lessly as we talk of its value, every
hour of existence now seemed an inestimable thing. Never have I known
such a thrill of sensuous joy as came with that freshet of life. The
weight fell away from my lungs, the band loosened from my brow, a sweet
feeling of peace and gentle, languid comfort stole over me. I lay
watching Summerlee revive under the same remedy, and finally Lord John
took his turn. He sprang to his feet and gave me a hand to rise, while
Challenger picked up his wife and laid her on the settee.

"Oh, George, I am so sorry you brought me back," she said, holding him by
the hand. "The door of death is indeed, as you said, hung with
beautiful, shimmering curtains; for, once the choking feeling had passed,
it was all unspeakably soothing and beautiful. Why have you dragged me
back?"

"Because I wish that we make the passage together. We have been together
so many years. It would be sad to fall apart at the supreme moment."

For a moment in his tender voice I caught a glimpse of a new Challenger,
something very far from the bullying, ranting, arrogant man who had
alternately amazed and offended his generation. Here in the shadow of
death was the innermost Challenger, the man who had won and held a
woman's love. Suddenly his mood changed and he was our strong captain
once again.

"Alone of all mankind I saw and foretold this catastrophe," said he with
a ring of exultation and scientific triumph in his voice. "As to you, my
good Summerlee, I trust your last doubts have been resolved as to the
meaning of the blurring of the lines in the spectrum and that you will no
longer contend that my letter in the Times was based upon a delusion."

For once our pugnacious colleague was deaf to a challenge. He could but
sit gasping and stretching his long, thin limbs, as if to assure himself
that he was still really upon this planet. Challenger walked across to
the oxygen tube, and the sound of the loud hissing fell away till it was
the most gentle sibilation.

"We must husband our supply of the gas," said he. "The atmosphere of the
room is now strongly hyperoxygenated, and I take it that none of us feel
any distressing symptoms. We can only determine by actual experiments
what amount added to the air will serve to neutralize the poison. Let us
see how that will do."

We sat in silent nervous tension for five minutes or more, observing our
own sensations. I had just begun to fancy that I felt the const