Certainly，ifeveramanfoundaguineawhenhewaslookingforapinitismygoodfriendProfessorGibberne。Ihaveheardbeforeofinvestigatorsovershootingthemark，butneverquitetotheextentthathehasdone。Hehasreally，thistimeatanyrate，withoutanytouchofexaggerationinthephrase，foundsomethingtorevolutionisehumanlife。Andthatwhenhewassimplyseekinganall-roundnervousstimulanttobringlanguidpeopleuptothestressesofthesepushfuldays。Ihavetastedthestuffnowseveraltimes，andIcannotdobetterthandescribetheeffectthethinghadonme。Thatthereareastonishingexperiencesinstoreforallinsearchofnewsensationswillbecomeapparentenough。
　　ProfessorGibberne，asmanypeopleknow，ismyneighbourinFolkestone。
　　Unlessmymemoryplaysmeatrick，hisportraitatvariousageshasalreadyappearedinTheStrandMagazine——Ithinklatein1899；
　　butIamunabletolookitupbecauseIhavelentthatvolumetosomeonewhohasneversentitback。Thereadermay，perhaps，recallthehighforeheadandthesingularlylongblackeyebrowsthatgivesuchaMephistopheliantouchtohisface。HeoccupiesoneofthosepleasantlittledetachedhousesinthemixedstylethatmakethewesternendoftheUpperSandgateRoadsointeresting。
　　HisistheonewiththeFlemishgablesandtheMoorishportico，anditisinthelittleroomwiththemullionedbaywindowthatheworkswhenheisdownhere，andinwhichofaneveningwehavesooftensmokedandtalkedtogether。Heisamightyjester，but，besides，helikestotalktomeabouthiswork；heisoneofthosemenwhofindahelpandstimulusintalking，andsoIhavebeenabletofollowtheconceptionoftheNewAcceleratorrightupfromaveryearlystage。Ofcourse，thegreaterportionofhisexperimentalworkisnotdoneinFolkestone，butinGowerStreet，inthefinenewlaboratorynexttothehospitalthathehasbeenthefirsttouse。
　　Aseveryoneknows，oratleastasallintelligentpeopleknow，thespecialdepartmentinwhichGibbernehasgainedsogreatanddeservedareputationamongphysiologistsistheactionofdrugsuponthenervoussystem。Uponsoporifics，sedatives，andanaestheticsheis，Iamtold，unequalled。Heisalsoachemistofconsiderableeminence，andIsupposeinthesubtleandcomplexjungleofriddlesthatcentresabouttheganglioncellandtheaxisfibretherearelittleclearedplacesofhismaking，littlegladesofillumination，that，untilheseesfittopublishhisresults，arestillinaccessibletoeveryotherlivingman。Andinthelastfewyearshehasbeenparticularlyassiduousuponthisquestionofnervousstimulants，andalready，beforethediscoveryoftheNewAccelerator，verysuccessfulwiththem。Medicalsciencehastothankhimforatleastthreedistinctandabsolutelysafeinvigoratorsofunrivalledvaluetopractisingmen。IncasesofexhaustionthepreparationknownasGibberne’sBSyruphas，Isuppose，savedmorelivesalreadythananylifeboatroundthecoast。
　　“Butnoneoftheselittlethingsbegintosatisfymeyet，“hetoldmenearlyayearago。“Eithertheyincreasethecentralenergywithoutaffectingthenervesortheysimplyincreasetheavailableenergybyloweringthenervousconductivity；andallofthemareunequalandlocalintheiroperation。Onewakesuptheheartandvisceraandleavesthebrainstupefied，onegetsatthebrainchampagnefashionanddoesnothinggoodforthesolarplexus，andwhatIwant——andwhat，ifit’sanearthlypossibility，Imeantohave——
　　isastimulantthatstimulatesallround，thatwakesyouupforatimefromthecrownofyourheadtothetipofyourgreattoe，andmakesyougotwo——oreventhree——toeverybodyelse’sone。Eh？
　　That’sthethingI’mafter。“
　　“Itwouldtireaman，“Isaid。
　　“Notadoubtofit。Andyou’deatdoubleortreble——andallthat。
　　Butjustthinkwhatthethingwouldmean。Imagineyourselfwithalittlephiallikethis“——heheldupalittlebottleofgreenglassandmarkedhispointswithit——“andinthispreciousphialisthepowertothinktwiceasfast，movetwiceasquickly，dotwiceasmuchworkinagiventimeasyoucouldotherwisedo。“
　　“Butissuchathingpossible？“
　　“Ibelieveso。Ifitisn’t，I’vewastedmytimeforayear。Thesevariouspreparationsofthehypophosphites，forexample，seemtoshowthatsomethingofthesort……Evenifitwasonlyoneandahalftimesasfastitwoulddo。“
　　“ItWOULDdo，“Isaid。
　　“Ifyouwereastatesmaninacorner，forexample，timerushingupagainstyou，somethingurgenttobedone，eh？“
　　“Hecoulddosehisprivatesecretary，“Isaid。
　　“Andgain——doubletime。AndthinkifYOU，forexample，wantedtofinishabook。“
　　“Usually，“Isaid，“IwishI’dneverbegun’em。“
