the yellow god-第3章

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answered　Alan　Vernon　slowly。

His　partner　threw　a　searching　glance　on　him；　for　he　felt　that　there
was　meaning　in　the　words；　but　only　said：

〃That's　all　right。　My　motor　is　outside　and　will　take　you　to　Fleet
Street　in　no　time。　Meanwhile　you　might　tell　them　to　telephone　that　you
are　coming；　and　perhaps　you　will　just　look　in　when　you　get　back。　I
haven't　got　to　go　to　the　House　to…night；　so　shall　be　here　till　dinner
time；　and　so；　I　think；　will　your　cousin　Haswell。　Muzzle　that　old
bulldog；　Jackson；　somehow。　No　doubt　he　has　his　price　like　the　rest　of
them；　in　meal　or　malt；　and　you　needn't　stick　at　the　figure。　We　don't
want　him　hanging　on　our　throat　for　the　next　week　or　two。〃

Ten　minutes　later　the　splendid；　two…thousand　guinea　motor　brougham
drew　up　at　the　offices　of　the　/Judge/　and　the　obsequious　motor…footman
bowed　Major　Vernon　through　its　rather　grimy　doorway。　Within；　a　small
boy　in　a　kind　of　box　asked　his　business；　and　when　he　heard　his　name；
said　that　the　〃Guvnor〃　had　sent　down　word　that　he　was　go　up　at　once
third　floor；　first　to　the　right　and　second　to　the　left。　So　up　he　went；
and　when　he　reached　the　indicated　locality　was　taken　possession　of　by
a　worried…looking　clerk　who　had　evidently　been　waiting　for　him；　and
almost　thrust　through　a　door　to　find　himself　in　a　big；　worn；　untidy
room。　At　a　huge　desk　in　this　room　sat　an　elderly　man；　also　big；　worn；
and　untidy…looking；　who　waved　a　long　slip　of　galley…proof　in　his　hand；
and　was　engaged　in　scolding　a　sub…editor。

〃Who　is　that？〃　he　said；　wheeling　round。　〃I'm　busy；　can't　see　anyone。〃

〃I　beg　your　pardon；〃　answered　the　Major　with　humility；　〃your　people
told　me　to　come　up。　My　name　is　Alan　Vernon。〃

〃Oh！　I　remember。　Sit　down　for　a　moment；　will　you；　andMr。　Thomas；
oblige　me　by　taking　away　this　rot　and　rewriting　it　entirely　in　the
sense　I　have　outlined。〃

Mr。　Thomas　snatched　his　rejected　copy　and　vanished　through　another
door；　whereon　his　chief　remarked　in　an　audible　voice：

〃That　man　is　a　perfect　fool。　Lucky　I　thought　to　look　at　his　stuff。
Well；　he　is　no　worse　than　the　rest；　in　this　weary　world；〃　and　he　burst
into　a　hearty　laugh　and　swung　his　chair　round；　adding；　〃Now　then；
Alan；　what　is　it？　I　have　a　quarter　of　an　hour　at　your　service。　Why；
bless　me！　I　was　forgetting　that　it's　more　than　a　dozen　years　since　we
met；　you　were　still　a　boy　then；　and　now　you　have　left　the　army　with　a
D。S。O。　and　gratuity；　and　turned　financier；　which　I　think　wouldn't　have
pleased　your　old　father。　Come；　sit　down　here　and　let　us　talk。〃

〃I　didn't　leave　the　army；　Mr。　Jackson；〃　answered　his　visitor；　〃it　left
me；　I　was　invalided　out。　They　said　I　should　never　get　my　health　back
after　that　last　go　of　fever；　but　I　did。〃

〃Ah！　bad　luck；　very　bad　luck；　just　at　the　beginning　of　what　should
have　been　a　big　career；　for　I　know　they　thought　highly　of　you　at　the
War　Office；　that　is；　if　they　can　think。　Well；　you　have　grown　into　a
fine…looking　fellow；　like　your　father；　very；　and　someone　else　too；〃
and　he　sighed；　running　his　fingers　through　his　grizzled　hair。　〃But　you
don't　remember　her；　she　was　before　your　time。　Now　let　us　get　to
business；　there's　no　time　for　reminiscences　in　this　office。　What　is
it；　Alan；　for　like　other　people　I　suppose　that　you　want　something？〃

〃It　is　about　that　Sahara　flotation；　Mr。　Jackson；〃　he　began　rather
doubtfully。

The　old　editor's　face　darkened。　〃The　Sahara　flotation！　That
accursed〃　and　he　ceased　abruptly。　〃What　have　you；　of　all　people　in
the　world；　got　to　do　with　it？　Oh！　I　remember。　Someone　told　me　that　you
had　gone　into　partnership　with　Aylward　the　company　promoter；　and　that
little　beast；　Champers…Haswell；　who　really　is　the　clever　one。　Well；
set　it　out；　set　it　out。〃

〃It　seems；　Mr。　Jackson；　that　/The　Judge/　has　refused　not　only　our
article；　but　also　the　advertisement　of　the　company。　I　don't　know　much
about　this　side　of　the　affair　myself；　but　Sir　Robert　asked　me　if　I
would　come　round　and　see　if　things　couldn't　be　arranged。〃

