But oh! what time, what thought, what sleepless nights, what gold will be needed!" "Give me thy sleepless nights and thy grand thoughts, and thou shalt not want gold." "Lady," cried Adam, starting to his feet, "do I hear aright?
Art thou, in truth, the patron I have so long dreamed of?
Hast thou the brain and the heart to aid the pursuits of science ?" "Ay! and the power to protect the students! Sage, I am the Duchess of Bedford, whom men accuse of witchcraft,--as thee of wizardy.

From the wife of a private gentleman, I have become the mother of a queen.

I stand amidst a court full of foes; I desire gold to corrupt, and wisdom to guard against, and means to destroy them.

And I seek all these in men like thee!" Adam turned on her his bewildered eyes, and made no answer.
"They tell me," said the duchess, "that Henry of Windsor employed learned men to transmute the baser metals into gold.

Wert thou one of them ?" "No." "Thou knowest that art ?" "I studied it in my youth, but the ingredients of the crucible were too costly." "Thou shalt not lack them with me.