eeping room was a
smaller one which constituted his laboratory, for Hubert was a man of
science in his leisure hours. This room was the one discomfort of poor
Mrs. Gray, who feared explosions or electric shocks, and sighed many a
time as she heard the door close after the entering form of her son.
To-night it closed firmly, and had not opened again before slumber
muffled the ears of the apprehensive mother, nor had the light from the
single gas burner ceased to throw out its yellow challenge to the
mellow, midnight moonlight without. Could Mrs. Gray have looked
within, she would have seen Hubert sunk in the depths of a leather
covered chair, with his dark, frowning face leaning upon his hand. He
was thinking.

Something like this was the matter of his thoughts:

In this little room questions had been asked and answered. From the
standpoint of the known, or even from the conjectured, excursions into
the unknown had been undertaken, and the explorer returned with
trophies of ascertained fact. How had it come to pass? Obedience to
the laws of force revealed had brought its recompense of further
revelation. How humbly, with what child-likeness, he had followed
those subtle laws propounded to him by others; laws whose deep mystery
he could in no wise understand, but which he believed, and, believing,
demonstrated. Were there such principles to be observed in the
spiritual realm? Were there laws of the unseen kingdom, which, if
obeyed, brought demonstration? He gave a little gesture of impatience
as he thought of the unthinking assertion of some that they would
believe nought they could not understand!

"Stupid!" he muttered, and remembered an effort of his own, when a
school-boy, to illuminate the mind of the gardener with a few
scientific facts, only to be met with a loud guffaw of unbelief.
Surely science had never yielded her treasures to sneering unbelief,
but to humble, patient faith. Must he so find out God?

Again he pondered: Could God, if there were a God, be expected to be
less mysterious, less wonderful, less unsearchable than the subtle
forces found in nature, and actually utilized, but never understood?

"What is electricity?" he asked himself. "I do not know, but I can use
it. I know it is. So may not God be, invisible, uncomprehended, but
real, and demonstrable to the man who applies himself to know Him?"

Hubert was very near a determination to thus apply himself. But should
God be sough