[Transcriber's Note: The following typographical errors present in the original text have been corrected for this electronic edition. In Chapter III, a missing period was added after "his pipe and tobacco pouch". In Chapter IV, a missing quotation mark was added before "pyocyaneus, indeed", and a comma was changed to a period after "Of course". In Chapter VI, a missing period was added after "'A very unsatisfying view, surely?' he remarked". In Chapter VIII, "the municipal authorites" was changed to "the municipal authorities", "this phenomen" was changed to "this phenomenon", and "scanned the colums" was changed to "scanned the columns". In Chapter XIII, a comma was changed to a period after "cold and dark", and "protaplasm" was changed to "protoplasm". In Chapter XIV, a period was added after "something other than life exists". In Chapter XV, "in the in the hall" was changed to "in the hall". In Chapter XVI, "Dr Harden" (in the sentence ending "in smooth and pleasant tones") was changed to "Dr. Harden", and commas were changed to periods following "The gift of immortality" and "if it were true". In Chapter XVIII, "millenium" was changed to "millennium". In Chapter XXIII, a missing period was added after "the millennium was at hand". In Chapter XXVI, a missing period was added after "with conviction", "flutted" was changed to "fluttered", and "I'ad my breakfast" was changed to "I 'ad my breakfast". In Chapter XXIX, "undimished enthusiasm" was changed to "undiminished enthusiasm".]