"Will you let me introduce myself, Dr. Yool, seeing that the vicar is not here to do it? I am Charles Eager, vice Smythe, translated. You aid I are partners, you see, so I thought the sooner we became acquainted the better."
"H'mph!" grunted Dr. Yool, eyeing his visitor keenly over the top of the glass as he sipped his red-hot grog.
"Charles Eager, eh? And what are you eager for, Mr. Eager?"
"Men, women, children--bodies and souls."
"You leave their bodies to me," growled Dr. Yool in his brusquest manner. "Their souls '11 be quite as much as you can tackle."
But Eager saw through his brusquerie. A very beautiful smile played over the keen, earnest face as he said:
"When you separate them it's too late for either of us to do them any good."
"Separate them! Takes me all my time to keep 'em together."
"Exactly! So we'll make better headway if we work together and overlap."
"Right! We'll work together, Mr. Eager." And the doctor's big brown hand met the other's in a friendly grip. "You've got more bone in you than the late invertebrate. He was a sickener. Hand like a fish. Have some grog?