\"Thouartright，MasterVarney，\"saidthealchemistsettinghisteethcloseandgrindingthemtogether——\"thouartrighteveninthyverycontemptofrightandreason。Forwhatthousayestinmockerymayinsoberveritychancetohappenerewemeetagain。
Ifthemostvenerablesagesofancientdayshavespokenthetruth——ifthemostlearnedofourownhaverightlyreceivedit;
ifIhavebeenacceptedwhereverItravelledinGermany，inPoland，inItaly，andinthefartherTartary，asonetowhomnaturehasunveiledherdarkestsecrets;ifIhaveacquiredthemostsecretsignsandpasswordsoftheJewishCabala，sothatthegreyestbeardinthesynagoguewouldbrushthestepstomakethemcleanforme;——ifallthisisso，andifthereremainsbutonestep——onelittlestep——betwixtmylong，deep，anddark，andsubterraneanprogress，andthatblazeoflightwhichshallshowNaturewatchingherrichestandhermostgloriousproductionsintheverycradle——onestepbetwixtdependenceandthepowerofsovereignty——onestepbetwixtpovertyandsuchasumofwealthasearth，withoutthatnoblesecret，cannotministerfromallherminesintheoldorthenew—foundworld;ifthisbeallso，isitnotreasonablethattothisIdedicatemyfuturelife，secure，forabriefperiodofstudiouspatience，toriseabovethemeandependenceuponfavourites，andTHEIRfavourites，bywhichIamnowenthralled！\"
\"Now，bravo！bravo！mygoodfather，\"saidVarney，withtheusualsardonicexpressionofridiculeonhiscountenance;\"yetallthisapproximationtothephilosopher\'sstonewringethnotonesinglecrownoutofmyLordLeicester\'spouch，andfarlessoutofRichardVarney\'s。WEmusthaveearthlyandsubstantialservices，man，andcarenotwhomelsethoucanstdeludewiththyphilosophicalcharlatanry。\"
\"MysonVarney，\"saidthealchemist，\"theunbelief，gatheredaroundtheelikeafrost—fog，hathdimmedthineacuteperceptiontothatwhichisastumbling—blocktothewise，andwhichyet，tohimwhoseekethknowledgewithhumility，extendsalessonsoclearthathewhorunsmayread。HathnotArt，thinkestthou，themeansofcompletingNature\'simperfectconcoctionsinherattemptstoformthepreciousmetals，evenasbyartwecanperfectthoseotheroperationsofincubation，distillation，fermentation，andsimilarprocessesofanordinarydescription，bywhichweextractlifeitselfoutofasenselessegg，summonpurityandvitalityoutofmuddydregs，orcallintovivacitytheinertsubstanceofasluggishliquid？\"