,,the ,,doings ,,of ,,raffles ,,haw  ,by
 ,arthur ,conan ,doyle   ,,contents     
,,chapter   #a4  ,a ,,double ,,enigma   
#b4  ,,the ,,tenant ,,of ,,the ,,new    
,,hall4   #c4  ,a ,,house ,,of          
,,wonders4   #d4  ,,from ,,clime ,,to   
,,clime4   #e4  ,,laura',s ,,request    
#f4  ,a ,,strange ,,visitor   #g4  ,,the
 ,,workings ,,of ,,wealth4   #h4  ,a    
,,billionaire',s ,,plans4   #i4  ,a     
,,new ,,departure  #aj4 ,,the ,,great   
,,secret  #aa4 ,a ,,chemical            
,,demonstration4  #ab4 ,a ,,family      
,,jar4  #ac4 ,a ,,midnight ,,adventure  
#ad4 ,,the ,,spread ,,of ,,the ,,blight4
  #ae4 ,,the ,,greater ,,secret4        
,,chapter ,i4 ,a ,,double ,,enigma4     
8,i'm afraid that he won't come10 said  
,laura ,mc,intyre1 in a disconsolate    
voice4  8,why not80  8,oh1 look at the  
weather2 it is something too awful40    
,as she spoke a whirl of snow beat with 
a muffled patter against the cosy       
red-curtained window1 while a long blast
 of wind shrieked and whistled through  

the branches of the great white-limbed  
elms which skirted the garden4  ,robert 
,mc,intyre rose from the sketch upon    
which he had been working1 and taking   
one of the lamps in his hand peered out 
into the darkness4 ,the long skeleton   
limbs of the bare trees tossed and      
quivered dimly amid the whirling drift4 
,his sister sat by the fire1 her        
fancy-work in her lap1 and looked up at 
her brothers profile which showed       
against the brilliant yellow light4 ,it 
was a handsome face1 young and fair and 
clear cut1 with wavy brown hair combed  
backwards and rippling down into that   
outward curve at the ends which one     
associates with the artistic            
temperament4 ,there was refinement too  
in his slightly puckered eyes1 his      
dainty gold-rimmed pince-nez glasses1   
and in the black velveteen coat which   
caught the light so richly upon its     
shoulder4 ,in his mouth only there was  
something--a suspicion of coarseness1 a 
possibility of weakness--which in the   

eyes of some1 and of his sister among   
them1 marred the grace and beauty of his
 features4 ,yet1 as he was wont himself 
to say1 when one thinks that each poor  
mortal is heir to a legacy of every evil
 trait or bodily taint of so vast a line
 of ancestors1 lucky indeed is the man  
who does not find that ,nature has      
scored up some long-owing family debt   
upon his features4  ,and indeed in this 
case the remorseless creditor had gone  
so far as to exact a claim from the lady
 also1 though in her case the extreme   
beauty of the upper part of the face    
drew the eye away from any weakness     
which might be found in the lower4 ,she 
was darker than her brother--so dark    
that her heavily coiled hair seemed to  
be black until the light shone slantwise
 across it4 ,the delicate1 half-petulant
 features1 the finely traced brows1 and 
the thoughtful1 humorous eyes were all  
perfect in their way1 and yet the       
combination left something to be        
desired4 ,there was a vague sense of a  

flaw somewhere1 in feature or in        
expression1 which resolved itself1 when 
analysed1 into a slight out-turning and 
droop of the lower lip2 small indeed1   
and yet pronounced enough to turn what  
would have been a beautiful face into a 
merely pretty one4 ,very despondent and 
somewhat cross she looked as she leaned 
back in the armchair1 the tangle of     
bright-coloured silks and of drab       
holland upon her lap1 her hands clasped 
behind her head1 with her snowy forearms
 and little pink elbows projecting on   
either side4  8,i know he won't come10  
she repeated4  8,nonsense1 ,laura6 ,of  
course he'll come4 ,a sailor and afraid 
of the weather60  8,ha60 ,she raised her
 finger1 and a smile of triumph played  
over her face1 only to die away again   
into a blank look of disappointment4    
8,it is only papa10 she murmured4  ,a   
shuffling step was heard in the hall1   
and a little peaky man1 with his        
slippers very much down at the heels1   
came shambling into the room4 ,mr4      

,mc,intyre1 sen41 was pale and          
furtive-looking1 with a thin straggling 
red beard shot with grey1 and a sunken  
downcast face4 ,ill-fortune and         
ill-health had both left their marks    
upon him4 ,ten years before he had been 
one of the largest and richest gunmakers
 in ,birmingham1 but a long run of      
commercial bad luck had sapped his great
 fortune1 and had finally driven him    
into the ,bankruptcy ,court4 ,the death 
of his wife on the very day of his      
insolvency had filled his cup of sorrow1
 and he had gone about since with a     
stunned1 half-dazed expression upon his 
weak pallid face which spoke of a mind  
unhinged4 ,so complete had been his     
downfall that the family would have been
 reduced to absolute poverty were it not
 for a small legacy of two-hundred a    
year which both the children had        
received from one of their uncles upon  
the mother's side who had amassed a     
fortune in ,australia4 ,by combining    
their incomes1 and by taking a house in 

the quiet country district of ,tamfield1
 some fourteen miles from the great     
,midland city1 they were still able to  
live with some approach to comfort4 ,the
 change1 however1 was a bitter one to   
all--to ,robert1 who had to forego the  
luxuries dear to his artistic           
temperament1 and to think of turning    
what had been merely an overruling hobby
 into a means of earning a living2 and  
even more to ,laura1 who winced before  
the pity of her old friends1 and found  
the lanes and fields of ,tamfield       
intolerably dull after the life and     
bustle of ,edgbaston4 ,their discomfort 
was aggravated by the conduct of their  
father1 whose life now was one long wail
 over his misfortunes1 and who          
alternately sought comfort in the       
,prayer-book and in the decanter for the
 ills which had befallen him4  ,to      
,laura1 however1 ,tamfield presented one
 attraction1 which was now about to be  
taken from her4 ,their choice of the    
little country hamlet as their residence

 had been determined by the fact of     
their old friend1 the ,reverend ,john   
,spurling1 having been nominated as the 
vicar4 ,hector ,spurling1 the elder son1
 two months ,laura's senior1 had been   
engaged to her for some years1 and was1 
indeed1 upon the point of marrying her  
when the sudden financial crash had     
disarranged their plans4 ,a             
sub-lieutenant in the ,navy1 he was home
 on leave at present1 and hardly an     
evening passed without his making his   
way from the ,vicarage to ,elmdene1     
where the ,mc,intyres resided4 ,to-day1 
however1 a note had reached them to the 
effect that he had been suddenly ordered
 on duty1 and that he must rejoin his   
ship at ,portsmouth by the next evening4
 ,he would look in1 were it but for     
half-an-hour1 to bid them adieu4  8,why1
 where's ,hector80 asked ,mr4           
,mc,intyre1 blinking round from side to 
side4  8,he's not come1 father4 ,how    
could you expect him to come on such a  
night as this8 ,why1 there must be two  

feet of snow in the glebe field40  8,not
 come1 eh80 croaked the old man1        
throwing himself down upon the sofa4    
8,well1 well1 it only wants him and his 
father to throw us over1 and the thing  
will be complete40  8,how can you even  
hint at such a thing1 father80 cried    
,laura indignantly4 8,they have been as 
true as steel4 ,what would they think if
 they heard you40  8,i think1 ,robert10 
he said1 disregarding his daughter's    
protest1 8that ,i will have a drop1 just
 the very smallest possible drop1 of    
brandy4 ,a mere thimbleful will do2 but 
,i rather think ,i have caught cold     
during the snowstorm to-day40  ,robert  
went on sketching stolidly in his       
folding book1 but ,laura looked up from 
her work4  8,i'm afraid there is nothing
 in the house1 father10 she said4       
8,laura6 ,laura60 ,he shook his head as 
one more in sorrow than in anger4 8,you 
are no longer a girl1 ,laura2 you are a 
woman1 the manager of a household1      
,laura4 ,we trust in you4 ,we look      

entirely towards you4 ,and yet you leave
 your poor brother ,robert without any  
brandy1 to say nothing of me1 your      
father4 ,good heavens1 ,laura6 what     
would your mother have said8 ,think of  
accidents1 think of sudden illness1     
think of apoplectic fits1 ,laura4 ,it is
 a very grave res--a very grave         
response--a very great risk that you    
run40  8,i hardly touch the stuff10 said
 ,robert curtly2 8,laura need not       
provide any for me40  8,as a medicine it
 is invaluable1 ,robert4 ,to be used1   
you understand1 and not to be abused4   
,that's the whole secret of it4 ,but    
,i'll step down to the ,three ,pigeons  
for half an hour40  8,my dear father10  
cried the young man 8you surely are not 
going out upon such a night4 ,if you    
must have brandy could ,i not send      
,sarah for some8 ,please let me send    
,sarah2 or ,i would go myself1 or--0    
,pip6 came a little paper pellet from   
his sister's chair on to the sketch-book
 in front of him6 ,he unrolled it and   

held it to the light4  8,for ,heaven's  
sake let him go60 was scrawled across   
it4  8,well1 in any case1 wrap yourself 
up warm10 he continued1 laying bare his 
sudden change of front with a masculine 
clumsiness which horrified his sister4  
8,perhaps it is not so cold as it looks4
 ,you can't lose your way1 that is one  
blessing4 ,and it is not more than a    
hundred yards40  ,with many mumbles and 
grumbles at his daughter's want of      
foresight1 old ,mc,intyre struggled into
 his great-coat and wrapped his scarf   
round his long thin throat4 ,a sharp    
gust of cold wind made the lamps flicker
 as he threw open the hall-door4 ,his   
two children listened to the dull fall  
of his footsteps as he slowly picked out
 the winding garden path4  8,he gets    
worse--he becomes intolerable10 said    
,robert at last4 8,we should not have   
let him out2 he may make a public       
exhibition of himself40  8,but it's     
,hector's last night10 pleaded ,laura4  
8,it would be dreadful if they met and  

he noticed anything4 ,that was why ,i   
wished him to go40  8,then you were only
 just in time10 remarked her brother1   
8for ,i hear the gate go1 and--yes1 you 
see40  ,as he spoke a cheery hail came  
from outside1 with a sharp rat-tat at   
the window4 ,robert stepped out and     
threw open the door to admit a tall     
young man1 whose black frieze jacket was
 all mottled and glistening with snow   
crystals4 ,laughing loudly he shook     
himself like a ,newfoundland dog1 and   
kicked the snow from his boots before   
entering the little lamplit room4       
,hector ,spurling's profession was      
written in every line of his face4 ,the 
clean-shaven lip and chin1 the little   
fringe of side whisker1 the straight    
decisive mouth1 and the hard            
weather-tanned cheeks all spoke of the  
,royal ,navy4 ,fifty such faces may be  
seen any night of the year round the    
mess-table of the ,royal ,naval ,college
 in ,portsmouth ,dockyard--faces which  
bear a closer resemblance to each other 

than brother does commonly to brother4  
,they are all cast in a common mould1   
the products of a system which teaches  
early self-reliance1 hardihood1 and     
manliness--a fine type upon the whole2  
less refined and less intellectual1     
perhaps1 than their brothers of the     
land1 but full of truth and energy and  
heroism4 ,in figure he was straight1    
tall1 and well-knit1 with keen grey     
eyes1 and the sharp prompt manner of a  
man who has been accustomed both to     
command and to obey4  8,you had my      
note80 he said1 as he entered the room4 
8,i have to go again1 ,laura4 ,isn't it 
a bore8 ,old ,smithers is short-handed1 
and wants me back at once40 ,he sat down
 by the girl1 and put his brown hand    
across her white one4 8,it won't be a   
very large order this time10 he         
continued4 8,it's the flying squadron   
business--,madeira1 ,gibraltar1 ,lisbon1
 and home4 ,i shouldn't wonder if we    
were back in ,march40  8,it seems only  
the other day that you landed40 she     

answered4  8,poor little girl6 ,but it  
won't be long4 ,mind you take good care 
of her1 ,robert when ,i am gone4 ,and   
when ,i come again1 ,laura1 it will be  
the last time mind6 ,hang the money6    
,there are plenty who manage on less4   
,we need not have a house4 ,why should  
we8 ,you can get very nice rooms in     
,southsea at #b pounds a week4          
,mc,dougall1 our paymaster1 has just    
married1 and he only gives thirty       
shillings4 ,you would not be afraid1    
,laura80  8,no1 indeed40  8,the dear old
 governor is so awfully cautious4 ,wait1
 wait1 wait1 that's always his cry4 ,i  
tell him that he ought to have been in  
the ,government ,heavy ,ordnance        
,department4 ,but ,i'll speak to him    
tonight4 ,i'll talk him round4 ,see if  
,i don't4 ,and you must speak to your   
own governor4 ,robert here will back you
 up4 ,and here are the ports and the    
dates that we are due at each4 ,mind    
that you have a letter waiting for me at
 every one40  ,he took a slip of paper  

from the side pocket of his coat1 but1  
instead of handing it to the young lady1
 he remained staring at it with the     
utmost astonishment upon his face4      
8,well1 ,i never60 he exclaimed4 8,look 
here1 ,robert2 what do you call this80  
8,hold it to the light4 ,why1 it's a    
fifty-pound ,bank of ,england note4     
,nothing remarkable about it that ,i can
 see40  8,on the contrary4 ,it's the    
queerest thing that ever happened to me4
 ,i can't make head or tail of it40     
8,come1 then1 ,hector10 cried ,miss     
,mc,intyre with a challenge in her eyes4
 8,something very queer happened to me  
also to-day4 ,i'll bet a pair of gloves 
that my adventure was more out of the   
common than yours1 though ,i have       
nothing so nice to show at the end of   
it40  8,come1 ,i'll take that1 and      
,robert here shall be the judge40       
8,state your cases40 ,the young artist  
shut up his sketch-book1 and rested his 
head upon his hands with a face of mock 
solemnity4 8,ladies first6 ,go along    

,laura1 though ,i think ,i know         
something of your adventure already40   
8,it was this morning1 ,hector10 she    
said4 8,oh1 by the way1 the story will  
make you wild4 ,i had forgotten that4   
,however1 you mustn't mind1 because1    
really1 the poor fellow was perfectly   
mad40  8,what on earth was it80 asked   
the young officer1 his eyes travelling  
from the bank-note to his fiancee4      
8,oh1 it was harmless enough1 and yet   
you will confess it was very queer4 ,i  
had gone out for a walk1 but as the snow
 began to fall ,i took shelter under the
 shed which the workmen have built at   
the near end of the great new house4    
,the men have gone1 you know1 and the   
owner is supposed to be coming          
to-morrow1 but the shed is still        
standing4 ,i was sitting there upon a   
packing-case when a man came down the   
road and stopped under the same shelter4
 ,he was a quiet1 pale-faced man1 very  
tall and thin1 not much more than       
thirty1 ,i should think1 poorly dressed1

 but with the look and bearing of a     
gentleman4 ,he asked me one or two      
questions about the village and the     
people1 which1 of course1 ,i answered1  
until at last we found ourselves        
chatting away in the pleasantest and    
easiest fashion about all sorts of      
things4 ,the time passed so quickly that
 ,i forgot all about the snow until he  
drew my attention to its having stopped 
for the moment4 ,then1 just as ,i was   
turning to go1 what in the world do you 
suppose that he did8 ,he took a step    
towards me1 looked in a sad pensive way 
into my face1 and said3 ,i wonder       
whether you could care for me if ,i were
 without a penny4' ,wasn't it strange8  
,i was so frightened that ,i whisked out
 of the shed1 and was off down the road 
before he could add another word4 ,but  
really1 ,hector1 you need not look so   
black1 for when ,i look back at it ,i   
can quite see from his tone and manner  
that he meant no harm4 ,he was thinking 
aloud1 without the least intention of   

being offensive4 ,i am convinced that   
the poor fellow was mad40  8,hum6 ,there
 was some method in his madness1 it     
seems to me10 remarked her brother4     
8,there would have been some method in  
my kicking10 said the lieutenant        
savagely4 8,i never heard of a more     
outrageous thing in my life40  8,now1 ,i
 said that you would be wild60 ,she laid
 her white hand upon the sleeve of his  
rough frieze jacket4 8,it was nothing4  
,i shall never see the poor fellow      
again4 ,he was evidently a stranger to  
this part of the country4 ,but that was 
my little adventure4 ,now let us have   
yours40  ,the young man crackled the    
bank-note between his fingers and thumb1
 while he passed his other hand over his
 hair with the action of a man who      
strives to collect himself4  8,it is    
some ridiculous mistake10 he said4 8,i  
must try and set it right4 ,yet ,i don't
 know how to set about it either4 ,i was
 going down to the village from the     
,vicarage just after dusk when ,i found 

a fellow in a trap who had got himself  
into broken water4 ,one wheel had sunk  
into the edge of the ditch which had    
been hidden by the snow1 and the whole  
thing was high and dry1 with a list to  
starboard enough to slide him out of his
 seat4 ,i lent a hand1 of course1 and   
soon had the wheel in the road again4   
,it was quite dark1 and ,i fancy that   
the fellow thought that ,i was a        
bumpkin1 for we did not exchange five   
words4 ,as he drove off he shoved this  
into my hand4 ,it is the merest chance  
that ,i did not chuck it away1 for1     
feeling that it was a crumpled piece of 
paper1 ,i imagined that it must be a    
tradesman's advertisement or something  
of the kind4 ,however1 as luck would    
have it1 ,i put it in my pocket1 and    
there ,i found it when ,i looked for the
 dates of our cruise4 ,now you know as  
much of the matter as ,i do40  ,brother 
and sister stared at the black and white
 crinkled note with astonishment upon   
their faces4  8,why1 your unknown       

traveller must have been ,monte ,cristo1
 or ,rothschild at the least60 said     
,robert4 8,i am bound to say1 ,laura1   
that ,i think you have lost your bet40  
8,oh1 ,i am quite content to lose it4 ,i
 never heard of such a piece of luck4   
,what a perfectly delightful man this   
must be to know40  8,but ,i can't take  
his money10 said ,hector ,spurling1     
looking somewhat ruefully at the note4  
8,a little prize-money is all very well 
in its way1 but a ,johnny must draw the 
line somewhere4 ,besides it must have   
been a mistake4 ,and yet he meant to    
give me something big1 for he could not 
mistake a note for a coin4 ,i suppose ,i
 must advertise for the fellow40  8,it  
seems a pity too10 remarked ,robert4 8,i
 must say that ,i don't quite see it in 
the same light that you do40  8,indeed  
,i think that you are very ,quixotic1   
,hector10 said ,laura ,mc,intyre4 8,why 
should you not accept it in the spirit  
in which it was meant8 ,you did this    
stranger a service--perhaps a greater   

service than you know of--and he meant  
this as a little memento of the         
occasion4 ,i do not see that there is   
any possible reason against your keeping
 it40  8,oh1 come60 said the young      
sailor1 with an embarrassed laugh1 8it  
is not quite the thing--not the sort of 
story one would care to tell at mess40  
8,in any case you are off to-morrow     
morning10 observed ,robert4 8,you have  
no time to make inquiries about the     
mysterious ,croesus4 ,you must really   
make the best of it40  8,well1 look     
here1 ,laura1 you put it in your        
work-basket10 cried ,hector ,spurling4  
8,you shall be my banker1 and if the    
rightful owner turns up then ,i can     
refer him to you4 ,if not1 ,i suppose we
 must look on it as a kind of           
salvage-money1 though ,i am bound to say
 ,i don't feel entirely comfortable     
about it40 ,he rose to his feet1 and    
threw the note down into the brown      
basket of coloured wools which stood    
beside her4 8,now1 ,laura1 ,i must up   

anchor1 for ,i promised the governor to 
be back by nine4 ,it won't be long this 
time1 dear1 and it shall be the last4   
,good-bye1 ,robert6 ,good luck60        
8,good-bye1 ,hector6 ,bon voyage60  ,the
 young artist remained by the table1    
while his sister followed her lover to  
the door4 ,in the dim light of the hall 
he could see their figures and overhear 
their words4  8,next time1 little girl80
  8,next time be it1 ,hector40  8,and   
nothing can part us80  8,nothing40  8,in
 the whole world80  8,nothing40  ,robert
 discreetly closed the door4 ,a moment  
later a thud from without1 and the quick
 footsteps crunching on the snow told   
him that their visitor had departed4    
,,chapter ,,ii4 ,,the ,,tenant ,,of     
,,the ,,new ,,hall4   ,the snow had     
ceased to fall1 but for a week a hard   
frost had held the country side in its  
iron grip4 ,the roads rang under the    
horses' hoofs1 and every wayside ditch  
and runlet was a street of ice4 ,over   
the long undulating landscape the red   

brick houses peeped out warmly against  
the spotless background1 and the lines  
of grey smoke streamed straight up into 
the windless air4 ,the sky was of the   
lightest palest blue1 and the morning   
sun1 shining through the distant        
fog-wreaths of ,birmingham1 struck a    
subdued glow from the broad-spread snow 
fields which might have gladdened the   
eyes of an artist4  ,it did gladden the 
heart of one who viewed it that morning 
from the summit of the gently-curving   
,tamfield ,hill ,robert ,mc,intyre stood
 with his elbows upon a gate-rail1 his  
,tam-o'-,shanter hat over his eyes1 and 
a short briar-root pipe in his mouth1   
looking slowly about him1 with the      
absorbed air of one who breathes his    
fill of ,nature4 ,beneath him to the    
north lay the village of ,tamfield1 red 
walls1 grey roofs1 and a scattered      
bristle of dark trees1 with his own     
little ,elmdene nestling back from the  
broad1 white winding ,birmingham ,road4 
,at the other side1 as he slowly faced  

round1 lay a vast stone building1 white 
and clear-cut1 fresh from the builders' 
hands4 ,a great tower shot up from one  
corner of it1 and a hundred windows     
twinkled ruddily in the light of the    
morning sun4 ,a little distance from it 
stood a second small square low-lying   
structure1 with a tall chimney rising   
from the midst of it1 rolling out a long
 plume of smoke into the frosty air4    
,the whole vast structure stood within  
its own grounds1 enclosed by a stately  
park wall1 and surrounded by what would 
in time be an extensive plantation of   
fir-trees4 ,by the lodge gates a vast   
pile of debris1 with lines of sheds for 
workmen1 and huge heaps of planks from  
scaffoldings1 all proclaimed that the   
work had only just been brought to an   
end4  ,robert ,mc,intyre looked down    
with curious eyes at the broad-spread   
building4 ,it had long been a mystery   
and a subject of gossip for the whole   
country side4 ,hardly a year had elapsed
 since the rumour had first gone about  

that a millionaire had bought a tract of
 land1 and that it was his intention to 
build a country seat upon it4 ,since    
then the work had been pushed on night  
and day1 until now it was finished to   
the last detail in a shorter time than  
it takes to build many a six-roomed     
cottage4 ,every morning two long special
 trains had arrived from ,birmingham1   
carrying down a great army of labourers1
 who were relieved in the evening by a  
fresh gang1 who carried on their task   
under the rays of twelve enormous       
electric lights4 ,the number of workmen 
appeared to be only limited by the space
 into which they could be fitted4 ,great
 lines of waggons conveyed the white    
,portland stone from the depot by the   
station4 ,hundreds of busy toilers      
handed it over1 shaped and squared1 to  
the actual masons1 who swung it up with 
steam cranes on to the growing walls1   
where it was instantly fitted and       
mortared by their companions4 ,day by   
day the house shot higher1 while pillar 

and cornice and carving seemed to bud   
out from it as if by magic4 ,nor was the
 work confined to the main building4 ,a 
large separate structure sprang up at   
the same time1 and there came gangs of  
pale-faced men from ,london with much   
extraordinary machinery1 vast cylinders1
 wheels and wires1 which they fitted up 
in this outlying building4 ,the great   
chimney which rose from the centre of   
it1 combined with these strange         
furnishings1 seemed to mean that it was 
reserved as a factory or place of       
business1 for it was rumoured that this 
rich man's hobby was the same as a poor 
man's necessity1 and that he was fond of
 working with his own hands amid        
chemicals and furnaces4 ,scarce1 too1   
was the second storey begun ere the     
wood-workers and plumbers and furnishers
 were busy beneath1 carrying out a      
thousand strange and costly schemes for 
the greater comfort and convenience of  
the owner4 ,singular stories were told  
all round the country1 and even in      

