splungedinthoughtforsomeminutes.
"Iwonderwhetheryoucouldgetonfriendly—oratleastontalkingtermswiththefellow,"hesaid,atlast."Youseemtohaveasortofgeniusforestablishingrelationswithpeople—seempathy,Isuppose,oranimalmagnetism,oryouthfulvitality,orsomething.Iamconsciousofitmyself."
"Youareverygood,sir."
"SowhyshouldyounottryyourluckwithProfessorChallenger,ofEnmorePark?"
IdaresayIlookedalittlestartled.
"Challenger!"Icried."ProfessorChallenger,thefamouszoologist!Wasn'thethemanwhobroketheskullofBlundell,oftheTelegraph?"
Thenewseditorsmiledgrimly.
"Doyoumind?Didn'tyousayitwasadventuresyouwereafter?"
"Itisallinthewayofbusiness,sir,"Ianswered.
"Exactly.Idon'tsupposehecanalwaysbesoviolentasthat.I'mthinkingthatBlundellgothimatthewrongmoment,maybe,orinthewrongfashion.Youmayhavebetterluck,ormoretactinhandlinghim.There'ssomethinginyourlinethere,Iamsure,andtheGazetteshouldworkit."
"Ireallyknownothingabouthim,"saidI."Ionlyrememberhisnameinconnectionwiththepolice-courtproceedings,forstrikingBlundell."
"Ihaveafewnotesforyourguidance,Mr.Malone.I'vehadmyeyeontheProfessorforsomelittletime."Hetookapaperfromadrawer."Hereisasummaryofhisrecord.Igiveityoubriefly:—
"'Challenger,GeorgeEdward.Born:Largs,N.B.,1863.Educ.:LargsAcademyEdinburghUniversity.BritishMuseumAssistant,1892.Assistant-KeeperofComparativeAnthropologyDepartment,1893.Resignedafteracrimoniouscorrespondencesameyear.WinnerofCraystonMedalforZoologicalResearch.ForeignMemberof'—well,quitealotofthings,abouttwoinchesofsmalltype—'SocieteBelge,AmericanAcademyofSciences,LaPlata,etc.,etc.Ex-PresidentPalaeontologicalSociety.SectionH,BritishAssociation'—soon,soon!—'Publications:"SomeObservationsUponaSeriesofKalmuckSkulls""OutlinesofVertebrateEvolution"andnumerouspapers,including"TheunderlyingfallacyofWeissmannism,"whichcausedheateddiscussionattheZoologicalCongressofVienna.R