Even with the best of tools we make blunders, my lad, and with a such a set out as this, why, of course, anything may happen." "Anything happen, sir ?" I said.
"To be sure.

That ore ought to have been put in a proper fire-clay crucible." "What's a crucible, sir ?" I said.
"A pot made of a particular material that will bear any amount of heat.
Now perhaps while we are patiently waiting here that pot in the furnace may have cracked and fallen to pieces, or perhaps melted away instead of the ore inside." "Oh, but a pot would not melt, sir, would it ?" I said.
"Melt?
To be sure it would, if you make the fire hot enough.

Did you ever see a brick-kiln ?" "Yes, sir." "And did you never see how sometimes, when the fire has been too hot, the bricks have all run together ?" "And formed clinkers, sir?
Oh yes, often." "Well, then, there you have seen how a mixture of sand and powdered stone and clay will melt, so, why should not that earthen pot ?" "Then if that pot melts or breaks all our trouble will have been for nothing, sir ?" "Yes, Sep, and we must begin again." "But shouldn't we find the stuff melted down at the bottom of the fire ?" "Perhaps; perhaps not; we might find it run into a lump, but we should most likely find it not melted at all, and then, as I said, we should have to begin over again." "That would be tiresome," I said.

"But never mind, we should succeed next time, perhaps." "We should try till we did succeed, Sep, my lad.

There, that's the last of the charcoal." "Shall I fetch some more ?" I cried.
"No, my lad, perhaps what has been burned may have melted it, so we'll wait and see." "And take out the pot ?" "No, we couldn't do that.