KENILWORTH - Penn State University

Sir Walter ScottNo one but thyself could have gulled thee; and thou hastgulled the whole brotherhood of the Rosy Cross besides—none so deep in the mystery as thou. But hark thee in thineear: had the seasoning which spiced Sussex’s broth wroughtmore surely, I would have thought better of the chemical sciencethou dost boast so highly.”“Thou art an hardened villain, Varney,” replied Alasco; “manywill do those things who dare not speak of them.”“And many speak of them who dare not do them,” answeredVarney. “But be not wroth—I will not quarrel withthee. If I did, I were fain to live on eggs for a month, that Imight feed without fear. Tell me at once, how came thine artto fail thee at this great emergency?”“The Earl of Sussex’s horoscope intimates,” replied the astrologer,“that the sign of the ascendant being in combustion —”“Away with your gibberish,” replied Varney; “thinkest thouit is the patron thou speakest with?”“I crave your pardon,” replied the old man, “and swear to youI know but one medicine that could have saved the Earl’s life;and as no man living in England knows that antidote savemyself—moreover, as the ingredients, one of them in particular,are scarce possible to be come by, I must needs suppose hisescape was owing to such a constitution of lungs and vital partsas was never before bound up in a body of clay.”“There was some talk of a quack who waited on him,” saidVarney, after a moment’s reflection. “Are you sure there is noone in England who has this secret of thine?”“One man there was,” said the doctor, “once my servant,who might have stolen this of me, with one or two othersecrets of art. But content you, Master Varney, it is no part ofmy policy to suffer such interlopers to interfere in my trade.He pries into no mysteries more, I warrant you, for, as I wellbelieve, he hath been wafted to heaven on the wing of a fierydragon—peace be with him! But in this retreat of mine shallI have the use of mine elaboratory?”“Of a whole workshop, man,” said Varney; “for a reverendfather abbot, who was fain to give place to bluff King Haland some of his courtiers, a score of years since, had a chemist’scomplete apparatus, which he was obliged to leave behindhim to his successors. Thou shalt there occupy, and melt, andpuff, and blaze, and multiply, until the Green Dragon becomea golden goose, or whatever the newer phrase of the229