Huxley knew his business his slowness to speak LITTLE 

 created an atmosphere. There was no jest in his voice JOURNEYS 

 or manner. The air grew tense. 



His quiet reserve played itself off against the florid ex- 

 uberance of the Bishop. The Bishop was not a man 

 given to exact statements his knowledge of science 

 was general, not specific. 



Huxley demolished his card house point by point, cor- 

 recting the gross misstatements, and ending by saying 

 that since a question of personal preferences had been 

 brought into the discussion of a great scientific theme, 

 he would confess that if the alternatives were a descent 

 on the one hand from a respectable monkey, or on the 

 other from a bishop of the Church of England who 

 could stoop to misrepresentation and sophistry, and 

 who had attempted in that presence to throw discredit 

 upon a man who had given his life to the cause of 

 science, then if forced to decide he would declare in 

 favor of the monkey. 



When Huxley took his seat there was a silence that 

 could be felt. 



Several ladies fainted. There were fears that the 

 Bishop would reply, and to keep down such a possible 

 unpleasant move the audience now applauded Huxley 

 roundly, and amid the din the chairman declared the 

 meeting adjourned. 



From that time forward Huxley was famous through- 

 out England as a good man to let alone in public debate. 



69 



