Osborne paid no attention to Mr Wilfrid Parkinson. He was conscious a human voice was droning out something or other in a most unexcited tone and manner. Nevill was following the speaker with intense interest. Osborne had made up his mind not to endure another afternoon of this kind again. How much more delightful to walk or sit with Marie, and chat of some kindly human subject, not about fossils and chalk, and flint and fluxes! Anything but this pedantry of calm impartiality. Anything but this cold-blooded prying into Nature, this wilful disturbing of things settled for thousands of years. What had satisfied a Shakespeare, a Milton, a Dante, might surely satisfy Nevill and himself. While Osborne was earnestly wishing the address over, that they might go away, a great buzz and commotion arose. Most of the men got on their feet, wiped their spectacles, and looked eagerly in the direction of the speaker, who was holding up in one hand the thigh-bone of a man, and in the other a stone vessel like a chemist's mortar. As soon as the commotion had subsided, and most of the audience had resumed their seats, Mr Wilfrid Parkinson proceeded to say in conclusion,-- 'I think there can be no longer any doubts of the theory I have been advancing since I did myself the honour of coming before you to-day. The friend who has forwarded me these remains is still busy excavating on the bank of the Nile. He writes me to say he is hopeful of fresh success, and that any further remains which may turn up he will at once forward to me, with an ample account of the place and circumstance of his good fortune. I am greatly pleased to think that, through the instrumentality of a friend of mine, the Prehistoric Society of London has to-day been able to inspect the first remains of man yet found so far down in that system.' Applause, long continued, followed the conclusion of the address. All crowded round the table eagerly. Some shook Mr Parkinson's hand warmly; some called out their congratulations to him. He was modest, and said no thanks or congratulations were due to him. He knew it would be very gratifying to his friend on the Nile, to whom all congratulations were due, when he heard the flattering reception his discovery had received at the hands of the illustrious members of the Prehistoric Society. Partly by the general movement towards the head of the room, and partly by the guidance of Nevill, Osborne found himself drifting slowly upwards towards the excited enthusiastic crowd gathered round Parkinson and the remains of some other man, name unknown. For the moment he did not care what way he went. That tedious discourse was over at last. Soon they should go out into the open air, then back to Peter's Row, and finally they four should dine at the pleasant Holborn, where there were no dreary scientists digging up unpleasant and unnecessary facts, and droning out uninteresting technicalities.