Отруєний пояс
Chapter I. The Blurring Of Lines
"Don’ttellmethatyouhavehadoneofthesepreposteroustelegramsforoxygen?"
Iexhibitedit.
"Well,well!Ihavehadonetoo,and,asyousee,verymuchagainstthegrain,Ihaveacteduponit.Ourgoodfriendisasimpossibleasever.Theneedforoxygencouldnothavebeensourgentthathemustdeserttheusualmeansofsupplyandencroachuponthetimeofthosewhoarereallybusierthanhimself.Whycouldhenotorderitdirect?"
Icouldonlysuggestthatheprobablywanteditatonce.
"Orthoughthedid,whichisquiteanothermatter.Butitissuperfluousnowforyoutopurchaseany,sinceIhavethisconsiderablesupply."
"Still,forsomereasonheseemstowishthatIshouldbringoxygentoo.Itwillbesafertodoexactlywhathetellsme."
Accordingly,inspiteofmanygrumblesandremonstrancesfromSummerlee,Iorderedanadditionaltube,whichwasplacedwiththeotherinhismotor-car,forhehadofferedmealifttoVictoria.
Iturnedawaytopayoffmytaxi,thedriverofwhichwasverycantankerousandabusiveoverhisfare.AsIcamebacktoProfessorSummerlee,hewashavingafuriousaltercationwiththemenwhohadcarrieddowntheoxygen,hislittlewhitegoat’sbeardjerkingwithindignation.Oneofthefellowscalledhim,Iremember,"asillyoldbleachedcockatoo,"whichsoenragedhischauffeurthatheboundedoutofhisseattotakethepartofhisinsultedmaster,anditwasallwecoulddotopreventariotinthestreet.
Theselittlethingsmayseemtrivialtorelate,andpassedasmereincidentsatthetime.
