ended
that if the ether surrounding the earth was so toxic in one quarter that
it produced dangerous symptoms, it was hardly likely that we three in the
railway carriage should be entirely unaffected."

The explanation only brought uproarious merriment from Challenger. He
laughed until everything in the room seemed to rattle and quiver.

"Our worthy Summerlee is, not for the first time, somewhat out of touch
with the facts of the situation," said he at last, mopping his heated
brow. "Now, gentlemen, I cannot make my point better than by detailing
to you what I have myself done this morning. You will the more easily
condone any mental aberration upon your own part when you realize that
even I have had moments when my balance has been disturbed. We have had
for some years in this household a housekeeper--one Sarah, with whose
second name I have never attempted to burden my memory. She is a woman
of a severe and forbidding aspect, prim and demure in her bearing, very
impassive in her nature, and never known within our experience to show
signs of any emotion. As I sat alone at my breakfast--Mrs. Challenger is
in the habit of keeping her room of a morning--it suddenly entered my
head that it would be entertaining and instructive to see whether I could
find any limits to this woman's inperturbability. I devised a simple but
effective experiment. Having upset a small vase of flowers which stood
in the centre of the cloth, I rang the bell and slipped under the table.
She entered and, seeing the room empty, imagined that I had withdrawn to
the study. As I had expected, she approached and leaned over the table
to replace the vase. I had a vision of a cotton stocking and an
elastic-sided boot. Protruding my head, I sank my teeth into the calf of
her leg. The experiment was successful beyond belief. For some moments
she stood paralyzed, staring down at my head. Then with a shriek she
tore herself free and rushed from the room. I pursued her with some
thoughts of an explanation, but she flew down the drive, and some minutes
afterwards I was able to pick her out with my field-glasses traveling
very rapidly in a south-westerly direction. I tell you the anecdote for
what it is worth. I drop it into your brains and await its germination.
Is it illuminative? Has it conveyed anything to your minds? What do
_you_ think of it, Lord John?"

Lord John shook his head gravely.

"You'll be gettin' into serious trouble some