Hepointed，andthereatthetipofhisfingerandslidingdowntheairwithwingsflappingslowlyandatthespeedofanexceptionallylanguidsnail——wasabee。
　　AndsowecameoutupontheLeas。Therethethingseemedmadderthanever。Thebandwasplayingintheupperstand，thoughallthesounditmadeforuswasalow-pitched，wheezyrattle，asortofprolongedlastsighthatpassedattimesintoasoundliketheslow，muffledtickingofsomemonstrousclock。Frozenpeoplestooderect，strange，silent，self-conscious-lookingdummieshungunstablyinmid-stride，promenadinguponthegrass。Ipassedclosetoalittlepoodledogsuspendedintheactofleaping，andwatchedtheslowmovementofhislegsashesanktoearth。“Lord，lookhere！“criedGibberne，andwehaltedforamomentbeforeamagnificentpersoninwhitefaint-stripedflannels，whiteshoes，andaPanamahat，whoturnedbacktowinkattwogailydressedladieshehadpassed。
　　Awink，studiedwithsuchleisurelydeliberationaswecouldafford，isanunattractivething。Itlosesanyqualityofalertgaiety，andoneremarksthatthewinkingeyedoesnotcompletelyclose，thatunderitsdroopinglidappearstheloweredgeofaneyeballandalittlelineofwhite。“Heavengivemememory，“saidI，“andIwillneverwinkagain。“
　　“Orsmile，“saidGibberne，withhiseyeonthelady’sansweringteeth。
　　“It’sinfernallyhot，somehow，“saidI。“Let’sgoslower。“
　　“Oh，comealong！“saidGibberne。
　　Wepickedourwayamongthebath-chairsinthepath。Manyofthepeoplesittinginthechairsseemedalmostnaturalintheirpassiveposes，butthecontortedscarletofthebandsmenwasnotarestfulthingtosee。Apurple-facedlittlegentlemanwasfrozeninthemidstofaviolentstruggletorefoldhisnewspaperagainstthewind；thereweremanyevidencesthatallthesepeopleintheirsluggishwaywereexposedtoaconsiderablebreeze，abreezethathadnoexistencesofarasoursensationswent。Wecameoutandwalkedalittlewayfromthecrowd，andturnedandregardedit。
　　Toseeallthatmultitudechanged，toapicture，smittenrigid，asitwere，intothesemblanceofrealisticwax，wasimpossiblywonderful。Itwasabsurd，ofcourse；butitfilledmewithanirrational，anexultantsenseofsuperioradvantage。Considerthewonderofit！
　　AllthatIhadsaid，andthought，anddonesincethestuffhadbeguntoworkinmyveinshadhappened，sofarasthosepeople，sofarastheworldingeneralwent，inthetwinklingofaneye。“TheNewAccelerator——“Ibegan，butGibberneinterruptedme。
　　“There’sthatinfernaloldwoman！“hesaid。
　　“Whatoldwoman？“
　　“Livesnextdoortome，“saidGibberne。“Hasalapdogthatyaps。
　　Gods！Thetemptationisstrong！“
　　ThereissomethingveryboyishandimpulsiveaboutGibberneattimes。
　　BeforeIcouldexpostulatewithhimhehaddashedforward，snatchedtheunfortunateanimaloutofvisibleexistence，andwasrunningviolentlywithittowardsthecliffoftheLeas。Itwasmostextraordinary。Thelittlebrute，youknow，didn’tbarkorwriggleormaketheslightestsignofvitality。Itkeptquitestifflyinanattitudeofsomnolentrepose，andGibbernehelditbytheneck。Itwaslikerunningaboutwithadogofwood。“Gibberne，“Icried，“putitdown！“ThenIsaidsomethingelse。“Ifyourunlikethat，Gibberne，“Icried，“you’llsetyourclothesonfire。Yourlinentrousersaregoingbrownasitis！“
　　Heclappedhishandonhisthighandstoodhesitatingontheverge。
　　“Gibberne，“Icried，comingup，“putitdown。Thisheatistoomuch！
　　It’sourrunningso！Twoorthreemilesasecond！Frictionoftheair！“
　　“What？“hesaid，glancingatthedog。
　　“Frictionoftheair，“Ishouted。“Frictionoftheair。Goingtoofast。Likemeteoritesandthings。Toohot。And，Gibberne！Gibberne！
