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expression which veiled his keen and eager nature, while I sat `
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opposite to him, and we listened in silence to the strange story `
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which our visitor detailed to us. `
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"You must know," said he, "that I am an orphan and a bachelor, `
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residing alone in lodgings in London. By profession I am a `
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hydraulic engineer, and I have had considerable experience of my `
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work during the seven years that I was apprenticed to Venner & `
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Matheson, the well-known firm, of Greenwich. Two years ago, `
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having served my time, and having also come into a fair sum of `
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money through my poor father's death, I determined to start in `
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business for myself and took professional chambers in Victoria `
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Street. `
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"I suppose that everyone finds his first independent start in `
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business a dreary experience. To me it has been exceptionally so. `
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During two years I have had three consultations and one small `
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job, and that is absolutely all that my profession has brought `
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me. My gross takings amount to 27 pounds 10s. Every day, from `
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nine in the morning until four in the afternoon, I waited in my `
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little den, until at last my heart began to sink, and I came to `
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believe that I should never have any practice at all. `
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"Yesterday, however, just as I was thinking of leaving the `
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office, my clerk entered to say there was a gentleman waiting who `
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wished to see me upon business. He brought up a card, too, with `
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the name of 'Colonel Lysander Stark' engraved upon it. Close at `
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his heels came the colonel himself, a man rather over the middle `
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size, but of an exceeding thinness. I do not think that I have `
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ever seen so thin a man. His whole face sharpened away into nose `
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and chin, and the skin of his cheeks was drawn quite tense over `
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his outstanding bones. Yet this emaciation seemed to be his `
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natural habit, and due to no disease, for his eye was bright, his `
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step brisk, and his bearing assured. He was plainly but neatly `
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dressed, and his age, I should judge, would be nearer forty than `
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thirty. `
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"'Mr. Hatherley?' said he, with something of a German accent. `
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'You have been recommended to me, Mr. Hatherley, as being a man `
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who is not only proficient in his profession but is also discreet `
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and capable of preserving a secret.' `
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"I bowed, feeling as flattered as any young man would at such an `
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address. 'May I ask who it was who gave me so good a character?' `
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"'Well, perhaps it is better that I should not tell you that just `
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at this moment. I have it from the same source that you are both `
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an orphan and a bachelor and are residing alone in London.' `
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"'That is quite correct,' I answered; 'but you will excuse me if `
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I say that I cannot see how all this bears upon my professional `
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qualifications. I understand that it was on a professional matter `
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that you wished to speak to me?' `
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"'Undoubtedly so. But you will find that all I say is really to `
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the point. I have a professional commission for you, but absolute `
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secrecy is quite essential--absolute secrecy, you understand, and `
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of course we may expect that more from a man who is alone than `
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from one who lives in the bosom of his family.' `
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"'If I promise to keep a secret,' said I, 'you may absolutely `
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depend upon my doing so.' `
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"He looked very hard at me as I spoke, and it seemed to me that I `
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had never seen so suspicious and questioning an eye. `
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"'Do you promise, then?' said he at last. `
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"'Yes, I promise.' `
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"'Absolute and complete silence before, during, and after? No `
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reference to the matter at all, either in word or writing?' `
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"'I have already given you my word.' `
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"'Very good.' He suddenly sprang up, and darting like lightning `
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across the room he flung open the door. The passage outside was `
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empty. `
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"'That's all right,' said he, coming back. 'I know that clerks are `
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sometimes curious as to their master's affairs. Now we can talk `
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in safety.' He drew up his chair very close to mine and began to `
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stare at me again with the same questioning and thoughtful look. `
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"A feeling of repulsion, and of something akin to fear had begun `
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to rise within me at the strange antics of this fleshless man. `
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Even my dread of losing a client could not restrain me from `
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showing my impatience. `
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"'I beg that you will state your business, sir,' said I; 'my time `
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is of value.' Heaven forgive me for that last sentence, but the `
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words came to my lips. `
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"'How would fifty guineas for a night's work suit you?' he asked. `
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"'Most admirably.' `
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"'I say a night's work, but an hour's would be nearer the mark. I `
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simply want your opinion about a hydraulic stamping machine which `
