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172 and tact. I had supposed myself one of the most accessible men in London."

"My lord, you are surrounded by people whose business it seems to be to frustrate the ambition of the public to make your acquaintance."

"Ah, they frustrate only those who desire to get money out of me. The greed of the public appears to be insatiable, so since the newspapers made such a to-do about my supposed great luck in various financial campaigns, it has become necessary to my peace and comfort that I should construct a wire entanglement that renders the access of strangers difficult, but is not intended to prevent my making interesting acquaintanceships, as, for instance, yours, Professor." The young man bowed to his guest, and continued: "You have at least succeeded in arousing my curiosity regarding the conversation you heard. If nothing was said that I might not listen to, perhaps you will be good enough to tell me who the men were, and what they had to do with me."

Now Marlow, being a man of science, perhaps might have prefaced the remarks that followed by discoursing on the amiable habit which nature has of setting an antidote where she places a poison. In India, wherever the deadly hooded cobra lurks, there also roams the mongoose, the only animal that dares attack this malignant reptile, and attack it with success. In America, wherever the rattlesnake abounds, there is sure to be a bottle of whisky