"What I said at the beginning, then."
"What?"
"Blasted rot," said Mr. Morton again.
Laurie frowned sharply, and affected to put his books together.
"Of course, if you take it like that," he said. "But I don't know what respect you can possibly have for any evidence, if...."
"My dear chap, that isn't evidence. No evidence in the world could make me believe that the earth was upside down. These things don't happen."
"Then how do you explain...?"
"I don't explain," said Mr. Morton. "The thing's simply not worth looking into. If you really saw that, you're either mad or else there was a trick.... Now come along to lunch."
"But I'm not the only one," cried Laurie hotly.
"No, indeed you're not.... Look here, Baxter, that sort of thing plays the devil with nerves. Just drop it once and for all. I knew a chap once who went in for all that. Well, the end was what everybody knew would happen...."