CHAPTER II "Try Your Luck with Professor Challenger"

ndwouldtakeitasapersonalfavorifhewouldgotothedevil.'" "GoodLord!" "Yes,Iexpectthat'swhatoldWadleysaid.Irememberhiswailatthemeeting,whichbegan:'Infiftyyearsexperienceofscientificintercourse——'Itquitebroketheoldmanup." "AnythingmoreaboutChallenger?" "Well,I'mabacteriologist,youknow.Iliveinanine-hundred-diametermicroscope.IcanhardlyclaimtotakeseriousnoticeofanythingthatIcanseewithmynakedeye.I'mafrontiersmanfromtheextremeedgeoftheKnowable,andIfeelquiteoutofplacewhenIleavemystudyandcomeintotouchwithallyougreat,rough,hulkingcreatures.I'mtoodetachedtotalkscandal,andyetatscientificconversazionesIHAVEheardsomethingofChallenger,forheisoneofthosemenwhomnobodycanignore.He'sascleverastheymake'em—afull-chargedbatteryofforceandvitality,butaquarrelsome,ill-conditionedfaddist,andunscrupulousatthat.HehadgonethelengthoffakingsomephotographsovertheSouthAmericanbusiness." "Yousayheisafaddist.Whatishisparticularfad?" "Hehasathousand,butthelatestissomethingaboutWeissmannandEvolution.HehadafearfulrowaboutitinVienna,Ibelieve." "Can'tyoutellmethepoint?" "Notatthemoment,butatranslationoftheproceedingsexists.Wehaveitfiledattheoffice.Wouldyoucaretocome?" "It'sjustwhatIwant.Ihavetointerviewthefellow,andIneedsomeleaduptohim.It'sreallyawfullygoodofyoutogivemealift.I'llgowithyounow,ifitisnottoolate." HalfanhourlaterIwasseatedinthenewspaperofficewithahugetomeinfrontofme,whichhadbeenopenedatthearticle"WeissmannversusDarwin,"withthesubheading,"SpiritedProtestatVienna.LivelyProceedings."Myscientificeducationhavingbeensomewhatneglected,Iwasunabletofollowthewholeargument,butitwasevidentthattheEnglishProfessorhadhandledhissubjectinaveryaggressivefashion,andhadthoroughlyannoyedhisContinentalcolleagues."Protests,""Uproar,"and"GeneralappealtotheChairman"werethreeofthefirstbracketswhichcaughtmyeye.MostofthemattermighthavebeenwritteninChineseforanydefinitemeaningthatitconveyedtomybrain. "IwishyoucouldtranslateitintoEnglishforme,"Isaid,pathetically,tomyhelp-mate. "Well,itisatranslation." "ThenI'dbettertrymyluckwiththeoriginal." "Itiscertainlyratherdeepforalayman." "IfIcouldonlygetasinglegood,meatysentencewhichseemedtoconveysomesortofdefinitehumanidea,itwouldservemyturn.Ah,yes,thisonewilldo.Iseemi