The Crystal Egg

"The Crystal Egg" by H.G. Wells This science-fiction story concerns Mr. Cave, an elderly naturalist and antiquities dealer near Seven Dials, who possesses a polished crystal egg that attracts two potential buyers—a clergyman and a dark-bearded Oriental man. Mr. Cave reluctantly offers it for five pounds, but secretly removes it from his window display, hiding it with Mr. Jacoby Wace, a young hospital demonstrator. Cave confides to Wace that he has discovered remarkable visions within the crystal. The narrative reveals Cave's unhappy domestic circumstances—his vain, drinking wife and hostile step-children contribute to his melancholia and insomnia. One August morning around three o'clock, driven by distress, Cave discovers the crystal glowing in his dark shop with unusual radiance, implying it possesses extraordinary properties beyond mere decoration.