IX.THE ADVENTURE OF THE ENGINEER’S THUMB

ywhichourvisitordetailedtous. “Youmustknow,”saidhe,“thatIamanorphanandabachelor,residingaloneinlodgingsinLondon.ByprofessionIamahydraulicengineer,andIhavehadconsiderableexperienceofmyworkduringthesevenyearsthatIwasapprenticedtoVenner&Matheson,thewell-knownfirm,ofGreenwich.Twoyearsago,havingservedmytime,andhavingalsocomeintoafairsumofmoneythroughmypoorfather’sdeath,IdeterminedtostartinbusinessformyselfandtookprofessionalchambersinVictoriaStreet. “Isupposethateveryonefindshisfirstindependentstartinbusinessadrearyexperience.Tomeithasbeenexceptionallyso.DuringtwoyearsIhavehadthreeconsultationsandonesmalljob,andthatisabsolutelyallthatmyprofessionhasbroughtme.Mygrosstakingsamountto￡2710s.Everyday,fromnineinthemorninguntilfourintheafternoon,Iwaitedinmylittleden,untilatlastmyheartbegantosink,andIcametobelievethatIshouldneverhaveanypracticeatall. “Yesterday,however,justasIwasthinkingofleavingtheoffice,myclerkenteredtosaytherewasagentlemanwaitingwhowishedtoseemeuponbusiness.Hebroughtupacard,too,withthenameof‘ColonelLysanderStark’engraveduponit.Closeathisheelscamethecolonelhimself,amanratheroverthemiddlesize,butofanexceedingthinness.IdonotthinkthatIhaveeverseensothinaman.Hiswholefacesharpenedawayintonoseandchin,andtheskinofhischeekswasdrawnquitetenseoverhisoutstandingbones.Yetthisemaciationseemedtobehisnaturalhabit,andduetonodisease,forhiseyewasbright,hisstepbrisk,andhisbearingassured.Hewasplainlybutneatlydressed,andhisage,Ishouldjudge,wouldbenearerfortythanthirty. “‘Mr.Hatherley?’saidhe,withsomethingofaGermanaccent.‘Youhavebeenrecommendedtome,Mr.Hatherley,asbeingamanwhoisnotonlyproficientinhisprofessionbutisalsodiscreetandcapableofpreservingasecret.’ “Ibowed,feelingasflatteredasanyyoungmanwouldatsuchanaddress.‘MayIaskwhoitwaswhogavemesogoodacharacter?’ “‘Well,perhapsitisbetterthatIshouldnottellyouthatjustatthismoment.IhaveitfromthesamesourcethatyouarebothanorphanandabachelorandareresidingaloneinLondon.’ “‘Thatisquitecorrect,’Ianswered‘butyouwillexcusemeifIsaythatIcannotseehowallthisbearsuponmyprofessionalqualifications.Iunderstandthatitwasonaprofessionalmatterthatyouwishedtospeaktome?’ “‘Undoubtedlyso.ButyouwillfindthatallIsayisreallytothepoint.Ihaveaprofessionalcommissionforyou,butabsolutesecrecyisquiteessential—absolutesecrecy,youunderstand,andofcoursewemayexpectthatmorefromamanwhoisalonethanfromonewholivesinthebosomofhisfamily.’ “‘IfIpromisetokeepasecret,’saidI,‘youmayabsolutelydependuponmydoingso.’ “HelookedveryhardatmeasIspoke,anditseemedtomethatIhadneverseensosuspiciousandquestioninganeye. “‘Doyoupromise,then?’saidheatlast. “‘Yes,Ipromise.’ “‘Absoluteandcompletesilencebefore,during,andafter?Noreferencetothematteratall,eitherinwordorwriting?’ “‘Ihavealreadygivenyoumyword.’ “‘Verygood.’Hesuddenlysprangup,anddartinglikelightningacrosstheroomheflungopenthedoor.Thepassageoutsidewasempty. “‘That’sallright,’saidhe,comingback.‘Iknowthatclerksaresometimescuriousastotheirmaster’saffairs.Nowwecantalkinsafety.’Hedrewuphischairveryclosetomineandbegantostareatmeagainwiththesamequestioningandthoughtfullook. “Afeelingofrepulsion,andofsomethingakintofearhadbeguntorisewithinmeatthestrangeanticsofthisfleshlessman.Evenmydreadoflosingaclientcouldnotrestrainmefromshowingmyimpatience. “‘Ibegthatyouwillstateyourbusiness,sir,’saidI‘mytimeisofvalue.’Heavenforgivemeforthatlastsentence,butthewordscametomylips. “‘Howwouldfiftyguineasforanight’sworksuityou?’heasked. “‘Mostadmirably.’ “‘Isayanight’swork,butanhour’swouldbenearerthemark.Isimplywantyouropinionaboutahydraulicstampingmachinewhichhasgotoutofgear.Ifyoushowuswhatiswrongweshallsoonsetitrightourselves.Whatdoyouthinkofsuchacommissionasthat?’ “‘Theworkappearstobelightandthepaymunificent.’ “‘Preciselyso.Weshallwantyoutocometo-nightbythelasttrain.’ “‘Whereto?’ “‘ToEyford,inBerkshire.ItisalittleplacenearthebordersofOxfordshire,andwithinsevenmilesofReading.ThereisatrainfromPaddingtonwhichwouldbringyouthereatabout11:15.’ “‘Verygood.’ “‘Ishallcomedowninacarriagetomeetyou.’ “‘Thereisadrive,then?’ “‘Yes,ourlittleplaceisquiteoutinthecountry.ItisagoodsevenmilesfromEyfordStation.’ “‘Thenwecanhardlygettherebeforemidnight.Isupposetherewouldbenochanceofatrainback.Ishouldbecompelledtostopthenight.’ “‘Yes,wecouldeasilygiveyouashake-down.’ “‘Thatisveryawkward.CouldInotcomeatsomemoreconvenienthour?’ “‘Wehavejudgeditbestthatyoushouldcomelate.Itistorecompenseyouforanyinconveniencethatwearepayingtoyou,ayoungandunknownman,afeewhichwouldbuyanopinionfromtheveryheadsofyourprofession.Still,ofcourse,ifyouwouldliketodrawoutofthebusiness,thereisplentyoftimetodoso.’ “Ithoughtofthefiftyguineas,andofhowveryusefultheywouldbetome.‘Notatall,’saidI,‘Ishallbeveryhappytoaccommodatemyselftoyourwishes.Ishouldlike,however,tounderstandalittlemoreclearlywhatitisthatyouwishmetodo.’ “‘Quiteso.Itisverynaturalthatthepledgeofsecrecywhichwehaveexactedfromyoushouldhavearousedyourcuriosity.Ihavenowishtocommityoutoanythingwithoutyourhavingitalllaidbeforeyou.Isupposethatweareabsolutelysafefromeavesdroppers?’ “‘Entirely.’ “‘Thenthematterstandsthus.Youareprobablyawarethatfuller’s-earthisavaluableproduct,andthatitisonlyfoundinoneortwoplacesinEngland?’ “‘Ihaveheardso.’ “‘SomelittletimeagoIboughtasmallplace—averysmallplace—withintenmilesofReading.Iwasfortunateenoughtodiscoverthattherewasadepositoffuller’s-earthinoneofmyfields.Onexaminingit,however,Ifoundthatthisdepositwasacomparativelysmallone,andthatitformedalinkbetweentwoverymuchlargeronesupontherightandleft—bothofthem,however,inthegroundsofmyneighbours.Thesegoodpeoplewereabsolutelyignorantthattheirlandcontainedthatwhichwasquiteasvaluableasagold-mine.Naturally,itwastomyinteresttobuytheirlandbeforetheydiscovereditstruevalue,butunfortunatelyIhadnocapitalbywhichIcoulddothis.Itookafewofmyfriendsintothesecret,however,andtheysuggestedthatweshouldquietlyandsecretlyworkourownlittledepositandthatinthiswayweshouldearnthemoneywhichwouldenableustobuytheneighbouringfields.Thiswehavenowbeendoingforsometime,andinordertohelpusinouroperationsweerectedahydraulicpress.Thispress,asIhavealreadyexplained,hasgotoutoforder,andwewishyouradviceuponthesubject.Weguardoursecretveryjealously,however,andifitoncebecameknownthatwehadhydraulicengineerscomingtoourlittlehouse,itwouldsoonrouseinquiry,andthen,ifthefactscameout,itwouldbegood-byetoanychanceofgettingthesefieldsandcarryingoutourplans.ThatiswhyIhavemadeyoupromisemethatyouwillnottellahumanbeingthatyouaregoingtoEyfordto-night.IhopethatImakeitallplain?’ “‘Iquitefollowyou,’saidI.‘TheonlypointwhichIcouldnotquiteunderstandwaswhatuseyoucouldmakeofahydraulicpressinexcavatingfuller’s-earth,which,asIunderstand,isdugoutlikegravelfromapit.’ “‘Ah!’saidhecarelessly,‘wehaveourownprocess.Wecompresstheearthintobricks,soastoremovethemwithoutrevealingwhattheyare.Butthatisameredetail.Ihavetakenyoufullyintomyconfidencenow,Mr.Hatherley,andIhaveshownyouhowItrustyou.’Heroseashespoke.‘Ishallexpectyou,then,atEyfordat11:15.’ “‘Ishallcertainlybethere.’ “‘Andnotawordtoasoul.’Helookedatmewithalastlong,questioninggaze,andthen,pressingmyhandinacold,dankgrasp,hehurriedfromtheroom. “Well,whenIcametothinkitalloverincoolbloodIwasverymuchastonished,asyoumayboththink,atthissuddencommissionwhichhadbeenintrustedtome.Ontheonehand,ofcourse,Iwasglad,forthefeewasatleasttenfoldwhatIshou