Aratus, a chemist, invents an acid that will petrify living things into inanimate stone. Outside of his laboratory he has a little pond into which he throws the victims of his experimentation, flowers, small animals and plants, in their petrified state. In his interest of science Aratus neglects and forgets everything, even his wife, and gives all his time to his labors, and once, when she and his life-long friend are in his laboratory, he seems disturbed and asks them to go for a walk and leave him to his study. His friend, who adores Aratus's wife, presses his suit and attempts to kiss her on the way, and in the struggle ensuing, she falls into the pond in which the chemical preparation of Aratus's had been poured and she is petrified. Aratus, attracted by the noise, comes out and sees the disaster. He accuses his friend as being responsible for the accident, but the latter swears innocent. Aratus, stunned by his loss, has the pond drained and rescues the body, and placing it upon a pedestal surrounds it with flowers and immediately sets his mind to work to invent a chemical that will bring her back to life, but his endeavors are in vain. Time elapses, and in a mysterious manner, one day, all come back to life, the flowers, the animals and the woman, and Aratus thanks the hidden force that accomplished what he had failed to do.