Itsappearanceuponthemarketinaconvenient，controllable，andassimilableformisamatterofthenextfewmonths。Itwillbeobtainableofallchemistsanddruggists，insmallgreenbottles，atahighbut，consideringitsextraordinaryqualities，bynomeansexcessiveprice。Gibberne’sNervousAcceleratoritwillbecalled，andhehopestobeabletosupplyitinthreestrengths:onein200，onein900，andonein2000，distinguishedbyyellow，pink，andwhitelabelsrespectively。
Nodoubtitsuserendersagreatnumberofveryextraordinarythingspossible；for，ofcourse，themostremarkableand，possibly，evencriminalproceedingsmaybeeffectedwithimpunitybythusdodging，asitwere，intotheintersticesoftime。Likeallpotentpreparationsitwillbeliabletoabuse。Wehave，however，discussedthisaspectofthequestionverythoroughly，andwehavedecidedthatthisispurelyamatterofmedicaljurisprudenceandaltogetheroutsideourprovince。WeshallmanufactureandselltheAccelerator，and，asfortheconsequences——weshallsee。
Myfriend，Mr。Ledbetter，isaround-facedlittleman，whosenaturalmildnessofeyeisgiganticallyexaggeratedwhenyoucatchthebeamthroughhisglasses，andwhosedeep，deliberatevoiceirritatesirritablepeople。Acertainelaborateclearnessofenunciationhascomewithhimtohispresentvicaragefromhisscholasticdays，anelaborateclearnessofenunciationandacertainnervousdeterminationtobefirmandcorrectuponallissues，importantandunimportantalike。Heisasacerdotalistandachessplayer，andsuspectedbymanyofthesecretpracticeofthehighermathematics——creditableratherthaninterestingthings。Hisconversationiscopiousandgivenmuchtoneedlessdetail。Bymany，indeed，hisintercourseiscondemned，toputitplainly，as“boring，“andsuchhaveevendonemethecomplimenttowonderwhyIcountenancehim。But，ontheotherhand，thereisalargefactionwhomarvelathiscountenancingsuchadishevelled，discreditableacquaintanceasmyself。Fewappeartoregardourfriendshipwithequanimity。Butthatisbecausetheydonotknowofthelinkthatbindsus，ofmyamiableconnectionviaJamaicawithMr。Ledbetter’spast。
Aboutthatpasthedisplaysananxiousmodesty。“IdonotKNOWwhatIshoulddoifitbecameknown，“hesays；andrepeats，impressively，“IdonotknowWHATIshoulddo。“Asamatteroffact，Idoubtifhewoulddoanythingexceptgetveryredabouttheears。Butthatwillappearlater；norwillItellhereofourfirstencounter，since，asageneralrule——thoughIampronetobreakit——theendofastoryshouldcomeafter，ratherthanbefore，thebeginning。
Andthebeginningofthestorygoesalongwayback；indeed，itisnownearlytwentyyearssinceFate，byaseriesofcomplicatedandstartlingmanoeuvres，broughtMr。Ledbetter，sotospeak，intomyhands。
InthosedaysIwaslivinginJamaica，andMr。LedbetterwasaschoolmasterinEngland。Hewasinorders，andalreadyrecognisablythesamemanthatheisto-day:thesamerotundityofvisage，thesameorsimilarglasses，andthesamefaintshadowofsurpriseinhisrestingexpression。Hewas，ofcourse，dishevelledwhenIsawhim，andhiscollarlessofacollarthanawetbandage，andthatmayhavehelpedtobridgethenaturalgulfbetweenus——butofthat，asIsay，later。
ThebusinessbeganatHithergate-on-Sea，andsimultaneouslywithMr。Ledbetter’ssummervacation。Thitherhecameforagreatlyneededrest，withabrightbrownportmanteaumarked“F。W。L。“，anewwhite-and-blackstrawhat，andtwopairsofwhiteflanneltrousers。Hewasnaturallyexhilaratedathisreleasefromschool——
forhewasnotveryfondoftheboyshetaught。Afterdinnerhefellintoadiscussionwithatalkativepersonestablishedintheboarding-housetowhich，actingontheadviceofhisaunt，hehadresorted。Thistalkativepersonwastheonlyothermaninthehouse。
Theirdiscussionconcernedthemelancholydisappearanceofwonderandadventureintheselatterdays，theprevalenceofglobe-trotting，theabolitionofdistancebysteamandelectricity，thevulgarityofadvertisement，thedegradationofmenbycivilisation，andmanysuchthings。Particularlywasthetalkativepersoneloquentonthedecayofhumancouragethroughsecurity，asecurityMr。Ledbetterratherthoughtlesslyjoinedhimindeploring。Mr。Ledbetter，inthefirstdelightofemancipationfrom“duty，“andbeinganxious，perhaps，toestablishareputationformanlyconviviality，partook，rathermorefreelythanwasadvisable，oftheexcellentwhiskythetalkativepersonproduced。Buthedidnotbecomeintoxicated，heinsists。
Hewassimplyeloquentbeyondhissoberwont，andwiththefineredgegonefromhisjudgment。Andafterthatlongtalkofthebraveolddaysthatwerepastforever，hewentoutintomoonlitHithergate——
aloneandupthecliffroadwherethevillasclustertogether。
