"And that telegony is still sub judice?"
"Undoubtedly."
"And that the germ plasm is different from the parthenogenetic egg?"
"Why, surely!" I cried, and gloried in my
own audacity.
"But what does that prove?" he asked, in a gentle, persuasive voice.
"Ah, what indeed?" I murmured. "What does it prove?"
"Shall I tell you?" he cooed.
"Pray do."
"It proves," he roared, with a sudden blast of fury, "that you are thedamnedest imposter in London--a vile, crawling journalist, who has nomore science than he has decency in his composition!"
He had sprung to his feet with a mad rage in his eyes. Even at thatmoment of tension I found time for amazement at the discovery that hewas quite a short man, his head not higher than my shoulder--a stuntedHercules whose tremendous vitality had all run to depth, breadth, andbrain.
"Gibberish!" he cried, leaning forward, with his fingers on the tableand his face projecting. "That's what I have been talking to you,sir--scientific gibberish! Did you think you could match cunning withme--you with your walnut of a brain? You think you are omnipotent, youinfernal scribblers, don't you? That your praise can make a man andyour blame can break him? We must all bow to you, and try to get afavorable word, must we? This man shall have a leg up, and this manshall have a dressing down! Creeping vermin, I know you! You've gotout of your station. Time was when your ears were clipped. You'velost your sense of proportion. Swollen gas-bags! I'll keep you inyour proper place. Yes, sir, you haven't got over G. E. C. There'sone man who is still your master. He warned you off, but if you WILLcome, by the Lord you do it at your own risk. Forfeit, my good Mr.Malone, I claim forfeit! You have played a rather dangerous game, andit strikes me that you have lost it."
"Look here, sir," said I, backing to the door and opening it; "you canbe as abusive as you like. But there is a limit. You shall notassault me."
"Shall I not?" He was slowly advancing in a peculiarly menacing way,but he stopped now and put his big hands into the side-pockets of arather boyish short jacket which he wore. "I have thrown several ofyou out of the house. You will be the fourth or fifth. Three poundfifteen each--that is how it averaged. Expensive, but very necessary.Now, sir, why should you not follow your brethren? I rather think youmust." He resumed his unpleasant and stealthy advance, pointing histoes as he walked, like a dancing master.
I could have bolted for the hall door, but it would have been tooignominious. Besides, a little glow of righteous anger was springingup within me. I had been hopelessly in the wrong before, but thisman's menaces were putting me in the right.
"I'll trouble you to keep your hands off, sir. I'll not stand it."
"Dear me!" His black moustache lifted and a white fang twinkled in asneer. "You won't stand it, eh?"
"Don't be such a fool, Professor!" I cried. "What can you hope for?I'm fifteen stone, as hard as nails, and play center three-quarterevery Saturday for the London Irish. I'm not the man----"
It was at that moment that he rushed me. It was lucky that I hadopened the door, or we should have gone through it. We did aCatharine-wheel together down the passage. Somehow we gathered up achair upon our way, and bounded on with it towards the street. Mymouth was full of his beard, our arms were locked, our bodiesintertwined, and that infernal chair radiated its legs all round us.The watchful Austin had thrown open the hall door. We went with a backsomersault down the front steps. I have seen the two Macs attemptsomething of the kind at the halls, but it appears to take somepractise to do it without hurting oneself. The chair went to matchwoodat the bottom, and we rolled apart into the gutter. He sprang to hisfeet, waving his fists and wheezing like an asthmatic.
"Had enough?" he panted.
"You infernal bully!" I cried, as I gathered myself together.
Then and there we should have tried the thing out, for he waseffervescing with fight, but fortunately I was rescued from an odioussituation. A policeman was beside us, his notebook in his hand.
"What's all this? You ought to be ashamed" said the policeman. It wasthe most rational remark which I had heard in Enmore Park. "Well," heinsisted, turning to me, "what is it, then?"
"This man attacked me," said I.
"Did you attack him?" asked the policeman.
The Professor breathed hard and said nothing.
"It's not the first time, either," said the policeman, severely,shaking his head. "You were in trouble last month for the same thing.You've blackened this young man's eye. Do you give him in charge, sir?"
I relented.
"No," said I, "I do not."
"What's that?" said the policeman.