42 



her Board, but no one else, and they must for the moment please 

 not make anything public. My plan was to make no kind of 

 announcement until I could prepare a brief account and send it to 

 some scientific journal — Nature of London was in my mind. I 

 told Miss Latimer this; she agreed to inform the Board that 

 evening, and we arranged to come to the Museum next day. 



That night again I slept little, I was too excited. A real Coela- 

 canth, and yet and yet, could such a thing be ? Even though I had 

 seen it and confirmed every single detail, one by one, I was like 

 the old lady at the zoo, who, seeing a giraflPe for the first time, 

 said to her friend, 'I just don't believe it'. This was worse, far 

 worse. My whole life seemed to hang on it. My wife has reminded 

 me that I woke her that night at least half a dozen times, and each 

 time I would say, 'Please forgive me, but is it really true about 

 the Coelacanth? I haven't just dreamt it, have I ?' And each time 

 she solemnly assured me, sleepily, but with conviction, that it was 

 true. 



Despite all this preoccupation, early next morning I was out 

 on the rocks hunting fishes in the pools, and when we went to the 

 Museum I was still clad in field clothes: khaki shorts and shirt. 

 Miss Latimer told me the Board were very excited and that the 

 Chairman, Dr. Bruce-Bays, was coming in shortly to meet us. 

 When he did arrive I was standing looking at the fish, listening to 

 Miss Latimer, who was talking at the moment, and as her back 

 was towards the door she was unaware that he had entered. He 

 stopped dead and his gaze was all for me. I am slight and thin 

 and had then hardly any grey hairs; in fact, despite all I have 

 endured there are too few even now. His features did not change, 

 but his eyes and that queer power of reading the thoughts in 

 other men's minds told me exactly what was in his. What ! Is 

 this skinny little fellow your expert? In those clothes I must 

 have appeared very young to that dignified and portly old man, 

 far too young to be able to give so startling an opinion about this 

 fish. He would have to weigh this matter very carefully indeed 

 before permitting the Museum to be involved in any fiasco from 

 youthful enthusiasm. 



It is all very well to have a slender, youthful appearance and 

 few grey hairs, but you pay for them. On Boards and Com- 

 mittees greybeards used to wonder who the devil this youngster 



