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It’s Just the very Biggest Thing in the World
Nowleanback,andlistenattentivelytowhateverImaycaretosaytoyou.Ifanyremarkshouldoccurtoyou,youcanreserveitforsomemoreopportunetime.
"Firstofall,astoyourreturntomyhouseafteryourmostjustifiableexpulsion"—heprotrudedhisbeard,andstaredatmeasonewhochallengesandinvitescontradiction—"after,asIsay,yourwell-meritedexpulsion.Thereasonlayinyouranswertothatmostofficiouspoliceman,inwhichIseemedtodiscernsomeglimmeringofgoodfeelinguponyourpart—more,atanyrate,thanIamaccustomedtoassociatewithyourprofession.Inadmittingthatthefaultoftheincidentlaywithyou,yougavesomeevidenceofacertainmentaldetachmentandbreadthofviewwhichattractedmyfavorablenotice.Thesub-speciesofthehumanracetowhichyouunfortunatelybelonghasalwaysbeenbelowmymentalhorizon.Yourwordsbroughtyousuddenlyaboveit.Youswamupintomyseriousnotice.ForthisreasonIaskedyoutoreturnwithme,asIwasmindedtomakeyourfurtheracquaintance.YouwillkindlydeposityourashinthesmallJapanesetrayonthebambootablewhichstandsatyourleftelbow."
Allthisheboomedforthlikeaprofessoraddressinghisclass.Hehadswungroundhisrevolvingchairsoastofaceme,andhesatallpuffedoutlikeanenormousbull-frog,hisheadlaidbackandhiseyeshalf-coveredbysuperciliouslids.Nowhesuddenlyturnedhimselfsideways,andallIcouldseeofhimwastangledhairwithared,protrudingear.Hewasscratchingaboutamongthelitterofpapersuponhisdesk.Hefacedmepresentlywithwhatlookedlikeaverytatteredsketch-bookinhishand.