Part 7 (2/2)
”Of my anthropoid ape which I have just sent to the museum. You know my claim? But perhaps you would prefer to postpone your final decision until after you have examined the skeleton itself.”
A light broke in upon the criminologist.
”Of course!” he exclaimed. ”For the moment, Professor, I couldn't follow you. You are talking about the skeleton of the ape which you brought home from South America, and which you have presented to the museum here?”
”Naturally,” the Professor a.s.sented, with mild surprise. ”To what else? I am stating my case, Mr. Quest, in the _North American Review_ next month.
I may tell you, however, as a fellow scientist, the great and absolute truth. My claim is incontestable. My skeleton will prove to the world, without a doubt, the absolute truth of Darwin's great theory.”
”That so?”
”You must go and see it,” the Professor insisted, keeping by Quest's side as the latter moved towards the automobile. ”You must go and see it, Mr.
Quest. It will be on view to the public next week, but in the meantime I will telephone to the curator. You must mention my name. You shall be permitted a special examination.”
”Very kind of you,” Quest murmured.
”We shall meet again soon, I hope,” the Professor concluded cordially.
”Good morning, Mr. Quest!”
The two men shook hands, and Quest took his seat by Lenora's side in the automobile. The Professor rejoined his brother.
”George,” he exclaimed, as they walked off together, ”I am disappointed in Mr. Quest! I am very disappointed indeed. You will not believe what I am going to tell you, but it is the truth. He could not conceal it from me.
He takes no interest whatever in my anthropoid ape.”
”Neither do I,” the other replied grimly.
The Professor sighed as he hailed a taxicab.
”You, my dear fellow,” he said gravely, ”are naturally not in the frame of mind for the consideration of these great subjects. Besides, you have no scientific tendencies. But in Sanford Quest I am disappointed. I expected his enthusiasm--I may say that I counted upon it.”
”I don't think that Quest has much of that quality to spare,” his brother remarked, ”for anything outside his own criminal hunting.”
They entered the taxicab and were driven almost in silence to the Professor's home--a large, rambling old house, situated in somewhat extensive but ill-kept grounds on the outskirts of New York. The Englishman glanced around him, as they pa.s.sed up the drive, with an expression of disapproval.
”A more untidy-looking place than yours, Edgar, I never saw,” he declared.
”Your grounds have become a jungle. Don't you keep any gardeners?”
The Professor smiled.
”I keep other things,” he said serenely. ”There is something in my garden which would terrify your nice Scotch gardeners into fits, if they found their way here to do a little tidying up. Come into the library and I'll give you one of my choice cigars. Here's Craig waiting to let us in. Any news, Craig?”
The man-servant in plain clothes who admitted them shook his head.
”Nothing has happened, sir,” he replied. ”The telephone is ringing in the study now, though.”
”I will answer it myself,” the Professor declared, bustling off.
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