The Knowledgeable Man 



and Harry. Sure there's no use in a man boasting or 

 having too much correspondence in his voice." 



" Oh, not the slightest," I agreed. 



" It's a deplorably remarkable fact that I could fix 

 anything : clock, engine, bicycle, radio ; anything. It's 

 all from years of expenditure at such work. I could 

 fix a watch the same as I'd fix a radio by the incentive 

 of the ear. Sure, what's a watch anyway only a combi- 

 nation of revolting cogs and metaphysical springs ! " 



I looked at my wristwatch to see if its face was 

 contorted with agony. 



" Do you see, no man can fix a watch unless he can 

 summarise its articulation at a glance." 



I looked at my watch again, expecting to see it 

 wringing its hands in pain. 



' You see, if you can't summarise its articulation 

 instantly, you might as well be trying to get the time 

 o' day from a wheelbarrow." 



!< I suppose so," was the only comment my flabber- 

 gasted brain could invent. 



" Certainly ! Sure a watch is as sensitive as a fiddle. 

 Why, man alive ! the minute I'd lift a fiddle I'd know 

 whether the resonance was alacritive or not." 



" Shades of Kreisler ! " I murmured fervently. 



" But sure nowadays people don't care whether the 

 notes are relative to the musical execution or not. They 

 all want jazz, which is only a primitive interspersal of 

 the correct articulation of fingering." 



" Henry Hall preserve us ! " I whispered devoutly. 



" Man alive ! but it's me had the deplorably alacritive 

 ear for music. I could know a false note before I'd 



