nued to regard the jar sceptically and rather contemptuously.

Philpot next dived into a drawer and drew from it a large cork, through
which passed a long wire having a small cup at the lower end.

"Now look out," he said.

He proceeded to shovel the small piece of phosphorus into the little cup
under the cork, and drawing it out of the water, applied a light. The
phosphorus lit up immediately, and at the same instant he slipped the
glass plate off the mouth of the oxygen jar, and clapped the cork, with
the wire and cup hanging down from it, in its place. The effect was
magical. The moment the phosphorus was introduced into the oxygen it
flared up with a brilliancy that perfectly dazzled the spectators, and
made the entire jar look like one mass of light.

The two pupils were delighted; Philpot was complacently triumphant; when
all of a sudden there was a loud report, the illumination suddenly
ceased, and the jar, broken to pieces, collapsed.

Pilbury and Cusack, who at the first alarm had retreated somewhat
suddenly to the door, returned as soon as they perceived there was no
danger, and were profuse in their praises of the experiment and the
experimenter.

"Awfully prime, that was!" cried Cusack; "wasn't it, Pil?"

"Stunning!" said Pilbury.

"Jolly grind that jar bursting up, though," said Philpot, with a
troubled countenance.

"Why, wasn't that part of the show-off?" asked Pilbury. "Part of the
show-off! No!" exclaimed Philpot. "I thought it was the best part of
it all," said Cusack. "So did I. No end of a bust up it was."

"You see," said Philpot, solemnly, "what I ought to have done was to
dilute the oxygen with a little air first, but you fellows flurried me
so I forgot all about it."

"Jolly glad you did, or we'd have missed the bust up," said Cusack. "I
say, can't we try now? I know the way to do it quite well."

But this proposal Philpot flatly declined to accede to, and could only
appease their disappointment by promising to perform one other
experiment for their benefit.

This was of rather an elaborate nature. The operator first placed in a
saucer some stuff which he explained was iodine. On to this he poured
from a small bottle which smelt uncommonly like smelling-salts a small
quantity of liquid, and then proceeded to stir the concoction up.

The two students were not to be restrained from offering their services
at this point, and Philpot yielded. After they had stirred to the