“Silence, sir!—Yes, what is it?” cried the Doctor angrily, for there was a quick tap at the door, and the footman appeared. “Have I not told you, sir, that when I am engaged like this I am not to be interrupted?—Eh? Who?”
“That showman, sir, wants to see you, sir.”
“That showman?” cried the Doctor angrily. “What showman? What about?”
“Come about the damages, sir; the broken fences. He said he wouldn’t keep you a moment, sir, if you would see him.”
“Oh,” said the Doctor, cooling down. “Yes, the damages, the torn-up hedge and the broken fence. A most annoying affair. You can sit down, gentlemen, while I dismiss this man.—Where is he, Wrench?”
“In the hall, sir; on the mat.”
“Ho!” said the Doctor, rising; and he marched slowly out, leaving the boys looking at one another and then at the busts of the great scholars of Greece and Rome ranged at intervals upon the cornices of the bookcases that covered the study-walls.
Neither felt disposed to speak, for an inner door stood ajar, and from the other side came the faintly heard scratching noise of a pen.
And so in silence some ten minutes or so passed before the Doctor came in, looking very different of aspect and ready to sign to the boys to sit down again as they rose at his entrance.
“A most unpleasant business, young gentlemen,” he began, as he seated himself; and sinking back he removed his spectacles, folded them, and used them to tap his knee; “but in justice to you I must hasten to say that this man’s coming has given a very different complexion to the affair. A very strange, uncultured personage, but most straightforward and honest. I like the way in which he has offered to bear all the expense of repairing the fences. He speaks most highly of your gallantry—er—er—er—pluck, he called it—most objectionable phrase!—in dealing with this savage beast. H’m, yes, what did he say—tackling it. But I was not aware that you had engaged in roping or harnessing the animal. He, however, talked of your both managing the monster wonderfully, and—er—it had never occurred to me before that you had both had some experience of elephants in India.”