　　I’malloverprickingandasortofperspiration。Youcanseepeoplestirringslightly。Ibelievethestuff’sworkingoff！Putthatdogdown。“
　　“Eh？“hesaid。
　　“It’sworkingoff，“Irepeated。“We’retoohotandthestuff’sworkingoff！I’mwetthrough。“
　　Hestaredatme。Thenattheband，thewheezyrattleofwhoseperformancewascertainlygoingfaster。Thenwithatremendoussweepofthearmhehurledthedogawayfromhimanditwentspinningupward，stillinanimate，andhungatlastoverthegroupedparasolsofaknotofchatteringpeople。Gibbernewasgrippingmyelbow。
　　“ByJove！“hecried。“Ibelieve——itis！Asortofhotprickingand——yes。Thatman’smovinghispocket-handkerchief！Perceptibly。
　　Wemustgetoutofthissharp。“
　　Butwecouldnotgetoutofitsharplyenough。Luckily，perhaps！
　　Forwemighthaverun，andifwehadrunweshould，Ibelieve，haveburstintoflames。Almostcertainlyweshouldhaveburstintoflames！Youknowwehadneitherofusthoughtofthat……Butbeforewecouldevenbegintoruntheactionofthedrughadceased。
　　Itwasthebusinessofaminutefractionofasecond。TheeffectoftheNewAcceleratorpassedlikethedrawingofacurtain，vanishedinthemovementofahand。IheardGibberne’svoiceininfinitealarm。
　　“Sitdown，“hesaid，andflop，downupontheturfattheedgeoftheLeasIsat——scorchingasIsat。ThereisapatchofburntgrasstherestillwhereIsatdown。ThewholestagnationseemedtowakeupasIdidso，thedisarticulatedvibrationofthebandrushedtogetherintoablastofmusic，thepromenadersputtheirfeetdownandwalkedtheirways，thepapersandflagsbeganflapping，smilespassedintowords，thewinkerfinishedhiswinkandwentonhiswaycomplacently，andalltheseatedpeoplemovedandspoke。
　　Thewholeworldhadcomealiveagain，wasgoingasfastaswewere，orratherweweregoingnofasterthantherestoftheworld。Itwaslikeslowingdownasonecomesintoarailwaystation。Everythingseemedtospinroundforasecondortwo，Ihadthemosttransientfeelingofnausea，andthatwasall。AndthelittledogwhichhadseemedtohangforamomentwhentheforceofGibberne’sarmwasexpendedfellwithaswiftaccelerationcleanthroughalady’sparasol！
　　Thatwasthesavingofus。Unlessitwasforonecorpulentoldgentlemaninabath-chair，whocertainlydidstartatthesightofusandafterwardsregardedusatintervalswithadarklysuspiciouseye，and，finally，Ibelieve，saidsomethingtohisnurseaboutus，Idoubtifasolitarypersonremarkedoursuddenappearanceamongthem。Plop！Wemusthaveappearedabruptly。Weceasedtosmoulderalmostatonce，thoughtheturfbeneathmewasuncomfortablyhot。Theattentionofeveryone——includingeventheAmusements’Associationband，whichonthisoccasion，fortheonlytimeinitshistory，gotoutoftune——wasarrestedbytheamazingfact，andthestillmoreamazingyappinganduproarcausedbythefactthatarespectable，over-fedlap-dogsleepingquietlytotheeastofthebandstandshouldsuddenlyfallthroughtheparasolofaladyonthewest——inaslightlysingedconditionduetotheextremevelocityofitsmovementsthroughtheair。Intheseabsurddays，too，whenwearealltryingtobeaspsychic，andsilly，andsuperstitiousaspossible！
　　Peoplegotupandtrodonotherpeople，chairswereoverturned，theLeaspolicemanran。HowthemattersettleditselfIdonotknow——weweremuchtooanxioustodisentangleourselvesfromtheaffairandgetoutofrangeoftheeyeoftheoldgentlemaninthebath-chairtomakeminuteinquiries。Assoonasweweresufficientlycoolandsufficientlyrecoveredfromourgiddinessandnauseaandconfusionofmindtodosowestoodupand，skirtingthecrowd，directedourstepsbackalongtheroadbelowtheMetropoletowardsGibberne’shouse。ButamidstthedinIheardverydistinctlythegentlemanwhohadbeensittingbesidetheladyoftherupturedsunshadeusingquiteunjustifiablethreatsandlanguagetooneofthosechair-attendantswhohave“Inspector“writtenontheircaps。
