; that which touches the high-water
mark of scientific achievement in the history of humanity. It is not
much in itself, but it is the pioneer of many marvels."

He brought me to a metal stand, on which a small instrument constructed
of some white metal was placed. A large number of wires were connected
with various portions of it, and these wires passed into the side-wall
of the building.

In appearance, this marvel of micrology, so far as the eye-piece and
upper portions went, was like an ordinary microscope, but its magnifying
power was to me unbelievable. It magnified the object under examination
many thousand times more than the most powerful microscope in the world.

I looked through the upper lens, and saw a small globe suspended in the
middle of a tiny chamber filled with soft blue light, or transparent
material. Circling round this globe four other spheres revolved in
orbits, some almost circular, some elliptical, some parabolic. As I
looked, Brande touched a key, and the little globules began to fly more
rapidly round their primary, and make wider sweeps in their revolutions.
Another key was pressed, and the revolving spheres slowed down and drew
closer until I could scarcely distinguish any movement. The globules
seemed to form a solid ball.

"Attend now!" Brande exclaimed.

He tapped the first key sharply. A little grey cloud obscured the blue
light. When it cleared away, the revolving globes had disappeared.

"What do you think of it?" he asked carelessly.

"What is it? What does it mean? Is it the solar system or some other
system illustrated in miniature? I am sorry for the misadventure."

"You are partly correct," Brande replied. "It is an illustration of a
planetary system, though a small one. But there was no misadventure. I
caused the somewhat dangerous result you witnessed, the wreckage not
merely of the molecule of marsh gas you were examining--which any
educated chemist might do as easily as I--but the wreckage of its
constituent atoms. This is a scientific victory which dwarfs the work of
Helmholtz, Avogadro, or Mendelejeff. The immortal Dalton himself" (the
word "immortal" was spoken with a sneer) "might rise from his grave to
witness it."

"Atoms--molecules! What are you talking about?" I asked, bewildered.

"You were looking on at the death of a molecule--a molecule of marsh
gas, as I have already said. It was caused by a process which I would
describe to you if I could reduce my own