Most risky. He
must be soothed."
Basil answered in the same tone, with great coolness:
"Of course your directions must be followed out, doctor. I will
endeavour to do so, but I hope it will not be inconsistent with
them if you will leave me alone with my poor friend in this garden
for an hour. I want to watch him. I assure you, Dr Colman, that I
shall say very little to him, and that little shall be as soothing
as--as syrup."
The doctor wiped his eyeglass thoughtfully.
"It is rather dangerous for him," he said, "to be long in the
strong sun without his hat. With his bald head, too."
"That is soon settled," said Basil composedly, and took off his
own big hat and clapped it on the egglike skull of the professor.
The latter did not turn round but danced away with his eyes on the
horizon.
The doctor put on his glasses again, looked severely at the two
for some seconds, with his head on one side like a bird's, and
then saying, shortly, "All right," strutted away into the house,
where the three Misses Chadd were all looking out from the parlour
window on to the garden. They looked out on it with hungry eyes
for a full hour without moving, and they saw a sight which was
more extraordinary than madness itself.
Basil Grant addressed a few questions to the madman, without
succeeding in making him do anything but continue to caper, and
when he had done this slowly took a red note-book out of one
pocket and a large pencil out of another.
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