　　“Ifyoudidn’tthrowthedog，“hesaid，“whoDID？“
　　Thesuddenreturnofmovementandfamiliarnoises，andournaturalanxietyaboutourselvesourclothe’swerestilldreadfullyhot，andthefrontsofthethighsofGibberne’swhitetrouserswerescorchedadrabbishbrown，preventedtheminuteobservationsIshouldhavelikedtomakeonallthesethings。Indeed，Ireallymadenoobservationsofanyscientificvalueonthatreturn。Thebee，ofcourse，hadgone。Ilookedforthatcyclist，buthewasalreadyoutofsightaswecameintotheUpperSandgateRoadorhiddenfromusbytraffic；thechar-a-banc，however，withitspeoplenowallaliveandstirring，wasclatteringalongataspankingpacealmostabreastofthenearerchurch。
　　Wenoted，however，thatthewindow-sillonwhichwehadsteppedingettingoutofthehousewasslightlysinged，andthattheimpressionsofourfeetonthegravelofthepathwereunusuallydeep。
　　SoitwasIhadmyfirstexperienceoftheNewAccelerator。Practicallywehadbeenrunningaboutandsayinganddoingallsortsofthingsinthespaceofasecondorsooftime。Wehadlivedhalfanhourwhilethebandhadplayed，perhaps，twobars。Buttheeffectithaduponuswasthatthewholeworldhadstoppedforourconvenientinspection。Consideringallthings，andparticularlyconsideringourrashnessinventuringoutofthehouse，theexperiencemightcertainlyhavebeenmuchmoredisagreeablethanitwas。Itshowed，nodoubt，thatGibbernehasstillmuchtolearnbeforehispreparationisamanageableconvenience，butitspracticabilityitcertainlydemonstratedbeyondallcavil。
　　Sincethatadventurehehasbeensteadilybringingitsuseundercontrol，andIhaveseveraltimes，andwithouttheslightestbadresult，takenmeasureddosesunderhisdirection；thoughImustconfessIhavenotyetventuredabroadagainwhileunderitsinfluence。
　　Imaymention，forexample，thatthisstoryhasbeenwrittenatonesittingandwithoutinterruption，exceptforthenibblingofsomechocolate，byitsmeans。Ibeganat6。25，andmywatchisnowverynearlyattheminutepastthehalf-hour。Theconvenienceofsecuringalong，uninterruptedspellofworkinthemidstofadayfullofengagementscannotbeexaggerated。Gibberneisnowworkingatthequantitativehandlingofhispreparation，withespecialreferencetoitsdistinctiveeffectsupondifferenttypesofconstitution。
　　HethenhopestofindaRetarderwithwhichtodiluteitspresentratherexcessivepotency。TheRetarderwill，ofcourse，havethereverseeffecttotheAccelerator；usedaloneitshouldenablethepatienttospreadafewsecondsovermanyhoursofordinarytime，——andsotomaintainanapatheticinaction，aglacier-likeabsenceofalacrity，amidstthemostanimatedorirritatingsurroundings。Thetwothingstogethermustnecessarilyworkanentirerevolutionincivilisedexistence。ItisthebeginningofourescapefromthatTimeGarmentofwhichCarlylespeaks。WhilethisAcceleratorwillenableustoconcentrateourselveswithtremendousimpactuponanymomentoroccasionthatdemandsourutmostsenseandvigour，theRetarderwillenableustopassinpassivetranquillitythroughinfinitehardshipandtedium。PerhapsIamalittleoptimisticabouttheRetarder，whichhasindeedstilltobediscovered，butabouttheAcceleratorthereisnopossiblesortofdoubtwhatever。