Chapter 20 Attack and Riposte As soon as the excitement had subsided, the following words were heard uttered in a strong and determined voice: "Now that the speaker has favored us with so much imagina-tion, would he be so good as to return to his subject, and give us a little practical view of the question?" All eyes were directed toward the person who spoke. He was a little dried-up man, of an active figure, with an American "goatee" beard. Profiting by the different movements in the crowd, he had managed by degrees to gain the front row of spectators.