When I at last picked it up in a forceps, and threw it upon the table,
it had lost every characteristic of mercury, and had obviously become
another metal. A few simple tests were enough to show me that this
other metal was platinum.
"Now, to a chemist, there was something very suggestive in the order in
which these changes had been effected. Perhaps you can see the
relation, Robert, which they bear to each other?"
"No, I cannot say that I do."
Robert had sat listening to this strange statement with parted lips and
staring eyes.
"I will show you. Speaking atomically, bismuth is the heaviest of the
metals. Its atomic weight is 210. The next in weight is lead, 207, and
then comes mercury at 200. Possibly the long period during which the
current had acted in my absence had reduced the bismuth to lead and the
lead in turn to mercury. Now platinum stands at 197.5, and it was
accordingly the next metal to be produced by the continued current.
Do you see now?"
"It is quite clear."
"And then there came the inference, which sent my heart into my mouth
and caused my head to swim round. Gold is the next in the series.
Its atomic weight is 197. I remembered now, and for the first time
understood why it was always lead and mercury winch were mentioned
by the old alchemists as being the two metals which might be used in
their calling.
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