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George Ripley calls the great act； in his book entitled 'The Twelve
Gates。' Yes； doctor； in less than ten minutes you will see me make
pure； red； shining gold！〃 And the poor old man smiled
triumphantly； and stirred his foolish mixture with a long rod；
which he held with difficulty in his bandaged hands。 It was a
grievous sight for a man of any feeling to witness。
〃Father；〃 said Marion； in a low； broken voice； advancing a little
toward the poor old dupe； 〃I want your forgiveness。〃
〃Ah； hypocrite！ for what？ Are you going to give me back my gold？〃
〃No； father； but for the deception that I have been practicing on
you for two years〃
〃I knew it！ I knew it！〃 shouted the old man； with a radiant
countenance。 〃She has concealed my fourteen thousand dollars all
this time； and now comes to restore them。 I will forgive her。
Where are they； Marion？〃
〃Fatherit must come out。 You never made any gold。 It was I who
saved up thirty…five dollars； and I used to slip them into your
crucible when your back was turnedand I did it only because I saw
that you were dying of disappointment。 It was wrong； I knowbut；
father； I meant well。 You'll forgive me； won't you？〃 And the poor
girl advanced a step toward the alchemist。
He grew deathly pale； and staggered as if about to fall。 The next
instant； though； he recovered himself； and burst into a horrible
sardonic laugh。 Then he said； in tones full of the bitterest
irony： 〃A conspiracy； is it？ Well done； doctor！ You think to
reconcile me with this wretched girl by trumping up this story that
I have been for two years a dupe of her filial piety。 It's clumsy；
doctor； and is a total failure。 Try again。〃
〃But I assure you； Mr。 Blakelock；〃 I said as earnestly as I could；
〃I believe your daughter's statement to be perfectly true。 You
will find it to be so； as she has got the ingot in her possession
which so often deceived you into the belief that you made gold； and
you will certainly find that no transmutation has taken place in
your crucible。〃
〃Doctor；〃 said the old man； in tones of the most settled
conviction； 〃you are a fool。 The girl has wheedled you。 In less
than a minute I will turn you out a piece of gold purer than any
the earth produces。 Will that convince you？〃
〃That will convince me；〃 I answered。 By a gesture I imposed
silence on Marion； who was about to speak。 I thought it better to
allow the old man to be his own undeceiverand we awaited the
coming crisis。
The old man； still smiling with anticipated triumph； kept bending
eagerly over his crucible； stirring the mixture with his rod； and
muttering to himself all the time。 〃Now；〃 I heard him say； 〃it
changes。 Therethere's the scum。 And now the green and bronze
shades flit across it。 Oh； the beautiful green！ the precursor of
the golden…red hue that tells of the end attained！ Ah！ now the
golden…red is comingslowlyslowly！ It deepens； it shines； it is
dazzling！ Ah； I have it！〃 So saying； he caught up his crucible in
a chemist's tongs； and bore it slowly toward the table on which
stood a brass vessel。
〃Now； incredulous doctor！〃 he cried； 〃come and be convinced；〃 and
immediately began carefully pouring the contents of the crucible
into the brass vessel。 When the crucible was quite empty he turned
it up and called me again。 〃Come； doctor； come and be convinced。
See for yourself。〃
〃See first if there is any gold in your crucible；〃 I answered；
without moving。
He laughed； shook his head derisively； and looked into the
crucible。 In a moment he grew pale as death。
〃Nothing！〃 he cried。 〃Oh； a jest； a jest！ There must be gold
somewhere。 Marion！〃
〃The gold is here； father；〃 said Marion； drawing the ingot from her
pocket； 〃it is all we ever had。〃
〃Ah！〃 shrieked the poor old man； as he let the empty crucible fall；
and staggered toward the ingot which Marion held out to him。 He
made three steps； and then fell on his face。 Marion rushed toward
him； and tried to lift him； but could not。 I put her aside gently；
and placed my hand on his heart。
〃Marion；〃 said I； 〃it is perhaps better as it is。 He is dead！〃
Fitzjames O'Brien
My Wife's Tempter
I
A PREDESTINED MARRIAGE
Elsie and I were to be married in less than a week。 It was rather
a strange match； and I knew that some of our neighbors shook their
heads over it and said that no good would come。 The way it came to
pass was thus。
I loved Elsie Burns for two years； during which time she refused me
three times。 I could no more help asking her to have me； when the
chance offered； than I could help breathing or living。 To love her
seemed natural to me as existence。 I felt no shame； only sorrow；
when she rejected me； I felt no shame either when I renewed my
suit。 The neighbors called me mean…spirited to take up with any
girl that had refused me as often as Elsie Burns had done； but what
cared I about the neighbors？ If it is black weather； and the sun
is under a cloud every day for a month； is that any reason why the
poor farmer should not hope for the blue sky and the plentiful
burst of warm light when the dark month is over？ I never entirely
lost heart。 Do not； however； mistake me。 I did not mope； and
moan； and grow pale； after the manner of poetical lovers。 No such
thing。 I went bravely about my business； ate and drank as usual；
laughed when the laugh went round； and slept soundly； and woke
refreshed。 Yet all this time I loveddesperately lovedElsie
Burns。 I went wherever I hoped to meet her； but did not haunt her
with my attentions。 I behaved to her as any friendly young man
would have behaved： I met her and parted from her cheerfully。 She
was a good girl； too； and behaved well。 She had me in her power
how a woman in Elsie's situation could have mortified a man in
mine！but she never took the slightest advantage of it。 She
danced with me when I asked her； and had no foolish fears of
allowing me to see her home of nights； after a ball was over； or of
wandering with me through the pleasant New England fields when the
wild flowers made the paths like roads in fairyland。
On the several disastrous occasions when I presented my suit I did
it simply and manfully； telling her that I loved her very much； and
would do everything to make her happy if she would be my wife。 I
made no fulsome protestations； and did not once allude to suicide。
She； on the other hand； calmly and gravely thanked me for my good
opinion； but with the same calm gravity rejected me。 I used to
tell her that I was grieved； that I would not press her； that I
would wait and hope for some change in her feelings。 She had an
esteem for me； she would say； but could not marry me。 I never
asked her for any reasons。 I hold it to be an insult to a woman of
sense to demand her reasons on such an occasion。 Enough for me
that she did not then wish to be my wife； so that the o