At this style of
language the fishwives are said to be extremely proficient. What do you
fancy that Dr. Johnson called them in return? But you could hardly
guess. He called H them parallelopipedons. I am not entirely certain
whether it was parallelopipedons or isosceles triangles. Possibly there
are two versions of the story."
Buck stared at him, frankly and greatly bewildered, and noticed that the
little Doctor was staring at him, with strong marks of anxiety on his
face.
"I should perhaps say," added Queed, "that parallelopipedons and
isosceles triangles are not profane or swearing words at all. They are,
in fact, merely the designations applied to geometrical figures."
"Oh," said Klinker. "Oh."
There was a brief pause.
"Ah, well!... Go on with what you were telling me as we walked up,
then!"
"Sure thing. But I don't catch the conversation. What was all that con
you were giving me--?"
"Con?"
"About Johnson and the triangles."
"It simply occurred to me to tell you a funny story, of the sort that
men are known to like, with the hope of amusing you--"
"Why, that wasn't a funny story, Doc.
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