Part 3 (1/2)
”Yours faithfully, ”GEORGE EDWARD CHALLENGER”
This was the letter that I read aloud to Tarp Henry, who had come down early to hear the result of my venture His only re, which is better than arnica”
Some people have such extraordinary notions of humor
It was nearly half-past ten before I had received ood ti porticoed house at which we stopped, and the heavily-curtained s gave every indication of wealth upon the part of this formidable Professor The door was opened by an odd, swarthy, dried-up person of uncertain age, with a dark pilot jacket and brown leather gaiters I found afterwards that he was the chauffeur, who filled the gaps left by a succession of fugitive butlers He looked ht blue eye
”Expected?” he asked
”An appointment”
”Got your letter?”
I produced the envelope
”Right!” He see hie I was suddenly interrupted by a s-rooht, vivacious, dark-eyed lady, lish in her type
”One moment,” she said ”You can wait, Austin Step in here, sir
May I ask if you have met my husband before?”
”No, ize to you in advance I must tell you that he is a perfectly impossible person--absolutely impossible If you are forewarned you will be the more ready to make allowances”
”It is most considerate of you, madam”
”Get quickly out of the rooue with hi that Afterwards there is a public scandal and it reflects upon me and all of us I suppose it wasn't about South America you wanted to see him?”
I could not lie to a lady
”Dear erous subject You won't believe a word he says--I'm sure I don't wonder But don't tell him so, for it et through all right Remember he believes it himself Of that you may be assured A er or hethe bell and hold him off until I come Even at his worst I can usually control hi words the lady handed me over to the taciturn Austin, who had waited like a bronze statue of discretion during our short interview, and I was conducted to the end of the passage There was a tap at a door, a bull's bellow from within, and I was face to face with the Professor
He sat in a rotating chair behind a broad table, which was covered with books, rams As I entered, his seat spun round to facestrange, but not for so overpowering a personality as this It was his size which took one's breath away--his size and his iest I have ever seen upon a hu
I am sure that his top-hat, had I ever ventured to don it, would have slipped over me entirely and rested on my shoulders He had the face and beard which I associate with an assyrian bull; the former florid, the latter so black as al down over his chest The hair was peculiar, plastered down in front in a long, curving wisp over his reat black tufts, very clear, very critical, and very e spread of shoulders and a chest like a barrel were the other parts of him which appeared above the table, save for two enor, roaring, ru voice made up er
”Well?” said he, with a most insolent stare ”What now?”
I er, otherwise here was evidently an end of the interview
”You were good enough to givehis envelope
He took my letter from his desk and laid it out before hi person who cannot understand plain English, are you? My general conclusions you are good enough to approve, as I understand?”