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universe for that matter--in the grip of this little brain. I would not
change. Even now."
He looked at the little phial. "There will be no need of sleep again,"
he said. The next day at noon, punctual to the minute, he entered his
lecture theatre, put his hat on the end of the table as his habit was,
and carefully selected a large piece of chalk. It was a joke among his
students that he could not lecture without that piece of chalk to fumble
in his fingers, and once he had been stricken to impotence by their
hiding his supply. He came and looked under his grey eyebrows at the
rising tiers of young fresh faces, and spoke with his accustomed studied
commonness of phrasing. "Circumstances have arisen--circumstances beyond
my control," he said and paused, "which will debar me from completing
the course I had designed. It would seem, gentlemen, if I may put the
thing clearly and briefly, that--Man has lived in vain."
The students glanced at one another. Had they heard aright? Mad? Raised
eyebrows and grinning lips there were, but one or two faces remained
intent upon his calm grey-fringed face. "It will be interesting," he was
saying, "to devote this morning to an exposition, so far as I can make
it clear to you, of the calculations that have led me to this
conclusion. Let us assume--"
He turned towards the blackboard, meditating a diagram in the way that
was usual to him. "What was that about 'lived in vain?'" whispered one
student to another. "Listen," said the other, nodding towards the
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