"Cheer up, sir; you'll have a go yet," Billings encouraged.
"Ah!" The professor's little eyes swept Billings' person critically. "Perhaps you, sir, would like the privilege—"
Billings staggered back a step or two precipitately.
"Delighted; nothing'd give me greater pleasure, but so infernally busy," he explained hurriedly. "Just my confounded luck; unfortunately, got to go to Egypt right away—probably to-morrow morning."
The professor sighed again in his disappointment.
"No matter; I shall find some one in time," he said grimly. "But I shall abandon this foolish persuasion and cajolery as unworthy of the scientist. Do we lower ourselves with such devices in securing a butterfly or a grasshopper or a frog or any animate specimen except man? Certainly not; we capture and etherize them."
He glanced about the room and beckoned us with his finger.
"I have lately had my eye upon the gas man," he said in a low tone. He closed one eye impressively.
"Ah!" said Billings, his mouth dropping open wide.
"The individual who comes at intervals to take the quarters from the slot meter. H'm, fine subject, gentlemen!"