Tales of Terror and Mystery

           "Youwillfindthatyouhaveastrongcommunityoftastes."

           Ibowed.SirThomasstoodverystiffly,lookingatmeseverelyfromunderthebroadbrimofhishat.

           "LordLinchmeretellsmethatyouknowsomethingaboutbeetles,"saidhe."Whatdoyouknowaboutbeetles?"

           "IknowwhatIhavelearnedfromyourworkuponthecoleoptera,SirThomas,"Ianswered.

           "Givemethenamesofthebetter-knownspeciesoftheBritishscarabaei,"saidhe.

           Ihadnotexpectedanexamination,butfortunatelyIwasreadyforone.Myanswersseemedtopleasehim,forhissternfeaturesrelaxed.

           "Youappeartohavereadmybookwithsomeprofit,sir,"saidhe."Itisararethingformetomeetanyonewhotakesanintelligentinterestinsuchmatters.Peoplecanfindtimeforsuchtrivialitiesassportorsociety,andyetthebeetlesareoverlooked.IcanassureyouthatthegreaterpartoftheidiotsinthispartofthecountryareunawarethatIhaveeverwrittenabookatall—I,thefirstmanwhoeverdescribedthetruefunctionoftheelytra.Iamgladtoseeyou,sir,andIhavenodoubtthatIcanshowyousomespecimenswhichwillinterestyou."Hesteppedintotheflyanddroveupwithustothehouse,expoundingtomeaswewentsomerecentresearcheswhichhehadmadeintotheanatomyofthelady-bird.

           IhavesaidthatSirThomasRossiterworealargehatdrawndownoverhisbrows.Asheenteredthehallheuncoveredhimself,andIwasatonceawareofasingularcharacteristicwhichthehathadconcealed.Hisforehead,whichwasnaturallyhigh,andhigherstillonaccountofrecedinghair,wasinacontinualstateofmovement.