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The Club of Queer Trades | Gilbert K. Chesterton | |
The Painful Fall of a Great Reputation |
Page 11 of 11 |
Grant pointed to the portly old gentleman on the ground. "That is what it means," he said. Drummond, on observing a fat gentleman lying so calmly about the place, jumped back, as from a mouse. "What?" he said weakly, ". . . what?" Basil bent suddenly down and tore a paper out of Sir Walter's breastpocket, a paper which the baronet, even in his hampered state, seemed to make some effort to retain. It was a large loose piece of white wrapping paper, which Mr Jasper Drummond read with a vacant eye and undisguised astonishment. As far as he could make out, it consisted of a series of questions and answers, or at least of remarks and replies, arranged in the manner of a catechism. The greater part of the document had been torn and obliterated in the struggle, but the termination remained. It ran as follows: C. Says . . . Keep countenance. W. Keep . . . British Museum. C. Know whom talk . . . absurdities. W. Never talk absurdities without "What is it?" cried Drummond, flinging the paper down in a sort of final fury. "What is it?" replied Grant, his voice rising into a kind of splendid chant. "What is it? It is a great new profession. A great new trade. A trifle immoral, I admit, but still great, like piracy." "A new profession!" said the young man with the red moustache vaguely; "a new trade!" "A new trade," repeated Grant, with a strange exultation, "a new profession! What a pity it is immoral." |
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The Club of Queer Trades Gilbert K. Chesterton |
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