bottlesmost　innocent；　most　useful　in　themselveswhich；　in
  combination　with　other　substances　and　other　liquids；　become
  poisons　as　terrible　and　as　deadly　as　any　that　I　have　in　my
  cabinet　under　lock　and　key。〃
  She　looked　at　him　for　a　moment；　and　creased　to　the　opposite　side
  of　the　room。
  〃Show　me　one；〃　she　said；
  Still　smiling　as　good…humoredly　as　ever；　the　doctor　humored　his
  nervous　patient。　He　pointed　to　the　bottle　from　which　he　had
  privately　removed　the　yellow　liquid　on　the　previous　day；　and
  which　he　had　filled　up　again　with　a　carefully…colored　imitation
  in　the　shape　of　a　mixture　of　his　own。
  〃Do　you　see　that　bottle；〃　he　said〃that　plump；　round；
  comfortable…looking　bottle？　Never　mind　the　name　of　what　is　beside
  it；　let　us　stick　to　the　bottle；　and　distinguish　it；　if　you　like；
  by　giving　it　a　name　of　our　own。　Suppose　we　call　it　'our　Stout
  Friend'？　Very　good。　Our　Stout　Friend；　by　himself；　is　a　most
  harmless　and　useful　medicine。　He　is　freely　dispensed　every　day　to
  tens　of　thousands　of　patients　all　over　the　civilized　world。　He
  has　made　no　romantic　appearances　in　courts　of　law；　he　has　excited
  no　breathless　interest　in　novels；　he　has　played　no　terrifying
  part　on　the　stage。　There　he　is；　an　innocent；　inoffensive
  creature；　who　troubles　nobody　with　the　responsibility　of　locking
  him　up！　_But_　bring　him　into　contact　with　something
  elseintroduce　him　to　the　acquaintance　of　a　certain　common
  mineral　substance；　of　a　universally　accessible　kind；　broken　into
  fragments；　provide　yourself　with　（say）　six　doses　of　our　Stout
  Friend；　and　pour　those　doses　consecutively　on　the　fragments　I
  have　mentioned；　at　intervals　of　not　less　than　five　minutes。
  Quantities　of　little　bubbles　will　rise　at　every　pouring；　collect
  the　gas　in　those　bubbles；　and　convey　it　into　a　closed
  chamberand　let　Samson　himself　be　in　that　closed　chamber；　our
  stout　Friend　will　kill　him　in　half　an　hour！　Will　kill　him　slowly；
  without　his　seeing　anything；　without　his　smelling　anything；
  without　his　feeling　anything　but　sleepiness。　Will　kill　him；　and
  tell　the　whole　College　of　Surgeons　nothing；　if　they　examine　him
  after　death；　but　that　he　died　of　apoplexy　or　congestion　of　the
  lungs！　What　do　you　think　of　_that；_　my　dear　lady；　in　the　way　of
  mystery　and　romance？　Is　our　harmless　Stout　Friend　as　interesting
  _now_　as　if　he　rejoiced　in　the　terrible　popular　fame　of　the
  Arsenic　and　the　Strychnine　which　I　keep　locked　up　there？　Don't
  suppose　I　am　exaggerating！　Don't　suppose　I'm　inventing　a　story　to
  put　you　off　with；　as　the　children　say。　Ask　Benjamin　there；〃　said
  the　doctor；　appealing　to　his　assistant；　with　his　eyes　fixed　on
  Miss　Gwilt。　〃Ask　Benjamin；〃　he　repeated；　with　the　steadiest
  emphasis　on　the　next　words；　〃if　six　doses　from　that　bottle；　at
  intervals　of　five　minutes　each；　would　not；　under　the　conditions　I
  have　stated；　produce　the　results　I　have　described？〃
  The　Resident　Dispenser；　modestly　admiring　Miss　Gwilt　at　a
  distance；　started　and　colored　up。　He　was　plainly　gratified　by　the
  little　attention　which　had　included　him　in　the　conversation。
  〃The　doctor　is　quite　right；　ma'am；〃　he　said；　addressing　Miss
