Chapter 18

           Thedoorwasajar;theyentered."John!"Fromthebathroomcameanunpleasantand

           characteristicsound."Isthereanythingthematter?"Helmholtzcalled.Therewasnoanswer.Theunpleasantsoundwas

           repeated,twice;therewassilence.Then,withaclickthebathroomdooropenedand,verypale,theSavageemerged.

           "Isay,"Helmholtzexclaimedsolicitously,"youdolookill,

           John!""Didyoueatsomethingthatdidn’tagreewithyou?"askedBernard.

           TheSavagenodded."Iatecivilization.""What?""Itpoisonedme;Iwasdefiled.Andthen,"headded,ina

           lowertone,"Iatemyownwickedness.""Yes,butwhatexactly?...Imean,justnowyouwere...""NowIampurified,"saidtheSavage."Idranksome

           mustardandwarmwater."Theothersstaredathiminastonishment."Doyoumeantosaythatyouweredoingitonpurpose?"askedBernard.

           "That’showtheIndiansalwayspurifythemselves."Hesatdownand,sighing,passedhishandacrosshisforehead."Ishallrestforafewminutes,"hesaid."I’mrathertired."

           "Well,I’mnotsurprised,"saidHelmholtz.Afterasilence,"We’vecometosaygood-bye,"hewentoninanothertone."We’reoffto-morrowmorning."

           "Yes,we’reoffto-morrow,"saidBernardonwhosefacetheSavageremarkedanewexpressionofdeterminedresignation."Andbytheway,John,"hecontinued,leaningforwardinhischairandlayingahandontheSavage’sknee,"IwanttosayhowsorryIamabouteverythingthathappenedyesterday."Heblushed.