"
Mr. Morton snorted abruptly.
"Lord!" he said, "I thought we'd done with that. No, thank you:
Egyptian Hall's all I need."
Laurie sighed elaborately.
"Oh! of course, if you won't face facts, one can't expect...."
"Look here, Baxter," said the other almost kindly, "I advise you to
give this up. It plays the very devil with nerves, as I told you. Why,
you're as jumpy as a cat yourself. And it isn't worth it. If there was
anything in it, why it would be another thing; but...."
"I ... I wouldn't give it up for all the world," stammered Laurie in
his zeal. "You simply don't know what you're talking about. Why ...
why, I'm not a fool ... I know that. And do you think I'm ass enough
to be taken in by a trick? And as if a trick could be played like that
in a drawing-room! I tell you I examined every inch...."
"Look here," said Morton, looking curiously at the boy--for there was
something rather impressive about Laurie's manner--"look here; you'd
better see old Cathcart. Know him...? Well, I'll introduce you any
time. He'll tell you another tale. Of course, I don't believe all the
rot he talks; but, at any rate, he's sensible enough to have given it
all up.
Pages:
187
188
189
190
191
192
193
194
195
196
197
198
199
200
201
202
203
204
205
206
207
208
209
210
211