Therefore I called to supply the slight
omission."
"_Slight_ omission, you call it! I wonder what you would have called it if
you had found me dead."
"If I had known that you _intended_ smoking it I should not have been at
all surprised if I had."
"Really, Tress, I appreciate your kindness more and more! And where is
this example of your splendid benevolence? Have you pocketed it,
regretting your lapse into the unaccustomed paths of generosity? Or is it
smashed to atoms?"
"Neither the one nor the other. You will find the pipe upon the table. I
neither desire its restoration nor is it in any way injured. It is merely
an expression of personal opinion when I say that I don't believe that it
_could_ be injured. Of course, having discovered its deleterious
properties, you will not want to smoke it again. You will therefore be
able to enjoy the consciousness of being the possessor of what I honestly
believe to be the most remarkable pipe in existence. Good day, Pugh."
He was gone before I could say a word. I immediately concluded, from the
precipitancy of his flight, that the pipe _was_ injured. But when I
subjected it to close examination I could discover no signs of damage.
While I was still eying it with jealous scrutiny the door reopened, and
Tress came in again.
"By the way, Pugh, there is one thing I might mention, especially as I
know it won't make any difference to you.
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