,birmingham itself1 of the extraordinary
 luxury and the absolute disregard for  
money which marked all these            
arrangements4 ,no sum appeared to be too
 great to spend upon the smallest detail
 which might do away with or lessen any 
of the petty inconveniences of life4    
,waggons and waggons of the richest     
furniture had passed through the village
 between lines of staring villagers4    
,costly skins1 glossy carpets1 rich     
rugs1 ivory1 and ebony1 and metal2 every
 glimpse into these storehouses of      
treasure had given rise to some new     
legend4 ,and finally1 when all had been 
arranged1 there had come a staff of     
forty servants1 who heralded the        
approach of the owner1 ,mr4 ,raffles    
,haw himself4  ,it was no wonder1 then1 
that it was with considerable curiosity 
that ,robert ,mc,intyre looked down at  
the great house1 and marked the smoking 
chimneys1 the curtained windows1 and the
 other signs which showed that its      
tenant had arrived4 ,a vast area of     

greenhouses gleamed like a lake on the  
further side1 and beyond were the long  
lines of stables and outhouses4 ,fifty  
horses had passed through ,tamfield the 
week before1 so that1 large as were the 
preparations1 they were not more than   
would be needed4 ,who and what could    
this man be who spent his money with so 
lavish a hand8 ,his name was unknown4   
,birmingham was as ignorant as ,tamfield
 as to his origin or the sources of his 
wealth4 ,robert ,mc,intyre brooded      
languidly over the problem as he leaned 
against the gate1 puffing his blue      
clouds of bird's-eye into the crisp1    
still air4  ,suddenly his eye caught a  
dark figure emerging from the ,avenue   
gates and striding up the winding road4 
,a few minutes brought him near enough  
to show a familiar face looking over the
 stiff collar and from under the soft   
black hat of an ,english clergyman4     
8,good-morning1 ,mr4 ,spurling40  8,ah1 
good-morning1 ,robert4 ,how are you8    
,are you coming my way8 ,how slippery   

the roads are60  ,his round1 kindly face
 was beaming with good nature1 and he   
took little jumps as he walked1 like a  
man who can hardly contain himself for  
pleasure4  8,have you heard from        
,hector80  8,oh1 yes4 ,he went off all  
right last ,wednesday from ,spithead1   
and he will write from ,madeira4 ,but   
you generally have later news at        
,elmdene than ,i have40  8,i don't know 
whether ,laura has heard4 ,have you been
 up to see the new comer80  8,yes2 ,i   
have just left him40  8,is he a married 
man--this ,mr4 ,raffles ,haw80  8,no1 he
 is a bachelor4 ,he does not seem to    
have any relations either1 as far as ,i 
could learn4 ,he lives alone1 amid his  
huge staff of servants4 ,it is a most   
remarkable establishment4 ,it made me   
think of the ,arabian ,nights40  8,and  
the man8 ,what is he like80  8,he is an 
angel--a positive angel4 ,i never heard 
or read of such kindness in my life4 ,he
 has made me a happy man40  ,the        
clergyman's eyes sparkled with emotion1 

and he blew his nose loudly in his big  
red handkerchief4  ,robert ,mc,intyre   
looked at him in surprise4  8,i am      
delighted to hear it10 he said4 8,may ,i
 ask what he has done80  8,i went up to 
him by appointment this morning4 ,i had 
written asking him if ,i might call4 ,i 
spoke to him of the parish and its      
needs1 of my long struggle to restore   
the south side of the church1 and of our
 efforts to help my poor parishioners   
during this hard weather4 ,while ,i     
spoke he said not a word1 but sat with a
 vacant face1 as though he were not     
listening to me4 ,when ,i had finished  
he took up his pen4 ',how much will it  
take to do the church8' he asked4 ',a   
thousand pounds1' ,i answered2 'but we  
have already raised three hundred among 
ourselves4 ,the ,squire has very        
handsomely given fifty pounds4' ',well1'
 said he1 'how about the poor folk8 ,how
 many families are there8' ',about three
 hundred1' ,i answered4 ',and coals1 ,i 
believe1 are at about a pound a ton'1   

said he4 ',three tons ought to see them 
through the rest of the winter4 ,then   
you can get a very fair pair of blankets
 for two pounds4 ,that would make five  
pounds per family1 and seven hundred for
 the church4' ,he dipped his pen in the 
ink1 and1 as ,i am a living man1        
,robert1 he wrote me a cheque then and  
there for two thousand two hundred      
pounds4 ,i don't know what ,i said2 ,i  
felt like a fool2 ,i could not stammer  
out words with which to thank him4 ,all 
my troubles have been taken from my     
shoulders in an instant1 and indeed1    
,robert1 ,i can hardly realise it40     
8,he must be a most charitable man40    
8,extraordinarily so4 ,and so           
unpretending4 ,one would think that it  
was ,i who was doing the favour and he  
who was the beggar4 ,i thought of that  
passage about making the heart of the   
widow sing for joy4 ,he made my heart   
sing for joy1 ,i can tell you4 ,are you 
coming up to the ,vicarage80  8,no1     
thank you1 ,mr4 ,spurling4 ,i must go   

home and get to work on my new picture4 
,it's a five-foot canvas--the landing of
 the ,romans in ,kent4 ,i must have     
another try for the ,academy4           
,good-morning40  ,he raised his hat and 
continued down the road1 while the vicar
 turned off into the path which led to  
his home4  ,robert ,mc,intyre had       
converted a large bare room in the upper
 storey of ,elmdene into a studio1 and  
thither he retreated after lunch4 ,it   
was as well that he should have some    
little den of his own1 for his father   
would talk of little save of his ledgers
 and accounts1 while ,laura had become  
peevish and querulous since the one tie 
which held her to ,tamfield had been    
removed4 ,the chamber was a bare and    
bleak one1 un-papered and un-carpeted1  
but a good fire sparkled in the grate1  
and two large windows gave him the      
needful light4 ,his easel stood in the  
centre1 with the great canvas balanced  
across it1 while against the walls there
 leaned his two last attempts1 8,the    

,murder of ,thomas of ,canterbury0 and  
8,the ,signing of ,magna ,charta40      
,robert had a weakness for large        
subjects and broad effects4 ,if his     
ambition was greater than his skill1 he 
had still all the love of his art and   
the patience under discouragement which 
are the stuff out of which successful   
painters are made4 ,twice his brace of  
pictures had journeyed to town1 and     
twice they had come back to him1 until  
the finely gilded frames which had made 
such a call upon his purse began to show
 signs of these varied adventures4 ,yet1
 in spite of their depressing company1  
,robert turned to his fresh work with   
all the enthusiasm which a conviction of
 ultimate success can inspire4  ,but he 
could not work that afternoon4  ,in vain
 he dashed in his background and        
outlined the long curves of the ,roman  
galleys4 ,do what he would1 his mind    
would still wander from his work to     
dwell upon his conversation with the    
vicar in the morning4 ,his imagination  

was fascinated by the idea of this      
strange man living alone amid a crowd1  
and yet wielding such a power that with 
one dash of his pen he could change     
sorrow into joy1 and transform the      
condition of a whole parish4 ,the       
incident of the fifty-pound note came   
back to his mind4 ,it must surely have  
been ,raffles ,haw with whom ,hector    
,spurling had come in contact4 ,there   
could not be two men in one parish to   
whom so large a sum was of so small an  
account as to be thrown to a bystander  
in return for a trifling piece of       
assistance4 ,of course1 it must have    
been ,raffles ,haw4 ,and his sister had 
the note1 with instructions to return it
 to the owner1 could he be found4 ,he   
threw aside his palette1 and descending 
into the sitting-room he told ,laura and
 his father of his morning's interview  
with the vicar1 and of his conviction   
that this was the man of whom ,hector   
was in quest4  8,tut6 ,tut60 said old   
,mc,intyre4 8,how is this1 ,laura8 ,i   

knew nothing of this4 ,what do women    
know of money or of business8 ,hand the 
note over to me and ,i shall relieve you
 of all responsibility4 ,i will take    
everything upon myself40  8,i cannot    
possibly1 papa10 said ,laura1 with      
decision4 8,i should not think of       
parting with it40  8,what is the world  
coming to80 cried the old man1 with his 
thin hands held up in protest4 8,you    
grow more undutiful every day1 ,laura4  
,this money would be of use to me--of   
use1 you understand4 ,it may be the     
corner-stone of the vast business which 
,i shall re-construct4 ,i will use it1  
,laura1 and ,i will pay something--four1
 shall we say1 or even four and         
a-half--and you may have it back on any 
day4 ,and ,i will give security--the    
security of my--well1 of my word of     
honour40  8,it is quite impossible1     
papa10 his daughter answered coldly4    
8,it is not my money4 ,hector asked me  
to be his banker4 ,those were his very  
words4 ,it is not in my power to lend   

it4 ,as to what you say1 ,robert1 you   
may be right or you may be wrong1 but ,i
 certainly shall not give ,mr4 ,raffles 
,haw or anyone else the money without   
,hector's express command40  8,you are  
very right about not giving it to ,mr4  
,raffles ,haw10 cried old ,mc,intyre1   
with many nods of approbation4 8,i      
should certainly not let it go out of   
the family40  8,well1 ,i thought that ,i
 would tell you40  ,robert picked up his
 ,tam-o'-,shanter and strolled out to   
avoid the discussion between his father 
and sister1 which he saw was about to be
 renewed4 ,his artistic nature revolted 
at these petty and sordid disputes1 and 
he turned to the crisp air and the broad
 landscape to soothe his ruffled        
feelings4 ,avarice had no place among   
his failings1 and his father's perpetual
 chatter about money inspired him with a
 positive loathing and disgust for the  
subject4  ,robert was lounging slowly   
along his favourite walk which curled   
over the hill1 with his mind turning    

from the ,roman invasion to the         
mysterious millionaire1 when his eyes   
fell upon a tall1 lean man in front of  
him1 who1 with a pipe between his lips1 
was endeavouring to light a match under 
cover of his cap4 ,the man was clad in a
 rough pea-jacket1 and bore traces of   
smoke and grime upon his face and hands4
 ,yet there is a ,freemasonry among     
smokers which overrides every social    
difference1 so ,robert stopped and held 
out his case of fusees4  8,a light80    
said he4  8,thank you40 ,the man picked 
out a fusee1 struck it1 and bent his    
head to it4 ,he had a pale1 thin face1 a
 short straggling beard1 and a very     
sharp and curving nose1 with decision   
and character in the straight thick     
eyebrows which almost met on either side
 of it4 ,clearly a superior kind of     
workman1 and possibly one of those who  
had been employed in the construction of
 the new house4 ,here was a chance of   
getting some first-hand information on  
the question which had aroused his      

curiosity4 ,robert waited until he had  
lit his pipe1 and then walked on beside 
him4  8,are you going in the direction  
of the new ,hall80 he asked4  8,yes40   
,the man's voice was cold1 and his      
manner reserved4  8,perhaps you were    
engaged in the building of it80  8,yes1 
,i had a hand in it40  8,they say that  
it is a wonderful place inside4 ,it has 
been quite the talk of the district4 ,is
 it as rich as they say80  8,i am sure  
,i don't know4 ,i have not heard what   
they say40  ,his attitude was certainly 
not encouraging1 and it seemed to       
,robert that he gave little sidelong    
suspicious glances at him out of his    
keen grey eyes4 ,yet1 if he were so     
careful and discreet there was the more 
reason to think that there was          
information to be extracted1 if he could
 but find a way to it4  8,ah1 there it  
lies60 he remarked1 as they topped the  
brow of the hill1 and looked down once  
more at the great building4 8,well1 no  
doubt it is very gorgeous and splendid1 

but really for my own part ,i would     
rather live in my own little box down   
yonder in the village40  ,the workman   
puffed gravely at his pipe4  8,you are  
no great admirer of wealth1 then80 he   
said4  8,not ,i4 ,i should not care to  
be a penny richer than ,i am4 ,of course
 ,i should like to sell my pictures4    
,one must make a living4 ,but beyond    
that ,i ask nothing4 ,i dare say that   
,i1 a poor artist1 or you1 a man who    
work for your bread1 have more happiness
 out of life than the owner of that     
great palace40  8,indeed1 ,i think that 
it is more than likely10 the other      
answered1 in a much more conciliatory   
voice4  8,art10 said ,robert1 warming to
 the subject1 8is her own reward4 ,what 
mere bodily indulgence is there which   
money could buy which can give that deep
 thrill of satisfaction which comes on  
the man who has conceived something new1
 something beautiful1 and the daily     
delight as he sees it grow under his    
hand1 until it stands before him a      

completed whole8 ,with my art and       
without wealth ,i am happy4 ,without my 
art ,i should have a void which no money
 could fill4 ,but ,i really don't know  
why ,i should say all this to you40     
,the workman had stopped1 and was       
staring at him earnestly with a look of 
the deepest interest upon his           
smoke-darkened features4  8,i am very   
glad to hear what you say10 said he4    
8,it is a pleasure to know that the     
worship of gold is not quite universal1 
and that there are at least some who can
 rise above it4 ,would you mind my      
shaking you by the hand80  ,it was a    
somewhat extraordinary request1 but     
,robert rather prided himself upon his  
,bohemianism1 and upon his happy        
facility for making friends with all    
sorts and conditions of men4 ,he readily
 exchanged a cordial grip with his      
chance acquaintance4  8,you expressed   
some curiosity as to this house4 ,i know
 the grounds pretty well1 and might     
perhaps show you one or two little      

things which would interest you4 ,here  
are the gates4 ,will you come in with   
me80  ,here was1 indeed1 a chance4      
,robert eagerly assented1 and walked up 
the winding drive amid the growing      
fir-trees4 ,when he found his uncouth   
guide1 however1 marching straight across
 the broad1 gravel square to the main   
entrance1 he felt that he had placed    
himself in a false position4  8,surely  
not through the front door10 he         
whispered1 plucking his companion by the
 sleeve4 8,perhaps ,mr4 ,raffles ,haw   
might not like it40  8,i don't think    
there will be any difficulty10 said the 
other1 with a quiet smile4 8,my name is 
,raffles ,haw40     ,,chapter ,,iii4 ,a 
,,house ,,of ,,wonders4   ,robert       
,mc,intyre's face must have expressed   
the utter astonishment which filled his 
mind at this most unlooked-for          
announcement4 ,for a moment he thought  
that his companion must be joking1 but  
the ease and assurance with which he    
lounged up the steps1 and the deep      

respect with which a richly-clad        
functionary in the hall swung open the  
door to admit him1 showed that he spoke 
in sober earnest4 ,raffles ,haw glanced 
back1 and seeing the look of absolute   
amazement upon the young artist's       
features1 he chuckled quietly to        
himself4  8,you will forgive me1 won't  
you1 for not disclosing my identity80 he
 said1 laying his hand with a friendly  
gesture upon the other's sleeve4 8,had  
you known me you would have spoken less 
freely1 and ,i should not have had the  
opportunity of learning your true worth4
 ,for example1 you might hardly have    
been so frank upon the matter of wealth 
had you known that you were speaking to 
the master of the ,hall40  8,i don't    
think that ,i was ever so astonished in 
my life10 gasped ,robert4  8,naturally  
you are4 ,how could you take me for     
anything but a workman8 ,so ,i am4      
,chemistry is one of my hobbies1 and ,i 
spend hours a day in my laboratory      
yonder4 ,i have only just struck work1  

and as ,i had inhaled some              
not-over-pleasant gases1 ,i thought that
 a turn down the road and a whiff of    
tobacco might do me good4 ,that was how 
,i came to meet you1 and my toilet1 ,i  
fear1 corresponded only too well with my
 smoke-grimed face4 ,but ,i rather fancy
 ,i know you by repute4 ,your name is   
,robert ,mc,intyre1 is it not80  8,yes1 
though ,i cannot imagine how you knew40 
8,well1 ,i naturally took some little   
trouble to learn something of my        
neighbours4 ,i had heard that there was 
an artist of that name1 and ,i presume  
that artists are not very numerous in   
,tamfield4 ,but how do you like the     
design8 ,i hope it does not offend your 
trained taste40  8,indeed1 it is        
wonderful--marvellous6 ,you must        
yourself have an extraordinary eye for  
effect40  8,oh1 ,i have no taste at all2
 not the slightest4 ,i cannot tell good 
from bad4 ,there never was such a       
complete ,philistine4 ,but ,i had the   
best man in ,london down1 and another   

fellow from ,vienna4 ,they fixed it up  
between them40  ,they had been standing 
just within the folding doors upon a    
huge mat of bison skins4 ,in front of   
them lay a great square court1 paved    
with many-coloured marbles laid out in a
 labyrinth of arabesque design4 ,in the 
centre a high fountain of carved jade   
shot five thin feathers of spray into   
the air1 four of which curved towards   
each corner of the court to descend into
 broad marble basins1 while the fifth   
mounted straight up to an immense       
height1 and then tinkled back into the  
central reservoir4 ,on either side of   
the court a tall1 graceful palm-tree    
shot up its slender stem to break into a
 crown of drooping green leaves some    
fifty feet above their heads4 ,all round
 were a series of ,moorish arches1 in   
jade and serpentine marble1 with heavy  
curtains of the deepest purple to cover 
the doors which lay between them4 ,in   
front1 to right and to left1 a broad    
staircase of marble1 carpeted with rich 

thick ,smyrna rug work1 led upwards to  
the upper storeys1 which were arranged  
around the central court4 ,the          
temperature within was warm and yet     
fresh1 like the air of an ,english ,may4
  8,it's taken from the ,alhambra10 said
 ,raffles ,haw4 8,the palm-trees are    
pretty4 ,they strike right through the  
building into the ground beneath1 and   
their roots are all girt round with     
hot-water pipes4 ,they seem to thrive   
very well40  8,what beautifully delicate
 brass-work60 cried ,robert1 looking up 
with admiring eyes at the bright and    
infinitely fragile metal trellis screens
 which adorned the spaces between the   
,moorish arches4  8,it is rather neat4  
,but it is not brass-work4 ,brass is not
 tough enough to allow them to work it  
to that degree of fineness4 ,it is gold4
 ,but just come this way with me4 ,you  
won't mind waiting while ,i remove this 
smoke80  ,he led the way to a door upon 
the left side of the court1 which1 to   
,robert's surprise1 swung slowly open as

 they approached it4 8,that is a little 
improvement which ,i have adopted10     
remarked the master of the house4 8,as  
you go up to a door your weight upon the
 planks releases a spring which causes  
the hinges to revolve4 ,pray step in4   
,this is my own little sanctum1 and     
furnished after my own heart40  ,if     
,robert expected to see some fresh      
exhibition of wealth and luxury he was  
woefully disappointed1 for he found     
himself in a large but bare room1 with a
 little iron truckle-bed in one corner1 
a few scattered wooden chairs1 a dingy  
carpet1 and a large table heaped with   
books1 bottles1 papers1 and all the     
other debris which collect around a busy
 and untidy man4 ,motioning his visitor 
into a chair1 ,raffles ,haw pulled off  
his coat1 and1 turning up the sleeves of
 his coarse flannel shirt1 he began to  
plunge and scrub in the warm water which
 flowed from a tap in the wall4  8,you  
see how simple my own tastes are10 he   
remarked1 as he mopped his dripping face

 and hair with the towel4 8,this is the 
only room in my great house where ,i    
find myself in a congenial atmosphere4  
,it is homely to me4 ,i can read here   
and smoke my pipe in peace4 ,anything   
like luxury is abhorrent to me40        
8,really1 ,i should not have though it10
 observed ,robert4  8,it is a fact1 ,i  
assure you4 ,you see1 even with your    
views as to the worthlessness of wealth1
 views which1 ,i am sure1 are very      
sensible and much to your credit1 you   
must allow that if a man should happen  
to be the possessor of vast--well1 let  
us say of considerable--sums of money1  
it is his duty to get that money into   
circulation1 so that the community may  
be the better for it4 ,there is the     
secret of my fine feathers4 ,i have to  
exert all my ingenuity in order to spend
 my income1 and yet keep the money in   
legitimate channels4 ,for example1 it is
 very easy to give money away1 and no   
doubt ,i could dispose of my surplus1 or
 part of my surplus1 in that fashion1   

but ,i have no wish to pauperise anyone1
 or to do mischief by indiscriminate    
charity4 ,i must exact some sort of     
money's worth for all the money which ,i
 lay out ,you see my point1 don't you80 
8,entirely2 though really it is         
something novel to hear a man complain  
of the difficulty of spending his       
income40  8,i assure you that it is a   
very serious difficulty with me4 ,but ,i
 have hit upon some plans--some very    
pretty plans4 ,will you wash your hands8
 ,well1 then1 perhaps you would care to 
have a look round4 ,just come into this 
corner of the room1 and sit upon this   
chair4 ,so4 ,now ,i will sit upon this  
one1 and we are ready to start40  ,the  
angle of the chamber in which they sat  
was painted for about six feet in each  
direction of a dark chocolate-brown1 and
 was furnished with two red plush seats 
protruding from the walls1 and in       
striking contrast with the simplicity of
 the rest of the apartment4  8,this10   
remarked ,raffles ,haw1 8is a lift1     

though it is so closely joined to the   
rest of the room that without the change
 in colour it might puzzle you to find  
the division4 ,it is made to run either 
horizontally or vertically4 ,this line  
of knobs represents the various rooms4  
,you can see ',dining1' ',smoking1'     
',billiard1' ',library' and so on1 upon 
them4 ,i will show you the upward       
action4 ,i press this one with          
',kitchen' upon it40  ,there was a sense
 of motion1 a very slight jar1 and      
,robert1 without moving from his seat1  
was conscious that the room had         
vanished1 and that a large arched oaken 
door stood in the place which it had    
occupied4  8,that is the kitchen door10 
said ,raffles ,haw4 8,i have my kitchen 
at the top of the house4 ,i cannot      
tolerate the smell of cooking4 ,we have 
come up eighty feet in a very few       
seconds4 ,now ,i press again and here we
 are in my room once more40  ,robert    
,mc,intyre stared about him in          
astonishment4  8,the wonders of science 

are greater than those of magic10 he    
remarked4  8,yes1 it is a pretty little 
mechanism4 ,now we try the horizontal4  
,i press the ',dining' knob and here we 
are1 you see4 ,step towards the door1   
and you will find it open in front of   
you40  ,robert did as he was bid1 and   
found himself with his companion in a   
large and lofty room1 while the lift1   
the instant that it was freed from their
 weight1 flashed back to its original   
position4 ,with his feet sinking into   
the soft rich carpet1 as though he were 
ankle-deep in some mossy bank1 he stared
 about him at the great pictures which  
lined the walls4  8,surely1 surely1 ,i  
see ,raphael's touch there10 he cried1  
pointing up at the one which faced him4 
8,yes1 it is a ,raphael1 and ,i believe 
one of his best4 ,i had a very exciting 
bid for it with the ,french ,government4
 ,they wanted it for the ,louvre1 but of
 course at an auction the longest purse 
must win40  8,and this ',arrest of      
,catiline' must be a ,rubens4 ,one      

cannot mistake his splendid men and his 
infamous women40  8,yes1 it is a        
,rubens4 ,the other two are a ,velasquez
 and a ,teniers1 fair specimens of the  
,spanish and of the ,dutch schools4 ,i  
have only old masters here4 ,the moderns
 are in the billiard-room4 ,the         
furniture here is a little curious4 ,in 
fact1 ,i fancy that it is unique4 ,it is
 made of ebony and narwhals' horns4 ,you
 see that the legs of everything are of 
spiral ivory1 both the table and the    
chairs4 ,it cost the upholsterer some   
little pains1 for the supply of these   
things is a strictly limited one4       
,curiously enough1 the ,chinese ,emperor
 had given a large order for narwhals'  
horns to repair some ancient pagoda1    
which was fenced in with them1 but ,i   
outbid him in the market1 and his       
celestial highness has had to wait4     
,there is a lift here in the corner1 but
 we do not need it4 ,pray step through  
this door4 ,this is the billiard-room10 
he continued as they advanced into the  

adjoining room4 8,you see ,i have a few 
recent pictures of merit upon the walls4
 ,here is a ,corot1 two ,meissoniers1 a 
,bouguereau1 a ,millais1 an ,orchardson1
 and two ,alma-,tademas4 ,it seems to me
 to be a pity to hang pictures over     
these walls of carved oak4 ,look at     
those birds hopping and singing in the  
branches4 ,they really seem to move and 
twitter1 don't they80  8,they are       
perfect4 ,i never saw such exquisite    
work4 ,but why do you call it a         
billiard-room1 ,mr4 ,haw8 ,i do not see 
any board40  8,oh1 a board is such a    
clumsy uncompromising piece of          
furniture4 ,it is always in the way     
unless you actually need to use it4 ,in 
this case the board is covered by that  
square of polished maple which you see  
let into the floor4 ,now ,i put my foot 
upon this motor4 ,you see60 ,as he      
spoke1 the central portion of the       
flooring flew up1 and a most beautiful  
tortoise-shell-plated billiard-table    
rose up to its proper position4 ,he     

pressed a second spring1 and a          
bagatelle-table appeared in the same    
fashion4 8,you may have card-tables or  
what you will by setting the levers in  
motion10 he remarked4 8,but all this is 
very trifling4 ,perhaps we may find     
something in the museum which may be of 
more interest to you40  ,he led the way 
into another chamber1 which was         
furnished in antique style1 with        
hangings of the rarest and richest      
tapestry4 ,the floor was a mosaic of    
coloured marbles1 scattered over with   
mats of costly fur4 ,there was little   
furniture1 but a number of ,louis       
,quatorze cabinets of ebony and silver  
with delicately-painted plaques were    
ranged round the apartment4  8,it is    
perhaps hardly fair to dignify it by the
 name of a museum10 said ,raffles ,haw4 
8,it consists merely of a few elegant   
trifles which ,i have picked up here and
 there4 ,gems are my strongest point4 ,i
 fancy that there1 perhaps1 ,i might    
challenge comparison with any private   

collector in the world4 ,i lock them up1
 for even the best servants may be      
tempted40  ,he took a silver key from   
his watch chain1 and began to unlock and
 draw out the drawers4 ,a cry of wonder 
and of admiration burst from ,robert    
,mc,intyre1 as his eyes rested upon case
 after case filled with the most        
magnificent stones4 ,the deep still red 
of the rubies1 the clear scintillating  
green of the emeralds1 the hard glitter 
of the diamonds1 the many shifting      
shades of beryls1 of amethysts1 of      
onyxes1 of cats'-eyes1 of opals1 of     
agates1 of cornelians seemed to fill the
 whole chamber with a vague twinkling1  
many-coloured light4 ,long slabs of the 
beautiful blue lapis lazuli1 magnificent
 bloodstones1 specimens of pink and red 
and white coral1 long strings of        
lustrous pearls1 all these were tossed  
out by their owner as a careless        
schoolboy might pour marbles from his   
bag4  8,this isn't bad10 he said1       
holding up a great glowing yellow mass  

as large as his own head4 8,it is really
 a very fine piece of amber4 ,it was    
forwarded to me by my agent at the      
,baltic4 ,twenty-eight pounds1 it       
weighs4 ,i never heard of so fine a one4
 ,i have no very large brilliants--there
 were no very large ones in the         
market--but my average is good4 ,pretty 
toys1 are they not80 ,he picked up a    
double handful of emeralds from a       
drawer1 and then let them trickle slowly
 back into the heap4  8,good heavens60  
cried ,robert1 as he gazed from case to 
case4 8,it is an immense fortune in     
itself4 ,surely a hundred thousand      
pounds would hardly buy so splendid a   
collection40  8,i don't think that you  
would do for a valuer of precious       
stones10 said ,raffles ,haw1 laughing4  
8,why1 the contents of that one little  
drawer of brilliants could not be bought
 for the sum which you name4 ,i have a  
memo4 here of what ,i have expended up  
to date on my collection1 though ,i have
 agents at work who will probably make  

very considerable additions to it within
 the next few weeks4 ,as matters stand1 
however1 ,i have spent--let me          
see-pearls one forty thousand2 emeralds1
 seven fifty2 rubies1 eight forty2      
brilliants1 nine twenty2 onyxes--,i have
 several very nice onyxes-two thirty4   
,other gems1 carbuncles1 agates--hum6   
,yes1 it figures out at just over four  
million seven hundred and forty         
thousand4 ,i dare say that we may say   
five millions1 for ,i have not counted  
the odd money40  8,good gracious60 cried
 the young artist1 with staring eyes4   
8,i have a certain feeling of duty in   
the matter4 ,you see the cutting1       
polishing1 and general sale of stones is
 one of those industries which is       
entirely dependent upon wealth4 ,if we  
do not support it1 it must languish1    
which means misfortune to a considerable
 number of people4 ,the same applies to 
the gold filigree work which you noticed
 in the court4 ,wealth has its          
responsibilities1 and the encouragement 