Hehadbewailed，andnowashewalkedupthesilentroadhestillbewailed，thefatethathadcalledhimtosuchanuneventfullifeasapedagogue’s。Whataprosaicexistenceheled，sostagnant，socolourless！Secure，methodical，yearinyearout，whatcallwasthereforbravery？Hethoughtenviouslyofthoseroving，mediaevaldays，sonearandsoremote，ofquestsandspiesandcondottieriandmanyariskyblade-drawingbusiness。Andsuddenlycameadoubt，astrangedoubt，springingoutofsomechancethoughtoftortures，anddestructivealtogetherofthepositionhehadassumedthatevening。
Washe——Mr。Ledbetter——really，afterall，sobraveasheassumed？
Wouldhereallybesopleasedtohaverailways，policemen，andsecurityvanishsuddenlyfromtheearth？
Thetalkativemanhadspokenenviouslyofcrime。“Theburglar，“
hesaid，“istheonlytrueadventurerleftonearth。Thinkofhissingle-handedfightagainstthewholecivilisedworld！“AndMr。
Ledbetterhadechoedhisenvy。“TheyDOhavesomefunoutoflife，“
Mr。Ledbetterhadsaid。“Andabouttheonlypeoplewhodo。Justthinkhowitmustfeeltowirealawn！“Andhehadlaughedwickedly。
Now，inthisfrankerintimacyofself-communionhefoundhimselfinstitutingacomparisonbetweenhisownbrandofcourageandthatofthehabitualcriminal。Hetriedtomeettheseinsidiousquestioningswithblankassertion。“Icoulddoallthat，“saidMr。Ledbetter。
“Ilongtodoallthat。OnlyIdonotgivewaytomycriminalimpulses。
Mymoralcouragerestrainsme。“Buthedoubtedevenwhilehetoldhimselfthesethings。
“Mr。Ledbetterpassedalargevillastandingbyitself。Convenientlysituatedaboveaquiet，practicablebalconywasawindow，gapingblack，wideopen。Atthetimehescarcelymarkedit，butthepictureofitcamewithhim，woveintohisthoughts。Hefiguredhimselfclimbingupthatbalcony，crouching——plungingintothatdark，mysteriousinterior。“Bah！Youwouldnotdare，“saidtheSpiritofDoubt。“Mydutytomyfellow-menforbids，“saidMr。Ledbetter’sself-respect。
Itwasnearlyeleven，andthelittleseasidetownwasalreadyverystill。Thewholeworldslumberedunderthemoonlight。Onlyonewarmoblongofwindow-blindfardowntheroadspokeofwakinglife。
Heturnedandcamebackslowlytowardsthevillaoftheopenwindow。
Hestoodforatimeoutsidethegate，abattlefieldofmotives。
“Letusputthingstothetest，“saidDoubt。“Forthesatisfactionoftheseintolerabledoubts，showthatyoudaregointothathouse。
Commitaburglaryinblank。That，atanyrate，isnocrime。“Verysoftlyheopenedandshutthegateandslippedintotheshadowoftheshrubbery。“Thisisfoolish，“saidMr。Ledbetter’scaution。
“Iexpectedthat，“saidDoubt。Hisheartwasbeatingfast，buthewascertainlynotafraid。HewasNOTafraid。Heremainedinthatshadowforsomeconsiderabletime。
Theascentofthebalcony，itwasevident，wouldhavetobedoneinarush，foritwasallinclearmoonlight，andvisiblefromthegateintotheavenue。Atrellisthinlysetwithyoung，ambitiousclimbingrosesmadetheascentridiculouslyeasy。There，inthatblackshadowbythestonevaseofflowers，onemightcrouchandtakeacloserviewofthisgapingbreachinthedomesticdefences，theopenwindow。ForawhileMr。Ledbetterwasasstillasthenight，andthenthatinsidiouswhiskytippedthebalance。Hedashedforward。
Hewentupthetrelliswithquick，convulsivemovements，swunghislegsovertheparapetofthebalcony，anddroppedpantingintheshadowevenashehaddesigned。Hewastremblingviolently，shortofbreath，andhisheartpumpednoisily，buthismoodwasexultation。
Hecouldhaveshoutedtofindhewassolittleafraid。
AhappylinethathehadlearntfromWills’s“Mephistopheles“cameintohismindashecrouchedthere。“Ifeellikeacatonthetiles，“
hewhisperedtohimself。Itwasfarbetterthanhehadexpected——
thisadventurousexhilaration。Hewassorryforallpoormentowhomburglarywasunknown。Nothinghappened。Hewasquitesafe。Andhewasactinginthebravestmanner！
Andnowforthewindow，tomaketheburglarycomplete！Musthedaredothat？Itspositionabovethefrontdoordefineditasalandingorpassage，andtherewerenolooking-glassesoranybedroomsignsaboutit，oranyotherwindowonthefirstfloor，tosuggestthepossibilityofasleeperwithin。Foratimehelistenedundertheledge，thenraisedhiseyesabovethesillandpeeredin。Closeathand，onapedestal，andalittlestartlingatfirst，wasanearlylife-sizegesticulatingbronze。Heducked，andaftersometimehepeeredagain。Beyondwasabroadlanding，faintlygleaming；aflimsyfabricofbeadcurtain，veryblackandsharp，againstafurtherwindow；abroadstaircase，plungingintoagulfofdarknessbelow；andanotherascendingtothesecondfloor。Heglancedbehindhim，butthestillnessofthenightwasunbroken。“Crime，“hewhispered，“crime，“
