"'Do you promise, then?' said he at last.
"'Yes, I promise.'
"'Absolute and complete silence before, during, and after? Noreference to the matter at all, either in word or writing?'
"'I have already given you my word.'
"'Very good.' He suddenly sprang up, and darting like lightningacross the room he flung open the door. The passage outside wasempty.
"'That's all right,' said he, coming back. 'I know that clerks aresometimes curious as to their master's affairs. Now we can talkin safety.' He drew up his chair very close to mine and began tostare at me again with the same questioning and thoughtful look.
"A feeling of repulsion, and of something akin to fear had begunto rise within me at the strange antics of this fleshless man.Even my dread of losing a client could not restrain me fromshowing my impatience.
"'I beg that you will state your business, sir,' said I; 'my timeis of value.' Heaven forgive me for that last sentence, but thewords came to my lips.
"'How would fifty guineas for a night's work suit you?' he asked.
"'Most admirably.'
"'I say a night's work, but an hour's would be nearer the mark. Isimply want your opinion about a hydraulic stamping machine whichhas got out of gear. If you show us what is wrong we shall soonset it right ourselves. What do you think of such a commission asthat?'
"'The work appears to be light and the pay munificent.'
"'Precisely so. We shall want you to come to-night by the lasttrain.'
"'Where to?'
"'To Eyford, in Berkshire. It is a little place near the bordersof Oxfordshire, and within seven miles of Reading. There is atrain from Paddington which would bring you there at about11:15.'
"'Very good.'
"'I shall come down in a carriage to meet you.'
"'There is a drive, then?'
"'Yes, our little place is quite out in the country. It is a goodseven miles from Eyford Station.'
"'Then we can hardly get there before midnight. I suppose therewould be no chance of a train back. I should be compelled to stopthe night.'
"'Yes, we could easily give you a shake-down.'
"'That is very awkward. Could I not come at some more convenienthour?'
"'We have judged it best that you should come late. It is torecompense you for any inconvenience that we are paying to you, ayoung and unknown man, a fee which would buy an opinion from thevery heads of your profession. Still, of course, if you wouldlike to draw out of the business, there is plenty of time to doso.'
"I thought of the fifty guineas, and of how very useful theywould be to me. 'Not at all,' said I, 'I shall be very happy toaccommodate myself to your wishes. I should like, however, tounderstand a little more clearly what it is that you wish me todo.'
"'Quite so. It is very natural that the pledge of secrecy whichwe have exacted from you should have aroused your curiosity. Ihave no wish to commit you to anything without your having it alllaid before you. I suppose that we are absolutely safe fromeavesdroppers?'
"'Entirely.'
"'Then the matter stands thus. You are probably aware thatfuller's-earth is a valuable product, and that it is only foundin one or two places in England?'
"'I have heard so.'
"'Some little time ago I bought a small place--a very smallplace--within ten miles of Reading. I was fortunate enough todiscover that there was a deposit of fuller's-earth in one of myfields. On examining it, however, I found that this deposit was acomparatively small one, and that it formed a link between twovery much larger ones upon the right and left--both of them,however, in the grounds of my neighbours. These good people wereabsolutely ignorant that their land contained that which wasquite as valuable as a gold-mine. Naturally, it was to myinterest to buy their land before they discovered its true value,but unfortunately I had no capital by which I could do this. Itook a few of my friends into the secret, however, and theysuggested that we should quietly and secretly work our own littledeposit and that in this way we should earn the money which wouldenable us to buy the neighbouring fields. This we have now beendoing for some time, and in order to help us in our operations weerected a hydraulic press. This press, as I have alreadyexplained, has got out of order, and we wish your advice upon thesubject. We guard our secret very jealously, however, and if itonce became known that we had hydraulic engineers coming to ourlittle house, it would soon rouse inquiry, and then, if the factscame out, it would be good-bye to any chance of getting thesefields and carrying out our plans. That is why I have made youpromise me that you will not tell a human being that you aregoing to Eyford
to-night. I hope that I make it all plain?'