waste paper； a manboots and spurs； hat and cravat； trinkets and
gold； and all〃
〃What a fearful machine！〃
〃Instead of flinging their brats into the water； the Chinese ought to
make them useful in this way；〃 the man of science went on； without
reflecting on the regard man has for his progeny。
Quite absorbed by his idea； Planchette took an empty flower…pot； with
a hole in the bottom； and put it on the surface of the dial； then he
went to look for a little clay in a corner of the garden。 Raphael
stood spellbound； like a child to whom his nurse is telling some
wonderful story。 Planchette put the clay down upon the slab； drew a
pruning…knife from his pocket； cut two branches from an elder tree；
and began to clean them of pith by blowing through them； as if Raphael
had not been present。
〃There are the rudiments of the apparatus；〃 he said。 Then he connected
one of the wooden pipes with the bottom of the flower…pot by way of a
clay joint； in such a way that the mouth of the elder stem was just
under the hole of the flower…pot； you might have compared it to a big
tobacco…pipe。 He spread a bed of clay over the surface of the slab； in
a shovel…shaped mass； set down the flower…pot at the wider end of it；
and laid the pipe of the elder stem along the portion which
represented the handle of the shovel。 Next he put a lump of clay at
the end of the elder stem and therein planted the other pipe； in an
upright position； forming a second elbow which connected it with the
first horizontal pipe in such a manner that the air； or any given
fluid in circulation； could flow through this improvised piece of
mechanism from the mouth of the vertical tube； along the intermediate
passages； and so into the large empty flower…pot。
〃This apparatus； sir；〃 he said to Raphael； with all the gravity of an
academician pronouncing his initiatory discourse； 〃is one of the great
Pascal's grandest claims upon our admiration。〃
〃I don't understand。〃
The man of science smiled。 He went up to a fruit…tree and took down a
little phial in which the druggist had sent him some liquid for
catching ants； he broke off the bottom and made a funnel of the top；
carefully fitting it to the mouth of the vertical hollowed stem that
he had set in the clay； and at the opposite end to the great
reservoir； represented by the flower…pot。 Next； by means of a
watering…pot； he poured in sufficient water to rise to the same level
in the large vessel and in the tiny circular funnel at the end of the
elder stem。
Raphael was thinking of his piece of skin。
〃Water is considered to…day； sir； to be an incompressible body；〃 said
the mechanician； 〃never lose sight of that fundamental principle；
still it can be compressed； though only so very slightly that we
should regard its faculty for contracting as a zero。 You see the
amount of surface presented by the water at the brim of the flower…
pot？〃
〃Yes； sir。〃
〃Very good； now suppose that that surface is a thousand times larger
than the orifice of the elder stem through which I poured the liquid。
Here； I am taking the funnel away〃
〃Granted。〃
〃Well； then； if by any method whatever I increase the volume of that
quantity of water by pouring in yet more through the mouth of the
little tube； the water thus compelled to flow downwards would rise in
the reservoir； represented by the flower…pot； until it reached the
same level at either end。〃
〃That is quite clear；〃 cried Raphael。
〃But there is this difference；〃 the other went on。 〃Suppose that the
thin column of water poured into the little vertical tube there exerts
a force equal； say； to a pound weight； for instance； its action will
be punctually communicated to the great body of the liquid； and will
be transmitted to every part of the surface represented by the water
in the flower…pot so that at the surface there will be a thousand
columns of water； every one pressing upwards as if they were impelled
by a force equal to that which compels the liquid to descend in the
vertical tube； and of necessity they reproduce here；〃 said Planchette；
indicating to Raphael the top of the flower…pot； 〃the force introduced
over there； a thousand…fold；〃 and the man of science pointed out to
the marquis the upright wooden pipe set in the clay。
〃That is quite simple；〃 said Raphael。
Planchette smiled again。
〃In other words；〃 he went on； with the mathematician's natural
stubborn propensity for logic； 〃in order to resist the force of the
incoming water； it would be necessary to exert； upon every part of the
large surface； a force equal to that brought into action in the
