A taxicab took me round in good time for my appointment. It was an imposing house at which we stopped. The door was opened by an odd person of uncertain age. He looked me up and down with a searching light blue eye.
“Expected?” he asked.
“An appointment.” I showed the envelope.
“Right!” He seemed to be a person of few words. I entered and saw a small woman. She was a bright, dark-eyed lady, more French than English in her type.
“One moment,” she said. “You can wait, Austin. May I ask if you have met my husband before?”
“No, madam, I have not had the honour.”
“Then I apologize to you in advance. I must tell you that he is an impossible person… absolutely impossible. Get quickly out of the room if he seems to be violent. Don’t argue with him. Several people have been injured. Afterwards there is a public scandal and it reflects upon me and all of us. I suppose it wasn’t about South America you wanted to see him?”
I could not lie to a lady.
“Dear me! That is the most dangerous subject. You won’t believe a word he says… But don’t tell him so, it makes him very violent. Pretend to believe him. If you find him really dangerous… ring the bell and hold him off until I come. Even at his worst I can usually control him.”
So I was conducted to the end of the passage. I entered the room and found myself face to face with the Professor.
He sat in a chair behind a broad table, which was covered with books, maps, and diagrams. His appearance made me gasp. I was prepared for something strange, but not for so overpowering a personality as this. It was his size which took one’s breath away… His head was enormous, the largest I have ever seen. His hair and beard were bluish-black, the latter was spade-shaped and rippling down over his chest. The eyes were blue-gray under great black eyebrows, very clear, very critical, and very masterful. This and a roaring voice made up my first impression of the notorious Professor Challenger.
“Well?” said he, with a most arrogant stare. “What now?”
“You were good enough to give me an appointment, sir,” said I, producing his envelope.
“Oh, you are the young person who cannot understand plain English, are you? And you approve my conclusions, as I understand?”
“Entirely, sir, entirely!” I was very emphatic.
“Dear me! That strengthens my position very much, does it not? Well, at least you are better than that herd of swine in Vienna.”
“They seem to have behaved outrageously,” said I.
“I assure you that I have no need of your sympathy. Well, sir, let us do what we can to end this visit. You had some comments to make up.”
There was such a brutal directness in his speech which made everything very difficult. Oh, my Irish wits, could they not help me now, when I needed help so sorely? He looked at me with two sharp eyes.
“Come, come!” he rumbled.
“I am, of course, a simple student,” said I, with a smile, “an earnest inquirer. At the same time, it seemed to me that you were a little severe towards your colleagues.”
“Severe? Well… I suppose you are aware,” said he, checking off points upon his fingers, “that the cranial index is a constant factor?”
“Naturally,” said I.
“And that telegony is still doubtful?”
“Undoubtedly.”
“And that the germ plasm is different from the parthenogenetic egg?”
“Surely!” I cried.
“But what does that prove?” he asked, in a gentle, persuasive voice.
