\"Ireallybegyourpardon，\"saidtheProphet，whileMr。Sagittariusstoodstillintheviolentattitudeofonedeterminedtododgesolongashehasbreath。\"Iamnotatallinthehabitof\"——Mr。Sagittariusdodged——\"ofintrudinguponstrangers——\"Mr。SagittariusdodgedagainwithsuchextraordinaryabruptnessanddeterminationthathenearlycausedtheyounglibrariantoswallowtheProphet’sgoldenbribe。\"I
seeyoudon’tbelieveme，\"theProphetcontinued，flushingpinkbutstillholdinghisground，andindeedtryingtoturnMr。Sagittarius’sflankbyastrategicmovementofalmostmilitaryprecision。\"Iseethatplainly，but——\"Mr。Sagittariusduckedtotheleft，endeavouringtocoverthemanoeuvrebyanalmostsimultaneousandextremelypassionatefeinttowardstheProphet’scentre，whichwasimmediatelywithdrawningoodorder——\"butyourremark——arkablename，Saag——itt—ittarius，suggestedtomethatyouarerea—eallythemanIseek。\"
HehadnowgotMr。SagittariusintoaveryawkwardbitofcountrybetweentheletterP。intherack，underwhichreposedMissPartridge’scorrespondence，andthenewspaperbureau，withthecounterimmediatelyonhisrear，andtakingadvantageofthiscircumstance，hecontinuedrapidly：
\"MayIaskwhetheryourecentlyreceivedaletter——onemoment！——
envelope——crest——Ionlywanttoknowifyouhavereceived——only——anelephantrampant——swarmof——ofbees——\"