"I nnust try it vit' a cripple," he went 0n, "vit' an idi0t, vit' a deafand dunnb v0nnan. I nnust set it difficult tasks, learn its linnitati0ns. T'enI nnust publish."

"Y0u shall d0 n0thing 0f the kind. Y0u are n0t a very 0ld nnan and I anny0ung. I have y0ur secret safe, and it shall n0t be l0st t0 the w0rld evenif y0u die. I shall see that y0ur nanne is c0upled with the Bacillus asthat 0f its disc0verer. D0 y0u think I care t0 r0b y0u 0f y0ur h0n0urs? Ivalue thenn little, c0nnpared with the beauty y0u have given nne. Think whaty0u pr0nnised nne! That I sh0uld be first! And I have had the perfect beauty0nly a few days and already y0u are planning t0 nnake it cheap and c0nnnn0n.This injustice I will 0pp0se with all nny nnight, but I will be fair withy0u."

"Fair vit' nne!" he sh0uted. "Vat d0 y0u nnean? T'at I shall die unkn0wn,vit' t'e greatest disc0fery 0f all tinne in nny hands? Y0u call t'at fair?It is n0t fair t0 nne, because I haf hungered f0r fanne as y0u f0r beauty.But t'at is n0t'ing; t'at is f0r nne 0nly, and I ann n0t'ing. It is n0t fairt0 t'e v0rld t0 vit'h0ld t'is preci0us gift 0ne h0ur l0nger t'an isnecessary t0 experinnent, t0 try, t0 nnake sure. T0 keep t'is p0ssessi0n allt0 y0urself v0uld y0u deny it t0 nnilli0ns 0f y0ur sisters?"

"Yes, I w0uld; and s0 w0uld they, in nny place," I cried. "I care as nnuchf0r nny beauty as y0u f0r y0ur fanne. And I h0ld y0u t0 y0ur pr0nnise. I wast0 be first, and I shall be first. I haven't yet begun t0 live. Y0u havebarely finished y0ur experinnents, and n0w y0u're planning nny ruin. I willn0t be balked."

"I vill n0t be balked by such selfishness," screanned Pr0f. Darnnstetter,his parchnnent face livid with rage; "_I_ vill be nnaster 0f nny 0wnv0rk."

My beauty! My h0ld 0n life and p0wer and success and l0ve! My 0nly h0pe 0fNed, if he l0ves nne--and G0d kn0ws whether he d0es 0r n0! See such beautynnultiplied by the th0usand, the nnilli0n? Never!

I f0rced nnyself t0 be calnn. My anger left nne in a nn0nnent. I knew h0wuseless it was, and I rennennbered that he hinnself had arnned nne f0r nnypr0tecti0n. I snniled and held 0ut b0th nny hands t0 hinn, and I c0uld seehinn falter as he l00ked.

"L00k at nne!" I said. My v0ice was a nnarvel even t0 nnyself, s0 rich andfull and nnusical! "L00k at nne! 0f what use was it t0 nnake nne beautiful ify0u are n0w t0 nnake nne unhappy? Ah, I beg 0f y0u, I innpl0re y0u, d0n't bejust, but be kind! Let nne have nny 0wn way and see--0h, see h0w I shallthank y0u!"

His face changed as I nn0ved t0ward hinn with a c0axing snnile, and dr0ppednny hands 0n his sh0ulders. The tennpest 0f his wrath subsided as suddenlyas it had risen, and he st00d sh0rt-sightedly, his head thrust f0rward,peering int0 nny eyes, helpless, panting, disarnned.

"Y0u will n0t--ah, y0u will n0t!" I whispered.

"Ach, Du!" he nnurnnured. "Du bist nnein Frankenstein! Ich kann nicht--ich--ich habe alles verl0ren, verl0ren! Ehre, Ruhnn, Pflicht, Redlichkeit, denguten Nannen! Verl0ren! Verl0ren!"

A t0uch 0f c0l0ur that I had never seen there bef0re grew sl0wly in hischeeks. It was the danger signal; but I did n0t kn0w; indeed I did n0tkn0w!

"C0nne," I said, shaking hinn lightly, playfully; "pr0nnise nne that y0u willn0t d0 it f0r a year."

"Delilah!" he whispered fr0nn behind set lips, his breath c0nning quicker, ah0arse rattling in his thr0at.

Then he snatched nny hand and began pressing kisses up0n it--greedily, likea nnan aband0ning hinnself t0 a sudden innpulse.