of these handicrafts are among the most 
obvious of them4 ,here is a nice ruby4  
,it is ,burmese1 and the fifth largest  
in existence4 ,i am inclined to think   
that if it were uncut it would be the   
second1 but of course cutting takes away
 a great deal40 ,he held up the blazing 
red stone1 about the size of a chestnut1
 between his finger and thumb for a     
moment1 and then threw it carelessly    
back into its drawer4 8,come into the   
smoking-room10  he said2 8you will need 
some little refreshment1 for they say   
that sight-seeing is the most exhausting
 occupation in the world40     ,,chapter
 ,,iv4 ,,from ,,clime ,,to ,,clime      
,the chamber in which the bewildered    
,robert now found himself was more      
luxurious1 if less rich1 than any which 
he had yet seen4 ,low settees of        
claret-coloured plush were scattered in 
orderly disorder over a mossy ,eastern  
carpet4 ,deep lounges1 reclining sofas1 
,american rocking-chairs1 all were to be
 had for the choosing4 ,one end of the  

room was walled by glass1 and appeared  
to open upon a luxuriant hot-house4 ,at 
the further end a double line of gilt   
rails supported a profusion of the most 
recent magazines and periodicals4 ,a    
rack at each side of the inlaid         
fireplace sustained a long line of the  
pipes of all places and                 
nations--,english cherrywoods1 ,french  
briars1 ,german china-bowls1 carved     
meerschaums1 scented cedar and          
myall-wood1 with ,eastern narghiles1    
,turkish chibooques1 and two great      
golden-topped hookahs4 ,to right and    
left were a series of small lockers1    
extending in a treble row for the whole 
length of the room1 with the names of   
the various brands of tobacco scrolled  
in ivory work across them4 ,above were  
other larger tiers of polished oak1     
which held cigars and cigarettes4  8,try
 that ,damascus settee10 said the master
 of the house1 as he threw himself into 
a rocking-chair4 8,it is from the       
,sultan's upholsterer4 ,the ,turks have 

a very good notion of comfort4 ,i am a  
confirmed smoker myself1 ,mr4           
,mc,intyre1 so ,i have been able1       
perhaps1 to check my architect here more
 than in most of the other departments4 
,of pictures1 for example1 ,i know      
nothing1 as you would very speedily find
 out4 ,on a tobacco1 ,i might1 perhaps1 
offer an opinion4 ,now these0--he drew  
out some long1 beautifully-rolled1      
mellow-coloured cigars--8these are      
really something a little out of the    
common4 ,do try one40  ,robert lit the  
weed which was offered to him1 and      
leaned back luxuriously amid his        
cushions1 gazing through the blue balmy 
fragrant cloud-wreaths at the           
extraordinary man in the dirty          
pea-jacket who spoke of millions as     
another might of sovereigns4 ,with his  
pale face1 his sad1 languid air1 and his
 bowed shoulders1 it was as though he   
were crushed down under the weight of   
his own gold4 ,there was a mute apology1
 an attitude of deprecation in his      

manner and speech1 which was strangely  
at variance with the immense power which
 he wielded4 ,to ,robert the whole      
whimsical incident had been intensely   
interesting and amusing4 ,his artistic  
nature blossomed out in this atmosphere 
of perfect luxury and comfort1 and he   
was conscious of a sense of repose and  
of absolute sensual contentment such as 
he had never before experienced4        
8,shall it be coffee1 or ,rhine wine1 or
 ,tokay1 or perhaps something stronger10
 asked ,raffles ,haw1 stretching out his
 hand to what looked like a piano-board 
projecting from the wall4 8,i can       
recommend the ,tokay4 ,i have it from   
the man who supplies the ,emperor of    
,austria1 though ,i think ,i may say    
that ,i get the cream of it40  ,he      
struck twice upon one of the            
piano-notes1 and sat expectant4 ,with a 
sharp click at the end of ten seconds a 
sliding shutter flew open1 and a small  
tray protruded bearing two long tapering
 ,venetian glasses filled with wine4    

8,it works very nicely10 said ,raffles  
,haw4 8,it is quite a new thing--never  
before done1 as far as ,i know4 ,you see
 the names of the various wines and so  
on printed on the notes4 ,by pressing   
the note down ,i complete an electric   
circuit which causes the tap in the     
cellars beneath to remain open long     
enough to fill the glass which always   
stands beneath it4 ,the glasses1 you    
understand1 stand upon a revolving drum1
 so that there must always be one there4
 ,the glasses are then brought up       
through a pneumatic tube1 which is set  
working by the increased weight of the  
glass when the wine is added to it4 ,it 
is a pretty little idea4 ,but ,i am     
afraid that ,i bore you rather with all 
these petty contrivances4 ,it is a whim 
of mine to push mechanism as far as it  
will go40  8,on the contrary1 ,i am     
filled with interest and wonder10 said  
,robert warmly4 8,it is as if ,i had    
been suddenly whipped up out of prosaic 
old ,england and transferred in an      

instant to some enchanted palace1 some  
,eastern home of the ,genii4 ,i could   
not have believed that there existed    
upon this earth such adaptation of means
 to an end1 such complete mastery of    
every detail which may aid in stripping 
life of any of its petty worries40  8,i 
have something yet to show you10        
remarked ,raffles ,haw2 8but we will    
rest here for a few minutes1 for ,i     
wished to have a word with you4 ,how is 
the cigar80  8,most excellent40  8,it   
was rolled in ,louisiana in the old     
slavery days4 ,there is nothing made    
like them now4 ,the man who had them did
 not know their value4 ,he let them go  
at merely a few shillings apiece4 ,now  
,i want you to do me a favour1 ,mr4     
,mc,intyre40  8,i shall be so glad40    
8,you can see more or less how ,i am    
situated4 ,i am a complete stranger     
here4 ,with the well-to-do classes ,i   
have little in common4 ,i am no society 
man4 ,i don't want to call or be called 
on4 ,i am a student in a small way1 and 

a man of quiet tastes4 ,i have no social
 ambitions at all4 ,do you understand80 
8,entirely40  8,on the other hand1 my   
experience of the world has been that it
 is the rarest thing to be able to form 
a friendship with a poorer man--,i mean 
with a man who is at all eager to       
increase his income4 ,they think much of
 your wealth1 and little of yourself4 ,i
 have tried1 you understand1 and ,i     
know40 ,he paused and ran his fingers   
through his thin beard4  ,robert        
,mc,intyre nodded to show that he       
appreciated his position4  8,now1 you   
see10 he continued1 8if ,i am to be cut 
off from the rich by my own tastes1 and 
from those who are not rich by my       
distrust of their motives1 my situation 
is an isolated one4 ,not that ,i mind   
isolation3 ,i am used to it4 ,but it    
limits my field of usefulness4 ,i have  
no trustworthy means of informing myself
 when and where ,i may do good4 ,i have 
already1 ,i am glad to say1 met a man   
to-day1 your vicar1 who appears to be   

thoroughly unselfish and trustworthy4   
,he shall be one of my channels of      
communication with the outer world4     
,might ,i ask you whether you would be  
willing to become another80  8,with the 
greatest pleasure10 said ,robert        
eagerly4  ,the proposition filled his   
heart with joy1 for it seemed to give   
him an almost official connection with  
this paradise of a house4 ,he could not 
have asked for anything more to his     
taste4  8,i was fortunate enough to     
discover by your conversation how high a
 ground you take in such matters1 and   
how entirely disinterested you are4 ,you
 may have observed that ,i was short and
 almost rude with you at first4 ,i have 
had reason to fear and suspect all      
chance friendships4 ,too often they have
 proved to be carefully planned         
beforehand1 with some sordid object in  
view4 ,good heavens1 what stories ,i    
could tell you6 ,a lady pursued by a    
bull--,i have risked my life to save    
her1 and have learned afterwards that   

the scene had been arranged by the      
mother as an effective introduction1 and
 that the bull had been hired by the    
hour4 ,but ,i won't shake your faith in 
human nature4 ,i have had some rude     
shocks myself4 ,i look1 perhaps1 with a 
jaundiced eye on all who come near me4  
,it is the more needful that ,i should  
have one whom ,i can trust to advise    
me40  8,if you will only show me where  
my opinion can be of any use ,i shall be
 most happy10 said ,robert4 8,my people 
come from ,birmingham1 but ,i know most 
of the folk here and their position40   
8,that is just what ,i want4 ,money can 
do so much good1 and it may do so much  
harm4 ,i shall consult you when ,i am in
 doubt4 ,by the way1 there is one small 
question which ,i might ask you now4    
,can you tell me who a young lady is    
with very dark hair1 grey eyes1 and a   
finely chiselled face8 ,she wore a blue 
dress when ,i saw her1 with astrachan   
about her neck and cuffs40  ,robert     
chuckled to himself4  8,i know that     

dress pretty well10 he said4 8,it is my 
sister ,laura whom you describe40       
8,your sister6 ,really6 ,why1 there is a
 resemblance1 now that my attention is  
called to it4 ,i saw her the other day1 
and wondered who she might be4 ,she     
lives with you1 of course80  8,yes2 my  
father1 she1 and ,i live together at    
,elmdene40  8,where ,i hope to have the 
pleasure of making their acquaintance4  
,you have finished your cigar8 ,have    
another1 or try a pipe4 ,to the real    
smoker all is mere trifling save the    
pipe4 ,i have most brands of tobacco    
here4 ,the lockers are filled on the    
,monday1 and on ,saturday they are      
handed over to the old folk at the      
alms-houses1 so ,i manage to keep it    
pretty fresh always4 ,well1 if you won't
 take anything else1 perhaps you would  
care to see one or two of the other     
effects which ,i have devised4 ,on this 
side is the armoury1 and beyond it the  
library4 ,my collection of books is a   
limited one2 there are just over the    

fifty thousand volumes4 ,but it is to   
some extent remarkable for quality4 ,i  
have a ,visigoth ,bible of the fifth    
century1 which ,i rather fancy is       
unique2 there is a ',biblia ,pauperum'  
of #adcj2 a ,,ms4 of ,genesis done upon 
mulberry leaves1 probably of the second 
century2 a ',tristan and ,iseult' of the
 eighth century2 and some hundred       
black-letters1 with five very fine      
specimens of ,schoffer and ,fust4 ,but  
those you may turn over any wet         
afternoon when you have nothing better  
to do4 ,meanwhile1 ,i have a little     
device connected with this smoking-room 
which may amuse you4 ,light this other  
cigar4 ,now sit with me upon this lounge
 which stands at the further end of the 
room40  ,the sofa in question was in a  
niche which was lined in three sides and
 above with perfectly clear transparent 
crystal4 ,as they sat down the master of
 the house drew a cord which pulled out 
a crystal shutter behind them1 so that  
they were enclosed on all sides in a    

great box of glass1 so pure and so      
highly polished that its presence might 
very easily be forgotten4 ,a number of  
golden cords with crystal handles hung  
down into this small chamber1 and       
appeared to be connected with a long    
shining bar outside4  8,now1 where would
 you like to smoke your cigar80 said    
,raffles ,haw1 with a twinkle in his    
demure eyes4 8,shall we go to ,india1 or
 to ,egypt1 or to ,china1 or to--0  8,to
 ,south ,america10 said ,robert4  ,there
 was a twinkle1 a whirr1 and a sense of 
motion4 ,the young artist gazed about   
him in absolute amazement4 ,look where  
he would all round were tree-ferns and  
palms with long drooping creepers1 and a
 blaze of brilliant orchids4            
,smoking-room1 house1 ,england1 all were
 gone1 and he sat on a settee in the    
heart of a virgin forest of the ,amazon4
 ,it was no mere optical delusion or    
trick4 ,he could see the hot steam      
rising from the tropical undergrowth1   
the heavy drops falling from the huge   

green leaves1 the very grain and fibre  
of the rough bark which clothed the     
trunks4 ,even as he gazed a green       
mottled snake curled noiselessly over a 
branch above his head1 and a            
bright-coloured paroquet broke suddenly 
from amid the foliage and flashed off   
among the tree-trunks4 ,robert gazed    
around1 speechless with surprise1 and   
finally turned upon his host a face in  
which curiosity was not un-mixed with a 
suspicion of fear4  8,people have been  
burned for less1 have they not80 cried  
,raffles ,haw laughing heartily4 8,have 
you had enough of the ,amazon8 ,what do 
you say to a spell of ,egypt80  ,again  
the whirr1 the swift flash of passing   
objects1 and in an instant a huge desert
 stretched on every side of them1 as far
 as the eye could reach4 ,in the        
foreground a clump of five palm-trees   
towered into the air1 with a profusion  
of rough cactus-like plants bristling   
from their base4 ,on the other side rose
 a rugged1 gnarled1 grey monolith1      

carved at the base into a huge          
scarabaeus4 ,a group of lizards played  
about on the surface of the old carved  
stone4 ,beyond1 the yellow sand         
stretched away into furthest space1     
where the dim mirage mist played along  
the horizon4  8,mr4 ,haw1 ,i cannot     
understand it60 ,robert grasped the     
velvet edge of the settee1 and gazed    
wildly about him4  8,the effect is      
rather startling1 is it not8 ,this      
,egyptian desert is my favourite when ,i
 lay myself out for a contemplative     
smoke4 ,it seems strange that tobacco   
should have come from the busy1         
practical ,west4 ,it has much more      
affinity for the dreamy1 languid ,east4 
,but perhaps you would like to run over 
to ,china for a change80  8,not to-day10
 said ,robert1 passing his hand over his
 forehead4 8,i feel rather confused by  
all these wonders1 and indeed ,i think  
that they have affected my nerves a     
little4 ,besides1 it is time that ,i    
returned to my prosaic ,elmdene1 if ,i  

can find my way out of this wilderness  
to which you have transplanted me4 ,but 
would you ease my mind1 ,mr4 ,haw1 by   
showing me how this thing is done80     
8,it is the merest toy--a complex       
plaything1 nothing more4 ,allow me to   
explain4 ,i have a line of very large   
greenhouses which extends from one end  
of my smoking-room4 ,these different    
houses are kept at varying degrees of   
heat and humidity so as to reproduce the
 exact climates of ,egypt1 ,china1 and  
the rest4 ,you see1 our crystal chamber 
is a tramway running with a minimum of  
friction along a steel rod4 ,by pulling 
this or that handle ,i regulate how far 
it shall go1 and it travels1 as you have
 seen1 with amazing speed4 ,the effect  
of my hot-houses is heightened by the   
roofs being invariably concealed by     
skies1 which are really very admirably  
painted1 and by the introduction of     
birds and other creatures1 which seem to
 flourish quite as well in artificial as
 in natural heat4 ,this explains the    

,south ,american effect40  8,but not the
 ,egyptian40  8,no4 ,it is certainly    
rather clever4 ,i had the best man in   
,france1 at least the best at those     
large effects1 to paint in that circular
 background4 ,you understand1 the palms1
 cacti1 obelisk1 and so on1 are         
perfectly genuine1 and so is the sand   
for fifty yards or so1 and ,i defy the  
keenest-eyed man in ,england to tell    
where the deception commences4 ,it is   
the familiar and perhaps rather         
meretricious effect of a circular       
panorama1 but carried out in the most   
complete manner4 ,was there any other   
point80  8,the crystal box8 ,why was    
it80  8,to preserve my guests from the  
effects of the changes of temperature4  
,it would be a poor kindness to bring   
them back to my smoking-room drenched   
through1 and with the seeds of a violent
 cold4 ,the crystal has to be kept warm1
 too1 otherwise vapour would deposit1   
and you would have your view spoiled4   
,but must you really go8 ,then here we  

are back in the smoking-room4 ,i hope   
that it will not be your last visit by  
many a one4 ,and if ,i may come down to 
,elmdene ,i should be very glad to do   
so4 ,this is the way through the        
museum40  ,as ,robert ,mc,intyre emerged
 from the balmy aromatic atmosphere of  
the great house1 into the harsh1 raw1   
biting air of an ,english winter        
evening1 he felt as though he had been  
away for a long visit in some foreign   
country4 ,time is measured by           
impressions1 and so vivid and novel had 
been his feelings1 that weeks and weeks 
might have elapsed since his chat with  
the smoke-grimed stranger in the road4  
,he walked along with his head in a     
whirl1 his whole mind possessed and     
intoxicated by the one idea of the      
boundless wealth and the immense power  
of this extraordinary stranger4 ,small  
and sordid and mean seemed his own      
,elmdene as he approached it1 and he    
passed over its threshold full of       
restless discontent against himself and 

his surroundings4     ,,chapter ,v4     
,,laura',s ,,request4   ,that night     
after supper ,robert ,mc,intyre poured  
forth all that he had seen to his father
 and to his sister4 ,so full was he of  
the one subject that it was a relief to 
him to share his knowledge with others4 
,rather for his own sake1 then1 than for
 theirs he depicted vividly all the     
marvels which he had seen2 the profusion
 of wealth1 the regal treasure-house of 
gems1 the gold1 the marble1 the         
extraordinary devices1 the absolute     
lavishness and complete disregard for   
money which was shown in every detail4  
,for an hour he pictured with glowing   
words all the wonders which had been    
shown him1 and ended with some pride by 
describing the request which ,mr4       
,raffles ,haw had made1 and the complete
 confidence which he had placed in him4 
,his words had a very different effect  
upon his two listeners4 ,old ,mc,intyre 
leaned back in his chair with a bitter  
smile upon his lips1 his thin face      

crinkled into a thousand puckers1 and   
his small eyes shining with envy and    
greed4 ,his lean yellow hand upon the   
table was clenched until the knuckles   
gleamed white in the lamplight4 ,laura1 
on the other hand1 leaned forward1 her  
lips parted1 drinking in her brother's  
words with a glow of colour upon either 
cheek4 ,it seemed to ,robert1 as he     
glanced from one to the other of them1  
that he had never seen his father look  
so evil1 or his sister so beautiful4    
8,who is the fellow1 then80 asked the   
old man after a considerable pause4 8,i 
hope he got all this in an honest       
fashion4 ,five millions in jewels1 you  
say4 ,good gracious me6 ,ready to give  
it away1 too1 but afraid of pauperising 
any one4 ,you can tell him1 ,robert1    
that you know of one very deserving case
 which has not the slightest objection  
to being pauperised40  8,but who can he 
possibly be1 ,robert80 cried ,laura4    
8,haw cannot be his real name4 ,he must 
be some disguised prince1 or perhaps a  

king in exile4 ,oh1 ,i should have loved
 to have seen those diamonds and the    
emeralds6 ,i always think that emeralds 
suit dark people best4 ,you must tell me
 again all about that museum1 ,robert40 
8,i don't think that he is anything more
 than he pretends to be10 her brother   
answered4 8,he has the plain1 quiet     
manners of an ordinary middle-class     
,englishman4 ,there was no particular   
polish that ,i could see4 ,he knew a    
little about books and pictures1 just   
enough to appreciate them1 but nothing  
more4 ,no1 ,i fancy that he is a man    
quite in our own position of life1 who  
has in some way inherited a vast sum4   
,of course it is difficult for me to    
form an estimate1 but ,i should judge   
that what ,i saw to-day--house1         
pictures1 jewels1 books1 and so         
on--could never have been bought under  
twenty millions1 and ,i am sure that    
that figure is entirely an              
under-statement40  8,i never knew but   
one ,haw10 said old ,mc,intyre1 drumming

 his fingers on the table2 8he was a    
foreman in my pin-fire cartridge-case   
department4 ,but he was an elderly      
single man4 ,well1 ,i hope he got it all
 honestly4 ,i hope the money is clean40 
8,and really1 really1 he is coming to   
see us60 cried ,laura1 clapping her     
hands4 8,oh1 when do you think he will  
come1 ,robert8 ,do give me warning4 ,do 
you think it will be to-morrow80  8,i am
 sure ,i cannot say40  8,i should so    
love to see him4 ,i don't know when ,i  
have been so interested40  8,why1 you   
have a letter there10 remarked ,robert4 
8,from ,hector1 too1 by the foreign     
stamp4 ,how is he80  8,it only came this
 evening4 ,i have not opened it yet4 ,to
 tell the truth1 ,i have been so        
interested in your story that ,i had    
forgotten all about it4 ,poor old       
,hector6 ,it is from ,madeira40 ,she    
glanced rapidly over the four pages of  
straggling writing in the young sailor's
 bold schoolboyish hand4 8,oh1 he is all
 right10 she said4 8,they had a gale on 

the way out1 and that sort of thing1 but
 he is all right now4 ,he thinks he may 
be back by ,march4 ,i wonder whether    
your new friend will come               
to-morrow--your knight of the enchanted 
,castle40  8,hardly so soon1 ,i should  
fancy40  8,if he should be looking about
 for an investment4 ,robert10 said the  
father1 8you won't forget to tell him   
what a fine opening there is now in the 
gun trade4 ,with my knowledge1 and a few
 thousands at my back1 ,i could bring   
him in his thirty per cent4 as regular  
as the bank4 ,after all1 he must lay out
 his money somehow4 ,he cannot sink it  
all in books and precious stones4 ,i am 
sure that ,i could give him the highest 
references40  8,it may be a long time   
before he comes1 father10 said ,robert  
coldly2 8and when he does ,i am afraid  
that ,i can hardly use his friendship as
 a means of advancing your interest40   
8,we are his equals1 father10 cried     
,laura with spirit4 8,would you put us  
on the footing of beggars8 ,he would    

think we cared for him only for his     
money4 ,i wonder that you should think  
of such a thing40  8,if ,i had not      
thought of such things where would your 
education have been1 miss80 retorted the
 angry old man2 and ,robert stole       
quietly away to his room1 whence amid   
his canvases he could still hear the    
hoarse voice and the clear in their     
never-ending family jangle4 ,more and   
more sordid seemed the surroundings of  
his life1 and more and more to be valued
 the peace which money can buy4         
,breakfast had hardly been cleared in   
the morning1 and ,robert had not yet    
ascended to his work1 when there came a 
timid tapping at the door1 and there was
 ,raffles ,haw on the mat outside4      
,robert ran out and welcomed him with   
all cordiality4  8,i am afraid that ,i  
am a very early visitor10 he said       
apologetically2 8but ,i often take a    
walk after breakfast40 ,he had no traces
 of work upon him now1 but was trim and 
neat with a dark suit1 and carefully    

brushed hair4 8,you spoke yesterday of  
your work4 ,perhaps1 early as it is1 you
 would allow me the privilege of looking
 over your studio80  8,pray step in1    
,mr4 ,haw10 cried ,robert1 all in a     
flutter at this advance from so         
munificent a patron of art2 8,i should  
be only too happy to show you such      
little work as ,i have on hand1 though1 
indeed1 ,i am almost afraid when ,i     
think how familiar you are with some of 
the greatest masterpieces4 ,allow me to 
introduce you to my father and to my    
sister ,laura40  ,old ,mc,intyre bowed  
low and rubbed his thin hands together2 
but the young lady gave a gasp of       
surprise1 and stared with widely-opened 
eyes at the millionaire4 ,maw stepped   
forward1 however1 and shook her quietly 
by the hand1  8,i expected to find that 
it was you10 he said4 8,i have already  
met your sister1 ,mr4 ,mc,intyre1 on the
 very first day that ,i came here4 ,we  
took shelter in a shed from a snowstorm1
 and had quite a pleasant little chat40 

8,i had no notion that ,i was speaking  
to the owner of the ,hall10 said ,laura 
in some confusion4 8,how funnily things 
turn out1 to be sure60  8,i had often   
wondered who it was that ,i spoke to1   
but it was only yesterday that ,i       
discovered4 ,what a sweet little place  
you have here6 ,it must be charming in  
summer4 ,why1 if it were not for this   
hill my windows would look straight     
across at yours40  8,yes1 and we should 
see all your beautiful plantations10    
said ,laura1 standing beside him in the 
window4 8,i was wishing only yesterday  
that the hill was not there40  8,really6
 ,i shall be happy to have it removed   
for you if you would like it40  8,good  
gracious60 cried ,laura4 8,why1 where   
would you put it80  8,oh1 they could run
 it along the line and dump it anywhere4
 ,it is not much of a hill4 ,a few      
thousand men with proper machinery1 and 
a line of rails brought right up to them
 could easily dispose of it in a few    
months40  8,and the poor vicar's house80

 ,laura asked1 laughing4  8,i think that
 might be got over4 ,we could run him up
 a facsimile1 which would1 perhaps1 be  
more convenient to him4 ,your brother   
will tell you that ,i am quite an expert
 at the designing of houses4 ,but1      
seriously1 if you think it would be an  
improvement ,i will see what can be     
done40  8,not for the world1 ,mr4 ,haw4 
,why1 ,i should be a traitor to the     
whole village if ,i were to encourage   
such a scheme4 ,the hill is the one     
thing which gives ,tamfield the         
slightest individuality4 ,it would be   
the height of selfishness to sacrifice  
it in order to improve the view from    
,elmdene40  8,it is a little box of a   
place this1 ,mr4 ,haw10 said old        
,mc,intyre4 8,i should think you must   
feel quite stifled in it after your     
grand mansion1 of which my son tells me 
such wonders4 ,but we were not always   
accustomed to this sort of thing1 ,mr4  
,haw4 ,humble as ,i stand here1 there   
was a time1 and not so long ago1 when ,i

 could write as many figures on a cheque
 as any gunmaker in ,birmingham4 ,it    
was--0  8,he is a dear discontented old 
papa10 cried ,laura1 throwing her arm   
round him in a caressing manner4 ,he    
gave a sharp squeak and a grimace of    
pain1 which he endeavoured to hide by an
 outbreak of painfully artificial       
coughing4  8,shall we go upstairs80 said
 ,robert hurriedly1 anxious to divert   
his guest's attention from this little  
domestic incident4 8,my studio is the   
real atelier1 for it is right up under  
the tiles4 ,i shall lead the way1 if you
 will have the kindness to follow me40  
,leaving ,laura and ,mr4 ,mc,intyre1    
they went up together to the workroom4  
,mr4 ,haw stood long in front of the    
8,signing of ,magna ,charta10 and the   
8,murder of ,thomas a ,becket10 screwing
 up his eyes and twitching nervously at 
his beard1 while ,robert stood by in    
anxious expectancy4  8,and how much are 
these80 asked ,raffles ,haw at last4    
8,i priced them at a hundred apiece when

