Отруєний пояс
Chapter II. The Tide Of Death
"
Summerleedrewhimselfupinbitterprotest.
"Youarepleasedtobefacetious,LordJohn,"saidhewithafaceofvinegar.
"Why,dashitall,thisisclearmadness,"criedLordJohn."Eachofusseemstoknowwhattheothersdidandnoneofusknowswhathedidhimself.Let’sputitalltogetherfromthefirst.Wegotintoafirst-classsmoker,that’sclear,ain’tit?ThenwebegantoquarreloverfriendChallenger’sletterintheTimes."
"Oh,youdid,didyou?"rumbledourhost,hiseyelidsbeginningtodroop.
"Yousaid,Summerlee,thattherewasnopossibletruthinhiscontention."
"Dearme!"saidChallenger,puffingouthischestandstrokinghisbeard."Nopossibletruth!Iseemtohaveheardthewordsbefore.AndmayIaskwithwhatargumentsthegreatandfamousProfessorSummerleeproceededtodemolishthehumbleindividualwhohadventuredtoexpressanopinionuponamatterofscientificpossibility?Perhapsbeforeheexterminatesthatunfortunatenonentityhewillcondescendtogivesomereasonsfortheadverseviewswhichhehasformed."
Hebowedandshruggedandspreadopenhishandsashespokewithhiselaborateandelephantinesarcasm.
"Thereasonwassimpleenough,"saidthedoggedSummerlee."Icontendedthatiftheethersurroundingtheearthwassotoxicinonequarterthatitproduceddangeroussymptoms,itwashardlylikelythatwethreeintherailwaycarriageshouldbeentirelyunaffected."
TheexplanationonlybroughtuproariousmerrimentfromChallenger.Helaugheduntileverythingintheroomseemedtorattleandquiver.
