t-show."

Adam stared a moment at the king in the surprise that one full of his
subject feels when he sees it impossible to make another understand it,
sighed, shook his head, and prepared to begin.

"Observe," he said, "that there is no juggling, no deceit. I will place
in this deposit this small lump of brass--would the size of this toy
would admit of larger experiment! I will then pray ye to note, as I
open door after door, how the metal passes through various changes,
all operated by this one agency of vapour. Heed and attend. And if the
crowning work please thee, think, great king, what such an agency upon
the large scale would be to thee; think how it would multiply all arts
and lessen all labour; think that thou hast, in this, achieved for a
whole people the true philosopher's stone. Now note!"

He placed the rough ore in its receptacle, and suddenly it seemed seized
by a vice within, and vanished. He proceeded then, while dexterously
attending to the complex movements, to open door after door, to show
the astonished spectators the rapid transitions the metal underwent,
and suddenly, in the midst of his pride, he stopped short, for, like
a lightning-flash, came across his mind the remembrance of the fatal
papers. Within the next door he was to open, they lay concealed. His
change of countenance did not escape Richard, and he noted the door
which Adam forbore to open, as the student hurriedly, and with some
presence of mind, passed to the next, in which the metal was shortly to
appear.

"Open this door," said the prince, pointing to the handle. "No! forbear!
There is danger! forbear!" exclaimed the mechanician.

"Danger to thine own neck, varlet and impostor!" exclaimed the duke;
and he was about himself to open the door, when suddenly a loud roar, a
terrific explosion was heard. Alas! Adam Warner had not yet discovered
for his engine what we now call the safety-valve. The steam contained
in the miniature boiler had acquired an undue pressure; Adam's attention
had been too much engrossed to notice the signs of the growing increase,
and the rest may be easily conceived. Nothing could equal the stupor and
the horror of the spectators at this explosion, save only the boy-duke,
who remained immovable, and still frowning. All rushed to the door,
huddling one on the other, scarcely knowing what next was to befall
them, but certain that the wizard was bent upon their destruction.
Edward was the first to recover hims