Then she pressed the trigger of the syphon, and the familiar hiss of the soda-water brought the Professor, as he thought, back to his senses.
But no! There could be no doubt about it.

There in material form on the corner of his table was a point-blank, tangible contradiction of the universally accepted axiom that two bodies cannot occupy the same space, and that, come from somewhere or nowhere, there were two plainly material objects through which his daughter's hand, without her even knowing it, had passed as easily as it would have done through a little cloud of steam.

Happily she had no idea of what he had seen and heard, and so for her sake he made a strong effort to control himself, and said as steadily as he could: "Thank you, Niti, it is very good of you.

Yes, I think I am a little tired to-night.

Good-night now, and I promise you that I will be off very soon; I will just have one more pipe, and drink my whisky, and then I really will go.