Тридцять дев’ять ступенів

           ”Butifhewaslukewarmpoliticallyhehadstrongviewsonotherthings.HefoundoutIknewabitabouthorses,andjawedawayabouttheDerbyentries;andhewasfullofplansforimprovinghisshooting.Altogether,averyclean,decent,callowyoungman.

           Aswepassedthroughalittletowntwopolicemensignalledustostop,andflashedtheirlanternsonus.

           “Begpardon,SirHarry,”saidone.“We’vegotinstructionstolookoutforacar,andthedescription’snounlikeyours.”

           “Right-o,”saidmyhost,whileIthankedProvidenceforthedeviouswaysIhadbeenbroughttosafety.Afterthathespokenomore,forhismindbegantolabourheavilywithhiscomingspeech.Hislipskeptmuttering,hiseyewandered,andIbegantopreparemyselfforasecondcatastrophe.Itriedtothinkofsomethingtosaymyself,butmymindwasdryasastone.ThenextthingIknewwehaddrawnupoutsideadoorinastreet,andwerebeingwelcomedbysomenoisygentlemenwithrosettes.

           Thehallhadaboutfivehundredinit,womenmostly,alotofbaldheads,andadozenortwoyoungmen.Thechairman,aweasellyministerwithareddishnose,lamentedCrumpleton’sabsence,soliloquizedonhisinfluenza,andgavemeacertificateasa“trustedleaderofAustralianthought”.Thereweretwopolicemenatthedoor,andIhopedtheytooknoteofthattestimonial.ThenSirHarrystarted.

           Ineverheardanythinglikeit.Hedidn’tbegintoknowhowtotalk.Hehadaboutabushelofnotesfromwhichheread,andwhenheletgoofthemhefellintooneprolongedstutter.