 ,i sent them to ,london40  8,then the  
best ,i can wish you is that the day may
 come when you would gladly give ten    
times the sum to have them back again4  
,i am sure that there are great         
possibilities in you1 and ,i see that in
 grouping and in boldness of design you 
have already achieved much4 ,but your   
drawing1 if you will excuse my saying   
so1 is just a little crude1 and your    
colouring perhaps a trifle thin4 ,now1  
,i will make a bargain with you1 ,mr4   
,mc,intyre1 if you will consent to it4  
,i know that money has no charms for    
you1 but still1 as you said when ,i     
first met you1 a man must live4 ,i shall
 buy these two canvases from you at the 
price which you name1 subject to the    
condition that you may always have them 
back again by repaying the same sum40   
8,you are really very kind40 ,robert    
hardly knew whether to be delighted at  
having sold his pictures or humiliated  
at the frank criticism of the buyer4    
8,may ,i write a cheque at once80 said  

,raffles ,haw4 8,here is pen and ink4   
,so6 ,i shall send a couple of footmen  
down for them in the afternoon4 ,well1  
,i shall keep them in trust for you4 ,i 
dare say that when you are famous they  
will be of value as specimens of your   
early manner40  8,i am sure that ,i am  
extremely obliged to you1 ,mr4 ,haw10   
said the young artist1 placing the      
cheque in his notebook4 ,he glanced at  
it as he folded it up1 in the vague hope
 that perhaps this man of whims had     
assessed his pictures at a higher rate  
than he had named4 ,the figures1        
however1 were exact4 ,robert began dimly
 to perceive that there were drawbacks  
as well as advantages to the reputation 
of a money-scorner1 which he had gained 
by a few chance words1 prompted rather  
by the reaction against his father's    
than by his own real convictions4  8,i  
hope1 ,miss ,mc,intyre10 said ,raffles  
,haw1 when they had descended to the    
sitting-room once more1 8that you will  
do me the honour of coming to see the   

little curiosities which ,i have        
gathered together4 ,your brother will1  
,i am sure1 escort you up2 or perhaps   
,mr4 ,mc,intyre would care to come80    
8,i shall be delighted to come1 ,mr4    
,haw10 cried ,laura1 with her sweetest  
smile4 8,a good deal of my time just now
 is taken up in looking after the poor  
people1 who find the cold weather very  
trying40 ,robert raised his eyebrows1   
for it was the first he had heard of his
 sister's missions of mercy1 but ,mr4   
,raffles ,haw nodded approvingly4       
8,robert was telling us of your         
wonderful hot-houses4 ,i am sure ,i wish
 ,i could transport the whole parish    
into one of them1 and give them a good  
warm40  8,nothing would be easier1 but  
,i am afraid that they might find it a  
little trying when they came out again4 
,i have one house which is only just    
finished4 ,your brother has not seen it 
yet1 but ,i think it is the best of them
 all4 ,it represents an ,indian jungle1 
and is hot enough in all conscience40   

8,i shall so look forward to seeing it10
 cried ,laura1 clasping her hands4 8,it 
has been one of the dreams of my life to
 see ,india4 ,i have read so much of it1
 the temples1 the forests1 the great    
rivers1 and the tigers4 ,why1 you would 
hardly believe it1 but ,i have never    
seen a tiger except in a picture40      
8,that can easily be set right10 said   
,raffles ,haw1 with his quiet smile4    
8,would you care to see one80  8,oh1    
immensely40  8,i will have one sent     
down4 ,let me see1 it is nearly twelve  
o'clock4 ,i can get a wire to ,liverpool
 by one4 ,there is a man there who deals
 in such things4 ,i should think he     
would be due to-morrow morning4 ,well1  
,i shall look forward to seeing you all 
before very long4 ,i have rather        
outstayed my time1 for ,i am a man of   
routine1 and ,i always put in a certain 
number of hours in my laboratory40 ,he  
shook hands cordially with them all1 and
 lighting his pipe at the doorstep1     
strolled off upon his way4  8,well1 what

 do you think of him now80 asked        
,robert1 as they watched his black      
figure against the white snow4  8,i     
think that he is no more fit to be      
trusted with all that money than a      
child10 cried the old man4 8,it made me 
positively sick to hear him talk of     
moving hills and buying tigers1 and     
such-like nonsense1 when there are      
honest men without a business1 and great
 businesses starving for a little       
capital4 ,it's unchristian--that's what 
,i call it40  8,i think he is most      
delightful1 ,robert10 said ,laura4      
8,remember1 you have promised to take us
 up to the ,hall4 ,and he evidently     
wishes us to go soon4 ,don't you think  
we might go this afternoon80  8,i hardly
 think that1 ,laura4 ,you leave it in my
 hands1 and ,i will arrange it all4 ,and
 now ,i must get to work1 for the light 
is so very short on these winter days40 
,that night ,robert ,mc,intyre had gone 
to bed1 and was dozing off when a hand  
plucked at his shoulder1 and he started 

up to find his sister in some white     
drapery1 with a shawl thrown over her   
shoulders1 standing beside him in the   
moonlight4  8,robert1 dear10 she        
whispered1 stooping over him1 8there was
 something ,i wanted to ask you1 but    
papa was always in the way4 ,you will do
 something to please me1 won't you1     
,robert80  8,of course1 ,laura4 ,what is
 it80  8,i do so hate having my affairs 
talked over1 dear4 ,if ,mr4 ,raffles    
,haw says anything to you about me1 or  
asks any questions1 please don't say    
anything about ,hector4 ,you won't1 will
 you1 ,robert1 for the sake of your     
little sister80  8,no2 not unless you   
wish it40  8,there is a dear good       
brother40 ,she stooped over him and     
kissed him tenderly4  ,it was a rare    
thing for ,laura to show any emotion1   
and her brother marvelled sleepily over 
it until he relapsed into his           
interrupted doze4     ,,chapter ,,vi4 ,a
 ,,strange ,,visitor4   ,the ,mc,intyre 
family was seated at breakfast on the   

morning which followed the first visit  
of ,raffles ,haw1 when they were        
surprised to hear the buzz and hum of a 
multitude of voices in the village      
street4 ,nearer and nearer came the     
tumult1 and then1 of a sudden1 two      
maddened horses reared themselves up on 
the other side of the garden hedge1     
prancing and pawing1 with ears laid back
 and eyes ever glancing at some horror  
behind them4 ,two men hung shouting to  
their bridles1 while a third came       
rushing up the curved gravel path4      
,before the ,mc,intyres could realise   
the situation1 their maid1 ,mary1 darted
 into the sitting-room with terror in   
her round freckled face3  8,if you      
please1 miss10 she screamed1 8your tiger
 has arrove40  8,good heavens60 cried   
,robert1 rushing to the door with his   
half-filled teacup in his hand4 8,this  
is too much4 ,here is an iron cage on a 
trolly with a great ramping tiger1 and  
the whole village with their mouths     
open40  8,mad as a hatter60 shrieked old

 ,mr4 ,mc,intyre4 8,i could see it in   
his eye4 ,he spent enough on this beast 
to start me in business4 ,whoever heard 
of such a thing8 ,tell the driver to    
take it to the police-station40         
8,nothing of the sort1 papa10 said      
,laura1 rising with dignity and wrapping
 a shawl about her shoulders4 ,her eyes 
were shining1 her cheeks flushed1 and   
she carried herself like a triumphant   
queen4  ,robert1 with his teacup in his 
hand1 allowed his attention to be       
diverted from their strange visitor     
while he gazed at his beautiful sister4 
8,mr4 ,raffles ,haw has done this out of
 kindness to me10 she said1 sweeping    
towards the door4 8,i look upon it as a 
great attention on his part4 ,i shall   
certainly go out and look at it40  8,if 
you please1 sir10 said the carman1      
reappearing at the door1 8it's all as we
 can do to 'old in the 'osses40  8,let  
us all go out together then10 suggested 
,robert4  ,they went as far as the      
garden fence and stared over1 while the 

whole village1 from the school-children 
to the old grey-haired men from the     
almshouses1 gathered round in mute      
astonishment4 ,the tiger1 a long1 lithe1
 venomous-looking creature1 with two    
blazing green eyes1 paced stealthily    
round the little cage1 lashing its sides
 with its tail1 and rubbing its muzzle  
against the bars4  8,what were your     
orders80 asked ,robert of the carman4   
8,it came through by special express    
from ,liverpool1 sir1 and the train is  
drawn up at the ,tamfield siding all    
ready to take it back4 ,if it 'ad been  
royalty the railway folk couldn't ha'   
shown it more respec'4 ,we are to take  
it back when you're done with it4 ,it's 
been a cruel job1 sir1 for our arms is  
pulled clean out of the sockets         
a-'olding in of the 'osses40  8,what a  
dear1 sweet creature it is10 cried      
,laura4 8,how sleek and how graceful6 ,i
 cannot understand how people could be  
afraid of anything so beautiful40  8,if 
you please1 marm10 said the carman1     

touching his skin cap1 8he out with his 
paw between the bars as we stood in the 
station yard1 and if ,i 'adn't pulled my
 mate ,bill back it would ha' been a    
case of kingdom come4 ,it was a proper  
near squeak1 ,i can tell ye40  8,i never
 saw anything more lovely10 continued   
,laura1 loftily overlooking the remarks 
of the driver4 8,it has been a very     
great pleasure to me to see it1 and ,i  
hope that you will tell ,mr4 ,haw so if 
you see him1 ,robert40  8,the horses are
 very restive10 said her brother4       
8,perhaps1 ,laura1 if you have seen     
enough1 it would be as well to let them 
go40  ,she bowed in the regal fashion   
which she had so suddenly adopted4      
,robert shouted the order1 the driver   
sprang up1 his comrades let the horses  
go1 and away rattled the waggon and the 
trolly with half the ,tamfielders       
streaming vainly behind it4  8,is it not
 wonderful what money can do80 ,laura   
remarked1 as they knocked the snow from 
their shoes within the porch4 8,there   

seems to be no wish which ,mr4 ,haw     
could not at once gratify40  8,no wish  
of yours1 you mean10 broke in her       
father4 8,it's different when he is     
dealing with a wrinkled old man who has 
spent himself in working for his        
children4 ,a plainer case of love at    
first sight ,i never saw40  8,how can   
you be so coarse1 papa80 cried ,laura1  
but her eyes flashed1 and her teeth     
gleamed1 as though the remark had not   
altogether displeased her4  8,for       
heaven's sake1 be careful1 ,laura60     
cried ,robert4 8,it had not struck me   
before1 but really it does look rather  
like it4 ,you know how you stand4       
,raffles ,haw is not a man to play      
with40  8,you dear old boy60 said       
,laura1 laying her hand upon his        
shoulder1 8what do you know of such     
things8 ,all you have to do is to go on 
with your painting1 and to remember the 
promise you made the other night40      
8,what promise was that1 then80 cried   
old ,mc,intyre suspiciously4  8,never   

you mind1 papa4 ,but if you forget it1  
,robert1 ,i shall never forgive you as  
long as ,i live40     ,,chapter ,,vii4  
,,the ,,workings ,,of ,,wealth4   ,it   
can easily be believed that as the weeks
 passed the name and fame of the        
mysterious owner of the ,new ,hall      
resounded over the quiet countryside    
until the rumour of him had spread to   
the remotest corners of ,warwickshire   
and ,staffordshire4 ,in ,birmingham on  
the one side1 and in ,coventry and      
,leamington on the other1 there was     
gossip as to his untold riches1 his     
extraordinary whims1 and the remarkable 
life which he led4 ,his name was bandied
 from mouth to mouth1 and a thousand    
efforts were made to find out who and   
what he was4 ,in spite of all their     
pains1 however1 the newsmongers were    
unable to discover the slightest trace  
of his antecedents1 or to form even a   
guess as to the secret of his riches4   
,it was no wonder that conjecture was   
rife upon the subject1 for hardly a day 

passed without furnishing some new      
instance of the boundlessness of his    
power and of the goodness of his heart4 
,through the vicar1 ,robert1 and others1
 he had learned much of the inner life  
of the parish1 and many were the times  
when the struggling man1 harassed and   
driven to the wall1 found thrust into   
his hand some morning a brief note with 
an enclosure which rolled all the sorrow
 back from his life4 ,one day a thick   
double-breasted pea-jacket and a pair of
 good sturdy boots were served out to   
every old man in the almshouse4 ,on     
another1 ,miss ,swire1 the decayed      
gentlewoman who eked out her small      
annuity by needlework1 had a brand new  
first-class sewing-machine handed in to 
her to take the place of the old        
worn-out treadle which tried her        
rheumatic joints4 ,the pale-faced       
schoolmaster1 who had spent years with  
hardly a break in struggling with the   
juvenile obtuseness of ,tamfield1       
received through the post a circular    

ticket for a two months' tour through   
,southern ,europe1 with hotel coupons   
and all complete4 ,john ,hackett1 the   
farmer1 after five long years of bad    
seasons1 borne with a brave heart1 had  
at last been overthrown by the sixth1   
and had the bailiffs actually in the    
house when the good vicar had rushed in1
 waving a note above his head1 to tell  
him not only that his deficit had been  
made up1 but that enough remained over  
to provide the improved machinery which 
would enable him to hold his own for the
 future4 ,an almost superstitious       
feeling came upon the rustic folk as    
they looked at the great palace when the
 sun gleamed upon the huge hot-houses1  
or even more so1 perhaps1 when at night 
the brilliant electric lights shot their
 white radiance through the countless   
rows of windows4 ,to them it was as if  
some minor ,providence presided in that 
great place1 unseen but seeing all1     
boundless in its power and its          
graciousness1 ever ready to assist and  

to befriend4 ,in every good deed1       
however1 ,raffles ,haw still remained in
 the background1 while the vicar and    
,robert had the pleasant task of        
conveying his benefits to the lowly and 
the suffering4  ,once only did he appear
 in his own person1 and that was upon   
the famous occasion when he saved the   
well-known bank of ,garraweg ,brothers  
in ,birmingham4 ,the most charitable and
 upright of men1 the two brothers1      
,louis and ,rupert1 had built up a      
business which extended its             
ramifications into every townlet of four
 counties4 ,the failure of their ,london
 agents had suddenly brought a heavy    
loss upon them1 and the circumstance    
leaking out had caused a sudden and most
 dangerous run upon their establishment4
 ,urgent telegrams for bullion from all 
their forty branches poured in at the   
very instant when the head office was   
crowded with anxious clients all waving 
their deposit-books1 and clamouring for 
their money4 ,bravely did the two       

brothers with their staff stand with    
smiling faces behind the shining        
counter1 while swift messengers sped and
 telegrams flashed to draw in all the   
available resources of the bank4 ,all   
day the stream poured through the       
office1 and when four o'clock came1 and 
the doors were closed for the day1 the  
street without was still blocked by the 
expectant crowd1 while there remained   
scarce a thousand pounds of bullion in  
the cellars4  8,it is only postponed4   
,louis10 said brother ,rupert           
despairingly1 when the last clerk had   
left the office1 and when at last they  
could relax the fixed smile upon their  
haggard faces4  8,those shutters will   
never come down again10 cried brother   
,louis1 and the two suddenly burst out  
sobbing in each other's arms1 not for   
their own griefs1 but for the miseries  
which they might bring upon those who   
had trusted them4  ,but who shall ever  
dare to say that there is no hope1 if he
 will but give his griefs to the world8 

,that very night ,mrs4 ,spurling had    
received a letter from her old school   
friend1 ,mrs4 ,louis ,garraweg1 with all
 her fears and her hopes poured out in  
it1 and the whole sad story of their    
troubles4 ,swift from the ,vicarage went
 the message to the ,hall1 and early    
next morning ,mr4 ,raffles ,haw1 with a 
great black carpet-bag in his hand1     
found means to draw the cashier of the  
local branch of the ,bank of ,england   
from his breakfast1 and to persuade him 
to open his doors at unofficial hours4  
,by half-past nine the crowd had already
 begun to collect around ,garraweg's1   
when a stranger1 pale and thin1 with a  
bloated carpet-bag1 was shown at his own
 very pressing request into the bank    
parlour4  8,it is no use1 sir10 said the
 elder brother humbly1 as they stood    
together encouraging each other to turn 
a brave face to misfortune1 8we can do  
no more4 ,we have little left1 and it   
would be unfair to the others to pay you
 now4 ,we can but hope that when our    

assets are realised no one will be the  
loser save ourselves40  8,i did not come
 to draw out1 but to put in10 said      
,raffles ,haw in his demure apologetic  
fashion4 8,i have in my bag five        
thousand hundred-pound ,bank of ,england
 notes4 ,if you will have the goodness  
to place them to my credit account ,i   
should be extremely obliged40  8,but1   
good heavens1 sir60 stammered ,rupert   
,garraweg1 8have you not heard8 ,have   
you not seen8 ,we cannot allow you to do
 this thing blindfold2 can we ,louis80  
8,most certainly not4 ,we cannot        
recommend our bank1 sir1 at the present 
moment1 for there is a run upon us1 and 
we do not know to what lengths it may   
go40  8,tut6 tut60 said ,raffles ,haw4  
8,if the run continues you must send me 
a wire1 and ,i shall make a small       
addition to my account4 ,you will send  
me a receipt by post4 ,good-morning1    
gentlemen60 ,he bowed himself out ere   
the astounded partners could realise    
what had befallen them1 or raise their  

eyes from the huge black bag and the    
visiting card which lay upon their      
table4 ,there was no great failure in   
,birmingham that day1 and the house of  
,garraweg still survives to enjoy the   
success which it deserves4  ,such were  
the deeds by which ,raffles ,haw made   
himself known throughout the ,midlands1 
and yet1 in spite of all his            
open-handedness1 he was not a man to be 
imposed upon4 ,in vain the sturdy beggar
 cringed at his gate1 and in vain the   
crafty letter-writer poured out a       
thousand fabulous woes upon paper4      
,robert was astonished when he brought  
some tale of trouble to the ,hall to    
observe how swift was the perception of 
the recluse1 and how unerringly he could
 detect a flaw in a narrative1 or lay   
his finger upon the one point which rang
 false4 ,were a man strong enough to    
help himself1 or of such a nature as to 
profit nothing by help1 none would he   
get from the master of the ,new ,hall4  
,in vain1 for example1 did old          

,mc,intyre throw himself continually    
across the path of the millionaire1 and 
impress upon him1 by a thousand hints   
and innuendoes1 the hard fortune which  
had been dealt him1 and the ease with   
which his fallen greatness might be     
restored4 ,raffles ,haw listened        
politely1 bowed1 smiled1 but never      
showed the slightest inclination to     
restore the querulous old gunmaker to   
his pedestal4  ,but if the recluse's    
wealth was a lure which drew the beggars
 from far and near1 as the lamp draws   
the moths1 it had the same power of     
attraction upon another and much more   
dangerous class4 ,strange hard faces    
were seen in the village street1        
prowling figures were marked at night   
stealing about among the fir            
plantations1 and warning messages       
arrived from city police and county     
constabulary to say that evil visitors  
were known to have taken train to       
,tamfield4 ,but if1 as ,raffles ,haw    
held1 there were few limits to the power

 of immense wealth1 it possessed1 among 
other things1 the power of              
self-preservation1 as one or two people 
were to learn to their cost4  8,would   
you mind stepping up to the ,hall80 he  
said one morning1 putting his head in at
 the door of the ,elmdene sitting-room4 
8,i have something there that might     
amuse you40 ,he was on intimate terms   
with the ,mc,intyres now1 and there were
 few days on which they did not see     
something of each other4  ,they gladly  
accompanied him1 all three1 for such    
invitations were usually the prelude of 
some agreeable surprise which he had in 
store for them4  8,i have shown you a   
tiger10 he remarked to ,laura1 as he led
 them into the dining-room4 8,i will now
 show you something quite as dangerous1 
though not nearly so pretty40 ,there was
 an arrangement of mirrors at one end of
 the room1 with a large circular glass  
set at a sharp angle at the top4  8,look
 in there--in the upper glass10 said    
,raffles ,haw4  8,good gracious6 what   

dreadful-looking men60 cried ,laura4    
8,there are two of them1 and ,i don't   
know which is the worse40  8,what on    
earth are they doing80 asked ,robert4   
8,they appear to be sitting on the      
ground in some sort of a cellar40       
8,most dangerous-looking characters10   
said the old man4 8,i should strongly   
recommend you to send for a policeman40 
8,i have done so4 ,but it seems a work  
of supererogation to take them to       
prison1 for they are very snugly in     
prison already4 ,however1 ,i suppose    
that the law must have its own40  8,and 
who are they1 and how did they come     
there8 ,do tell us1 ,mr4 ,haw40  ,laura 
,mc,intyre had a pretty beseeching way  
with her1 which went rather piquantly   
with her queenly style of beauty4  8,i  
know no more than you do4 ,they were not
 there last night1 and they are here    
this morning1 so ,i suppose it is a safe
 inference that they came in during the 
night1 especially as my servants found  
the window open when they came down4 ,as

 to their character and intentions1 ,i  
should think that is pretty legible upon
 their faces4 ,they look a pair of      
beauties1 don't they80  8,but ,i cannot 
understand in the least where they are10
 said ,robert1 staring into the mirror4 
8,one of them has taken to butting his  
head against the wall4 ,no1 he is       
bending so that the other may stand upon
 his back4 ,he is up there now1 and the 
light is shining upon his face4 ,what a 
bewildered ruffianly face it is too4 ,i 
should so like to sketch it4 ,it would  
be a study for the picture ,i am        
thinking of of the ,reign of ,terror40  
8,i have caught them in my patent       
burglar trap10 said ,haw4 8,they are my 
first birds1 but ,i have no doubt that  
they will not be the last4 ,i will show 
you how it works4 ,it is quite a new    
thing4 ,this flooring is now as strong  
as possible1 but every night ,i         
disconnect it4 ,it is done              
simultaneously by a central machine for 
every room on the ground-floor4 ,when   

the floor is disconnected one may       
advance three or four steps1 either from
 the window or door1 and then that whole
 part turns on a hinge and slides you   
into a padded strong-room beneath1 where
 you may kick your heels until you are  
released4 ,there is a central oasis     
between the hinges1 where the furniture 
is grouped for the night4 ,the flooring 
flies into position again when the      
weight of the intruder is removed1 and  
there he must bide1 while ,i can always 
take a peep at him by this simple little
 optical arrangement4 ,i thought it     
might amuse you to have a look at my    
prisoners before ,i handed them over to 
the head-constable1 who ,i see is now   
coming up the avenue40  8,the poor      
burglars60 cried ,laura4 8,it is no     
wonder that they look bewildered1 for ,i
 suppose1 ,mr4 ,haw1 that they neither  
know where they are1 nor how they came  
there4 ,i am so glad to know that you   
guard yourself in this way1 for ,i have 
often thought that you ran a danger40   

8,have you so80 said he1 smiling round  
at her4 8,i think that my house is      
fairly burglar-proof4 ,i have one window
 which may be used as an entrance1 the  
centre one of the three of my           
laboratory4 ,i keep it so because1 to   
tell the truth1 ,i am somewhat of a     
night prowler myself1 and when ,i treat 
myself to a ramble under the stars ,i   
like to slip in and out without         
ceremony4 ,it would1 however1 be a      
fortunate rogue who picked the only safe
 entrance out of a hundred1 and even    
then he might find pitfalls4 ,here is   
the constable1 but you must not go1 for 
,miss ,mc,intyre has still something to 
see in my little place4 ,if you will    
step into the billiard-room ,i shall be 
with you in a very few moments40        
,,chapter ,,viii4 ,a ,,billionaire',s   
,,plans4   ,that morning1 and many      
mornings both before and afterwards1    
were spent by ,laura at the ,new ,hall  
examining the treasures of the museum1  
playing with the thousand costly toys   

which ,raffles ,haw had collected1 or   
sallying out from the smoking-room in   
the crystal chamber into the long line  
of luxurious hot-houses4 ,haw would walk
 demurely beside her as she flitted from
 one thing to another like a butterfly  
among flowers1 watching her out of the  
corner of his eyes1 and taking a quiet  
pleasure in her delight4 ,the only joy  
which his costly possessions had ever   
brought him was that which came from the
 entertainment of others4  ,by this time
 his attentions towards ,laura          
,mc,intyre had become so marked that    
they could hardly be mistaken4 ,he      
visibly brightened in her presence1 and 
was never weary of devising a thousand  
methods of surprising and pleasing her4 
,every morning ere the ,mc,intyre family
 were afoot a great bouquet of strange  
and beautiful flowers was brought down  
by a footman from the ,hall to brighten 
their breakfast-table4 ,her slightest   
wish1 however fantastic1 was instantly  
satisfied1 if human money or ingenuity  

could do it4 ,when the frost lasted a   
stream was dammed and turned from its   
course that it might flood two meadows1 
solely in order that she might have a   
place upon which to skate4 ,with the    
thaw there came a groom every afternoon 
with a sleek and beautiful mare in case 
,miss ,mc,intyre should care to ride4   
,everything went to show that she had   
made a conquest of the recluse of the   
,new ,hall4  ,and she on her side played
 her part admirably4 ,with female       
adaptiveness she fell in with his       
humour1 and looked at the world through 
his eyes4 ,her talk was of almshouses   
and free libraries1 of charities and of 
improvements4 ,he had never a scheme to 
which she could not add some detail     
making it more complete and more        
effective4 ,to ,haw it seemed that at   
last he had met a mind which was in     
absolute affinity with his own4 ,here   
was a help-mate1 who could not only     
follow1 but even lead him in the path   
which he had chosen4  ,neither ,robert  

nor his father could fail to see what   
was going forward1 but to the latter    
nothing could possibly be more          
acceptable than a family tie which      
should connect him1 however indirectly1 
with a man of vast fortune4 ,the glamour
 of the gold bags had crept over ,robert
 also1 and froze the remonstrance upon  
his lips4 ,it was very pleasant to have 
the handling of all this wealth1 even as
 a mere agent4 ,why should he do or say 
what might disturb their present happy  
relations8 ,it was his sister's         
business1 not his2 and as to ,hector    
,spurling1 he must take his chance as   
other men did4 ,it was obviously best   
not to move one way or the other in the 
matter4  ,but to ,robert himself1 his   
work and his surroundings were becoming 
more and more irksome4 ,his joy in his  
art had become less keen since he had   
known ,raffles ,haw4 ,it seemed so hard 
to toll and slave to earn such a        
trifling sum1 when money could really be
 had for the asking4 ,it was true that  

he had asked for none1 but large sums   
were for ever passing through his hands 
for those who were needy1 and if he were
 needy himself his friend would surely  
not grudge it to him4 ,so the ,roman    
galleys still remained faintly outlined 
upon the great canvas1 while ,robert's  
days were spent either in the luxurious 
library at the ,hall1 or in strolling   
about the country listening to tales of 
trouble1 and returning like a           
tweed-suited ministering angel to carry 
,raffles ,haw's help to the unfortunate4
 ,it was not an ambitious life1 but it  
was one which was very congenial to his 
weak and easy-going nature4  ,robert had
 observed that fits of depression had   
frequently come upon the millionaire1   
and it had sometimes struck him that the
 enormous sums which he spent had       
possibly made a serious inroad into his 
capital1 and that his mind was troubled 
as to the future4 ,his abstracted       
manner1 his clouded brow1 and his bent  
head all spoke of a soul which was      

weighed down with care1 and it was only 
in ,laura's presence that he could throw
 off the load of his secret trouble4    
,for five hours a day he buried himself 
in the laboratory and amused himself    
with his hobby1 but it was one of his   
whims that no one1 neither any of his   
servants1 nor even ,laura or ,robert1   
should ever cross the threshold of that 
outlying building4 ,day after day he    
vanished into it1 to reappear hours     
afterwards pale and exhausted1 while the
 whirr of machinery and the smoke which 
streamed from his high chimney showed   
how considerable were the operations    
which he undertook single-handed4       
8,could ,i not assist you in any way80  
suggested ,robert1 as they sat together 
after luncheon in the smoking-room4 8,i 
am convinced that you over-try your     
strength4 ,i should be so glad to help  
you1 and ,i know a little of chemistry40
  8,do you1 indeed80 said ,raffles ,haw1
 raising his eyebrows4 8,i had no idea  
of that2 it is very seldom that the     

artistic and the scientific faculties go
 together40  8,i don't know that ,i have
 either particularly developed4 ,but ,i 
have taken classes1 and ,i worked for   
two years in the laboratory at ,sir     
,josiah ,mason's ,institute40  8,i am   
delighted to hear it10 ,haw replied with
 emphasis4 8,that may be of great       
importance to us4 ,it is very           
possible--indeed1 almost certain--that  
,i shall avail myself of your offer of  
assistance1 and teach you something of  
my chemical methods1 which ,i may say   
differ considerably from those of the   
orthodox school4 ,the time1 however1 is 
hardly ripe for that4 ,what is it1      
,jones80  8,a note1 sir40  ,the butler  
handed it in upon a silver salver4 ,haw 
broke the seal and ran his eye over it4 
8,tut6 tut6 ,it is from ,lady ,morsley1 
asking me to the ,lord-,lieutenant's    
ball4 ,i cannot possibly accept4 ,it is 
very kind of them1 but ,i do wish they  
would leave me alone4 ,very well1       
,jones4 ,i shall write4 ,do you know1   

