rshoulders."Allthatyousayisperfectlytrue.IshouldbeabettermanifIdidwhatyouadvise,butIshouldn'tbequiteGeorgeEdwardChallenger.Thereareplentyofbettermen,mydear,butonlyoneG.E.C.Somakethebestofhim."Hesuddenlygaveheraresoundingkiss,whichembarrassedmeevenmorethanhisviolencehaddone."Now,Mr.Malone,"hecontinued,withagreataccessionofdignity,"thisway,ifYOUplease."
Were-enteredtheroomwhichwehadleftsotumultuouslytenminutesbefore.TheProfessorclosedthedoorcarefullybehindus,motionedmeintoanarm-chair,andpushedacigar-boxundermynose.
"RealSanJuanColorado,"hesaid."Excitablepeoplelikeyouarethebetterfornarcotics.Heavens!don'tbiteit!Cut—andcutwithreverence!Nowleanback,andlistenattentivelytowhateverImaycaretosaytoyou.Ifanyremarkshouldoccurtoyou,youcanreserveitforsomemoreopportunetime.
"Firstofall,astoyourreturntomyhouseafteryourmostjustifiableexpulsion"—heprotrudedhisbeard,andstaredatmeasonewhochallengesandinvitescontradiction—"after,asIsay,yourwell-meritedexpulsion.Thereasonlayinyouranswertothatmostofficiouspoliceman,inwhichIseemedtodiscernsomeglimmeringofgoodfeelinguponyourpart—more,atanyrate,thanIamaccustomedtoassociatewithyourprofession.Inadmittingthatthefaultoftheincidentlaywithyou,yougavesomeevidenceofacertainmentaldetachmentandbreadthofviewwhichattractedmyfavorablenotice.Thesub-speciesofthehumanracetowhichyouunfortunatelybelonghasalwaysbeenbelowmymentalhorizon.Yourwordsbroughtyousuddenlyaboveit.Youswamupintomyseriousnotice.ForthisreasonIaskedyoutoreturnwithme,asIwasmindedtomakeyourfurtheracquaintance.YouwillkindlydeposityourashinthesmallJapanesetrayonthebambootablewhichstandsatyourleftelbow."
Allthisheboomedforthlikeaprofessoraddressinghisclass.Hehadswungroundhisrevolvingchairsoastofaceme,andhesatallpuffedoutlikeanenormousbull-frog,hisheadlaidbackandhiseyeshalf-coveredbysuperciliouslids.Nowhesuddenlyturnedhimselfsideways,andallIcouldseeofhimwastangledhairwithared,protrudingear.Hewasscratchingaboutamongthelitterofpapersuponhisdesk.Hefacedmepresentlywithwhatlookedlikeaverytatteredsketch-bookinhishand.
"IamgoingtotalktoyouaboutSouthAmerica,"saidhe."Nocommentsifyouplease.Firstofall,IwishyoutounderstandthatnothingItellyounowistoberepeatedinanypublicwayunlessyouhavemyexpresspermission.Thatpermissionwill,inallhumanprobability,neverbegiven.Isthatclear?"
"Itisveryhard,"saidI."Surelyajudiciousaccount——"
Hereplacedthenotebookuponthetable.
"Thatendsit,"saidhe."Iwishyouaverygoodmorning."
"No,no!"Icried."Isubmittoanyconditions.SofarasIcansee,Ihavenochoice."
"Noneintheworld,"said