Page:The Poison Belt - Conan Doyle, 1913.djvu/152

 Rh  obtuseness of the ignorant," said he. "If Lord John Roxton would condescend"

"My dear George, don't be so peppery," said his wife, with her hand on the black mane that drooped over the microscope. "What can it matter whether the amœba is alive or not?"

"It matters a great deal," said Challenger, gruffly.

"Well, let's hear about it," said Lord John, with a good-humoured smile. "We may as well talk about that as anything else. If you think I've been too off-hand with the thing, or hurt its feelin's in any way, I'll apologize."

"For my part," remarked Summerlee, in his creaky, argumentative voice, "I can't see why you should attach such importance to the creature being alive. It is in the same atmosphere as ourselves, so naturally the poison does not act upon it. If it were outside of this room it would be dead, like all other animal life."