,robert1 ,i am often very unhappy40  ,he
 frequently called the young artist by  
his ,christian name1 especially in his  
more confidential moments4  8,i have    
sometimes feared that you were10 said   
the other sympathetically4 8,but how    
strange it seems1 you who are yet young1
 healthy1 with every faculty for        
enjoyment1 and a millionaire40  8,ah1   
,robert10 cried ,haw1 leaning back in   
his chair1 and sending up thick blue    
wreaths from his pipe4 8,you have put   
your finger upon my trouble4 ,if ,i were
 a millionaire ,i might be happy1 but1  
alas1 ,i am no millionaire60  8,good    
heavens60 gasped ,robert4  ,cold seemed 
to shoot to his inmost soul as it       
flashed upon him that this was a prelude
 to a confession of impending           
bankruptcy1 and that all this glorious  
life1 all the excitement and the colour 
and change1 were about to vanish into   
thin air4  8,no millionaire60 he        
stammered4  8,no1 ,robert2 ,i am a      
billionaire--perhaps the only one in the

 world4 ,that is what is on my mind1 and
 why ,i am unhappy sometimes4 ,i feel   
that ,i should spend this money--that ,i
 should put it in circulation--and yet  
it is so hard to do it without failing  
to do good--without doing positive harm4
 ,i feel my responsibility deeply4 ,it  
weighs me down4 ,am ,i justified in     
continuing to live this quiet life when 
there are so many millions whom ,i might
 save and comfort if ,i could but reach 
them80  ,robert heaved a long sigh of   
relief4 8,perhaps you take too grave a  
view of your responsibilities10 he said4
 8,everybody knows that the good which  
you have done is immense4 ,what more    
could you desire8 ,if you really wished 
to extend your benevolence further1     
there are organised charities everywhere
 which would be very glad of your help40
  8,i have the names of two hundred and 
seventy of them10 ,haw answered4 8,you  
must run your eye over them some time1  
and see if you can suggest any others4  
,i send my annual mite to each of them4 

,i don't think there is much room for   
expansion in that direction40  8,well1  
really you have done your share1 and    
more than your share4 ,i would settle   
down to lead a happy life1 and think no 
more of the matter40  8,i could not do  
that10 ,haw answered earnestly4 8,i have
 not been singled out to wield this     
immense power simply in order that ,i   
might lead a happy life4 ,i can never   
believe that4 ,now1 can you not use your
 imagination1 ,robert1 and devise       
methods by which a man who has command  
of--well1 let us say1 for argument's    
sake1 boundless wealth1 could benefit   
mankind by it1 without taking away any  
one's independence or in any way doing  
harm80  8,well1 really1 now that ,i come
 to think of it1 it is a very difficult 
problem10 said ,robert4  8,now ,i will  
submit a few schemes to you1 and you may
 give me your opinion on them4          
,supposing that such a man were to buy  
ten square miles of ground here in      
,staffordshire1 and were to build upon  

it a neat city1 consisting entirely of  
clean1 comfortable little four-roomed   
houses1 furnished in a simple style1    
with shops and so forth1 but no         
public-houses4 ,supposing1 too1 that he 
were to offer a house free to all the   
homeless folk1 all the tramps1 and      
broken men1 and out-of-workers in ,great
 ,britain4 ,then1 having collected them 
together1 let him employ them1 under    
fitting superintendence1 upon some      
colossal piece of work which would last 
for many years1 and perhaps be of       
permanent value to humanity4 ,give them 
a good rate of pay1 and let their hours 
of labour be reasonable1 and those of   
recreation be pleasant4 ,might you not  
benefit them and benefit humanity at one
 stroke80  8,but what form of work could
 you devise which would employ so vast a
 number for so long a time1 and yet not 
compete with any existing industry8 ,to 
do the latter would simply mean to shift
 the misery from one class to another40 
8,precisely so4 ,i should compete with  

no one4 ,what ,i thought of doing was of
 sinking a shaft through the earth's    
crust1 and of establishing rapid        
communication with the ,antipodes4 ,when
 you had got a certain distance         
down--how far is an interesting         
mathematical problem--the centre of     
gravity would be beneath you1 presuming 
that your boring was not quite directed 
towards the centre1 and you could then  
lay down rails and tunnel as if you were
 on the level40  ,then for the first    
time it flashed into ,robert            
,mc,intyre's head that his father's     
chance words were correct1 and that he  
was in the presence of a madman4 ,his   
great wealth had clearly turned his     
brain1 and made him a monomaniac4 ,he   
nodded indulgently1 as when one humours 
a child4  8,it would be very nice10 he  
said4 8,i have heard1 however1 that the 
interior of the earth is molten1 and    
your workmen would need to be           
,salamanders40  8,the latest scientific 
data do not bear out the idea that the  

earth is so hot10 answered ,raffles     
,haw4 8,it is certain that the increased
 temperature in coal mines depends upon 
the barometric pressure4 ,there are     
gases in the earth which may be ignited1
 and there are combustible materials as 
we see in the volcanoes2 but if we came 
across anything of the sort in our      
borings1 we could turn a river or two   
down the shaft1 and get the better of it
 in that fashion40  8,it would be rather
 awkward if the other end of your shaft 
came out under the ,pacific ,ocean10    
said ,robert1 choking down his          
inclination to laugh4  8,i have had     
estimates and calculations from the     
first living engineers--,french1        
,english1 and ,american4 ,the point of  
exit of the tunnel could be calculated  
to the yard4 ,that portfolio in the     
corner is full of sections1 plans1 and  
diagrams4 ,i have agents employed in    
buying up land1 and if all goes well1 we
 may get to work in the autumn4 ,that is
 one device which may produce results4  

,another is canal-cutting40  8,ah1 there
 you would compete with the railways40  
8,you don't quite understand4 ,i intend 
to cut canals through every neck of land
 where such a convenience would         
facilitate commerce4 ,such a scheme1    
when unaccompanied by any toll upon     
vessels1 would1 ,i think1 be a very     
judicious way of helping the human      
race40  8,and where1 pray1 would you cut
 the canals80 asked ,robert4  8,i have a
 map of the world here10 ,haw answered1 
rising1 and taking one down from the    
paper-rack4 8,you see the blue pencil   
marks4 ,those are the points where ,i   
propose to establish communication4 ,of 
course1 ,i should begin by the obvious  
duty of finishing the ,panama business40
  8,naturally40 ,the man's lunacy was   
becoming more and more obvious1 and yet 
there was such precision and coolness in
 his manner1 that ,robert found himself 
against his own reason endorsing and    
speculating over his plans4  8,the      
,isthmus of ,corinth also occurs to one4

 ,that1 however1 is a small matter1 from
 either a financial or an engineering   
point of view4 ,i propose1 however1 to  
make a junction here1 through ,kiel     
between the ,german ,ocean and the      
,baltic4 ,it saves1 you will observe1   
the whole journey round the coast of    
,denmark1 and would facilitate our trade
 with ,germany and ,russia4 ,another    
very obvious improvement is to join the 
,forth and the ,clyde1 so as to connect 
,leith with the ,irish and ,american    
routes4 ,you see the blue line80        
8,quite so40  8,and we will have a      
little cutting here4 ,it will run from  
,uleaborg to ,kem1 and will connect the 
,white ,sea with the ,gulf of ,bothnia4 
,we must not allow our sympathies to be 
insular1 must we8 ,our little charities 
should be cosmopolitan4 ,we will try and
 give the good people of ,archangel a   
better outlet for their furs and their  
tallow40  8,but it will freeze40  8,for 
six months in the year4 ,still1 it will 
be something4 ,then we must do something

 for the ,east4 ,it would never do to   
overlook the ,east40  8,it would        
certainly be an oversight10 said        
,robert1 who was keenly alive to the    
comical side of the question4 ,raffles  
,haw1 however1 in deadly earnest1 sat   
scratching away at his map with his blue
 pencil4  8,here is a point where we    
might be of some little use4 ,if we cut 
through from ,batoum to the ,kura ,river
 we might tap the trade of the ,caspian1
 and open up communication with all the 
rivers which run into it4 ,you notice   
that they include a considerable tract  
of country4 ,then1 again1 ,i think that 
we might venture upon a little cutting  
between ,beirut1 on the ,mediterranean1 
and the upper waters of the ,euphrates1 
which would lead us into the ,persian   
,gulf4 ,those are one or two of the more
 obvious canals which might knit the    
human race into a closer whole40  8,your
 plans are certainly stupendous10 said  
,robert1 uncertain whether to laugh or  
to be awe-struck4 8,you will cease to be

 a man1 and become one of the great     
forces of ,nature1 altering1 moulding1  
and improving40  8,that is precisely the
 view which ,i take of myself4 ,that is 
why ,i feel my responsibility so        
acutely40  8,but surely if you will do  
all this you may rest4 ,it is a         
considerable programme40  8,not at all4 
,i am a patriotic ,briton1 and ,i should
 like to do something to leave my name  
in the annals of my country4 ,i should  
prefer1 however1 to do it after my own  
death1 as anything in the shape of      
publicity and honour is very offensive  
to me4 ,i have1 therefore1 put by eight 
hundred million in a place which shall  
be duly mentioned in my will1 which ,i  
propose to devote to paying off the     
,national ,debt4 ,i cannot see that any 
harm could arise from its extinction40  
,robert sat staring1 struck dumb by the 
audacity of the strange man's words4    
8,then there is the heating of the soil4
 ,there is room for improvement there4  
,you have no doubt read of the immense  

yields which have resulted in ,jersey   
and elsewhere1 from the running of      
hot-water pipes through the soil4 ,the  
crops are trebled and quadrupled4 ,i    
would propose to try the experiment upon
 a larger scale4 ,we might possibly     
reserve the ,isle of ,man to serve as a 
pumping and heating station4 ,the main  
pipes would run to ,england1 ,ireland1  
and ,scotland1 where they would         
subdivide rapidly until they formed a   
network two feet deep under the whole   
country4 ,a pipe at distances of a yard 
would suffice for every purpose40  8,i  
am afraid10 suggested ,robert1 8that the
 water which left the ,isle of ,man warm
 might lose a little of its virtue      
before it reached ,caithness1 for       
example40  8,there need not be any      
difficulty there4 ,every few miles a    
furnace might be arranged to keep up the
 temperature4 ,these are a few of my    
plans for the future1 ,robert1 and ,i   
shall want the co-operation of          
disinterested men like yourself in all  

of them4 ,but how brightly the sun      
shines1 and how sweet the countryside   
looks6 ,the world is very beautiful1 and
 ,i should like to leave it happier than
 ,i found it4 ,let us walk out together1
 ,robert1 and you will tell me of any   
fresh cases where ,i may be of          
assistance40     ,,chapter ,,ix4 ,a     
,,new ,,departure4   ,whatever good ,mr4
 ,raffles ,haw's wealth did to the      
world1 there could be no doubt that     
there were cases where it did harm4 ,the
 very contemplation and thought of it   
had upon many a disturbing and          
mischievous effect4 ,especially was this
 the case with the old gunmaker4 ,from  
being merely a querulous and grasping   
man1 he had now become bitter1 brooding1
 and dangerous4 ,week by week1 as he saw
 the tide of wealth flow as it were     
through his very house without being    
able to divert the smallest rill to     
nourish his own fortunes1 he became more
 wolfish and more hungry-eyed4 ,he spoke
 less of his own wrongs1 but he brooded 

more1 and would stand for hours on      
,tamfield ,hill looking down at the     
great palace beneath1 as a              
thirst-stricken man might gaze at the   
desert mirage4  ,he had worked1 and     
peeped1 and pried1 too1 until there were
 points upon which he knew more than    
either his son or his daughter4  8,i    
suppose that you still don't know where 
your friend gets his money80  he        
remarked to ,robert one morning1 as they
 walked together through the village4   
8,no1 father1 ,i do not4 ,i only know   
that he spends it very well40  8,well60 
snarled the old man4 8,yes1 very well6  
,he has helped every tramp and slut and 
worthless vagabond over the countryside1
 but he will not advance a pound1 even  
on the best security1 to help a         
respectable business man to fight       
against misfortune40  8,my dear father1 
,i really cannot argue with you about   
it10 said ,robert4 8,i have already told
 you more than once what ,i think4 ,mr4 
,haw's object is to help those who are  

destitute4 ,he looks upon us as his     
equals1 and would not presume to        
patronise us1 or to act as if we could  
not help ourselves4 ,it would be a      
humiliation to us to take his money40   
8,pshaw6 ,besides1 it is only a question
 of an advance1 and advances are made   
every day among business men4 ,how can  
you talk such nonsense1 ,robert80       
,early as it was1 his son could see from
 his excited1 quarrelsome manner that   
the old man had been drinking4 ,the     
habit had grown upon him of late1 and it
 was seldom now that he was entirely    
sober4  8,mr4 ,raffles ,haw is the best 
judge10 said ,robert coldly4 8,if he    
earns the money1 he has a right to spend
 it as he likes40  8,and how does he    
earn it8 ,you don't know1 ,robert4 ,you 
don't know that you aren't aiding and   
abetting a felony when you help him to  
fritter it away4 ,was ever so much money
 earned in an honest fashion8 ,i tell   
you there never was4 ,i tell you1 also1 
that lumps of gold are no more to that  

man than chunks of coal to the miners   
over yonder4 ,he could build his house  
of them and think nothing of it40  8,i  
know that he is very rich1 father4 ,i   
think1 however1 that he has an          
extravagant way of talking sometimes1   
and that his imagination carries him    
away4 ,i have heard him talk of plans   
which the richest man upon earth could  
not possibly hope to carry through40    
8,don't you make any mistake1 my son4   
,your poor old father isn't quite a     
fool1 though he is only an honest broken
 merchant40 ,he looked up sideways at   
his son with a wink and a most          
unpleasant leer4 8,where there's money  
,i can smell it4 ,there's money there1  
and heaps of it4 ,it's my belief that he
 is the richest man in the world1 though
 how he came to be so ,i should not like
 to guarantee4 ,i'm not quite blind yet1
 ,robert4 ,have you seen the weekly     
waggon80  8,the weekly waggon60  8,yes1 
,robert4 ,you see ,i can find some news 
for you yet4 ,it is due this morning4   

,every ,saturday morning you will see   
the waggon come in4 ,why1 here it is    
now1 as ,i am a living man1 coming round
 the curve40  ,robert glanced back and  
saw a great heavy waggon drawn by two   
strong horses lumbering slowly along the
 road which led to the ,new ,hall4 ,from
 the efforts of the animals and its slow
 pace the contents seemed to be of great
 weight4  8,just you wait here10 old    
,mc,intyre cried1 plucking at his son's 
sleeve with his thin bony hand4 8,wait  
here and see it pass4 ,then we will     
watch what becomes of it40  ,they stood 
by the side of the road until it came   
abreast of them4 ,the waggon was covered
 with tarpaulin sheetings in front and  
at the sides1 but behind some glimpse   
could be caught of the contents4 ,they  
consisted1 as far as ,robert could see1 
of a number of packets of the same      
shape1 each about two feet long and six 
inches high1 arranged symmetrically upon
 the top of each other4 ,each packet was
 surrounded by a covering of coarse     

sacking4  8,what do you think of that80 
asked old ,mc,intyre triumphantly as the
 load creaked past4  8,why1 father8     
,what do you make of it80  8,i have     
watched it1 ,robert--,i have watched it 
every ,saturday1 and ,i had my chance of
 looking a little deeper into it4 ,you  
remember the day when the elm blew down1
 and the road was blocked until they    
could saw it in two4 ,that was on a     
,saturday1 and the waggon came to a     
stand until they could clear a way for  
it4 ,i was there1 ,robert1 and ,i saw my
 chance4 ,i strolled behind the waggon1 
and ,i placed my hands upon one of those
 packets4 ,they look small1 do they not8
 ,it would take a strong man to lift    
one4 ,they are heavy1 ,robert1 heavy1   
and hard with the hardness of metal4 ,i 
tell you1 boy1 that that waggon is      
loaded with gold40  8,gold60  8,with    
solid bars of gold1 ,robert4 ,but come  
into the plantation and we shall see    
what becomes of it40  ,they passed      
through the lodge gates1 behind the     

waggon1 and then wandered off among the 
fir-trees until they gained a spot where
 they could command a view4 ,the load   
had halted1 not in front of the house1  
but at the door of the out-building with
 the chimney4 ,a staff of stablemen and 
footmen were in readiness1 who proceeded
 to swiftly unload and to carry the     
packages through the door4 ,it was the  
first time that ,robert had ever seen   
any one save the master of the house    
enter the laboratory4 ,no sign was seen 
of him now1 however1 and in half an hour
 the contents had all been safely stored
 and the waggon had driven briskly away4
  8,i cannot understand it1 father10    
said ,robert thoughtfully1 as they      
resumed their walk4 8,supposing that    
your supposition is correct1 who would  
send him such quantities of gold1 and   
where could it come from80  8,ha1 you   
have to come to the old man after all60 
chuckled his companion4 8,i can see the 
little game4 ,it is clear enough to me4 
,there are two of them in it1 you       

understand4 ,the other one gets the     
gold4 ,never mind how1 but we will hope 
that there is no harm4 ,let us suppose1 
for example1 that they have found a     
marvellous mine1 where you can just     
shovel it out like clay from a pit4     
,well1 then1 he sends it on to this one1
 and he has his furnaces and his        
chemicals1 and he refines and purifies  
it and makes it fit to sell4 ,that's my 
explanation of it1 ,robert4 ,eh1 has the
 old man put his finger on it80  8,but  
if that were true1 father1 the gold must
 go back again40  8,so it does1 ,robert1
 but a little at a time4 ,ha1 ha6 ,i've 
had my eyes open1 you see4 ,every night 
it goes down in a small cart1 and is    
sent on to ,london by the #g4dj4 ,not in
 bars this time1 but done up in         
iron-bound chests4 ,i've seen them1 boy1
 and ,i've had this hand upon them40    
8,well10 said the young man             
thoughtfully1 8maybe you are right4 ,it 
is possible that you are right40  ,while
 father and son were prying into his    

secrets1 ,raffles ,haw had found his way
 to ,elmdene1 where ,laura sat reading  
the ,queen by the fire4  8,i am so      
sorry10 she said1 throwing down her     
paper and springing to her feet4 8,they 
are all out except me4 ,but ,i am sure  
that they won't be long4 ,i expect      
,robert every moment40  8,i would rather
 speak with you alone10 answered        
,raffles ,haw quietly4 8,pray sit down1 
for ,i wanted to have a little chat with
 you40  ,laura resumed her seat with a  
flush upon her cheeks and a quickening  
of the breath4 ,she turned her face away
 and gazed into the fire2 but there was 
a sparkle in her eyes which was not     
caught from the leaping flames4  8,do   
you remember the first time that we met1
 ,miss ,mc,intyre80 he asked1 standing  
on the rug and looking down at her dark 
hair1 and the beautifully feminine curve
 of her ivory neck4  8,as if it were    
yesterday10 she answered in her sweet   
mellow tones4  8,then you must also     
remember the wild words that ,i said    

when we parted4 ,it was very foolish of 
me4 ,i am sure that ,i am most sorry if 
,i frightened or disturbed you1 but ,i  
have been a very solitary man for a long
 time1 and ,i have dropped into a bad   
habit of thinking aloud4 ,your voice1   
your face1 your manner1 were all so like
 my ideal of a true woman1 loving1      
faithful1 and sympathetic1 that ,i could
 not help wondering whether1 if ,i were 
a poor man1 ,i might ever hope to win   
the affection of such a one40  8,your   
good opinion1 ,mr4 ,raffles ,haw1 is    
very dear to me10 said ,laura4 8,i      
assure you that ,i was not frightened1  
and that there is no need to apologise  
for what was really a compliment40      
8,since then ,i have found10 he         
continued1 8that all that ,i had read   
upon your face was true4 ,that your mind
 is indeed that of the true woman1 full 
of the noblest and sweetest qualities   
which human nature can aspire to4 ,you  
know that ,i am a man of fortune1 but ,i
 wish you to dismiss that consideration 

from your mind4 ,do you think from what 
you know of my character that you could 
be happy as my wife1 ,laura80  ,she made
 no answer1 but still sat with her head 
turned away and her sparkling eyes fixed
 upon the fire4 ,one little foot from   
under her skirt tapped nervously upon   
the rug4  8,it is only right that you   
should know a little more about me      
before you decide4 ,there is1 however1  
little to know4 ,i am an orphan1 and1 as
 far as ,i know1 without a relation upon
 earth4 ,my father was a respectable    
man1 a country surgeon in ,wales1 and he
 brought me up to his own profession4   
,before ,i had passed my examinations1  
however1 he died and left me a small    
annuity4 ,i had conceived a great liking
 for the subjects of chemistry and      
electricity1 and instead of going on    
with my medical work ,i devoted myself  
entirely to these studies1 and          
eventually built myself a laboratory    
where ,i could follow out my own        
researches4 ,at about this time ,i came 

into a very large sum of money1 so large
 as to make me feel that a vast         
responsibility rested upon me in the use
 which ,i made of it4 ,after some       
thought ,i determined to build a large  
house in a quiet part of the country1   
not too far from a great centre4 ,there 
,i could be in touch with the world1 and
 yet would have quiet and leisure to    
mature the schemes which were in my     
head4 ,as it chanced1 ,i chose ,tamfield
 as my site4 ,all that remains now is to
 carry out the plans which ,i have made1
 and to endeavour to lighten the earth  
of some of the misery and injustice     
which weigh it down4 ,i again ask you1  
,laura1 will you throw in your lot with 
mine1 and help me in the life's work    
which lies before me80  ,laura looked up
 at him1 at his stringy figure1 his pale
 face1 his keen1 yet gentle eyes4       
,somehow as she looked there seemed to  
form itself beside him some shadow of   
,hector ,spurling1 the manly features1  
the clear1 firm mouth1 the frank manner4

