deafening tumult broke out, as he
entered, from the regions above stairs. A distant voice screamed,
"Mind yourselves!" A hatless shouting man tore down through the people
congregated on the stairs. "Hooray! Hooray! He's promised to do it! He's
entered for the race!" Hundreds on hundreds of voices took up the cry.
A roar of cheering burst from the people outside. Reporters for the
newspapers raced, in frantic procession, out of the inn, and rushed into
cabs to put the news in print. The hand of the landlord, leading Julius
carefully up stairs by the arm, trembled with excitement. "His brother,
gentlemen! his brother!" At those magic words a lane was made through
the throng. At those magic words the closed door of the council-chamber
flew open; and Julius found himself among the Athletes of his native
country, in full parliament assembled. Is any description of them
needed? The description of Geoffrey applies to them all. The manhood
and muscle of England resemble the wool and mutton of England, in this
respect, that there is about as much variety in a flock of athletes as
in a flock of sheep. Julius looked about him, and saw the same man in
the same dress, with the same health, strength, tone, tastes, habits,
conversation, and pursuits, repeated infinitely in every part of the
room. The din was deafening; the enthusiasm (to an uninitiated stranger)
something at once hideous and terrifying to behold. Geoffrey had been
lifted bodily on to the table, in his chair, so as to be visible to the
whole room. They sang round him, they danced round him, they cheered
round him, they swore round him. He was hailed, in maudlin terms of
endearment, by grateful giants with tears in their eyes. "Dear old man!"
"Glorious, noble, splendid, beautiful fellow!" They hugged him. They
patted him on the back. They wrung his hands. They prodded and punched
his muscles. They embraced the noble legs that were going to run
the unexampled race. At the opposite end of the room, where it was
physically impossible to get near the hero, the enthusiasm vented itself
in feats of strength and acts of destruction. Hercules I. cleared a
space with his elbows, and laid down--and Hercules II. took him up in
his teeth. Hercules III. seized the poker from the fireplace, and broke
it on his arm. Hercules IV. followed with the tongs, and shattered them
on his neck. The smashing of the furniture and the pulling down of the
house seemed likely to succeed--when Geoffrey