“That sounds as if you had discovered the philosopher’s stone,” remarked Herr Carovius sarcastically.
“Perhaps,” replied Jordan gently and bent over the table. “You are after all not entirely wrong, my honoured friend. Do you wish to be convinced? Will you honour me with a visit?”
Herr Carovius had become curious. They paid their bills and left for Ægydius Place.
Having entered Jordan’s room, the old man lighted a lamp and bolted the door. He then opened the door of the great cabinet by the wall, and took out a big doll. It was dressed like a Swiss maid, had on a flowered skirt, a linen waist, and a little pink apron. Its yellow hair was done up in braids, and on its head was a little felt hat.
“All that is my handiwork,” said Jordan, with much show of pride. “I myself took all the measurements and made the clothes, including even the shoes. And now watch, my dear friend.”
He placed the doll in the middle of the room. “She will speak,” he continued, his face radiant with joy, “she will sing. She will sing a song native to her beloved Tyrol. Will you be so good as to take this chair? I would rather not have you so close to it, if I may, for there are certain noises which I still have to correct. The illusion is stronger when you are some distance away.”
He crouched down behind the doll, did something at its back, and the buzzing of wheels became audible. The old man then stepped out to the front of the doll, and said: “Now, my little girl, let’s hear what you can do!”
An uncanny, hoarse, somewhat cooing voice rang out from the body of the doll. It sounded like the vibrations of metallic strings accompanied by the low tones of a water whistle. If you closed your eyes, you could at least imagine you were hearing a song sung by some one in the distance. But if you looked at the thing closely with its lifeless, mask-like kindly, waxen face, and heard the shrill, muffled sounds, without either articulation or rhythm, coming from within, it took on a ghostly aspect. Herr Carovius in fact felt a cold chill creep down his back.
When the machine ran down, the doll’s eyelids and lips closed. Jordan was looking at Herr Carovius in great suspense. “Well, what do you think of it?” he asked. “Be quite frank; I can stand any amount of criticism.”