vertical column； but with this differenceif the column of liquid is
a foot in height； the thousand little columns of the wide surface will
only have a very slight elevating power。
〃Now；〃 said Planchette； as he gave a fillip to his bits of stick； 〃let
us replace this funny little apparatus by steel tubes of suitable
strength and dimensions； and if you cover the liquid surface of the
reservoir with a strong sliding plate of metal； and if to this metal
plate you oppose another； solid enough and strong enough to resist any
test； if； furthermore； you give me the power of continually adding
water to the volume of liquid contents by means of the little vertical
tube； the object fixed between the two solid metal plates must of
necessity yield to the tremendous crushing force which indefinitely
compresses it。 The method of continually pouring in water through a
little tube； like the manner of communicating force through the volume
of the liquid to a small metal plate； is an absurdly primitive
mechanical device。 A brace of pistons and a few valves would do it
all。 Do you perceive； my dear sir；〃 he said taking Valentin by the
arm； 〃there is scarcely a substance in existence that would not be
compelled to dilate when fixed in between these two indefinitely
resisting surfaces？〃
〃What！ the author of the Lettres provinciales invented it？〃 Raphael
exclaimed。
〃He and no other； sir。 The science of mechanics knows no simpler nor
more beautiful contrivance。 The opposite principle； the capacity of
expansion possessed by water； has brought the steam…engine into being。
But water will only expand up to a certain point； while its
incompressibility； being a force in a manner negative； is； of
necessity； infinite。〃
〃If this skin is expanded；〃 said Raphael； 〃I promise you to erect a
colossal statue to Blaise Pascal； to found a prize of a hundred
thousand francs to be offered every ten years for the solution of the
grandest problem of mechanical science effected during the interval；
to find dowries for all your cousins and second cousins； and finally
to build an asylum on purpose for impoverished or insane
mathematicians。〃
〃That would be exceedingly useful；〃 Planchette replied。 〃We will go to
Spieghalter to…morrow； sir；〃 he continued； with the serenity of a man
living on a plane wholly intellectual。 〃That distinguished mechanic
has just completed； after my own designs； an improved mechanical
arrangement by which a child could get a thousand trusses of hay
inside his cap。〃
〃Then good…bye till to…morrow。〃
〃Till to…morrow； sir。〃
〃Talk of mechanics！〃 cried Raphael； 〃isn't it the greatest of the
sciences？ The other fellow with his onagers； classifications； ducks；
and species； and his phials full of bottled monstrosities； is at best
only fit for a billiard…marker in a saloon。〃
The next morning Raphael went off in great spirits to find Planchette；
and together they set out for the Rue de la Santeauspicious
appellation！ Arrived at Spieghalter's； the young man found himself in
a vast foundry； his eyes lighted upon a multitude of glowing and
roaring furnaces。 There was a storm of sparks； a deluge of nails； an
ocean of pistons； vices； levers； valves； girders； files； and nuts； a
sea of melted metal； baulks of timber and bar…steel。 Iron filings
filled your throat。 There was iron in the atmosphere； the men were
covered with it； everything reeked of iron。 The iron seemed to be a
living organism； it became a fluid； moved； and seemed to shape itself
intelligently after every fashion； to obey the worker's every caprice。
Through the uproar made by the bellows； the crescendo of the falling
hammers； and the shrill sounds of the lathes that drew groans from the
steel； Raphael passed into a large； clean； and airy place where he was
able to inspect at his leisure the great press that Planchette had
told him about。 He admired the cast…iron beams； as one might call
them； and the twin bars of steel coupled together with indestructible
bolts。
〃If you were to give seven rapid turns to that crank；〃 said
Spieghalter； pointing out a beam of polished steel； 〃you would make a
steel bar spurt out in thousands of jets； that would get into your
legs like needles。〃
〃The deuce！〃 exclaimed Raphael。
Planchette himself slipped the piece of skin between the metal plates
of the all…powerful press； and； brimful of the certainty of a
scientific conviction； he worked the crank energetically。
〃Lie flat； all of you； we are dead men！〃 thundered Spieghalter； as he
himself fell prone on the floor。
A hideous shrieking sound rang through the workshops。