Things written either live or die; unless it be for a place of judgment upon Academic impostors, there is no apologetic intermediate state. I may add that I have tried to set a date to most of these stories, but that they are not arranged in strictly chronological order. H. G. WELLS. CONTENTS. I. THE JILTING OF JANE II. THE CONE III. THE STOLEN BACILLUS IV. THE FLOWERING OF THE STRANGE ORCHID V. THE AVU OBSERVATORY VI. AEPYORNIS ISLAND VII. THE REMARKABLE CASE OF DAVIDSON'S EYES. VIII. THE LORD OF THE DYNAMOS. IX. THE MOTH X. THE TREASURE IN THE FOREST XI. THE STORY OF THE LATE MR. ELVESHAM XII. UNDER THE KNIFE XIII. THE SEA RAIDERS XIV. THE OBLITERATED MAN XV. THE PLATTNER STORY XVI. THE RED ROOM XVII. THE PURPLE PILEUS XVIII. A SLIP UNDER THE MICROSCOPE XIX. THE CRYSTAL EGG XX. THE STAR XXI. THE MAN WHO COULD WORK MIRACLES XXII. A VISION OF JUDGMENT XXIII. JIMMY GOGGLES THE GOD XXIV. MISS WINCHELSEA'S HEART XXV. A DREAM OF ARMAGEDDON XXVI. THE VALLEY OF SPIDERS XXVII. THE NEW ACCELERATOR XXVIII. THE TRUTH ABOUT PYECRAFT XXIX. THE MAGIC SHOP XXX. THE EMPIRE OF THE ANTS XXXI. THE DOOR IN THE WALL XXXII. THE COUNTRY OF THE BLIND XXXIII. THE BEAUTIFUL SUIT I. THE JILTING OF JANE. As I sit writing in my study, I can hear our Jane bumping her way downstairs with a brush and dust-pan. She used in the old days to sing hymn tunes, or the British national song for the time being, to these instruments, but latterly she has been silent and even careful over her work. Time was when I prayed with fervour for such silence, and my wife with sighs for such care, but now they have come we are not so glad as we might have anticipated we should be. Indeed, I would rejoice secretly, though it may be unmanly weakness to admit it, even to hear Jane sing "Daisy," or, by the fracture of any plate but one of Euphemia's best green ones, to learn that the period of brooding has come to an end.