ce he had made the
proposition), a little through curiosity, decided that he would not beat
a retreat. "Is there anything to risk?" he asked. "And it might be one
chance in a thousand."

"But there is no chance," quickly answered M. Morin. "None--none!"

Then, relenting a little, he entered the discussion, explaining why he
had no faith.

"It is not I, M. Ginory, who will deny the possibility of such a result.
But it would be miraculous. Do you believe in miracles, the impressions
of heat, of the blood, of light, on our tissues are not catalogueable,
if I may be allowed the expression. The impression on the retina is
produced by the refraction which is called ethereal, phosphorescent, and
which is almost as difficult to seize as to weigh the imponderable. To
think to find on the retina a luminous impression after a certain number
of hours and days would be, as Vernois has very well said, to think one
can find in the organs of hearing the last sound which reverberated
through them. _Peuh!_ Seize the air-bubble at the end of a tube and
place it in a museum as a curiosity. Is there anything left of it but a
drop of water which is burst, while of the fleeting vision or the
passing sound nothing remains."

The unfortunate Bernardet suffered keenly when he heard this. He wished
to answer. The words came to his lips. Ah! if he was only in M. Ginory's
place. The latter, with bowed head, listened and seemed to weigh each
word as it dropped from M. Morin's lips.

"Let us reason it, but," the Professor went on, "since the
ophthalmoscope does not show to the oculist on the retina, any of the
objects or beings which a sick man sees--you understand, not one of
them--how can you think that photography can find that object or being
on the retina of a dead man's eye?"

He waited for objections from the Examining Magistrate and Bernardet
hoped that M. Ginory would combat some of the Professor's arguments. He
had only to say: "What of it? Let us see! Let us experiment!" And
Bernardet had longed for just these words from him; but the Magistrate
remained silent, his head still bent. The police agent felt, with
despair, his chance slipping, slipping away from him, and that never,
never again would he find a like opportunity to test the experiment.
Suddenly, the strident tones of Dr. Erwin's voice rung out sharply, like
an electric bell, and Bernardet experienced a sensation like that of a
sudden unexpected illumination.

"My dear Ma