"And that you never dived with me from the top of a column one hundred feet high?"
"Not I. I retain a smattering of common sense."
"And that you did not avenge the death of Desiree by causing that of the Inca king?"
"So far as that Desiree woman is concerned," said Harry, and his tone began to show impatience, "I can only repeat that I have never heard of the creature. And"—he continued—"if you're trying to bamboozle a gullible world by concocting a tale as silly as your remarks to me would seem to indicate, I will say that as a cheap author you are taking undue liberties with your family, meaning myself. And what is more, if you dare to print the stuff I'll let the world know it's a rank fake."
This threat, delivered with the most awful resolution and sincerity, unnerved me completely, and I fell back in my chair in a swoon.
When I recovered Harry had gone to his polo game, leaving me behind, whereupon I seized my pen and hastened to set down in black and white that most remarkable conversation, that the reader may judge for himself between us.
For my part, I do swear that the story is true, on my word of honor as a cynic and a philosopher.
Transcriber's Note: I have made the following changes to the text:
PAGE PARA. LINE ORIGINAL CHANGED TO
2 1 2 sursounding surrounding
22 6 2 hunderd hundred
24 9 1 La Mire Le Mire
32 1 1 ager eager
36 4 5 earthqakes earthquakes
45 5 2 tossd tossed
56 10 1 then than
58 8 1 or our
69 8 2 geting getting
74 1 3 unstead unsteady
87 13 1 Whey Why
106 5 1 placng placing
112 4 2 aggreeable agreeable
115 1 to some some
123 1 2 Desiree arms Desiree's arms
125 3 5 had made has made
129 11 4 But was But it was
140 4 1 Lords knows Lord knows
158 5 6 begin towed being towed
168 6 2 dicussing discussing
178 6 3 Pachacamas Pachacamac
179 7 3 cabin cavern
185 2 1 was wild was a wild
192 8 3 carvern cavern
196 8 1 perservation preservation
196 9 4 dour days four days
204 6 1 litte little
208 2 1 on my on me
209 3 4 aked asked
210 5 2 retuned returned
211 8 3 said side
212 3 3 touch tough
224 6 2 Soliel Soleil
226 5 5 aproaching approaching
243 1 3 serius serious
247 5 5 forseen foreseen
247 6 1 They The
259 4 5 peceptibly perceptibly