DarqueDante/test2 · Datasets at Hugging Face

text stringlengths 0 74
"'I have heard so.'

"'Some little time ago I bought a small place--a very small
place--within ten miles of Reading. I was fortunate enough to
discover that there was a deposit of fuller's-earth in one of my
fields. On examining it, however, I found that this deposit was a
comparatively small one, and that it formed a link between two very
much larger ones upon the right and left--both of them, however, in
the grounds of my neighbours. These good people were absolutely
ignorant that their land contained that which was quite as valuable
as a gold-mine. Naturally, it was to my interest to buy their land
before they discovered its true value, but unfortunately I had no
capital by which I could do this. I took a few of my friends into the
secret, however, and they suggested that we should quietly and
secretly work our own little deposit and that in this way we should
earn the money which would enable us to buy the neighbouring fields.
This we have now been doing for some time, and in order to help us in
our operations we erected a hydraulic press. This press, as I have
already explained, has got out of order, and we wish your advice upon
the subject. We guard our secret very jealously, however, and if it
once became known that we had hydraulic engineers coming to our
little house, it would soon rouse inquiry, and then, if the facts
came out, it would be good-bye to any chance of getting these fields
and carrying out our plans. That is why I have made you promise me
that you will not tell a human being that you are going to Eyford
to-night. I hope that I make it all plain?'

"'I quite follow you,' said I. 'The only point which I could not
quite understand was what use you could make of a hydraulic press in
excavating fuller's-earth, which, as I understand, is dug out like
gravel from a pit.'

"'Ah!' said he carelessly, 'we have our own process. We compress the
earth into bricks, so as to remove them without revealing what they
are. But that is a mere detail. I have taken you fully into my
confidence now, Mr. Hatherley, and I have shown you how I trust you.'
He rose as he spoke. 'I shall expect you, then, at Eyford at 11.15.'

"'I shall certainly be there.'

"'And not a word to a soul.' He looked at me with a last long,
questioning gaze, and then, pressing my hand in a cold, dank grasp,
he hurried from the room.

"Well, when I came to think it all over in cool blood I was very much
astonished, as you may both think, at this sudden commission which
had been intrusted to me. On the one hand, of course, I was glad, for
the fee was at least tenfold what I should have asked had I set a
price upon my own services, and it was possible that this order might
lead to other ones. On the other hand, the face and manner of my
patron had made an unpleasant impression upon me, and I could not
think that his explanation of the fuller's-earth was sufficient to
explain the necessity for my coming at midnight, and his extreme
anxiety lest I should tell anyone of my errand. However, I threw all
fears to the winds, ate a hearty supper, drove to Paddington, and
started off, having obeyed to the letter the injunction as to holding
my tongue.

"At Reading I had to change not only my carriage but my station.
However, I was in time for the last train to Eyford, and I reached
the little dim-lit station after eleven o'clock. I was the only
passenger who got out there, and there was no one upon the platform
save a single sleepy porter with a lantern. As I passed out through
the wicket gate, however, I found my acquaintance of the morning
waiting in the shadow upon the other side. Without a word he grasped
my arm and hurried me into a carriage, the door of which was standing
open. He drew up the windows on either side, tapped on the wood-work,
and away we went as fast as the horse could go."

"One horse?" interjected Holmes.

"Yes, only one."

"Did you observe the colour?"

"Yes, I saw it by the side-lights when I was stepping into the
carriage. It was a chestnut."

"Tired-looking or fresh?"

"Oh, fresh and glossy."

"Thank you. I am sorry to have interrupted you. Pray continue your
most interesting statement."

"Away we went then, and we drove for at least an hour. Colonel
Lysander Stark had said that it was only seven miles, but I should
think, from the rate that we seemed to go, and from the time that we
took, that it must have been nearer twelve. He sat at my side in
silence all the time, and I was aware, more than once when I glanced
in his direction, that he was looking at me with great intensity. The
country roads seem to be not very good in that part of the world, for
we lurched and jolted terribly. I tried to look out of the windows to
see something of where we were, but they were made of frosted glass,
and I could make out nothing save the occasional bright blur of a
passing light. Now and then I hazarded some remark to break the
monotony of the journey, but the colonel answered only in
monosyllables, and the conversation soon flagged. At last, however,
the bumping of the road was exchanged for the crisp smoothness of a
gravel-drive, and the carriage came to a stand. Colonel Lysander

"'I have heard so.'