　　“Oradoctor，driventodeath，wantstositdownandthinkoutacase。Orabarrister——oramancrammingforanexamination。“
　　“Worthaguineaadrop，“saidI，“andmoretomenlikethat。“
　　“Andinaduel，again，“saidGibberne，“whereitalldependsonyourquicknessinpullingthetrigger。“
　　“Orinfencing，“Iechoed。
　　“Yousee，“saidGibberne，“ifIgetitasanall-roundthingitwillreallydoyounoharmatall——exceptperhapstoaninfinitesimaldegreeitbringsyouneareroldage。Youwilljusthavelivedtwicetootherpeople’sonce——“
　　“Isuppose，“Imeditated，“inaduel——itwouldbefair？“
　　“That’saquestionfortheseconds，“saidGibberne。
　　Iharkedbackfurther。“AndyoureallythinksuchathingIS
　　possible？“Isaid。
　　“Aspossible，“saidGibberne，andglancedatsomethingthatwentthrobbingbythewindow，“asamotor-bus。Asamatteroffact——“
　　Hepausedandsmiledatmedeeply，andtappedslowlyontheedgeofhisdeskwiththegreenphial。“IthinkIknowthestuff……
　　AlreadyI’vegotsomethingcoming。“Thenervoussmileuponhisfacebetrayedthegravityofhisrevelation。Herarelytalkedofhisactualexperimentalworkunlessthingswereveryneartheend。
　　“Anditmaybe，itmaybe——Ishouldn’tbesurprised——itmayevendothethingatagreaterratethantwice。“
　　“Itwillberatherabigthing，“Ihazarded。
　　“Itwillbe，Ithink，ratherabigthing。“
　　ButIdon’tthinkhequiteknewwhatabigthingitwastobe，forallthat。
　　Irememberwehadseveraltalksaboutthestuffafterthat。“TheNewAccelerator“hecalledit，andhistoneaboutitgrewmoreconfidentoneachoccasion。Sometimeshetalkednervouslyofunexpectedphysiologicalresultsitsusemighthave，andthenhewouldgetalittleunhappy；atothershewasfranklymercenary，andwedebatedlongandanxiouslyhowthepreparationmightbeturnedtocommercialaccount。“It’sagoodthing，“saidGibberne，“atremendousthing。
　　IknowI’mgivingtheworldsomething，andIthinkitonlyreasonableweshouldexpecttheworldtopay。Thedignityofscienceisallverywell，butIthinksomehowImusthavethemonopolyofthestufffor，say，tenyears。Idon’tseewhyALLthefuninlifeshouldgotothedealersinham。“
　　Myowninterestinthecomingdrugcertainlydidnotwaneinthetime。
　　Ihavealwayshadaqueerlittletwisttowardsmetaphysicsinmymind。Ihavealwaysbeengiventoparadoxesaboutspaceandtime，anditseemedtomethatGibbernewasreallypreparingnolessthantheabsoluteaccelerationoflife。Supposeamanrepeatedlydosedwithsuchapreparation:hewouldliveanactiveandrecordlifeindeed，buthewouldbeanadultateleven，middle-agedattwenty-five，andbythirtywellontheroadtoseniledecay。ItseemedtomethatsofarGibbernewasonlygoingtodoforanyonewhotookhisdrugexactlywhatNaturehasdonefortheJewsandOrientals，whoaremenintheirteensandagedbyfifty，andquickerinthoughtandactthanweareallthetime。Themarvelofdrugshasalwaysbeengreattomymind；youcanmaddenaman，calmaman，makehimincrediblystrongandalertorahelplesslog，quickenthispassionandallaythat，allbymeansofdrugs，andherewasanewmiracletobeaddedtothisstrangearmouryofphialsthedoctorsuse！
　　ButGibbernewasfartooeageruponhistechnicalpointstoenterverykeenlyintomyaspectofthequestion。
　　Itwasthe7thor8thofAugustwhenhetoldmethedistillationthatwoulddecidehisfailureorsuccessforatimewasgoingforwardaswetalked，anditwasonthe10ththathetoldmethethingwasdoneandtheNewAcceleratoratangiblerealityintheworld。ImethimasIwasgoinguptheSandgateHilltowardsFolkestone——IthinkIwasgoingtogetmyhaircut，andhecamehurryingdowntomeetme——Isupposehewascomingtomyhousetotellmeatonceofhissuccess。Irememberthathiseyeswereunusuallybrightandhisfaceflushed，andInotedeventhentheswiftalacrityofhisstep。
　　“It’sdone，“hecried，andgrippedmyhand，speakingveryfast；
　　“it’smorethandone。Comeuptomyhouseandsee。“
　　“Really？“
　　“Really！“heshouted。“Incredibly！Comeupandsee。“
　　“Anditdoes——twice？
　　“Itdoesmore，muchmore。Itscaresme。Comeupandseethestuff。
　　Tasteit！Tryit！It’sthemostamazingstuffonearth。“Hegrippedmyarmand，walkingatsuchapacethatheforcedmeintoatrot，wentshoutingwithmeupthehill。Awholechar-a-banc-fulofpeopleturnedandstaredatusinunisonafterthemannerofpeopleinchars-a-banc。Itwasoneofthosehot，cleardaysthatFolkestoneseessomuchof，everycolourincrediblybrightandeveryoutlinehard。Therewasabreeze，ofcourse，butnotsomuchbreezeassufficedundertheseconditionstokeepmecoolanddry。Ipantedformercy。