There was no further bubbling, but the mixture in the crucible, which had been a dull blue, grew lighter and lighter in color, until it was a very pale green, which in turn resolved itself into a sickly yellow. As the last tinge of green disappeared, the baroness took another vial from the cabinet. This vial was filled with a liquid that looked like water. She emptied it all into the crucible. The liquid immediately took on a rich amber hue. As it did so, she hastily reached for a glass cover, with a small, funnellike hole in the top. Over this hole she fitted a rubber tube, forcing the other end of the tube tightly into a long, narrow bottle. Hardly had she secured the tube and lifted the bottle, when a heavy vapor arose inside the crucible, easily visible through the glass top. The light vapor went swiftly through the tube, and the long glass bottle could be seen filling. In five minutes the amber fluid had entirely disappeared from the crucible, while the long bottle was full of vapor. “This is well,” muttered the baroness, as she watched the experiment with intent eyes. “Everything is working out all right. Now for the next stage.” Skillfully, she withdrew the tube from the bottle, and in its place tightly inserted a stopper made of india rubber. The mixture she had prepared with such care would have eaten through a cork in a few minutes. Having progressed thus far, the baroness carefully placed the glass-tubelike bottle in a steel case, padded inside, which had been specially made for it. Screwing on the cap firmly, she laid the case on the glass table, and stood thoughtfully regarding it for several seconds. “I’ll have to try its strength,” she decided, half aloud. “This is the dangerous part of the experiment.” She brought forward a large bottle, on which was a bulb and spraying contrivance carefully fitted to it. The ever-useful Florine had seen that the bottle was ready with the other paraphernalia her employer would want. Florine knew nearly as much about it all as the baroness herself. The baroness carefully sprayed the air of the bathroom, after closing the window at the top. She wanted no outside atmosphere to interfere with the test she was about to make. Now, for the first time, she removed the strange-looking mask she had worn throughout her operations. It protected her lungs entirely from the dangerous gases. There was always the possibility that they might escape, in spite of all her care with the vessels she used. As she took off the mask, leaving her mouth exposed, her eyes dropped heavily and her head swam. She stumbled slightly as she made her way to the ground-glass window and pulled down the upper sash. The current of air revived her at once. She stood there for a few moments inhaling the pure sea atmosphere luxuriously.