  Gwilt；　with　his　best　bow；　〃the　production　of　the　gas；　extended
  over　half　an　hour；　would　be　quite　gradual　enough。　And；〃　added　the
  Dispenser；　silently　appealing　to　his　employer　to　let　him　exhibit
  a　little　chemical　knowledge　on　his　own　account；　〃the　volume　of
  the　gas　would　be　sufficient　at　the　end　of　the　timeif　I　am　not
  mistaken；　sir？to　be　fatal　to　any　person　entering　the　room　in
  less　than　five　minutes。〃
  〃Unquestionably；　Benjamin；〃　rejoined　the　doctor。　〃But　I　think　we
  have　had　enough　of　chemistry　for　the　present；〃　he　added；　turning
  to　Miss　Gwilt。　〃With　every　desire；　my　dear　lady；　to　gratify　every
  passing　wish　you　may　form；　I　venture　to　propose　trying　a　more
  cheerful　subject。　Suppose　we　leave　the　Dispensary；　before　it
  suggests　any　more　inquiries　to　that　active　mind　of　yours？　No？　You
  want　to　see　an　experiment？　You　want　to　see　how　the　little　bubbles
  are　made？　Well；　well！　there　is　no　harm　in　that。　We　will　let　Mrs。
  Armadale　see　the　bubbles；〃　continued　the　doctor；　in　the　tone　of　a
  parent　humoring　a　spoiled　child。　〃Try　if　you　can　find　a　few　of
  those　fragments　that　we　want；　Benjamin。　I　dare　say　the　workmen
  （slovenly　fellows！）　have　left　something　of　the　sort　about　the
  house　or　the　grounds。〃
  The　Resident　Dispenser　left　the　room。
  As　soon　as　his　back　was　turned；　the　doctor　began　opening　and
  shutting　drawers　in　various　parts　of　the　Dispensary；　with　the　air
  of　a　man　who　wants　something　in　a　hurry；　and　does　not　know　where
  to　find　it。　〃Bless　my　soul！〃　he　exclaimed；　suddenly　stopping　at
  the　drawer　from　which　he　had　taken　his　cards　of　invitation　on　the
  previous　day；　〃what's　this？　A　key？　A　duplicate　key；　as　I'm　alive；
  of　my　fumigating　apparatus　upstairs！　Oh　dear；　dear；　how　careless
  I　get；〃　said　the　doctor；　turning　round　briskly　to　Miss　Gwilt。　〃I
  hadn't　the　least　idea　that　I　possessed　this　second　key。　I　should
  never　have　missed　it。　I　do　assure　you　I　should　never　have　missed
  it　if　anybody　had　taken　it　out　of　the　drawer！〃　He　bustled　away　to
  the　other　end　of　the　roomwithout　closing　the　drawer；　and
  without　taking　away　the　duplicate　key。
  In　silence；　Miss　Gwilt　listened　till　he　had　done。　In　silence；　she
  glided　to　the　drawer。　In　silence；　she　took　the　key　and　hid　it　in
  her　apron　pocket。
  The　Dispenser　came　back；　with　the　fragments　required　of　him；
  collected　in　a　basin。　〃Thank　you；　Benjamin；〃　said　the　doctor。
  〃Kindly　cover　them　with　water；　while　I　get　the　bottle　down。〃
  As　accidents　sometimes　happen　in　the　most　perfectly　regulated
  families；　so　clumsiness　sometimes　possesses　itself　of　the　most
  perfectly　disciplined　hands。　In　the　process　of　its　transfer　from
  the　shelf　to　the　doctor；　the　bottle　slipped　and　fell　smashed　to
  pieces　on　the　floor。
  〃Oh；　my　fingers　and　thumbs！〃　cried　the　doctor；　with　an　air　of
  comic　vexation；　〃what　in　the　world　do　you　mean　by　playing　me　such
  a　wicked　trick　as　that？　Well；　well；　wellit　can't　be　helped。
  Have　we　got　any　more　of　it；　Benjamin？〃
  〃Not　a　drop；　sir。〃
  〃Not　a　drop！〃　echoed　the　doctor。　〃My　dear　madam；　what　excuses　can
  I　offer　you？　My　clumsiness　has　made　our　little　experiment
