"Then I'll think no more of it," said I with as much
cheerfulness as I could assume at so short a notice. "What was
it that you wanted me to do?"

"Well, it was just to interview that deevil of a man down at
Rotherfield."

"You don't mean Professor Challenger?" I cried.

"Aye, it's just him that I do mean. He ran young Alec Simpson of
the Courier a mile down the high road last week by the collar
of his coat and the slack of his breeches. You'll have read of
it, likely, in the police report. Our boys would as soon
interview a loose alligator in the zoo. But you could do it,
I'm thinking--an old friend like you."

"Why," said I, greatly relieved, "this makes it all easy. It so
happens that it was to visit Professor Challenger at Rotherfield
that I was asking for leave of absence. The fact is, that it is
the anniversary of our main adventure on the plateau three years
ago, and he has asked our whole party down to his house to see
him and celebrate the occasion."

"Capital!" cried McArdle, rubbing his hands and beaming through
his glasses. "Then you will be able to get his opeenions out of
him. In any other man I would say it was all moonshine, but the
fellow has made good once, and who knows but he may again!"

"Get what out of him?" I asked. "What has he been doing?"