"Doyle, Arthur Conan - The Land Of Mist" - читать интересную книгу автора (Doyle Arthur Conan)

highway beneath, which was outlined only by scattered patches of dull
radiance. Professor Challenger sat with his thick, bandy legs
outstretched to the fire, and his hands thrust deeply into trouser
pockets. His dress had a little of the eccentricity of genius, for he
wore a loose-collared shirt, a large knotted maroon-coloured silk
tie, and a black velvet smoking-jacket, which, with his flowing beard,
gave him the appearance of an elderly and Bohemian artist. On one side
of him ready for an excursion, with bowl hat, short-skirted dress of
black, and all the other fashionable devices with which women contrive
to deform the beauties of nature, there sat his daughter, while
Malone, hat in hand, waited by the window.

"I think we should get off, Enid. It is nearly seven," said he.

They were writing joint articles upon the religious denominations of
London, and on each Sunday evening they sallied out together to sample
some new one and get copy for the next week's issue of the Gazette.

"It's not till eight, Ted. We have lots of time."

"Sit down, sir! Sit down!" boomed Challenger, tugging at his beard as
was his habit if his temper was rising. "there is nothing annoys me
more than having anyone standing behind me. A relic of atavism and the
fear of a dagger, but still persistent. That's right. For heaven's
sake put your hat down! You have a perpetual air of catching a train."

"That's the journalistic life," said Malone. "If we don't catch the
perpetual train we get left. Even Enid is beginning to understand
that. But still, as you say, there is time enough."

"How far have you got?" asked Challenger.

Enid consulted a business-like little reporter's notebook. "We have
done seven. There was Westminster Abbey for the Church in its most
picturesque form, and Saint Agatha for the High Church, and Tudor
Place for the Low. Then there was the Westminster Cathedral for
Catholics, Endell Street for Presbyterians, and Gloucester Square for
Unitarians. But to-night we are trying to introduce some variety. We
are doing the Spiritualists."

Challenger snorted like an angry buffalo.

"Next week the lunatic asylums, I presume," said he. "You don't mean
to tell me, Malone, that these ghost people have got churches of their
own."

"I've been looking into that," said Malone. "I always look up cold
facts and figures before I tackle a job. They have over four hundred
registered churches in Great Britain."