  impossible　for　to…day。　Remind　me　to　order　some　more　to…morrow；
  Benjamin；　and　don't　think　of　troubling　yourself　to　put　that　mess
  to　rights。　I'll　send　the　man　here　to　mop　it　all　up。　Our　Stout
  Friend　is　harmless　enough　now；　my　dear　ladyin　combination　with
  a　boarded　floor　and　a　coming　mop！　I'm　so　sorry；　I　really　am　so
  sorry　to　have　disappointed　you。〃　With　those　soothing　words；　he
  offered　his　arm；　and　led　Miss　Gwilt　out　of　the　Dispensary。
  〃Have　you　done　with　me　for　the　present？〃　she　asked；　when　they
  were　in　the　hall。
  〃Oh；　dear；　dear；　what　a　way　of　putting　it！〃　exclaimed　the　doctor。
  〃Dinner　at　six；〃　he　added；　with　his　politest　emphasis；　as　she
  turned　from　him　in　disdainful　silence；　and　slowly　mounted　the
  stairs　to　her　own　room。
  A　clock　of　the　noiseless　sortincapable　of　offending　irritable
  nerveswas　fixed　in　the　wall；　a　bove　the　first…floor　landing；　at
  the　Sanitarium。　At　the　moment　when　the　hands　pointed　to　a　quarter
  before　six；　the　silence　of　the　lonely　upper　regions　was　softly
  broken　by　the　rustling　of　Miss　Gwilt's　dress。　She　advanced　along
  the　corridor　of　the　first　floorpaused　at　the　covered　apparatus
  fixed　outside　the　room　numbered　Fourlistened　for　a　momentand
  then　unlocked　the　cover　with　the　duplicate　key。
  The　open　lid　cast　a　shadow　over　the　inside　of　the　casing。　All　she
  saw　at　first　was　what　she　had　seen　alreadythe　jar；　and　the　pipe
  and　glass　funnel　inserted　in　the　cork。　She　removed　the　funnel；
  and；　looking　about　her；　observed　on　the　window…sill　close　by　a
  wax…tipped　wand　used　for　lighting　the　gas。　She　took　the　wand；
  and；　introducing　it　through　the　aperture　occupied　by　the　funnel；
  moved　it　to　and　fro　in　the　jar。　The　faint　splash　of　some　liquid；
  and　the　grating　noise　of　certain　hard　substances　which　she　was
  stirring　about；　were　the　two　sounds　that　caught　her　ear。　She　drew
  out　the　wand；　and　cautiously　touched　the　wet　left　on　it　with　the
  tip　of　her　tongue。　Caution　was　quite　needless　in　this　case。　The
  liquid　waswater。
  In　putting　the　funnel　back　in　its　place；　she　noticed　something
  faintly　shining　in　the　obscurely　lit　vacant　space　at　the　side　of
  the　jar。　She　drew　it　out；　and　produced　a　Purple　Flask。　The　liquid
  with　which　it　was　filled　showed　dark　through　the　transparent
  coloring　of　the　glass；　and　fastened　at　regular　intervals　down　one
  side　of　the　Flask　were　six　thin　strips　of　paper；　which　divided
  the　contents　into　six　equal　parts。
  There　was　no　doubt　now　that　the　apparatus　had　been　secretly
  prepared　for　herthe　apparatus　of　which　she　alone　（besides　the
  doctor）　possessed　the　key。
  She　put　back　the　Flask；　and　locked　the　cover　of　the　casing。　For　a
  moment　she　stood　looking　at　it；　with　the　key　in　her　hand。　On　a
  sudden；　her　lost　color　came　back。　On　a　sudden；　its　natural
  animation　returned；　for　the　first　time　that　day；　to　her　face。　She
  turned　and　hurried　breathlessly　upstairs　to　her　room　on　the
  second　floor。　With　eager　hands　she　snatched　her　cloak　out　of　the
  wardrobe；　and　took　her　bonnet　from　the　box。　〃I'm　not　in　prison！〃
  she　burst　out；　impetuously。　〃I've　got　the　use　of　my　limbs！　I　can