“Noise? What, when I blew my nose, or when I took snuff?”
Lawrence could not contain himself, but burst into another tremendous fit of laughter, while, when the old lawyer looked up at him angrily, and then glanced at Yussuf, it was to see that the latter had turned his face away, and was apparently busily rearranging the bridle of his horse.
“But I say, Preston,” said the old lawyer then, “do you really mean to say that I made enough noise to frighten the horses? I thought it was Lawrence there tickling that biting beast of his.”
“But I did not tickle him, Mr Burne,” protested Lawrence.
“Bless my heart, it’s very strange! What do you say, Preston?—you don’t answer me. It is very strange.”
“Strange indeed that you do not recognise the fact that the tremendous noise you made in your pocket-handkerchief started the horses.”
The old gentleman looked round; then at the horses; then in his handkerchief; and back at the horses again.
“I—er—I—er—I really cannot believe it possible, Preston; I blow my nose so softly,” he said quite seriously. “Would you—there—don’t think I slight your word—but—er—would you mind—I’m afraid, you see, that you are mistaken—would you mind my trying the horses?”
“By no means,” said the professor smiling.
“I will then,” said the old gentleman eagerly; and going up to the horses, yellow handkerchief in hand held loosely as if he were about to use it, he slowly advanced it to each animal’s nose.