It might well be that, confronted for the first time in their lives with the possibility of the inmost secrets of their souls being laid bare, the men and women of the world would shrink in terror. Who of us, indeed, is able to look clearly and fairly into his own heart, and realize in very actual truth what he is! Do we not, day by day, and hour by hour, apply the flattering unction to our souls that we aren't so very bad after all; that what we did last week, and what, sub-consciously we know we shall do again in the week that is coming, is only the result of a temperament which cannot be controlled in this or that particular, and that we have many genial virtues--not exactly specified or defined--which make it all up to a high level of conduct after all? Yes! There was a silence there, as indeed there would have been in any other assembly when such a proposal was made. They were all ashamed, they were all frightened. They none of them dared submit themselves to this ordeal. And as they looked at their host they saw that a faint and mocking smile was playing about his mouth, and that the eyes above it flamed and shone. Then they heard his voice once more, and the new and subtle quality of mockery had crept into that also. "Ladies and gentlemen, I am waiting for one of you to give me an opportunity of proving all that I have told you." "My lord, will not you afford me the great privilege of being the first subject of the new experiment?" Lord Malvin looked very straightly and rather strangely at Sir William Gouldesbrough. "Sir," he said, "I am not afraid to display my thoughts to this company, but shall I be the first person who has ever done so? Of course not. You have had other subjects for experiment, whether willing or unwilling--I do not know." Once again the guests saw Sir William's face change. What strange and secret duel, they asked themselves, was going on before them? How was it that Lord Malvin and Sir William Gouldesbrough seemed to be in the twin positions of accuser and accused? What was all this? Lord Malvin continued-- "I am ready to submit myself, Sir William, in the cause of Science. But I would ask you, very, very earnestly, if you desire that the thoughts that animate me at this moment should be given to every one here?" Gouldesbrough stepped back a pace as though some one had struck him. There was a momentary and painful silence. And then it was that the Bishop of West London rose in his place. "Sir William," he said, "I shall be highly honoured if you will allow me to be the first subject. I shall fix my thoughts upon some definite object, and then we shall see if my memory is good. I have only just come back from a holiday in the Holy Land, and it will give me great pleasure to sit in your chair and to try and construct some memories of Jerusalem for you all." With that the Bishop stepped down on to the floor of the laboratory, and sat in the chair which Sir William indicated.