I felt as though I were taking professional opinion on the case.

His imperturbable and mature calmness was that of an expert in possession of the facts, and to whom one's perplexities are mere child's-play.

"Ah! The young, the young," he said indulgently.

"And after all, one does not die of it." "Die of what ?" I asked swiftly.

"Of being afraid." He elucidated his meaning and sipped his drink.
'I perceived that the three last fingers of his wounded hand were stiff and could not move independently of each other, so that he took up his tumbler with an ungainly clutch.