During dinner a good deal of the talk had gone on between Marie and her old friend. Mr Parkinson spoke chiefly to Kate, and George spoke least of all, except Kate.
Now, for the first time, the two men found themselves alone together. Parkinson offered Osborne a cigar. The latter explained that he did not smoke.
'Ah, not smoke!' said Parkinson. 'Neither did I until lately. I find tobacco most useful.'
'Intellectually or physically?' asked Osborne, who still felt the great weight of surprise, but was now quite free from anything like apprehension. What was there in this pleasant room and this agreeable gentleman to affright or even disturb anyone? Nothing.
'Well,' said the other, explaining, as he lit a cigar, and threw himself into a comfortable easy-chair, 'I don't like to say intellectually, for that would sound pretentious. I don't think I have what anyone would call an intellect. I have certain aptitudes in small things, certain ways of treating detail, that to those who do not follow my course of reading may seem to show intellect; but intellect proper I have none. What I should say with regard to the effect of tobacco on myself is that it subducates the physical man, and gives freer and more unobserved play to the operations of the mind.'
'You will excuse me,' said Osborne, looking with curiosity at his companion, 'but I understood you followed science as a pursuit?'
'Yes, but in a very unambitious way. I gathered from what passed at dinner that you are interested in poetry. Pray, may I ask, have you ever written any yourself?'
'I take a great interest in poetry, but have unfortunately no talent or ability to write it, nor have I ever tried to write any.'
'Ah!' sighed Parkinson, 'I would give half of all I own in the world for the one gift of poetry.'
'What!' cried Osborne, staring in amazement at his host. 'Would you abandon science for literature if you had only to choose?'
Osborne looked perplexed, and said, with a faint smile,--
'I did not think the muses and the sciences got on very well together.'
George sat a little forward in his chair and said,--
'I wish you would explain. I am most deeply interested. This is new to me. You are the first scientific man I have ever met.'