"Say no more; make no excuses; I surely would not pry into your secrets. We all have undertakings, we all have periods of our lives concerning which we do not care to communicate to the world. Your secrets are yours, Junius; I do not feel hurt in the least that you enlighten me not upon them." "But I know your curiosity has been aroused, and you naturally have wondered why I have wanted all this ozone, especially when it has taken such an expenditure of money and time to procure it." "Yes, it has; but it is gone now. I no longer have any curiosity on the subject. To-morrow morning I will have the full amount that you have requested, 45,000 grains." "How much have I had already?" "In August, a year ago, you had about ninety grains, and in the following October, a little over 1,500 more." "Yes; that was for the experiment with the cat." He had spoken without thinking. Colchis looked up, surprised; a curious expression came over his face, but he said nothing. "Yes," he continued, "I remember now. There were about 1,600 grains made by the old process. Had we been compelled to follow that method, we would never have completed our task." "True, my boy! It was a lucky day for you, I have no doubt, when we hit upon the idea we have since employed." "Come," said Cobb, "let us sit down. I have a little more to speak of ere we part for the night." They passed through the door into a smaller but neater room. The furniture was plain and scarce, but the fire in the grate gave the room an agreeable appearance. Colchis touched a button, and instantly a bright light shone out from a pair of Edison lamps; then, handing Cobb a glass and bottle, taken from a pile of books and papers on the table, he said: "Brighten up, Junius, with some of this old cognac; it is good, I can assure you, for we Frenchmen know what is good brandy. Had I a cigar, I would offer you one; but I do not smoke, so you will have to provide yourself with that article, if you smoke at all. Now, sit down," as Cobb finished his glass of brandy, "and tell me what it is that appears to worry you. Why are you so sad to-night?"