"Impossible," immediately declared the don. "You couldn't persuade
Dodgson to consider it." Bok, however, persisted, and it so happened
that the don liked what he called "American perseverance."
"Well, come along," he said. "We'll beard the lion in his den, as you
say, and see what happens. You know, of course, that it is the
Reverend Charles L. Dodgson that we are going to see, and I must
introduce you to that person, not to Lewis Carroll. He is a tutor in
mathematics here, as you doubtless know; lives a rigidly secluded life;
dislikes strangers; makes no friends; and yet withal is one of the most
delightful men in the world if he wants to be."
But as it happened upon this special occasion when Bok was introduced
to him in his chambers in Tom Quad, Mr. Dodgson did not "want to be"
delightful. There was no doubt that back of the studied reserve was a
kindly, charming, gracious gentleman, but Bok's profession had been
mentioned and the author was on rigid guard.
When Bok explained that one of the special reasons for his journey from
America was to see him, the Oxford mathematician sufficiently softened
to ask the editor to sit down.
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