«What's that you're goin' to stick into me. Bugs?»
The surgeon laughed.
«Not exactly,» he said. He pinched up a portion of flesh between his finger and thumb. «You've had this kind of thing before, I expect.»
«Oh, yes,» said Lord Peter. He watched the cool fingers, fascinated, and the steady approach of the needle. «Yes — I've had it before — and, d'you know — I don't care frightfully about it.»
He had brought up his right hand, and it closed over the surgeon's wrist like a vise.
The silence was like a shock. The blue eyes did not waver; they burned down steadily upon the heavy white lids below them. Then these slowly lifted; the grey eyes met the blue — coldly, steadily — and held them.
When lovers embrace, there seems no sound in the world but their own breathing. So the two men breathed face to face.
«As you like, of course, Lord Peter,» said Sir Julian, courteously.
«Afraid I'm rather a silly ass,» said Lord Peter, «but I never could abide these little gadgets. I had one once that went wrong and gave me a rotten bad time. They make me a bit nervous.»
«In that case,» replied Sir Julian, «it would certainly be better not to have the injection. It might rouse up just those sensations which we are desirous of avoiding. You will take the prescription, then, and do what you can to lessen the immediate strain as far as possible.»