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has got out of gear. If you show us what is wrong we shall soon `
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set it right ourselves. What do you think of such a commission as `
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that?' `
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"'The work appears to be light and the pay munificent.' `
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"'Precisely so. We shall want you to come to-night by the last `
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train.' `
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"'Where to?' `
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"'To Eyford, in Berkshire. It is a little place near the borders `
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of Oxfordshire, and within seven miles of Reading. There is a `
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train from Paddington which would bring you there at about `
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11:15.' `
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"'Very good.' `
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"'I shall come down in a carriage to meet you.' `
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"'There is a drive, then?' `
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"'Yes, our little place is quite out in the country. It is a good `
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seven miles from Eyford Station.' `
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"'Then we can hardly get there before midnight. I suppose there `
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would be no chance of a train back. I should be compelled to stop `
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the night.' `
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"'Yes, we could easily give you a shake-down.' `
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"'That is very awkward. Could I not come at some more convenient `
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hour?' `
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"'We have judged it best that you should come late. It is to `
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recompense you for any inconvenience that we are paying to you, a `
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young and unknown man, a fee which would buy an opinion from the `
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very heads of your profession. Still, of course, if you would `
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like to draw out of the business, there is plenty of time to do `
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so.' `
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"I thought of the fifty guineas, and of how very useful they `
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would be to me. 'Not at all,' said I, 'I shall be very happy to `
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accommodate myself to your wishes. I should like, however, to `
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understand a little more clearly what it is that you wish me to `
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do.' `
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"'Quite so. It is very natural that the pledge of secrecy which `
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we have exacted from you should have aroused your curiosity. I `
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have no wish to commit you to anything without your having it all `
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laid before you. I suppose that we are absolutely safe from `
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eavesdroppers?' `
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"'Entirely.' `
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"'Then the matter stands thus. You are probably aware that `
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fuller's-earth is a valuable product, and that it is only found `
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in one or two places in England?' `
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"'I have heard so.' `
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"'Some little time ago I bought a small place--a very small `
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place--within ten miles of Reading. I was fortunate enough to `
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discover that there was a deposit of fuller's-earth in one of my `
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fields. On examining it, however, I found that this deposit was a `
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comparatively small one, and that it formed a link between two `
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very much larger ones upon the right and left--both of them, `
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however, in the grounds of my neighbours. These good people were `
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absolutely ignorant that their land contained that which was `
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quite as valuable as a gold-mine. Naturally, it was to my `
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interest to buy their land before they discovered its true value, `
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but unfortunately I had no capital by which I could do this. I `
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took a few of my friends into the secret, however, and they `
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suggested that we should quietly and secretly work our own little `
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deposit and that in this way we should earn the money which would `
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enable us to buy the neighbouring fields. This we have now been `
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doing for some time, and in order to help us in our operations we `
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erected a hydraulic press. This press, as I have already `
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explained, has got out of order, and we wish your advice upon the `
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subject. We guard our secret very jealously, however, and if it `
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once became known that we had hydraulic engineers coming to our `
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little house, it would soon rouse inquiry, and then, if the facts `
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came out, it would be good-bye to any chance of getting these `
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fields and carrying out our plans. That is why I have made you `
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promise me that you will not tell a human being that you are `
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going to Eyford to-night. I hope that I make it all plain?' `
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"'I quite follow you,' said I. 'The only point which I could not `
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quite understand was what use you could make of a hydraulic press `
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in excavating fuller's-earth, which, as I understand, is dug out `
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like gravel from a pit.' `
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"'Ah!' said he carelessly, 'we have our own process. We compress `
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the earth into bricks, so as to remove them without revealing `
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what they are. But that is a mere detail. I have taken you fully `
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into my confidence now, Mr. Hatherley, and I have shown you how I `
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trust you.' He rose as he spoke. 'I shall expect you, then, at `
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Eyford at 11:15.' `
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"'I shall certainly be there.' `
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"'And not a word to a soul.' He looked at me with a last long, `
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