CHAPTER II "Try Your Luck with Professor Challenger"

navaguewayalmosttounderstandit.I'llcopyitout.ThisshallbemylinkwiththeterribleProfessor." "NothingelseIcando?" "Well,yesIproposetowritetohim.IfIcouldframetheletterhere,anduseyouraddressitwouldgiveatmosphere." "We'llhavethefellowroundheremakingarowandbreakingthefurniture." "No,noyou'llseetheletter—nothingcontentious,Iassureyou." "Well,that'smychairanddesk.You'llfindpaperthere.I'dliketocensoritbeforeitgoes." Ittooksomedoing,butIflattermyselfthatitwasn'tsuchabadjobwhenitwasfinished.Ireaditaloudtothecriticalbacteriologistwithsomeprideinmyhandiwork. "DEARPROFESSORCHALLENGER,"itsaid,"AsahumblestudentofNature,IhavealwaystakenthemostprofoundinterestinyourspeculationsastothedifferencesbetweenDarwinandWeissmann.Ihaverecentlyhadoccasiontorefreshmymemorybyre-reading——" "Youinfernalliar!"murmuredTarpHenry. —"byre-readingyourmasterlyaddressatVienna.Thatlucidandadmirablestatementseemstobethelastwordinthematter.Thereisonesentenceinit,however—namely:'Iproteststronglyagainsttheinsufferableandentirelydogmaticassertionthateachseparateidisamicrocosmpossessedofanhistoricalarchitectureelaboratedslowlythroughtheseriesofgenerations.'Haveyounodesire,inviewoflaterresearch,tomodifythisstatement?Doyounotthinkthatitisover-accentuated?Withyourpermission,Iwouldaskthefavorofaninterview,asIfeelstronglyuponthesubject,andhavecertainsuggestionswhichIcouldonlyelaborateinapersonalconversation.Withyourconsent,Itrusttohavethehonorofcallingateleveno'clockthedayafterto-morrow(Wednesday)morning. "Iremain,Sir,withassurancesofprofoundrespect,yoursverytruly, EDWARDD.MALONE." "How'sthat?"Iasked,triumphantly. "Wellifyourconsciencecanstandit——" "Ithasneverfailedmeyet." "Butwhatdoyoumeantodo?" "Togetthere.OnceIaminhisroomImayseesomeopening.Imayevengothelengthofopenconfession.Ifheisasportsmanhewillbetickled." "Tickled,indeed!He'smuchmorelikelytodothetickling.Chainmail,oranAmericanfootballsuit—that'swhatyou'llwant.Well,good-bye.I'llhavetheanswerforyouhereonWednesdaymorning—ifheeverdeignstoansweryou.Heisaviolent,dangerous,cantankerouscharacter,hatedbyeveryonewhocomesacrosshim,andthebuttofthestudents,sofarastheydaretakealibertywithhim.Perhapsitwouldbebestforyouifyouneverheardfromthefellowatall."