Foolish creature! You could no more have gone to the central police office without my permission, or against my will, than you could go to the window and whistle back those bits of paper I scattered to the winds.
Before you reached the bottom of the stairs I could have laid Vienna in a mass of ruins.

Yes, I could in all probability have blown up the entire Empire of Austria.

The truth is, that I do not know the limit of my power, nor dare I test it." "Oh, this is a madman!" thought Jennie, as she edged still nearer to the door.

The old man paused in his walk and turned fiercely upon her.
"You don't believe me ?" he said.
"No, I do not," she answered, the colour leaving her cheeks.
The aged wizard gave utterance to a hideous chuckle.

He took from one of his numerous shelves a hammer-head without the handle, and for a moment Jennie thought he was going to attack her; but he merely handed the metal to her and said,-- "Break that in two.