 ,now1 in the very moment of her        
triumph1 it sprang clearly up in her    
mind how at the hour of their ruin he   
had stood firmly by them1 and had loved 
the penniless girl as tenderly as the   
heiress to fortune4 ,that last embrace  
at the door1 too1 came back to her1 and 
she felt his lips warm upon her own4    
8,i am very much honoured1 ,mr4 ,haw10  
she stammered1 8but this is so sudden4  
,i have not had time to think4 ,i do not
 know what to say40  8,do not let me    
hurry you10 he cried earnestly4 8,i beg 
that you will think well over it4 ,i    
shall come again for my answer4 ,when   
shall ,i come8 ,tonight80  8,yes1 come  
tonight40  8,then1 adieu4 ,believe me   
that ,i think more highly of you for    
your hesitation4 ,i shall live in hope40
 ,he raised her hand to his lips1 and   
left her to her own thoughts4  ,but what
 those thoughts were did not long remain
 in doubt4 ,dimmer and dimmer grew the  
vision of the distant sailor face1      
clearer and clearer the image of the    

vast palace1 of the queenly power1 of   
the diamonds1 the gold1 the ambitious   
future4 ,it all lay at her feet1 waiting
 to be picked up4 ,how could she have   
hesitated1 even for a moment8 ,she rose1
 and1 walking over to her desk1 she took
 out a sheet of paper and an envelope4  
,the latter she addressed to ,lieutenant
 ,spurling1 ,h4,m4,s4 ,active1          
,gibraltar4 ,the note cost some little  
trouble1 but at last she got it worded  
to her mind4     8,dear ,hector10 she   
said--8,i am convinced that your father 
has    never         entirely approved  
of our engagement1 otherwise he    would
 not have thrown obstacles in the way of
 our marriage4    ,i am sure1 too1 that 
since my poor father's misfortune it is 
only your own sense of honour and       
feeling of duty which have    kept you  
true to me1 and that you would have done
 infinitely    better had you never seen
 me4  ,i cannot bear1 ,hector1 to allow 
you to imperil your future for my sake1 
and ,i have determined1    after        

thinking well over the matter1 to       
release you from our    boy and girl    
engagement1 so that you may be entirely 
free in    every way4  ,it is possible  
that you may think it unkind of me    to
 do this now1 but ,i am quite sure1 dear
 ,hector1 that when you    are an       
admiral and a very distinguished man1   
you will look back    at this1 and you  
will see that ,i have been a true friend
 to you1    and have prevented you from 
making a false step early in your       
career4  ,for myself1 whether ,i marry  
or not1 ,i have determined    to devote 
the remainder of my life to trying to do
 good1 and to    leaving the world      
happier than ,i found it4  ,your father 
is very    well1 and gave us a capital  
sermon last ,sunday4  ,i enclose the    
bank-note which you asked me to keep for
 you4  ,good-bye1 for ever1    dear     
,hector1 and believe me when ,i say     
that1 come what may1 ,i am    ever your 
true friend1     8,laura ,s4            
,mc,intyre40  ,she had hardly sealed her

 letter before her father and ,robert   
returned4 ,she closed the door behind   
them1 and made them a little curtsey4   
8,i await my family's congratulations10 
she said1 with her head in the air4     
8,mr4 ,raffles ,haw has been here1 and  
he has asked me to be his wife40  8,the 
deuce he did60 cried the old man4 8,and 
you said--80  8,i am to see him again40 
8,and you will say--80  8,i will accept 
him40  8,you were always a good girl1   
,laura10 said old ,mc,intyre1 standing  
on his tiptoes to kiss her4  8,but      
,laura1 ,laura1 how about ,hector80     
asked ,robert in mild remonstrance4     
8,oh1 ,i have written to him10 his      
sister answered carelessly4 8,i wish you
 would be good enough to post the       
letter40     ,,chapter ,x4 ,,the ,,great
 ,,secret4   ,and so ,laura ,mc,intyre  
became duly engaged to ,raffles ,haw1   
and old ,mc,intyre grew even more       
hungry-looking as he felt himself a step
 nearer to the source of wealth1 while  
,robert thought less of work than ever1 

and never gave as much as a thought to  
the great canvas which still stood1     
dust-covered1 upon his easel4 ,haw gave 
,laura an engagement ring of old gold1  
with a great blazing diamond bulging out
 of it4 ,there was little talk about the
 matter1 however1 for it was ,haw's wish
 that all should be done very quietly4  
,nearly all his evenings were spent at  
,elmdene1 where he and ,laura would     
build up the most colossal schemes of   
philanthropy for the future4 ,with a map
 stretched out on the table in front of 
them1 these two young people would1 as  
it were1 hover over the world1 planning1
 devising1 and improving4  8,bless the  
girl60 said old ,mc,intyre to his son2  
8she speaks about it as if she were born
 to millions4 ,maybe1 when once she is  
married1 she won't be so ready to chuck 
her money into every mad scheme that her
 husband can think of40  8,laura is     
greatly changed10 ,robert answered2 8she
 has grown much more serious in her     
ideas40  8,you wait a bit60 sniggered   

his father4 8,she is a good girl1 is    
,laura1 and she knows what she is about4
 ,she's not a girl to let her old dad go
 to the wall if she can set him right4  
,it's a pretty state of things10 he     
added bitterly3 8here's my daughter     
going to marry a man who thinks no more 
of gold than ,i used to of gun-metal2   
and here's my son going about with all  
the money he cares to ask for to help   
every ne'er-do-well in ,staffordshire2  
and here's their father1 who loved them 
and cared for them1 and brought them    
both up1 without money enough very often
 to buy a bottle of brandy4 ,i don't    
know what your poor dear mother would   
have thought of it40  8,you have only to
 ask for what you want40  8,yes1 as if  
,i were a five-year-old child4 ,but ,i  
tell you1 ,robert1 ,i'll have my rights1
 and if ,i can't get them one way ,i    
will another4 ,i won't be treated as if 
,i were no one4 ,and there's one thing3 
if ,i am to be this man's pa-in-law1    
,i'll want to know something about him  

and his money first4 ,we may be poor1   
but we are honest4 ,i'll up to the ,hall
 now1 and have it out with him40 ,he    
seized his hat and stick and made for   
the door4  8,no1 no1 father10 cried     
,robert1 catching him by the sleeve4    
8,you had better leave the matter alone4
 ,mr4 ,haw is a very sensitive man4 ,he 
would not like to be examined upon such 
a point4 ,it might lead to a serious    
quarrel4 ,i beg that you will not go40  
8,i am not to be put off for ever10     
snarled the old man1 who had been       
drinking heavily4 8,i'll put my foot    
down now1 once and for ever40 ,he tugged
 at his sleeve to free himself from his 
son's grasp4  8,at least you shall not  
go without ,laura knowing4 ,i will call 
her down1 and we shall have her         
opinion40  8,oh1 ,i don't want to have  
any scenes10 said ,mc,intyre sulkily1   
relaxing his efforts4 ,he lived in dread
 of his daughter1 and at his worst      
moments the mention of her name would   
serve to restrain him4  8,besides10 said

 ,robert1 8,i have not the slightest    
doubt that ,raffles ,haw will see the   
necessity for giving us some sort of    
explanation before matters go further4  
,he must understand that we have some   
claim now to be taken into his          
confidence40  ,he had hardly spoken when
 there was a tap at the door1 and the   
man of whom they were speaking walked   
in4  8,good-morning1 ,mr4 ,mc,intyre10  
said he4 8,robert1 would you mind       
stepping up to the ,hall with me8 ,i    
want to have a little business chat40   
,he looked serious1 like a man who is   
carrying out something which he has well
 weighed4  ,they walked up together with
 hardly a word on either side4 ,raffles 
,haw was absorbed in his own thoughts4  
,robert felt expectant and nervous1 for 
he knew that something of importance lay
 before him4 ,the winter had almost     
passed now1 and the first young shoots  
were beginning to peep out timidly in   
the face of the wind and the rain of an 
,english ,march4 ,the snows were gone1  

but the countryside looked bleaker and  
drearier1 all shrouded in the haze from 
the damp1 sodden meadows4  8,by the way1
 ,robert10 said ,raffles ,haw suddenly1 
as they walked up the ,avenue4 8,has    
your great ,roman picture gone to       
,london80  8,i have not finished it     
yet40  8,but ,i know that you are a     
quick worker4 ,you must be nearly at the
 end of it40  8,no1 ,i am afraid that it
 has not advanced much since you saw it4
 ,for one thing1 the light has not been 
very good40  ,raffles ,haw said nothing1
 but a pained expression flashed over   
his face4 ,when they reached the house  
he led the way through the museum4 ,two 
great metal cases were lying on the     
floor4  8,i have a small addition there 
to the gem collection10 he remarked as  
he passed4 8,they only arrived last     
night1 and ,i have not opened them yet1 
but ,i am given to understand from the  
letters and invoices that there are some
 fine specimens4 ,we might arrange them 
this afternoon1 if you care to assist   

me4 ,let us go into the smoking-room    
now40  ,he threw himself down into a    
settee1 and motioned ,robert into the   
armchair in front of him4  8,light a    
cigar10 he said4 8,press the spring if  
there is any refreshment which you would
 like4 ,now1 my dear ,robert1 confess to
 me in the first place that you have    
often thought me mad40  ,the charge was 
so direct and so true that the young    
artist hesitated1 hardly knowing how to 
answer4  8,my dear boy1 ,i do not blame 
you4 ,it was the most natural thing in  
the world4 ,i should have looked upon   
anyone as a madman who had talked to me 
as ,i have talked to you4 ,but for all  
that1 ,robert1 you were wrong1 and ,i   
have never yet in our conversations     
proposed any scheme which it was not    
well within my power to carry out4 ,i   
tell you in all sober earnest that the  
amount of my income is limited only by  
my desire1 and that all the bankers and 
financiers combined could not furnish   
the sums which ,i can put forward       

without an effort40  8,i have had ample 
proof of your immense wealth10 said     
,robert4  8,and you are very naturally  
curious as to how that wealth was       
obtained4 ,well1 ,i can tell you one    
thing4 ,the money is perfectly clean4 ,i
 have robbed no one1 cheated no one1    
sweated no one1 ground no one down in   
the gaining of it4 ,i can read your     
father's eye1 ,robert4 ,i can see that  
he has done me an injustice in this     
matter4 ,well1 perhaps he is not to be  
blamed4 ,perhaps ,i also might think    
uncharitable things if ,i were ,in his  
place4 ,but that is why ,i now give an  
explanation to you1 ,robert1 and not to 
him4 ,you1 at least1 have trusted me1   
and you have a right1 before ,i become  
one of your family1 to know all that ,i 
can tell you4 ,laura also has trusted   
me1 but ,i know well that she is content
 still to trust me40  8,i would not     
intrude upon your secrets1 ,mr4 ,haw10  
said ,robert1 8but of course ,i cannot  
deny that ,i should be very proud and   

pleased if you cared to confide them to 
me40  8,and ,i will4 ,not all4 ,i do not
 think that ,i shall ever1 while ,i     
live1 tell all4 ,but ,i shall leave     
directions behind me so that when ,i die
 you may be able to carry on my         
unfinished work4 ,i shall tell you where
 those directions are to be found4 ,in  
the meantime1 you must be content to    
learn the effects which ,i produce      
without knowing every detail as to the  
means40  ,robert settled himself down in
 his chair and concentrated his         
attention upon his companion's words1   
while ,haw bent forward his eager1      
earnest face1 like a man who knows the  
value of the words which he is saying4  
8,you are already aware10 he remarked1  
8that ,i have devoted a great deal of   
energy and of time to the study of      
chemistry40  8,so you told me40  8,i    
commenced my studies under a famous     
,english chemist1 ,i continued them     
under the best man in ,france1 and ,i   
completed them in the most celebrated   

laboratory of ,germany4 ,i was not rich1
 but my father had left me enough to    
keep me comfortably1 and by living      
economically ,i had a sum at my command 
which enabled me to carry out my studies
 in a very complete way4 ,when ,i       
returned to ,england ,i built myself a  
laboratory in a quiet country place     
where ,i could work without distraction 
or interruption4 ,there ,i began a      
series of investigations which soon took
 me into regions of science to which    
none of the three famous men who taught 
me had ever penetrated4  8,you say1     
,robert1 that you have some slight      
knowledge of chemistry1 and you will    
find it easier to follow what ,i say4   
,chemistry is to a large extent an      
empirical science1 and the chance       
experiment may lead to greater results  
than could1 with our present data1 be   
derived from the closest study or the   
keenest reasoning4 ,the most important  
chemical discoveries from the first     
manufacture of glass to the whitening   

and refining of sugar have all been due 
to some happy chance which might have   
befallen a mere dabbler as easily as a  
deep student4  8,well1 it was to such a 
chance that my own great                
discovery--perhaps the greatest that the
 world has seen--was due1 though ,i may 
claim the credit of having originated   
the line of thought which led up to it4 
,i had frequently speculated as to the  
effect which powerful currents of       
electricity exercise upon any substance 
through which they are poured for a     
considerable time4 ,i did not here mean 
such feeble currents as are passed along
 a telegraph wire1 but ,i mean the very 
highest possible developments4 ,well1 ,i
 tried a series of experiments upon this
 point4 ,i found that in liquids1 and in
 compounds1 the force had a             
disintegrating effect4 ,the well-known  
experiment of the electrolysis of water 
will1 of course1 occur to you4 ,but ,i  
found that in the case of elemental     
solids the effect was a remarkable one4 

,the element slowly decreased in weight1
 without perceptibly altering in        
composition4 ,i hope that ,i make myself
 clear to you80  8,i follow you         
entirely10 said ,robert1 deeply         
interested in his companion's narrative4
  8,i tried upon several elements1 and  
always with the same result4 ,in every  
case an hour's current would produce a  
perceptible loss of weight4 ,my theory  
at that stage was that there was a      
loosening of the molecules caused by the
 electric fluid1 and that a certain     
number of these molecules were shed off 
like an impalpable dust1 all round the  
lump of earth or of metal1 which        
remained1 of course1 the lighter by     
their loss4 ,i had entirely accepted    
this theory1 when a very remarkable     
chance led me to completely alter my    
opinions4  8,i had one ,saturday night  
fastened a bar of bismuth in a clamp1   
and had attached it on either side to an
 electric wire1 in order to observe what
 effect the current would have upon it4 

,i had been testing each metal in turn1 
exposing them to the influence for from 
one to two hours4 ,i had just got       
everything in position1 and had         
completed my connection1 when ,i        
received a telegram to say that ,john   
,stillingfleet1 an old chemist in       
,london with whom ,i had been on terms  
of intimacy1 was dangerously ill1 and   
had expressed a wish to see me4 ,the    
last train was due to leave in twenty   
minutes1 and ,i lived a good mile from  
the station1 ,i thrust a few things into
 a bag1 locked my laboratory1 and ran as
 hard as ,i could to catch it4  8,it was
 not until ,i was in ,london that it    
suddenly occurred to me that ,i had     
neglected to shut off the current1 and  
that it would continue to pass through  
the bar of bismuth until the batteries  
were exhausted4 ,the fact1 however1     
seemed to be of small importance1 and ,i
 dismissed it from my mind4 ,i was      
detained in ,london until the ,tuesday  
night1 and it was ,wednesday morning    

before ,i got back to my work4 ,as ,i   
unlocked the laboratory door my mind    
reverted to the uncompleted experiment1 
and it struck me that in all probability
 my piece of bismuth would have been    
entirely disintegrated and reduced to   
its primitive molecules4 ,i was utterly 
unprepared for the truth4  8,when ,i    
approached the table ,i found1 sure     
enough1 that the bar of metal had       
vanished1 and that the clamp was empty4 
,having noted the fact1 ,i was about to 
turn away to something else1 when my    
attention was attracted to the fact that
 the table upon which the clamp stood   
was starred over with little patches of 
some liquid silvery matter1 which lay in
 single drops or coalesced into little  
pools4 ,i had a very distinct           
recollection of having thoroughly       
cleared the table before beginning my   
experiment1 so that this substance had  
been deposited there since ,i had left  
for ,london4 ,much interested1 ,i very  
carefully collected it all into one     

vessel1 and examined it minutely4 ,there
 could be no question as to what it was4
 ,it was the purest mercury1 and gave no
 response to any test for bismuth4  8,i 
at once grasped the fact that chance had
 placed in my hands a chemical discovery
 of the very first importance4 ,if      
bismuth were1 under certain conditions1 
to be subjected to the action of        
electricity1 it would begin by losing   
weight1 and would finally be transformed
 into mercury4 ,i had broken down the   
partition which separated two elements4 
8,but the process would be a constant   
one4 ,it would presumably prove to be a 
general law1 and not an isolated fact4  
,if bismuth turned into mercury1 what   
would mercury turn into8 ,there would be
 no rest for me until ,i had solved the 
question4 ,i renewed the exhausted      
batteries and passed the current through
 the bowl of quicksilver4 ,for sixteen  
hours ,i sat watching the metal1 marking
 how it slowly seemed to curdle1 to grow
 firmer1 to lose its silvery glitter and

 to take a dull yellow hue4 ,when ,i at 
last picked it up in a forceps1 and     
threw it upon the table1 it had lost    
every characteristic of mercury1 and had
 obviously become another metal4 ,a few 
simple tests were enough to show me that
 this other metal was platinum4  8,now1 
to a chemist1 there was something very  
suggestive in the order in which these  
changes had been effected4 ,perhaps you 
can see the relation1 ,robert1 which    
they bear to each other80  8,no1 ,i     
cannot say that ,i do40  ,robert had sat
 listening to this strange statement    
with parted lips and staring eyes4  8,i 
will show you4 ,speaking atomically1    
bismuth is the heaviest of the metals4  
,its atomic weight is #baj4 ,the next in
 weight is lead1 #bjg1 and then comes   
mercury at #bjj4 ,possibly the long     
period during which the current had     
acted in my absence had reduced the     
bismuth to lead and the lead in turn to 
mercury4 ,now platinum stands at #aig4e1
 and it was accordingly the next metal  

to be produced by the continued current4
 ,do you see now80  8,it is quite       
clear40  8,and then there came the      
inference1 which sent my heart into my  
mouth and caused my head to swim round4 
,gold is the next in the series4 ,its   
atomic weight is #aig4 ,i remembered    
now1 and for the first time understood  
why it was always lead and mercury winch
 were mentioned by the old alchemists as
 being the two metals which might be    
used in their calling4 ,with fingers    
which trembled with excitement ,i       
adjusted the wires again1 and in little 
more than an hour--for the length of the
 process was always in proportion to the
 difference in the metals--,i had before
 me a knob of ruddy crinkled metal1     
which answered to every reaction for    
gold4  8,well1 ,robert1 this is a long  
story1 but ,i think that you will agree 
with me that its importance justifies me
 in going into detail4 ,when ,i had     
satisfied myself that ,i had really     
manufactured gold ,i cut the nugget in  

two4 ,one half ,i sent to a jeweller and
 worker in precious metals1 with whom ,i
 had some slight acquaintance1 asking   
him to report upon the quality of the   
metal4 ,with the other half ,i continued
 my series of experiments1 and reduced  
it in successive stages through all the 
long series of metals1 through silver   
and zinc and manganese1 until ,i brought
 it to lithium1 which is the lightest of
 all40  8,and what did it turn to then80
 asked ,robert4  8,then came what to    
chemists is likely to be the most       
interesting portion of my discovery4 ,it
 turned to a greyish fine powder1 which 
powder gave no further results1 however 
much ,i might treat it with electricity4
 ,and that powder is the base of all    
things2 it is the mother of all the     
elements2 it is1 in short1 the substance
 whose existence has been recently      
surmised by a leading chemist1 and which
 has been christened protyle by him4 ,i 
am the discoverer of the great law of   
the electrical transposition of the     

metals1 and ,i am the first to          
demonstrate protyle1 so that1 ,i think1 
,robert1 if all my schemes in other     
directions come to nothing1 my name is  
at least likely to live in the chemical 
world4  8,there is not very much more   
for me to tell you4 ,i had my nugget    
back from my friend the jeweller1       
confirming my opinion as to its nature  
and its quality4 ,i soon found several  
methods by which the process might be   
simplified1 and especially a            
modification of the ordinary electric   
current1 which was very much more       
effective4 ,having made a certain amount
 of gold1 ,i disposed of it for a sum   
which enabled me to buy improved        
materials and stronger batteries4 ,in   
this way ,i enlarged my operations until
 at last ,i was in a position to build  
this house and to have a laboratory     
where ,i could carry out my work on a   
much larger scale4 ,as ,i said before1  
,i can now state with all truth that the
 amount of my income is only limited by 

my desires40  8,it is wonderful60 gasped
 ,robert4 8,it is like a fairy tale4    
,but with this great discovery in your  
mind you must have been sorely tempted  
to confide it to others40  8,i thought  
well over it4 ,i gave it every          
consideration4 ,it was obvious to me    
that if my invention were made public1  
its immediate result would be to deprive
 the present precious metals of all     
their special value4 ,some other        
substance--amber1 we will say1 or       
ivory--would be chosen as a medium for  
barter1 and gold would be inferior to   
brass1 as being heavier and yet not so  
hard4 ,no one would be the better for   
such a consummation as that4 ,now1 if ,i
 retained my secret1 and used it with   
wisdom1 ,i might make myself the        
greatest benefactor to mankind that has 
ever lived4 ,those were the chief       
reasons1 and ,i trust that they are not 
dishonourable ones1 which led me to form
 the resolution1 which ,i have today for
 the first time broken40  8,but your    

secret is safe with me10 cried ,robert4 
8,my lips shall be sealed until ,i have 
your permission to speak40  8,if ,i had 
not known that ,i could trust you ,i    
should have withheld it from your       
knowledge4 ,and now1 my dear ,robert1   
theory is very weak work1 and practice  
is infinitely more interesting4 ,i have 
given you more than enough of the first4
 ,if you will be good enough to         
accompany me to the laboratory ,i shall 
give you a little of the latter40       
,,chapter ,,xi4 ,a ,,chemical           
,,demonstration4   ,raffles ,haw led the
 way through the front door1 and        
crossing over the gravelled drive pushed
 open the outer door of the             
laboratory--the same through which the  
,mc,intyres had seen the packages       
conveyed from the waggon4 ,on passing   
through it ,robert found that they were 
not really within the building1 but     
merely in a large bare ante-chamber1    
around the walls of which were stacked  
the very objects which had aroused his  

curiosity and his father's speculations4
 ,all mystery had gone from them now1   
however1 for while some were still      
wrapped in their sackcloth coverings1   
others had been undone1 and revealed    
themselves as great pigs of lead4       
8,there is my raw material10 said       
,raffles ,haw carelessly1 nodding at the
 heap4 8,every ,saturday ,i have a      
waggon-load sent up1 which serves me for
 a week1 but we shall need to work      
double tides when ,laura and ,i are     
married1 and we get our great schemes   
under way4 ,i have to be very careful   
about the quality of the lead1 for1 of  
course1 every impurity is reproduced in 
the gold40  ,a heavy iron door led into 
the inner chamber4 ,haw unlocked it1 but
 only to disclose a second one about    
five feet further on4  8,this flooring  
is all disconnected at night10 he       
remarked4 8,i have no doubt that there  
is a good deal of gossip in the         
servants'-hall about this sealed        
chamber1 so ,i have to guard myself     

against some inquisitive ostler or too  
adventurous butler40  ,the inner door   
admitted them into the laboratory1 a    
high1 bare1 whitewashed room with a     
glass roof4 ,at one end was the furnace 
and boiler1 the iron mouth of which was 
closed1 though the fierce red light beat
 through the cracks1 and a dull roar    
sounded through the building4 ,on either
 side innumerable huge ,leyden jars     
stood ranged in rows1 tier topping tier1
 while above them were columns of       
,voltaic cells4 ,robert's eyes1 as he   
glanced around1 lit on vast wheels1     
complicated networks of wire1 stands1   
test-tubes1 coloured bottles1 graduated 
glasses1 ,bunsen burners1 porcelain     
insulators1 and all the varied debris of
 a chemical and electrical workshop4    
8,come across here10 said ,raffles ,haw1
 picking his way among the heaps of     
metal1 the coke1 the packing-cases1 and 
the carboys of acid4 8,yours is the     
first foot except my own which has ever 
penetrated to this room since the       

workmen left it4 ,my servants carry the 
lead into the ante-room1 but come no    
further4 ,the furnace can be cleaned and
 stoked from without4 ,i employ a fellow
 to do nothing else4 ,now take a look in
 here40  ,he threw open a door on the   
further side1 and motioned to the young 
artist to enter4 ,the latter stood      
silent with one foot over the threshold1
 staring in amazement around him4 ,the  
room1 which may have been some thirty   
feet square1 was paved and walled with  
gold4 ,great brick-shaped ingots1       
closely packed1 covered the whole floor1
 while on every side they were reared up
 in compact barriers to the very        
ceiling4 ,the single electric lamp which
 lighted the windowless chamber struck a
 dull1 murky1 yellow light from the vast
 piles of precious metal1 and gleamed   
ruddily upon the golden floor4  8,this  
is my treasure house10 remarked the     
owner4 8,you see that ,i have rather an 
accumulation just now4 ,my imports have 
been exceeding my exports4 ,you can     

understand that ,i have other and more  
important duties even than the making of
 gold1 just now4 ,this is where ,i store
 my output until ,i am ready to send it 
off4 ,every night almost ,i am in the   
habit of sending a case of it to        
,london4 ,i employ seventeen brokers in 
its sale4 ,each thinks that he is the   
only one1 and each is dying to know     
where ,i can get such large quantities  
of virgin gold4 ,they say that it is the
 purest which comes into the market4    
,the popular theory is1 ,i believe1 that
 ,i am a middleman acting on behalf of  
some new ,south ,african mine1 which    
wishes to keep its whereabouts a secret4
 ,what value would you put upon the gold
 in this chamber8 ,it ought to be worth 
something1 for it represents nearly a   
week's work40  8,something fabulous1 ,i 
have no doubt10 said ,robert1 glancing  
round at the yellow barriers4 8,shall ,i
 say a hundred and fifty thousand       
pounds80  8,oh dear me1 it is surely    
worth very much more than that10 cried  