〃You　mean　that　the　man　sent　you　to　try　and　work　on　me　because　he　knew
that　I　used　to　be　intimate　with　your　family。　Well；　it　is　a　poor　errand
and　will　have　a　poor　end。　You　can'tno　one　on　earth　can；　while　I　sit
in　this　chair；　not　even　my　proprietors。〃

There　was　silence　broken　at　last　by　Alan；　who　remarked　awkwardly：

〃If　that　is　so；　I　must　not　take　up　your　time　any　longer。〃

〃I　said　that　I　would　give　you　a　quarter　of　an　hour；　and　you　have　only
been　here　four　minutes。　Now；　Alan　Vernon；　tell　me　as　your　father's　old
friend；　why　you　have　gone　to　herd　with　these　gilded　swine？〃

There　was　something　so　earnest　about　the　man's　question　that　it　did
not　even　occur　to　his　visitor　to　resent　its　roughness。

〃Of　course　it　is　not　original；〃　he　answered；　〃but　I　had　this　idea
about　flooding　the　Desert；　I　spent　a　furlough　up　there　a　few　years　ago
and　employed　my　time　in　making　some　rough　surveys。　Then　I　was　obliged
to　leave　the　Service　and　went　down　to　Yarleys　after　my　father's　death
it's　mine　now；　you　know；　but　worth　nothing　except　a　shooting　rent；
which　just　pays　for　the　repairs。　There　I　met　Champers…Haswell；　who
lives　near　and　is　a　kind　of　distant　cousin　of　minemy　mother　was　a
Champersand　happened　to　mention　the　thing　to　him。　He　took　it　up　at
once　and　introduced　me　to　Aylward；　and　the　end　of　it　was；　that　they
offered　me　a　partnership　with　a　small　share　in　the　business；　because
they　said　I　was　just　the　man　they　wanted。〃

〃Just　the　man　they　wanted；〃　repeated　the　editor　after　him。　〃Yes；　the
last　of　the　Vernons；　an　engineer　with　an　old　name　in　his　county；　a
clean　record　and　plenty　of　ability。　Yes；　you　would　be　just　the　man
they　wanted。　And　you　accepted？〃

〃Yes。　I　was　on　my　beam　ends　with　nothing　to　do；　I　wanted　to　make　some
money。　You　see　Yarleys　has　been　in　the　family　for　over　five　hundred
years；　and　it　seemed　hard　to　have　to　sell　it。　Alsoalso〃　and　he
paused。

〃Ever　meet　Barbara　Champers？〃　asked　Mr。　Jackson　inconsequently。　〃I　did
once。　Wonderfully　nice　girl；　and　very　good…looking　too。　But　of　course
you　know　her；　and　she　is　her　uncle's　ward；　and　their　place　isn't　far
off　Yarleys；　you　say。　Must　be　a　connection　of　yours　also。〃

Major　Vernon　started　a　little　at　the　name　and　his　face　seemed　to
redden。

〃Yes；〃　he　said；　〃I　have　met　her　and　she　is　a　connection。〃

〃Will　be　a　big　heiress　one　day；　I　think；〃　went　on　Mr。　Jackson；　〃unless
old　Haswell　makes　off　with　her　money。　I　think　Aylward　knows　that；　at
any　rate　he　was　hanging　about　when　I　saw　her。〃

Vernon　started　again；　this　time　very　perceptibly。

〃Very　naturalyour　going　into　the　business；　I　mean；　under　all　the
circumstances；〃　went　on　Mr。　Jackson。　〃But　now；　if　you　will　take　my
advice；　you'll　go　out　of　it　as　soon　as　you　can。〃

〃Why？〃

〃Because；　Alan　Vernon；　I　am　sure　you　don't　want　to　see　your　name
dragged　in　the　dirt；　any　more　than　I　do。〃　He　fumbled　in　a　drawer　and
produced　a　typewritten　document。　〃Take　that；〃　he　said；　〃and　study　it
at　your　leisure。　It's　a　sketch　of　the　financial　career　of　Messrs。
Aylward　and　Champers…Haswell；　also　of　the　companies　which　they　have
promoted　and　been　connected　with；　and　what　has　happened　to　them　and　to
those　who　invested　in　them。　A　man　got　it　out　for　me　yesterday　and　I'm
going　to　use　it。　As　regards　this　Sahara　business；　you　think　it　all
right；　and　so　it　may　be　from　an　engineering　point　of　view；　but　you
will　never　live　to　sail　upon　that　sea　which　the　British　public　is
going　to　be　asked　to　find　so　many　millions　to　make。　Look　here。　We　have
only　three　minutes　more；　so　I　will　come　to　the　point　at　once。　It's
Turkish　territory；　isn't　it；　and　putting　aside　everything　else；　the
security　for　the　whole　thing　is　a　Firman　from　the　Sultan？〃

〃Yes；　Sir　Robert　Aylward　and　Haswell　procured　it　in　Constantinople。　I
have　seen　the　document。〃

〃Indeed；　and　are　you　well　acquainted　with　the　Sultan's　signature？　I
know　when　they　were　there　last　autumn　that　potentate　was　very　ill〃

〃You　mean〃　said　Major　Vernon；　looking　up。

〃I　mean；　Alan；　that　I　like　not　the　security。　I　won't　say　any　more；　as
there　is　a　law　of　libel　in　this　land。　But　/The　Judge/　has　certain
sources　of　information。　It　may　be　that　no　protest　will　be　made　at
once；　for　baksheesh　can　stop　it　for　a　while；　but　sooner　or　later　the
protest　or