The next day Aylmer apprised his wife of a plan that he hadformed whereby he might have opportunity for the intensethought and constant watchfulness which the proposedoperation would require； while Georgiana， likewise， wouldenjoy the perfect repose essential to its success. They were toseclude themselves in the extensive apartments occupied byAylmer as a laboratory， and where， during his toilsome youth，he had made discoveries in the elemental powers of Naturethat had roused the admiration of all the learned societies inEurope. Seated calmly in this laboratory， the pale philosopherhad investigated the secrets of the highest cloud region and ofthe profoundest mines； he had satisfied himself of the causesthat kindled and kept alive the fires of the volcano； and hadexplained the mystery of fountains， and how it is that theygush forth， some so bright and pure， and others with such richmedicinal virtues， from the dark bosom of the earth. Here，too， at an earlier period， he had studied the wonders of thehuman frame， and attempted to fathom the very process bywhich Nature assimilates all her precious influences fromearth and air， and from the spiritual world， to create and fosterman， her masterpiece. The latter pursuit， however， Aylmer hadlong laid aside in unwilling recognition of the truth—againstwhich all seekers sooner or later stumble—that our greatcreative Mother， while she amuses us with apparently workingin the broadest sunshine， is yet severely careful to keep herown secrets， and， in spite of her pretended openness， showsus nothing but results. She permits us， indeed， to mar， butseldom to mend， and， like a jealous patentee， on no accountto make. Now， however， Aylmer resumed these half-forgotteninvestigations； not， of course， with such hopes or wishesas first suggested them； but because they involved muchphysiological truth and lay in the path of his proposed schemefor the treatment of Georgiana.
As he led her over the threshold of the laboratory， Georgianawas cold and tremulous. Aylmer looked cheerfully into herface， with intent to reassure her， but was so startled with theintense glow of the birthmark upon the whiteness of her cheekthat he could not restrain a strong convulsive shudder. His wifefainted.
“Aminadab！ Aminadab！” shouted Aylmer， stamping violentlyon the floor.
Forthwith there issued from an inner apartment a man of lowstature， but bulky frame， with shaggy hair hanging about hisvisage， which was grimed with the vapors of the furnace. Thispersonage had been Aylmer’s underworker during his wholescientific career， and was admirably fitted for that office byhis great mechanical readiness， and the skill with which， whileincapable of comprehending a single principle， he executed allthe details of his master’s experiments. With his vast strength，his shaggy hair， his smoky aspect， and the indescribableearthiness that incrusted him， he seemed to represent man’sphysical nature； while Aylmer’s slender figure， and pale，intellectual face， were no less apt a type of the spiritual element.
“Throw open the door of the boudoir， Aminadab，” said Aylmer，“and burn a pastil.”
“Yes， master，” answered Aminadab， looking intently at thelifeless form of Georgiana； and then he muttered to himself， “Ifshe were my wife， I’d never part with that birthmark.”
When Georgiana recovered consciousness she found herselfbreathing an atmosphere of penetrating fragrance， the gentlepotency of which had recalled her from her deathlike faintness.
The scene around her looked like enchantment. Aylmer hadconverted those smoky， dingy， sombre rooms， where he hadspent his brightest years in recondite pursuits， into a series ofbeautiful apartments not unfit to be the secluded abode of alovely woman. The walls were hung with gorgeous curtains，which imparted the combination of grandeur and grace thatno other species of adornment can achieve； and as they fellfrom the ceiling to the floor， their rich and ponderous folds，concealing all angles and straight lines， appeared to beshut in the scene from infinite space. For aught Georgianaknew， it might be a pavilion among the clouds. And Aylmer，excluding the sunshine， which would have interfered withhis chemical processes， had supplied its place with perfumedlamps， emitting flames of various hue， but all uniting in a soft，impurpled radiance. He now knelt by his wife’s side， watchingher earnestly， but without alarm； for he was confident in hisscience， and felt that he could draw a magic circle round herwithin which no evil might intrude.
“Where am I？ Ah， I remember，” said Georgiana， faintly； andshe placed her hand over her cheek to hide the terrible markfrom her husband’s eyes.
“Fear not， dearest！” exclaimed he. “Do not shrink fromme！ Believe me， Georgiana， I even rejoice in this singleimperfection， since it will be such a rapture to remove it.”
“Oh， spare me！” sadly replied his wife. “Pray do not look atit again. I can never forget that convulsive shudder.”
