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。