"'Some little time ago I bought a small place--a very small

place--within ten miles of Reading. I was fortunate enough to

discover that there was a deposit of fuller's-earth in one of my

fields. On examining it, however, I found that this deposit was a

comparatively small one, and that it formed a link between two very

much larger ones upon the right and left--both of them, however, in

the grounds of my neighbours. These good people were absolutely

ignorant that their land contained that which was quite as valuable

as a gold-mine. Naturally, it was to my interest to buy their land

before they discovered its true value, but unfortunately I had no

capital by which I could do this. I took a few of my friends into the

secret, however, and they suggested that we should quietly and

secretly work our own little deposit and that in this way we should

earn the money which would enable us to buy the neighbouring fields.

This we have now been doing for some time, and in order to help us in

our operations we erected a hydraulic press. This press, as I have

already explained, has got out of order, and we wish your advice upon

the subject. We guard our secret very jealously, however, and if it

once became known that we had hydraulic engineers coming to our

little house, it would soon rouse inquiry, and then, if the facts

came out, it would be good-bye to any chance of getting these fields

and carrying out our plans. That is why I have made you promise me

that you will not tell a human being that you are going to Eyford

to-night. I hope that I make it all plain?'

"'I quite follow you,' said I. 'The only point which I could not

quite understand was what use you could make of a hydraulic press in

excavating fuller's-earth, which, as I understand, is dug out like

gravel from a pit.'

"'Ah!' said he carelessly, 'we have our own process. We compress the

earth into bricks, so as to remove them without revealing what they

are. But that is a mere detail. I have taken you fully into my

confidence now, Mr. Hatherley, and I have shown you how I trust you.'

He rose as he spoke. 'I shall expect you, then, at Eyford at 11.15.'

"'I shall certainly be there.'

"'And not a word to a soul.' He looked at me with a last long,

questioning gaze, and then, pressing my hand in a cold, dank grasp,

he hurried from the room.

"Well, when I came to think it all over in cool blood I was very much

astonished, as you may both think, at this sudden commission which

had been intrusted to me. On the one hand, of course, I was glad, for

the fee was at least tenfold what I should have asked had I set a

price upon my own services, and it was possible that this order might

lead to other ones. On the other hand, the face and manner of my

patron had made an unpleasant impression upon me, and I could not

think that his explanation of the fuller's-earth was sufficient to

explain the necessity for my coming at midnight, and his extreme

anxiety lest I should tell anyone of my errand. However, I threw all

fears to the winds, ate a hearty supper, drove to Paddington, and

started off, having obeyed to the letter the injunction as to holding

my tongue.

"At Reading I had to change not only my carriage but my station.

However, I was in time for the last train to Eyford, and I reached

the little dim-lit station after eleven o'clock. I was the only

passenger who got out there, and there was no one upon the platform

save a single sleepy porter with a lantern. As I passed out through

the wicket gate, however, I found my acquaintance of the morning

waiting in the shadow upon the other side. Without a word he grasped

my arm and hurried me into a carriage, the door of which was standing

open. He drew up the windows on either side, tapped on the wood-work,

and away we went as fast as the horse could go."

"One horse?" interjected Holmes.

"Yes, only one."

"Did you observe the colour?"

"Yes, I saw it by the side-lights when I was stepping into the

carriage. It was a chestnut."

"Tired-looking or fresh?"

"Oh, fresh and glossy."

"Thank you. I am sorry to have interrupted you. Pray continue your

most interesting statement."

"Away we went then, and we drove for at least an hour. Colonel

Lysander Stark had said that it was only seven miles, but I should

think, from the rate that we seemed to go, and from the time that we

took, that it must have been nearer twelve. He sat at my side in

silence all the time, and I was aware, more than once when I glanced

in his direction, that he was looking at me with great intensity. The

country roads seem to be not very good in that part of the world, for

we lurched and jolted terribly. I tried to look out of the windows to

see something of where we were, but they were made of frosted glass,

and I could make out nothing save the occasional bright blur of a

passing light. Now and then I hazarded some remark to break the

monotony of the journey, but the colonel answered only in

monosyllables, and the conversation soon flagged. At last, however,

the bumping of the road was exchanged for the crisp smoothness of a

gravel-drive, and the carriage came to a stand. Colonel Lysander