,raffles ,haw1 laughing4 8,let me see4  
,suppose that we put it at three ten an 
ounce1 which is nearly ten shillings    
under the mark4 ,that makes1 roughly1   
fifty-six pounds for a pound in weight4 
,now each of these ingots weighs        
thirty-six pounds1 which brings their   
value to two thousand and a few odd     
pounds4 ,there are five hundred ingots  
on each of these three sides of the     
room1 but on the fourth there are only  
three hundred1 on account of the door1  
but there cannot be less than two       
hundred on the floor1 which gives us a  
rough total of two thousand ingots4 ,so 
you see1 my dear boy1 that any broker   
who could get the contents of this      
chamber for four million pounds would be
 doing a nice little stroke of          
business40  8,and a week's work60 gasped
 ,robert4 8,it makes my head swim40     
8,you will follow me now when ,i repeat 
that none of the great schemes which ,i 
intend to simultaneously set in motion  
are at all likely to languish for want  

of funds4 ,now come into the laboratory 
with me and see how it is done40  ,in   
the centre of the workroom was an       
instrument like a huge vice1 with two   
large brass-coloured plates1 and a great
 steel screw for bringing them together4
 ,numerous wires ran into these metal   
plates1 and were attached at the other  
end to the rows of dynamic machines4    
,beneath was a glass stand1 which was   
hollowed out in the centre into a       
succession of troughs4  8,you will soon 
understand all about it10 said ,raffles 
,haw1 throwing off his coat1 and pulling
 on a smoke-stained and dirty linen     
jacket4 8,we must first stoke up a      
little40 ,he put his weight on a pair of
 great bellows1 and an answering roar   
came from the furnace4 8,that will do4  
,the more heat the more electric force1 
and the quicker our task4 ,now for the  
lead6 ,just give me a hand in carrying  
it40  ,they lifted a dozen of the pigs  
of lead from the floor on to the glass  
stand1 and having adjusted the plates on

 either side1 ,haw screwed up the handle
 so as to hold them in position4  8,it  
used in the early days to be a slow     
process10 he remarked2 8but now that ,i 
have immense facilities for my work it  
takes a very short time4 ,i have now    
only to complete the connection in order
 to begin40  ,he took hold of a long    
glass lever which projected from among  
the wires1 and drew it downwards4 ,a    
sharp click was heard1 followed by a    
loud1 sparkling1 crackling noise4 ,great
 spurts of flame sprang from the two    
electrodes1 and the mass of lead was    
surrounded by an aureole of golden      
sparks1 which hissed and snapped like   
pistol-shots4 ,the air was filled with  
the peculiar acid smell of ozone4  8,the
 power there is immense10 said ,raffles 
,haw1 superintending the process1 with  
his watch upon the palm of his hand4    
8,it would reduce an organic substance  
to protyle instantly4 ,it is well to    
understand the mechanism thoroughly1 for
 any mistake might be a grave matter for

 the operator4 ,you are dealing with    
gigantic forces4 ,but you perceive that 
the lead is already beginning to turn40 
,silvery dew-like drops had indeed begun
 to form upon the dull-coloured mass1   
and to drop with a tinkle and splash    
into the glass troughs4 ,slowly the lead
 melted away1 like an icicle in the sun1
 the electrodes ever closing upon it as 
it contracted1 until they came together 
in the centre1 and a row of pools of    
quicksilver had taken the place of the  
solid metal4 ,two smaller electrodes    
were plunged into the mercury1 which    
gradually curdled and solidified1 until 
it had resumed the solid form1 with a   
yellowish brassy shimmer4  8,what lies  
in the moulds now is platinum10 remarked
 ,raffles ,haw4 8,we must take it from  
the troughs and refix it in the large   
electrodes4 ,so6 ,now we turn on the    
current again4 ,you see that it         
gradually takes a darker and richer     
tint4 ,now ,i think that it is perfect40
 ,he drew up the lever1 removed the     

electrodes1 and there lay a dozen bricks
 of ruddy sparkling gold4  8,you see1   
according to our calculations1 our      
morning's work has been worth           
twenty-four thousand pounds1 and it has 
not taken us more than twenty minutes10 
remarked the alchemist1 as he picked up 
the newly-made ingots1 and threw them   
down among the others4  8,we will devote
 one of them to experiment10 said he1   
leaving the last standing upon the glass
 insulator4 8,to the world it would seem
 an expensive demonstration which cost  
two thousand pounds1 but our standard1  
you see1 is a different one4 ,now you   
will see me run through the whole gamut 
of metallic nature40  ,first of all men 
after the discoverer1 ,robert saw the   
gold mass1 when the electrodes were     
again applied to it1 change swiftly and 
successively to barium1 to tin1 to      
silver1 to copper1 to iron4 ,he saw the 
long white electric sparks change to    
crimson with the strontium1 to purple   
with the potassium1 to yellow with the  

manganese4 ,then1 finally1 after a      
hundred transformations1 it             
disintegrated before his eyes1 and lay  
as a little mound of fluffy grey dust   
upon the glass table4  8,and this is    
protyle10 said ,haw1 passing his fingers
 through it4 8,the chemist of the future
 may resolve it into further            
constituents1 but to me it is the       
,ultima ,thule40  8,and now1 ,robert10  
he continued1 after a pause1 8,i have   
shown you enough to enable you to       
understand something of my system4 ,this
 is the great secret4 ,it is the secret 
which endows the man who knows it with  
such a universal power as no man has    
ever enjoyed since the world was made4  
,this secret it is the dearest wish of  
my heart to use for good1 and ,i swear  
to you1 ,robert ,mc,intyre1 that if ,i  
thought it would tend to anything but   
good ,i would have done with it for     
ever4 ,no1 ,i would neither use it      
myself nor would any other man learn it 
from my lips4 ,i swear it by all that is

 holy and solemn60  ,his eyes flashed as
 he spoke1 and his voice quivered with  
emotion4 ,standing1 pale and lanky1 amid
 his electrodes and his retorts1 there  
was still something majestic about this 
man1 who1 amid all his stupendous good  
fortune1 could still keep his moral     
sense undazzled by the glitter of his   
gold4 ,robert's weak nature had never   
before realised the strength which lay  
in those thin1 firm lips and earnest    
eyes4  8,surely in your hands1 ,mr4     
,haw1 nothing but good can come of it10 
he said4  8,i hope not--,i pray         
not--most earnestly do ,i pray not4 ,i  
have done for you1 ,robert1 what ,i     
might not have done for my own brother  
had ,i one1 and ,i have done it because 
,i believe and hope that you are a man  
who would not use this power1 should you
 inherit it1 for selfish ends4 ,but even
 now ,i have not told you all4 ,there is
 one link which ,i have withheld from   
you1 and which shall be withheld from   
you while ,i live4 ,but look at this    

chest1 ,robert40  ,he led him to a great
 iron-clamped chest which stood in the  
corner1 and1 throwing it open1 he took  
from it a small case of carved ivory4   
8,inside this10 he said1 8,i have left a
 paper which makes clear anything which 
is still hidden from you4 ,should       
anything happen to me you will always be
 able to inherit my powers1 and to      
continue my plans by following the      
directions which are there expressed4   
,and now10  he continued1 throwing his  
casket back again into the box1 8,i     
shall frequently require your help1 but 
,i do not think it will be necessary    
this morning4 ,i have already taken up  
too much of your time4 ,if you are going
 back to ,elmdene ,i wish that you would
 tell ,laura that ,i shall be with her  
in the afternoon40     ,,chapter ,,xii4 
,a ,,family ,,jar4   ,and so the great  
secret was out1 and ,robert walked home 
with his head in a whirl1 and the blood 
tingling in his veins4 ,he had shivered 
as he came up at the damp cold of the   

wind and the sight of the mist-mottled  
landscape4 ,that was all gone now4 ,his 
own thoughts tinged everything with     
sunshine1 and he felt inclined to sing  
and dance as he walked down the muddy1  
deeply-rutted country lane4 ,wonderful  
had been the fate allotted to ,raffles  
,haw1 but surely hardly less important  
that which had come upon himself4 ,he   
was the sharer of the alchemist's       
secret1 and the heir to an inheritance  
which combined a wealth greater than    
that of monarchs1 to a freedom such as  
monarchs cannot enjoy4 ,this was a      
destiny indeed6 ,a thousand gold-tinted 
visions of his future life rose up      
before him1 and in fancy he already sat 
high above the human race1 with         
prostrate thousands imploring his aid1  
or thanking him for his benevolence4    
,how sordid seemed the untidy garden1   
with its scrappy bushes and gaunt elm   
trees6 ,how mean the plain brick front1 
with the green wooden porch6 ,it had    
always offended his artistic sense1 but 

now it was obtrusive in its ugliness4   
,the plain room1 too1 with the ,american
 leather chairs1 the dull-coloured      
carpet1 and the patchwork rug1 he felt a
 loathing for it all4 ,the only pretty  
thing in it1 upon which his eyes could  
rest with satisfaction1 was his sister1 
as she leaned back in her chair by the  
fire with her white1 clear beautiful    
face outlined against the dark          
background4  8,do you know1 ,robert10   
she said1 glancing up at him from under 
her long black lashes1 8,papa grows     
unendurable4 ,i have had to speak very  
plainly to him1 and to make him         
understand that ,i am marrying for my   
own benefit and not for his40  8,where  
is he1 then80  8,i don't know4 ,at the  
,three ,pigeons1 no doubt4 ,he spends   
most of his time there now4 ,he flew off
 in a passion1 and talked such nonsense 
about marriage settlements1 and         
forbidding the banns1 and so on4 ,his   
notion of a marriage settlement appears 
to be a settlement upon the bride's     

father4 ,he should wait quietly1 and see
 what can be done for him40  8,i think1 
,laura1 that we must make a good deal of
 allowance for him10  said ,robert      
earnestly4 8,i have noticed a great     
change in him lately4 ,i don't think he 
is himself at all4 ,i must get some     
medical advice4 ,but ,i have been up at 
the ,hall this morning40  8,have you8   
,have you seen ,raffles8 ,did he send   
anything for me80  8,he said that he    
would come down when he had finished his
 work40  8,but what is the matter1      
,robert80 cried ,laura1 with the swift  
perception of womanhood4 8,you are      
flushed1 and your eyes are shining1 and 
really you look quite handsome4 ,raffles
 has been telling you something6 ,what  
was it8 ,oh1 ,i know6 ,he has been      
telling you how he made his money4      
,hasn't he1 now80  8,well1 yes4 ,he took
 me partly into his confidence4 ,i      
congratulate you1 ,laura1 with all my   
heart1 for you will be a very wealthy   
woman40  8,how strange it seems that he 

should have come to us in our poverty4  
,it is all owing to you1 you dear old   
,robert2 for if he had not taken a fancy
 to you1 he would never have come down  
to ,elmdene and taken a fancy to some   
one else40  8,not at all10 ,robert      
answered1 sitting down by his sister1   
and patting her hand affectionately4    
8,it was a clear case of love at first  
sight4 ,he was in love with you before  
he ever knew your name4 ,he asked me    
about you the very first time ,i saw    
him40  8,but tell me about his money1   
,bob10 said his sister4 8,he has not    
told me yet1 and ,i am so curious4 ,how 
did he make it8 ,it was not from his    
father2 he told me that himself4 ,his   
father was just a country doctor4 ,how  
did he do it80  8,i am bound over to    
secrecy4 ,he will tell you himself40    
8,oh1 but only tell me if ,i guess      
right4 ,he had it left him by an uncle1 
eh8 ,well1 by a friend8 ,or he took out 
some wonderful patent8 ,or he discovered
 a mine8 ,or oil8 ,do tell me1 ,robert60

  8,i mustn't1 really10 cried her       
brother laughing4 8,and ,i must not talk
 to you any more4 ,you are much too     
sharp4 ,i feel a responsibility about   
it2 and1 besides1 ,i must really do some
 work40  8,it ,is very unkind of you10  
said ,laura1 pouting4 8,but ,i must put 
my things on1 for ,i go into ,birmingham
 by the #a4bj40  8,to ,birmingham80     
8,yes1 ,i have a hundred things to      
order4 ,there is everything to be got4  
,you men forget about these details4    
,raffles wishes to have the wedding in  
little more than a fortnight4 ,of course
 it will be very quiet1 but still one   
needs something40  8,so early as that60 
said ,robert1 thoughtfully4 8,well1     
perhaps it is better so40  8,much       
better1 ,robert4 ,would it not be       
dreadful if ,hector came back first and 
there was a scene8 ,if ,i were once     
married ,i should not mind4 ,why should 
,i8 ,but of course ,raffles knows       
nothing about him1 and it would be      
terrible if they came together40  8,that

 must be avoided at any cost40  8,oh1 ,i
 cannot bear even to think of it4 ,poor 
,hector6 ,and yet what could ,i do1     
,robert8 ,you know that it was only a   
boy and girl affair4 ,and how could ,i  
refuse such an offer as this8 ,it was a 
duty to my family1 was it not80  8,you  
were placed in a difficult              
position--very difficult10 her brother  
answered4 8,but all will be right1 and  
,i have no doubt ,hector will see it as 
you do4 ,but does ,mr4 ,spurling know of
 your engagement80  8,not a word4 ,he   
was here yesterday1 and talked of       
,hector1 but indeed ,i did not know how 
to tell him4 ,we are to be married by   
special licence in ,birmingham1 so      
really there is no reason why he should 
know4 ,but now ,i must hurry or ,i shall
 miss my train40  ,when his sister was  
gone ,robert went up to his studio1 and 
having ground some colours upon his     
palette he stood for some time1 brush   
and mahlstick in hand1 in front of his  
big bare canvas4 ,but how profitless all

 his work seemed to him now6 ,what      
object had he in doing it8 ,was it to   
earn money8 ,money could be had for the 
asking1 or1 for that matter1 without the
 asking4 ,or was it to produce a thing  
of beauty8 ,but he had artistic faults4 
,raffles ,haw had said so1 and he knew  
that he was right4 ,after all his pains 
the thing might not please2 and with    
money he could at all times buy pictures
 which would please1 and which would be 
things of beauty4 ,what1 then1 was the  
object of his working8 ,he could see    
none4 ,he threw down his brush1 and1    
lighting his pipe1 he strolled          
downstairs once more4  ,his father was  
standing in front of the fire1 and in no
 very good humour1 as his red face and  
puckered eyes sufficed to show4  8,well1
 ,robert10 he began1 8,i suppose that1  
as usual1 you have spent your morning   
plotting against your father80  8,what  
do you mean1 father80  8,i mean what ,i 
say4 ,what is it but plotting when three
 folk--you and she and this ,raffles    

,haw--whisper and arrange and have      
meetings without a word to me about it8 
,what do ,i know of your plans80  8,i   
cannot tell you secrets which are not my
 own1 father40  8,but ,i'll have a voice
 in the matter1 for all that4 ,secrets  
or no secrets1 you will find that ,laura
 has a father1 and that he is not a man 
to be set aside4 ,i may have had my ups 
and downs in trade1 but ,i have not     
quite fallen so low that ,i am nothing  
in my own family4 ,what am ,i to get out
 of this precious marriage80  8,what    
should you get8 ,surely ,laura's        
happiness and welfare are enough for    
you80  8,if this man were really fond of
 ,laura he would show proper            
consideration for ,laura's father4 ,it  
was only yesterday that ,i asked him for
 a loan-condescended actually to ask for
 it--,i1 who have been within an ace of 
being ,mayor of ,birmingham6 ,and he    
refused me point blank40  8,oh1 father6 
,how could you expose yourself to such  
humiliation80  8,refused me point       

blank60 cried the old man excitedly4    
8,it was against his principles1 if you 
please4 ,but ,i'll be even with him--you
 see if ,i am not4 ,i know one or two   
things about him4 ,what is it they call 
him at the ,three ,pigeons8 ,a          
'smasher'--that's the word-a coiner of  
false money4 ,why else should he have   
this metal sent him1 and that great     
smoky chimney of his going all day80    
8,why can you not leave him alone1      
father80 expostulated ,robert4 8,you    
seem to think of nothing but his money4 
,if he had not a penny he would still be
 a very kind-hearted1 pleasant          
gentleman40  ,old ,mc,intyre burst into 
a hoarse laugh4  8,i like to hear you   
preach10 said he4 8,without a penny1    
indeed6 ,do you think that you would    
dance attendance upon him if he were a  
poor man8 ,do you think that ,laura     
would ever have looked twice at him8    
,you know as well as ,i do that she is  
marrying him only for his money40       
,robert gave a cry of dismay4 ,there was

 the alchemist standing in the doorway1 
pale and silent1 looking from one to the
 other of them with his searching eyes4 
8,i must apologise10 he said coldly4 8,i
 did not mean to listen to your words4  
,i could not help it4 ,but ,i have heard
 them4 ,as to you1 ,mr4 ,mc,intyre1 ,i  
believe that you speak from your own bad
 heart4 ,i will not let myself be moved 
by your words4 ,in ,robert ,i have a    
true friend4 ,laura also loves me for my
 own sake4 ,you cannot shake my faith in
 them4 ,but with you1 ,mr4 ,mc,intyre1  
,i have nothing in common2 and it is as 
well1 perhaps1 that we should both      
recognise the fact40  ,he bowed1 and was
 gone ere either of the ,mc,intyres     
could say a word4  8,you see60 said     
,robert at last4 8,you have done now    
what you cannot undo60  8,i will be even
 with him60 cried the old man furiously1
 shaking his fist through the window at 
the dark slow-pacing figure4 8,you just 
wait1 ,robert1 and see if your old dad  
is a man to be played with40            

,,chapter ,,xiii4 ,a ,,midnight         
,,venture4   ,not a word was said to    
,laura when she returned as to the scene
 which had occurred in her absence4 ,she
 was in the gayest of spirits1 and      
prattled merrily about her purchases and
 her arrangements1 wondering from time  
to time when ,raffles ,haw would come4  
,as night fell1 however1 without any    
word from him1 she became uneasy4       
8,what can be the matter that he does   
not come80 she said4 8,it is the first  
day since our engagement that ,i have   
not seen him40  ,robert looked out      
through the window4  8,it is a gusty    
night1 and raining hard10 he remarked4  
8,i do not at all expect him40  8,poor  
,hector used to come1 rain1 snow1 or    
fine4 ,but1 then1 of course1 he was a   
sailor4 ,it was nothing to him4 ,i hope 
that ,raffles is not ill40  8,he was    
quite well when ,i saw him this         
morning10 answered her brother1 and they
 relapsed into silence1 while the rain  
pattered against the windows1 and the   

wind screamed amid the branches of the  
elms outside4  ,old ,mc,intyre had sat  
in the corner most of the day biting his
 nails and glowering into the fire1 with
 a brooding1 malignant expression upon  
his wrinkled features4 ,contrary to his 
usual habits1 he did not go to the      
village inn1 but shuffled off early to  
bed without a word to his children4     
,laura and ,robert remained chatting for
 some time by the fire1 she talking of  
the thousand and one wonderful things   
which were to be done when she was      
mistress of the ,new ,hall4 ,there was  
less philanthropy in her talk when her  
future husband was absent1 and ,robert  
could not but remark that her carriages1
 her dresses1 her receptions1 and her   
travels in distant countries were the   
topics into which she threw all the     
enthusiasm which he had formerly heard  
her bestow upon refuge homes and labour 
organisations4  8,i think that greys are
 the nicest horses10 she said4 8,bays   
are nice too1 but greys are more showy4 

,we could manage with a brougham and a  
landau1 and perhaps a high dog-cart for 
,raffles4 ,he has the coach-house full  
at present1 but he never uses them1 and 
,i am sure that those fifty horses would
 all die for want of exercise1 or get   
livers like ,strasburg geese1 if they   
waited for him to ride or drive them40  
8,i suppose that you will still live    
here80 said her brother4  8,we must have
 a house in ,london as well1 and run up 
for the season4 ,i don't1 of course1    
like to make suggestions now1 but it    
will be different afterwards4 ,i am sure
 that ,raffles will do it if ,i ask him4
 ,it is all very well for him to say    
that he does not want any thanks or     
honours1 but ,i should like to know what
 is the use of being a public benefactor
 if you are to have no return for it4 ,i
 am sure that if he does only half what 
he talks of doing1 they will make him a 
peer--,lord ,tamfield1 perhaps--and     
then1 of course1 ,i shall be my ,lady   
,tamfield1 and what would you think of  

that1 ,bob80 ,she dropped him a stately 
curtsey1 and tossed her head in the air1
 as one who was born to wear a coronet4 
8,father must be pensioned off10 she    
remarked presently4 8,he shall have so  
much a year on condition that he keeps  
away4 ,as to you1 ,bob1 ,i don't know   
what we shall do for you4 ,we shall make
 you ,president of the ,royal ,academy  
if money can do it40  ,it was late      
before they ceased building their       
air-castles and retired to their rooms4 
,but ,robert's brain was excited1 and he
 could not sleep4 ,the events of the day
 had been enough to shake a stronger    
man4 ,there had been the revelation of  
the morning1 the strange sights which he
 had witnessed in the laboratory1 and   
the immense secret which had been       
confided to his keeping4 ,then there had
 been his conversation with his father  
in the afternoon1 their disagreement1   
and the sudden intrusion of ,raffles    
,haw4 ,finally the talk with his sister 
had excited his imagination1 and driven 

sleep from his eyelids4 ,in vain he     
turned and twisted in his bed1 or paced 
the floor of his chamber4 ,he was not   
only awake1 but abnormally awake1 with  
every nerve highly strung1 and every    
sense at the keenest4 ,what was he to do
 to gain a little sleep8 ,it flashed    
across him that there was brandy in the 
decanter downstairs1 and that a glass   
might act as a sedative4  ,he had opened
 the door of his room1 when suddenly his
 ear caught the sound of slow and       
stealthy footsteps upon the stairs4 ,his
 own lamp was unlit1 but a dim glimmer  
came from a moving taper1 and a long    
black shadow travelled down the wall4   
,he stood motionless1 listening         
intently4 ,the steps were in the hall   
now1 and he heard a gentle creaking as  
the key was cautiously turned in the    
door4 ,the next instant there came a    
gust of cold air1 the taper was         
extinguished1 and a sharp snap announced
 that the door had been closed from     
without4  ,robert stood astonished4 ,who

 could this night wanderer be8 ,it must 
be his father4 ,but what errand could   
take him out at three in the morning8   
,and such a morning1 too6 ,with every   
blast of the wind the rain beat up      
against his chamber-window as though it 
would drive it in4 ,the glass rattled in
 the frames1 and the tree outside       
creaked and groaned as its great        
branches were tossed about by the gale4 
,what could draw any man forth upon such
 a night8  ,hurriedly ,robert struck a  
match and lit his lamp4 ,his father's   
room was opposite his own1 and the door 
was ajar4 ,he pushed it open and looked 
about him4 ,it was empty4 ,the bed had  
not even been lain upon4 ,the single    
chair stood by the window1 and there the
 old man must have sat since he left    
them4 ,there was no book1 no paper1 no  
means by which he could have amused     
himself1 nothing but a razor-strop lying
 on the window-sill4  ,a feeling of     
impending misfortune struck cold to     
,robert's heart4 ,there was some        

ill-meaning in this journey of his      
father's4 ,he thought of his brooding of
 yesterday1 his scowling face1 his      
bitter threats4 ,yes1 there was some    
mischief underlying it4 ,but perhaps he 
might even now be in time to prevent it4
 ,there was no use calling ,laura4 ,she 
could be no help in the matter4 ,he     
hurriedly threw on his clothes1 muffled 
himself in his top-coat1 and1 seizing   
his hat and stick1 he set off after his 
father4  ,as he came out into the       
village street the wind whirled down it1
 so that he had to put his ear and      
shoulder against it1 and push his way   
forward4 ,it was better1 however1 when  
he turned into the lane4 ,the high bank 
and the hedge sheltered him upon one    
side4 ,the road1 however1 was deep in   
mud1 and the rain fell in a steady      
swish4 ,not a soul was to be seen1 but  
he needed to make no inquiries1 for he  
knew whither his father had gone as     
certainly as though he had seen him4    
,the iron side gate of the avenue was   

half open1 and ,robert stumbled his way 
up the gravelled drive amid the dripping
 fir-trees4 ,what could his father's    
intention be when he reached the ,hall8 
,was it merely that he wished to spy and
 prowl1 or did he intend to call up the 
master and enter into some discussion as
 to his wrongs8 ,or was it possible that
 some blacker and more sinister design  
lay beneath his strange doings8 ,robert 
thought suddenly of the razor-strop1 and
 gasped with horror4 ,what had the old  
man been doing with that8 ,he quickened 
his pace to a run1 and hurried on until 
he found himself at the door of the     
,hall4  ,thank ,god6 all was quiet      
there4 ,he stood by the big silent door 
and listened intently4 ,there was       
nothing to be heard save the wind and   
the rain4 ,where1 then1 could his father
 be8 ,if he wished to enter the ,hall he
 would not attempt to do so by one of   
the windows1 for had he not been present
 when ,raffles ,haw had shown them the  
precautions which he had taken8 ,but    

then a sudden thought struck ,robert4   
,there was one window which was left    
unguarded4 ,haw had been imprudent      
enough to tell them so4 ,it was the     
middle window of the laboratory4 ,if he 
remembered it so clearly1 of course his 
father would remember it too4 ,there was
 the point of danger4  ,the moment that 
he had come round the corner of the     
building he found that his surmise had  
been correct4 ,an electric lamp burned  
in the laboratory1 and the silver       
squares of the three large windows stood
 out clear and bright in the darkness4  
,the centre one had been thrown open1   
and1 even as he gazed1 ,robert saw a    
dark monkey-like figure spring up on to 
the sill1 and vanish into the room      
beyond4 ,for a moment only it outlined  
itself against the brilliant light      
beyond1 but in that moment ,robert had  
space to see that it was indeed his     
father4 ,on tiptoe he crossed the       
intervening space1 and peeped in through
 the open window4 ,it was a singular    

spectacle which met his eyes4  ,there   
stood upon the glass table some         
half-dozen large ingots of gold1 which  
had been made the night before1 but     
which had not been removed to the       
treasure-house4 ,on these the old man   
had thrown himself1 as one who enters   
into his rightful inheritance4 ,he lay  
across the table1 his arms clasping the 
bars of gold1 his cheek pressed against 
them1 crooning and muttering to himself4
 ,under the clear1 still light1 amid the
 giant wheels and strange engines1 that 
one little dark figure clutching and    
clinging to the ingots had in it        
something both weird and piteous4  ,for 
five minutes or more ,robert stood in   
the darkness amid the rain1 looking in  
at this strange sight1 while his father 
hardly moved save to cuddle closer to   
the gold1 and to pat it with his thin   
hands4 ,robert was still uncertain what 
he should do1 when his eyes wandered    
from the central figure and fell on     
something else which made him give a    

little cry of astonishment--a cry which 
was drowned amid the howling of the     
gale4  ,raffles ,haw was standing in the
 corner of the room4 ,where he had come 
from ,robert could not say1 but he was  
certain that he had not been there when 
he first looked in4 ,he stood silent1   
wrapped in some long1 dark              
dressing-gown1 his arms folded1 and a   
bitter smile upon his pale face4 ,old   
,mc,intyre seemed to see him at almost  
the same moment1 for he snarled out an  
oath1 and clutched still closer at his  
treasure1 looking slantwise at the      
master of the house with furtive1       
treacherous eyes4  8,and it has really  
come to this60 said ,haw at last1 taking
 a step forward4 8,you have actually    
fallen so low1 ,mr4 ,mc,intyre1 as to   
steal into my house at night like a     
common burglar4 ,you knew that this     
window was unguarded4 ,i remember       
telling you as much4 ,but ,i did not    
tell you what other means ,i had adopted
 by which ,i might be warned if knaves  

made an entrance4 ,but that you should  
have come6 ,you60  ,the old gunmaker    
made no attempt to justify himself1 but 
he muttered some few hoarse words1 and  
continued to cling to the treasure4  8,i
 love your daughter10 said ,raffles     
,haw1 8and for her sake ,i will not     
expose you4 ,your hideous and infamous  
secret shall be safe with me4 ,no ear   
shall hear what has happened this night4
 ,i will not1 as ,i might1 arouse my    
servants and send for the police4 ,but  
you must leave my house without further 
words4 ,i have nothing more to say to   
you4 ,go as you have come40  ,he took a 
step forward1 and held out his hand as  
if to detach the old man's grasp from   
the golden bars4 ,the other thrust his  
hand into the breast of his coat1 and   
with a shrill scream of rage flung      
himself upon the alchemist4 ,so sudden  
and so fierce was the movement that ,haw
 had no time for defence4 ,a bony hand  
gripped him by the throat1 and the blade
 of a razor flashed in the air4         

