili!_
Impossible, for the subject is mankind. I must haf a voman--a voman like
you, healt'y, strong, young--all t'e conditions most favourable. She must
haf intelligence--t'at is you. She should know somet'ing of biology, and
be fery brave, so t'at she may not be frightened, but may understand how
t'e vonderful gift is to come to her; and t'at is you. She should not be
already beautiful, lest t'e change be less convincing. Yes, you are t'e
voman for t'e test. You may become more famous in history fan Cleopatra or
Ninon, and outshine t'em and all t'e ot'er beauties t'at efer lifed. Do
you vant triumphs? Here t'ey are. Riches? You shall command t'em. Fame?
Power? I haf t'em for you. You shall be t'e first. Aftervard, v'en beauty
is common as ugliness is now--ah, I do not know. Efen t'en it vill be a
blessing. But to be t'e first is fame and all t'e ot'er t'ings I promise
you. Now do you trust me? Now do you beliefe me? Vill you make t'e
experiment? I haf--let me tell you!--I haf discofered--"

Cautiously Prof. Darmstetter looked about the room. Then he leaned toward
me again and added in a hoarse whisper:--

"I haf discofered t'e Bacillus of Beauty."