Page:Chesterton - The Club of Queer Trades.djvu/222

The Club of Queer Trades me the garden. A beautiful garden. A most beautiful garden. Let us go in," and he tried to draw the kicking ethnologist by the elbow, at the same time whispering to Grant: "I must ask you not to trouble him with questions. Most risky. He must be soothed."

Basil answered in the same tone, with great coolness:

"Of course your directions must be followed out, doctor. I will endeavor to do so, but I hope it will not be inconsistent with them if you will leave me alone with my poor friend in this garden for an hour. I want to watch him. I assure you, Dr. Colman, that I shall say very little to him, and that little shall be as soothing as—as sirup."

The doctor wiped his eye-glass thoughtfully.

"It is rather dangerous for him," he said, "to be long in this strong sun without his hat. With his bald head, too."

"That is soon settled," said Basil, composedly, and took off his own big hat and clapped it on the egglike skull of the 202