, 1916-06-08

tered his seat spun round to face me
His appearance made me gasp. | was
prepared for something strange bui
not FOR so overpowering a personality
as this. IL was his size which took
ones breath away-his size and bis
imposing presence. His head was
enormous. the largest / have ever @
upon a human being. I am sure that
his top hat. had | ever ventured to don
1t, would have slipped oyer me entire
ly INT rested on my shoulders. He
had b face and beard which as
sociate with an Assyrian bull the
former tiorid, the latter so black as
almost TO have a suspicion Of blue.
spade shaped and ripping down over
his chest The hair was peculiar, plas-
tered down in front In a long, curying
wisp over his massive forehead. The
eyes were blue gray under great black
TUFTS. very clear, very critical and very
masterfuL. A huge spread of Shout
ders and a chest like a barrel were
the other parts OF him which appeared
o the table, save for two enor.
nous hands covered with long black
hair This n a believing, roaring.
rumbling voice made up my first i'm.
preston of the notorious Professor
Challenger.
"Weu?" said he, with a most inso-
lent stare. What now2"
must keep up my deception for at
a a little time longer. otherwise
here was evidently an end of the inter.
view
You were good enough to give me
an appointment, SIR" said 7. humbly,
producing his envelope.
He took my letter from his desk and
laid 1t out before him.
"oh. you are the young person who
cannot understand plain English. are
you? My general conclusions you are
good enough to approve. as l under
stand2"
Entirely. sir-entirelyr was en-
phatic.
Dear me! That strengthens my po-
sition very much, does 1t not? Your
age and appearance make your support
doubly valuable. Well. at least you are
better than that herd of swine in vien-
ma. whose gregarious grunt is. how
ever, not more offensive than the $50
lated effort of the British hog" He
glared at me as the present representa-
tive Of the beast.
They seen to have behaved abomi-
nably." said |.
II assure you that | can fight my
own BATTLES and that / have no possible
need of your sympathy. Put me alone.
sir. and with my back to the wall. G.
f.. C. is happiest then. Well. sir. let us
do what we can to curtail this visit.
which can hardly be agreeable to you
and is inexpressibly irksome to me.
You had. as | have been led to believe.
some comments to make upon the prop
osition which l advanced In my thesis"
There was a brutal directness about
his methods which made evasion diff
cult. ! must still make play and wait
for a better opening. II had seemed
simple enough at a distance. oh, my
Irish wits. could they not help me now?
II am. Of course. a mere student"
said l. with a fatuous smile. hardly
more. ! might say, than an earnest in
quirer. At the same time, it seemed to
me that you were a little rel upon
Weissmann In this matter. Has not the
general evidence since that date tend
ed lowell. to strengthen his posi-
tion?"
What evidenceY" He spoke with a
menacing calm.
well. Of course l am aware that
there is not any what you might call
definite evidence. alluded merely to
the trend of modern thought and the
general scientific point of view. If I
might so express it."
He leaned forward with great ear
nestness.
II suppose you are aware" said he.
checking Off points upon his fingers.