enuine.
"You must either fancy," continued the alchemist, "that I begin by
getting a heap of ducats, and then melt them down like a fool, or else
you cannot have another word to say. Will you keep these two bars as a
remembrance? I make you a present of them."

Edward lookt at the stunted figure with astonishment, then laid down
the bars on the table again, and said: "No, I won't rob you; the
present would be much too valuable. But you should not let these vast
treasures lie about here at random thus mixt up with all the rest of
your things: it is holding out a lure to thieves and robbers."

"Nobody will look for gold in my house," answered the other, busying
himself again at his furnace: "nobody will recognize gold under this
ungainly form. Besides there are means after all for keeping off
thieves and house-breakers, which none of you have ever yet dreamt of.
If however you still doubt me, bring me a dollar next time, make a
secret mark on it, and I will give it you back turned into gold. But
the matter must not go further. And then you will no longer question
my chance of discovering the elixir of life. Only I should like to
punish that beggarly vagrant, that rascally herb-culler, and pitiful
conjuror, as he deserves. Let him only come for once into my quarters!
With all his contemptible jugglery, I would astound him! I am so
enraged with the fellow, the blood runs into my head at the very
thought of him."

"How," interposed Edward, "came that paltry jest to make so deep an
impression upon you?"

"Jest!" screamed Eleazar; "Heavens! is it a jest that I have ever
since been a prey all over to these hellish tortures, this ghastly
fear of death? My own skeleton, my own rotting carcase is standing
perpetually before my eyes. Old Conrad too over yonder has fallen
sick, and is bewailing the loss of his reputation. Such a knave as
this stranger is just as bad as a murderer: nay worse: for he pours
the poison down ones throat in the midst of a large party without
himself risking life or limb." He jumpt up.--"Hark you!" he cried and
threw his arms round Edward: "Yes! the old man is right; the wedding
must be very soon, as soon as possible, tomorrow, aftertomorrow, to
make all safe. I can go on discovering my life-preserving elixir after
the marriage: can't I? One shall not die all at once in a moment,
friend Ned; flesh and bone still keep pretty tightly together."

He laught so loud that he shook with it, and the writhing