,fortunately1 as it fell1 the weapon    
struck against one of the many wires    
which spanned the room1 and flying out  
of the old man's grasp1 tinkled upon the
 stone floor4 ,but1 though disarmed1 he 
was still dangerous4 ,with a horrible   
silent energy he pushed ,haw back and   
back until1 coming to a bench1 they both
 fell over it1 ,mc,intyre remaining     
uppermost4 ,his other hand was on the   
alchemist's throat1 and it might have   
fared ill with him had ,robert not      
climbed through the window and dragged  
his father off from him4 ,with the aid  
of ,haw1 he pinned the old man down1 and
 passed a long cravat around his arms4  
,it was terrible to look at him1 for his
 face was convulsed1 his eyes bulging   
from his head1 and his lips white with  
foam4  ,haw leaned against the glass    
table panting1 with his hand to his     
side4  8,you here1 ,robert80 he gasped4 
8,is it not horrible8 ,how did you      
come80  8,i followed him4 ,i heard him  
go out40  8,he would have robbed me4    

,and he would have murdered me4 ,but he 
is mad--stark1 staring mad60  ,there    
could be no doubt of it4 ,old ,mc,intyre
 was sitting up now1 and burst suddenly 
into a hoarse peal of laughter1 rocking 
himself backwards and forwards1 and     
looking up at them with little          
twinkling1 cunning eyes4 ,it was clear  
to both of them that his mind1 weakened 
by long brooding over the one idea1 had 
now at last become that of a monomaniac4
 ,his horrid causeless mirth was more   
terrible even than his fury4  8,what    
shall we do with him80 asked ,haw4 8,we 
cannot take him back to ,elmdene4 ,it   
would be a terrible shock to ,laura40   
8,we could have doctors to certify in   
the morning4 ,could we not keep him here
 until then8 ,if we take him back1 some 
one will meet us1 and there will be a   
scandal40  8,i know4 ,we will take him  
to one of the padded rooms1 where he can
 neither hurt himself nor anyone else4  
,i am somewhat shaken myself4 ,but ,i am
 better now4 ,do you take one arm1 and  

,i will take the other40  ,half-leading 
and half-dragging him they managed      
between them to convey the old gunmaker 
away from the scene of his disaster1 and
 to lodge him for the night in a place  
of safety4 ,at five in the morning      
,robert had started in the gig to make  
the medical arrangements1 while ,raffles
 ,haw paced his palatial house with a   
troubled face and a sad heart4          
,,chapter ,,xiv4 ,,the ,,spread ,,of    
,,the ,,blight4   ,it may be that ,laura
 did not look upon the removal of her   
father as an unmixed misfortune4        
,nothing was said to her as to the      
manner of the old man's seizure1 but    
,robert informed her at breakfast that  
he had thought it best1 acting under    
medical advice1 to place him for a time 
under some restraint4 ,she had herself  
frequently remarked upon the growing    
eccentricity of his manner1 so that the 
announcement could have been no great   
surprise to her4 ,it is certain that it 
did not diminish her appetite for the   

coffee and the scrambled eggs1 nor      
prevent her from chatting a good deal   
about her approaching wedding4  ,but it 
was very different with ,raffles ,haw4  
,the incident had shocked him to his    
inmost soul4 ,he had often feared lest  
his money should do indirect evil1 but  
here were crime and madness arising     
before his very eyes from its influence4
 ,in vain he tried to choke down his    
feelings1 and to persuade himself that  
this attack of old ,mc,intyre's was     
something which came of                 
itself--something which had no          
connection with himself or his wealth4  
,he remembered the man as he had first  
met him1 garrulous1 foolish1 but with no
 obvious vices4 ,he recalled the change 
which1 week by week1 had come over      
him--his greedy eye1 his furtive manner1
 his hints and innuendoes1 ending only  
the day before in a positive demand for 
money4 ,it was too certain that there   
was a chain of events there leading     
direct to the horrible encounter in the 

laboratory4 ,his money had cast a blight
 where he had hoped to shed a blessing4 
,mr4 ,spurling1 the vicar1 was up       
shortly after breakfast1 some rumour of 
evil having come to his ears4 ,it was   
good for ,haw to talk with him1 for the 
fresh breezy manner of the old clergyman
 was a corrective to his own sombre and 
introspective mood4  8,prut1 tut60 said 
he4 8,this is very bad--very bad indeed6
 ,mind unhinged1 you say1 and not likely
 to get over it6 ,dear1 dear6 ,i have   
noticed a change in him these last few  
weeks4 ,he looked like a man who had    
something upon his mind4 ,and how is    
,mr4 ,robert ,mc,intyre80  8,he is very 
well4 ,he was with me this morning when 
his father had this attack40  8,ha6     
,there is a change in that young man4 ,i
 observe an alteration in him4 ,you will
 forgive me1 ,mr4 ,raffles ,haw1 if ,i  
say a few serious words of advice to    
you4 ,apart from my spiritual functions 
,i am old enough to be your father4 ,you
 are a very wealthy man1 and you have   

used your wealth nobly--yes1 sir1 nobly4
 ,i do not think that there is a man in 
a thousand who would have done as well4 
,but don't you think sometimes that it  
has a dangerous influence upon those who
 are around you80  8,i have sometimes   
feared so40 8,we may pass over old ,mr4 
,mc,intyre4 ,it would hardly be just1   
perhaps1 to mention him in this         
connection4 ,but there is ,robert4 ,he  
used to take such an interest in his    
profession4 ,he was so keen about art4  
,if you met him1 the first words he said
 were usually some reference to his     
plans1 or the progress he was making in 
his latest picture4 ,he was ambitious1  
pushing1 self-reliant4 ,now he does     
nothing4 ,i know for a fact that it is  
two months since he put brush to canvas4
 ,he has turned from a student into an  
idler1 and1 what is worse1 ,i fear into 
a parasite4 ,you will forgive me for    
speaking so plainly80  ,raffles ,haw    
said nothing1 but he threw out his hands
 with a gesture of pain4  8,and then    

there is something to be said about the 
country folk10 said the vicar4 8,your   
kindness has been1 perhaps1 a little    
indiscriminate there4 ,they don't seem  
to be as helpful or as self-reliant as  
they used4 ,there was old ,blaxton1     
whose cowhouse roof was blown off the   
other day4 ,he used to be a man who was 
full of energy and resource4 ,three     
months ago he would have got a ladder   
and had that roof on again in two days' 
work4 ,but now he must sit down1 and    
wring his hands1 and write letters1     
because he knew that it would come to   
your ears1 and that you would make it   
good4 ,there's old ,ellary1 too6 ,well1 
of course he was always poor1 but at    
least he did something1 and so kept     
himself out of mischief4 ,not a stroke  
will he do now1 but smokes and talks    
scandal from morning to night4 ,and the 
worst of it is1 that it not only hurts  
those who have had your help1 but it    
unsettles those who have not4 ,they all 
have an injured1 surly feeling as if    

other folk were getting what they had an
 equal right to4 ,it has really come to 
such a pitch that ,i thought it was a   
duty to speak to you about it4 ,well1 it
 is a new experience to me4 ,i have     
often had to reprove my parishioners for
 not being charitable enough1 but it is 
very strange to find one who is too     
charitable4 ,it is a noble error40  8,i 
thank you very much for letting me know 
about it10 answered ,raffles ,haw1 as he
 shook the good old clergyman's hand4   
8,i shall certainly reconsider my       
conduct in that respect40  ,he kept a   
rigid and unmoved face until his visitor
 had gone1 and then retiring to his own 
little room1 he threw himself upon the  
bed and burst out sobbing with his face 
buried in the pillow4 ,of all men in    
,england1 this1 the richest1 was on that
 day the most miserable4 ,how could he  
use this great power which he held8     
,every blessing which he tried to give  
turned itself into a curse4 ,his        
intentions were so good1 and yet the    

results were so terrible4 ,it was as if 
he had some foul leprosy of the mind    
which all caught who were exposed to his
 influence4 ,his charity1 so well meant1
 so carefully bestowed1 had yet poisoned
 the whole countryside4 ,and if in small
 things his results were so evil1 how   
could he tell that they would be better 
in the larger plans which he had formed8
 ,if he could not pay the debts of a    
simple yokel without disturbing the     
great laws of cause and effect which lie
 at the base of all things1 what could  
he hope for when he came to fill the    
treasury of nations1 to interfere with  
the complex conditions of trade1 or to  
provide for great masses of the         
population8 ,he drew back with horror as
 he dimly saw that vast problems faced  
him in which he might make errors which 
all his money could not repair4 ,the way
 of ,providence was the straight way4   
,yet he1 a half-blind creature1 must    
needs push in and strive to alter and   
correct it4 ,would he be a benefactor8  

,might he not rather prove to be the    
greatest malefactor that the world had  
seen8  ,but soon a calmer mood came upon
 him1 and he rose and bathed his flushed
 face and fevered brow4 ,after all1 was 
not there a field where all were agreed 
that money might be well spent8 ,it was 
not the way of nature1 but rather the   
way of man which he would alter4 ,it was
 not ,providence that had ordained that 
folk should live half-starved and       
overcrowded in dreary slums4 ,that was  
the result of artificial conditions1 and
 it might well be healed by artificial  
means4 ,why should not his plans be     
successful after all1 and the world     
better for his discovery8 ,then again1  
it was not the truth that he cast a     
blight on those with whom he was brought
 in contact4 ,there was ,laura2 who knew
 more of him than she did1 and yet how  
good and sweet and true she was6 ,she at
 least had lost nothing through knowing 
him4 ,he would go down and see her4 ,it 
would be soothing to hear her voice1 and

 to turn to her for words of sympathy in
 this his hour of darkness4  ,the storm 
had died away1 but a soft wind was      
blowing1 and the smack of the coming    
spring was in the air4 ,he drew in the  
aromatic scent of the fir-trees as he   
passed down the curving drive4 ,before  
him lay the long sloping countryside1   
all dotted over with the farmsteadings  
and little red cottages1 with the       
morning sun striking slantwise upon     
their grey roofs and glimmering windows4
 ,his heart yearned over all these      
people with their manifold troubles1    
their little sordid miseries1 their     
strivings and hopings and petty         
soul-killing cares4 ,how could he get at
 them8 ,how could he manage to lift the 
burden from them1 and yet not hinder    
them in their life aim8 ,for more and   
more could he see that all refinement is
 through sorrow1 and that the life which
 does not refine is the life without an 
aim4  ,laura was alone in the           
sitting-room at ,elmdene1 for ,robert   

had gone out to make some final         
arrangements about his father4 ,she     
sprang up as her lover entered1 and ran 
forward with a pretty girlish gesture to
 greet him4  8,oh1 ,raffles60 she cried1
 8,i knew that you would come4 ,is it   
not dreadful about papa80  8,you must   
not fret1 dearest10 he answered gently4 
8,it may not prove to be so very grave  
after all40  8,but it all happened      
before ,i was stirring4 ,i knew nothing 
about it until breakfast-time4 ,they    
must have gone up to the ,hall very     
early40  8,yes1 they did come up rather 
early40  8,what is the matter with you1 
,raffles80 cried ,laura1 looking up into
 his face4 8,you look so sad and weary60
  8,i have been a little in the blues4  
,the fact is1 ,laura1 that ,i have had a
 long talk with ,mr4 ,spurling this     
morning40  ,the girl started1 and turned
 white to the lips4 ,a long talk with   
,mr4 ,spurling6 ,did that mean that he  
had learned her secret8  8,well80 she   
gasped4  8,he tells me that my charity  

has done more harm than good1 and in    
fact1 that ,i have had an evil influence
 upon every one whom ,i have come near4 
,he said it in the most delicate way1   
but that was really what it amounted    
to40  8,oh1 is that all80 said ,laura1  
with a long sigh of relief4 8,you must  
not think of minding what ,mr4 ,spurling
 says4 ,why1 it is absurd on the face of
 it6 ,everybody knows that there are    
dozens of men all over the country who  
would have been ruined and turned out of
 their houses if you had not stood their
 friend4 ,how could they be the worse   
for having known you8 ,i wonder that    
,mr4 ,spurling can talk such nonsense60 
8,how is ,robert's picture getting on80 
8,oh1 he has a lazy fit on him4 ,he has 
not touched it for ever so long4 ,but   
why do you ask that8 ,you have that     
furrow on your brow again4 ,put it away1
 sir60  ,she smoothed it away with her  
little white hand4  8,well1 at any rate1
 ,i don't think that quite everybody is 
the worse10  said he1 looking down at   

her4 8,there is one1 at least1 who is   
beyond taint1 one who is good1 and pure1
 and true1 and who would love me as well
 if ,i were a poor clerk struggling for 
a livelihood4 ,you would1 would you not1
 ,laura80  8,you foolish boy6 of course 
,i would40  8,and yet how strange it is 
that it should be so4 ,that you1 who are
 the only woman whom ,i have ever loved1
 should be the only one in whom ,i also 
have raised an affection which is free  
from greed or interest4 ,i wonder       
whether you may not have been sent by   
,providence simply to restore my        
confidence in the world4 ,how barren a  
place would it not be if it were not for
 woman's love6 ,when all seemed black   
around me this morning1 ,i tell you1    
,laura1 that ,i seemed to turn to you   
and to your love as the one thing on    
earth upon which ,i could rely4 ,all    
else seemed shifting1 unstable1         
influenced by this or that base         
consideration4 ,in you1 and you only1   
could ,i trust40  8,and ,i in you1 dear 

,raffles6 ,i never knew what love was   
until ,i met you40  ,she took a step    
towards him1 her hands advanced1 love   
shining in her features1 when in an     
instant ,raffles saw the colour struck  
from her face1 and a staring horror     
spring into her eyes4 ,her blanched and 
rigid face was turned towards the open  
door1 while he1 standing partly behind  
it1 could not see what it was that had  
so moved her4  8,hector60 she gasped1   
with dry lips4  ,a quick step in the    
hall1 and a slim1 weather-tanned young  
man sprang forward into the room1 and   
caught her up in his arms as if she had 
been a feather4  8,you darling60 he     
said2 8,i knew that ,i would surprise   
you4 ,i came right up from ,plymouth by 
the night train4 ,and ,i have long      
leave1 and plenty of time to get        
married4 ,isn't it jolly1 dear ,laura80 
,he pirouetted round with her in the    
exuberance of his delight4 ,as he spun  
round1 however1 his eyes fell suddenly  
upon the pale and silent stranger who   

stood by the door4 ,hector blushed      
furiously1 and made an awkward sailor   
bow1 standing with ,laura's cold and    
unresponsive hand still clasped in his4 
8,very sorry1 sir--didn't see you10 he  
said4 8,you'll excuse my going on in    
this mad sort of way1 but if you had    
served you would know what it is to get 
away from quarter-deck manners1 and to  
be a free man4 ,miss ,mc,intyre will    
tell you that we have known each other  
since we were children1 and as we are to
 be married in1 ,i hope1 a month at the 
latest1 we understand each other pretty 
well40  ,raffles ,haw still stood cold  
and motionless4 ,he was stunned1        
benumbed1 by what he saw and heard4     
,laura drew away from ,hector1 and tried
 to free her hand from his grasp4       
8,didn't you get my letter at           
,gibraltar80 she asked4  8,never went to
 ,gibraltar4 ,were ordered home by wire 
from ,madeira4 ,those chaps at the      
,admiralty never know their own minds   
for two hours together4 ,but what matter

 about a letter1 ,laura1 so long as ,i  
can see you and speak with you8 ,you    
have not introduced me to your friend   
here40  8,one word1 sir10 cried ,raffles
 ,haw in a quivering voice4 8,do ,i     
entirely understand you8 ,let me be sure
 that there is no mistake4 ,you say that
 you are engaged to be married to ,miss 
,mc,intyre80  8,of course ,i am4 ,i've  
just come back from a four months'      
cruise1 and ,i am going to be married   
before ,i drag my anchor again40  8,four
 months60 gasped ,haw4 8,why1 it is just
 four months since ,i came here4 ,and   
one last question1 sir4 ,does ,robert   
,mc,intyre know of your engagement80    
8,does ,bob know8 ,of course he knows4  
,why1 it was to his care ,i left ,laura 
when ,i started4 ,but what is the       
meaning of all this8 ,what is the matter
 with you1 ,laura8 ,why are you so white
 and silent8 ,and--hallo6 ,hold up1 sir6
 ,the man is fainting60  8,it is all    
right60 gasped ,haw1 steadying himself  
against the edge of the door4  ,he was  

as white as paper1 and his hand was     
pressed close to his side as though some
 sudden pain had shot through him4 ,for 
a moment he tottered there like a       
stricken man1 and then1 with a hoarse   
cry1 he turned and fled out through the 
open door4  8,poor devil60 said ,hector1
 gazing in amazement after him4 8,he    
seems hard hit anyhow4 ,but what is the 
meaning of all this1 ,laura80  ,his face
 had darkened1 and his mouth had set4   
,she had not said a word1 but had stood 
with a face like a mask looking blankly 
in front of her4 ,now she tore herself  
away from him1 and1 casting herself down
 with her face buried in the cushion of 
the sofa1 she burst into a passion of   
sobbing4  8,it means that you have      
ruined me10 she cried4 8,that you have  
ruined-ruined--ruined me6 ,could you not
 leave us alone8 ,why must you come at  
the last moment8 ,a few more days1 and  
we were safe4 ,and you never had my     
letter40  8,and what was in your letter1
 then80 he asked coldly1 standing with  

his arms folded1 looking down at her4   
8,it was to tell you that ,i released   
you4 ,i love ,raffles ,haw1 and ,i was  
to have been his wife4 ,and now it is   
all gone4 ,oh1 ,hector1 ,i hate you1 and
 ,i shall always hate you as long as ,i 
live1 for you have stepped between me   
and the only good fortune that ever came
 to me4 ,leave me alone1 and ,i hope    
that you will never cross our threshold 
again40  8,is that your last word1      
,laura80  8,the last that ,i shall ever 
speak to you40  8,then1 good-bye4 ,i    
shall see the ,dad1 and go straight back
 to ,plymouth40  ,he waited an instant1 
in hopes of an answer1 and then walked  
sadly from the room4     ,,chapter ,,xv4
 ,,the ,,greater ,,secret4   ,it was    
late that night that a startled knocking
 came at the door of ,elmdene4 ,laura   
had been in her room all day1 and       
,robert was moodily smoking his pipe by 
the fire1 when this harsh and sudden    
summons broke in upon his thoughts4     
,there in the porch was ,jones1 the     

stout head-butler of the ,hall1 hatless1
 scared1 with the raindrops shining in  
the lamplight upon his smooth1 bald     
head4  8,if you please1 ,mr4 ,mc,intyre1
 sir1 would it trouble you to step up to
 the ,hall80 he cried4 8,we are all     
frightened1 sir1 about master40  ,robert
 caught up his hat and started at a run1
 the frightened butler trotting heavily 
beside him4 ,it had been a day of       
excitement and disaster4 ,the young     
artist's heart was heavy within him1 and
 the shadow of some crowning trouble    
seemed to have fallen upon his soul4    
8,what is the matter with your master1  
then80 he asked1 as he slowed down into 
a walk4  8,we don't know1 sir2 but we   
can't get an answer when we knock at the
 laboratory door4 ,yet he's there1 for  
it's locked on the inside4 ,it has given
 us all a scare1 sir1 that1 and his     
goin's-on during the day40  8,his       
goings-on80  8,yes1 sir2 for he came    
back this morning like a man demented1  
a-talkin' to himself1 and with his eyes 

starin' so that it was dreadful to look 
at the poor dear gentleman4 ,then he    
walked about the passages a long time1  
and he wouldn't so much as look at his  
luncheon1 but he went into the museum1  
and gathered all his jewels and things1 
and carried them into the laboratory4   
,we don't know what he's done since     
then1 sir1 but his furnace has been     
a-roarin'1 and his big chimney spoutin' 
smoke like a ,birmingham factory4 ,when 
night came we could see his figure      
against the light1 a-workin' and        
a-heavin' like a man possessed4 ,no     
dinner would he have1 but work1 and     
work1 and work4 ,now it's all quiet1 and
 the furnace cold1 and no smoke from    
above1 but we can't get no answer from  
him1 sir1 so we are scared1 and ,miller 
has gone for the police1 and ,i came    
away for you40  ,they reached the ,hall 
as the butler finished his explanation1 
and there outside the laboratory door   
stood the little knot of footmen and    
ostlers1 while the village policeman1   

who had just arrived1 was holding his   
bull's-eye to the keyhole1 and          
endeavouring to peep through4  8,the key
 is half-turned10 he said4 8,i can't see
 nothing except just the light40        
8,here's ,mr4 ,mc,intyre10 cried        
half-a-dozen voices1 as ,robert came    
forward4  8,we'll have to beat the door 
in1 sir10 said the policeman4 8,we can't
 get any sort of answer1 and there's    
something wrong40  ,twice and thrice    
they threw their united weights against 
it until at last with a sharp snap the  
lock broke1 and they crowded into the   
narrow passage4 ,the inner door was     
ajar1 and the laboratory lay before     
them4  ,in the centre was an enormous   
heap of fluffy grey ash1 reaching up    
half-way to the ceiling4 ,beside it was 
another heap1 much smaller1 of some     
brilliant scintillating dust1 which     
shimmered brightly in the rays of the   
electric light4 ,all round was a        
bewildering chaos of broken jars1       
shattered bottles1 cracked machinery1   

and tangled wires1 all bent and         
draggled4 ,and there in the midst of    
this universal ruin1 leaning back in his
 chair with his hands clasped upon his  
lap1 and the easy pose of one who rests 
after hard work safely carried through1 
sat ,raffles ,haw1 the master of the    
house1 and the richest of mankind1 with 
the pallor of death upon his face4 ,so  
easily he sat and so naturally1 with    
such a serene expression upon his       
features1 that it was not until they    
raised him1 and touched his cold and    
rigid limbs1 that they could realise    
that he had indeed passed away4         
,reverently and slowly they bore him to 
his room1 for he was beloved by all who 
had served him4 ,robert alone lingered  
with the policeman in the laboratory4   
,like a man in a dream he wandered      
about1 marvelling at the universal      
destruction4 ,a large broad-headed      
hammer lay upon the ground1 and with    
this ,haw had apparently set himself to 
destroy all his apparatus1 having first 

used his electrical machines to reduce  
to protyle all the stock of gold which  
he had accumulated4 ,the treasure-room  
which had so dazzled ,robert consisted  
now of merely four bare walls1 while the
 gleaming dust upon the floor proclaimed
 the fate of that magnificent collection
 of gems which had alone amounted to a  
royal fortune4 ,of all the machinery no 
single piece remained intact1 and even  
the glass table was shattered into three
 pieces4 ,strenuously earnest must have 
been the work which ,raffles ,haw had   
done that day4  ,and suddenly ,robert   
thought of the secret which had been    
treasured in the casket within the      
iron-clamped box4 ,it was to tell him   
the one last essential link which would 
make his knowledge of the process       
complete4 ,was it still there8          
,thrilling all over1 he opened the great
 chest1 and drew out the ivory box4 ,it 
was locked1 but the key was in it4 ,he  
turned it and threw open the lid4 ,there
 was a white slip of paper with his own 

name written upon it4 ,with trembling   
fingers he unfolded it4 ,was he the heir
 to the riches of ,el ,dorado1 or was he
 destined to be a poor struggling       
artist8 ,the note was dated that very   
evening1 and ran in this way3     8,,my 
,,dear ,,robert1--,my secret shall never
 be used again4 ,i cannot    tell you   
how ,i thank ,heaven that ,i did not    
entirely confide it to    you1 for ,i   
should have been handing over an        
inheritance of misery    both to        
yourself and others4  ,for myself ,i    
have hardly had a happy    moment since 
,i discovered it4 ,this ,i could have   
borne had ,i been    able to feel that  
,i was doing good1 but1 alas6 the only  
effect of my    attempts has been to    
turn workers into idlers1 contented men 
into    greedy parasites1 and1 worst of 
all1 true1 pure women into    deceivers 
and hypocrites4  ,if this is the effect 
of my interference    on a small scale1 
,i cannot hope for anything better were 
,i to carry    out the plans which we   

have so often discussed4  ,the schemes  
of my    life have all turned to        
nothing4  ,for myself1 you shall never  
see me    again4  ,i shall go back to   
the student life from which ,i emerged4 
,there1 at least1 if ,i can do little   
good1 ,i can do no harm4  ,it is    my  
wish that such valuables as remain in   
the ,hall should be sold1    and the    
proceeds divided amidst all the         
charities of ,birmingham4    ,i shall   
leave tonight if ,i am well enough1 but 
,i have been much    troubled all day by
 a stabbing pain in my side4  ,it is as 
if wealth    were as bad for health as  
it is for peace of mind4  ,good-bye1    
,robert1 and may you never have as sad a
 heart as ,i have to-night4    ,yours   
very truly1    ,,raffles ,,haw40  8,was 
it suicide1 sir8 ,was it suicide80 broke
 in the policeman as ,robert put the    
note in his pocket4  8,no10 he answered2
 8,i think it was a broken heart40  ,and
 so the wonders of the ,new ,hall were  
all dismantled1 the carvings and the    

gold1 the books and the pictures1 and   
many a struggling man or woman who had  
heard nothing of ,raffles ,haw during   
his life had cause to bless him after   
his death4 ,the house has been bought by
 a company now1 who have turned it into 
a hydropathic establishment1 and of all 
the folk who frequent it in search of   
health or of pleasure there are few who 
know the strange story which is         
connected with it4  ,the blight which   
,haw's wealth cast around it seemed to  
last even after his death4 ,old         
,mc,intyre still raves in the ,county   
,lunatic ,asylum1 and treasures up old  
scraps of wood and metal under the      
impression that they are all ingots of  
gold4 ,robert ,mc,intyre is a moody and 
irritable man1 for ever pursuing a quest
 which will always evade him4 ,his art  
is forgotten1 and he spends his whole   
small income upon chemical and          
electrical appliances1 with which he    
vainly seeks to rediscover that one     
hidden link4 ,his sister keeps house for

 him1 a silent and brooding woman1 still
 queenly and beautiful1 but of a bitter1
 dissatisfied mind4 ,of late1 however1  
she has devoted herself to charity1 and 
has been of so much help to ,mr4        
,spurling's new curate that it is       
thought that he may be tempted to secure
 her assistance for ever4 ,so runs the  
gossip of the village1 and in small     
places such gossip is seldom wrong4 ,as 
to ,hector ,spurling1 he is still in her
 ,majesty's service1 and seems inclined 
to abide by his father's wise advice1   
that he should not think of marrying    
until he was a ,commander4 ,it is       
possible that of all who were brought   
within the spell of ,raffles ,haw he was
 the only one who had occasion to bless 
it4