*V.*
When I got up in the morning Torrence had gone. He had left withoutdisturbing me, as he said he should, the journey to Gravesend requiringan early start.
I determined to put in the day writing, having evolved some ideas whichI thought might suit a certain American journal; but it is astonishingwhen the necessity for work has been removed, how indifferent we becometo it. Every effort seemed absolutely futile, and after an hour, I putaway my writing materials and went out for a drive in the park. I couldsee that my brother's new outfit was greatly admired, and I leaned backupon the satin cushions, conscious that I was looked upon as animportant person--possibly a duke. I lunched at a fashionablerestaurant near the marble arch, and then, after a drive along Edgewareroad, returned to the hotel.
The mail was just in, and there was a large batch of letters and papersfor Torrence. Some of these were unsealed; presumably advertisements,and as such I examined them. But the examination was disappointing,only serving to whet my interest, and enhance my wonder. For what washere? Unaccountable scribbling--such extraordinary charts andfigures--such attempts at drawing of birds and unknown animals--suchefforts at natural scenery--and withal such crude and childishexplanations, in such outlandish chirography, that it was quiteimpossible to say whether the work was that of a madman or not. IndeedI was by no means sure what any one of the designs was really intendedto mean. I pored over these papers for more than an hour, in the veryecstasy of wonder, and then without having reached a single conclusion,put them back in the envelopes to await the owner's arrival.
I tried to believe that the drawings referred to some of the moreintricate parts of the air ship; although it was impossible to helpfeeling that this was absurd.
About an hour before dinner Torrence arrived, cheery as ever. I gavehim his mail, and then seating myself near the window, watched him openit. It is not always easy to interpret the emotions by the expressionof the face, but on my brother's countenance I was sure that acomprehensive wonder, a wonder that grasped the meaning of what he saw,was clearly depicted. At one moment he would smile with infatuation; aparoxysm of delight; at the next he would frown, and look frightened atthe paper before him, and once he passed his arm roughly across hiseyes, as if wiping away a tear. If the papers themselves weremysterious, Torrence's behavior was even more so. When through, he putthem carefully together and carried them into his own room.
"Anything important?" I inquired, with an assumed indifference, when hereturned to the _salon_.
"Nothing," he answered, glancing at me, as I thought, with a slight lookof suspicion, "nothing only a lot of detailed drawings about the workgoing on at Gravesend."
I did not answer, but felt sure that he had not told me the truth. Thenhe went on to speak of various contracts, which he hoped would soon beunder way, and which were to be delivered at Gravesend within a month,and of others that would take longer to complete, and all of which wereto be put together at Wetherbee's barn as soon as possible. He wasafraid the vessel would be longer building than he had at first been ledto believe, but concluded that it would not matter very much after all,as the season was not propitious for a trial.
"No," I answered, "I should imagine that warm weather would be better,but then your expenses here would be running on fearfully!"
Torrence sneered at the suggestion. Expense was always the thing heseemed to think of last.
We dined sumptuously again, and after dinner drove to a music hall.Here the usual extravagance was repeated, indeed it exceeded all bounds.Not only did he buy flowers in vast heaps, which he distributed upon thestage; but later went into the green room, and disbursed considerablemoney among the actresses. His prodigality was so absurd and unmeaningthat I finally left him in disgust, returning to the hotel alone. Itwas quite late when he came in, and I met him in rather angry mood:
"Well, you have made a fool of yourself!" I exclaimed, as he threwhimself upon a large Persian _musnud_ to finish his cigar beforeretiring.
"How?" he asked, quite innocently.
"By throwing away your money among a lot of sharpies, who wouldn't lendyou a copper to save your soul!"
Torrence roared, as if he thought it the best joke imaginable.
"Now, look here, old boy," he said in another minute, "don't lose yourtemper, because it doesn't pay. What's the use of money if not to givepleasure? That's my way of enjoying myself, and I don't either ask orexpect any favors in return. As you see, it takes a lot of money to buymy pleasure, but I can afford it!"
"If you have such an income that you can't spend it," I replied,"suppose you give a little of it to me. You might be glad some day ifyou found that I had saved a few pounds for you!"
The speech would have been contemptible, considering the amount of moneyTorrence had already given me, were it not for the fact that I intendedit for his good as well as my own, hoping to save at least a part of afortune, which was being squandered so shamefully under my eyes.
"Why, certainly," he answered good naturedly, and half-rising from thelounge, "how much do you want?"
"Anything you have to spare!"
Without another word he got up, and going to the writing table, signed ablank check and handed it to me.
"There! fill it out for yourself!" he exclaimed.
"For how much?"
"Anything you please," he replied, with a look of utter indifference.
"But you must say," I persisted.
"Really, I don't care, Gurt," he answered, striking a match to relighthis cigar. "My bankers will pay anything you put on it, I fancy."
"Have you as much as a thousand pounds with these people?"
He laughed outright.
"I should hope so!" he shouted; "but if that is all you want, I haveprobably as much about me, for you must remember that I am a businessman now, and am conducting costly experiments in connection with the airship, which I intend shall be the most perfect thing on earth!"
"I suppose then it will cost you more than the twenty thousand dollarsyou thought?"
"Well, rather! If I get off with as many pounds I shall be lucky!"
I gasped but said nothing.
"Why don't you fill out your check?" he continued, observing that I wasstanding idly by the table, my mouth open in astonishment.
"Shall I put down a thousand?" I asked, not knowing what to say.
"Yes, and two of them, if you wish. I really don't care."
I filled out the cheek for an even thousand, not being able to overcomemy horror at the thought of a larger figure, for notwithstanding all theevidence to the contrary, I was unable to overcome a certain fear thatthe check might be refused. I showed it to Torrence, whose only remarkwas that he couldn't see why I had not doubled it. I was determined tosave this much for a rainy day, and resolved to go at once to thebanker's when my brother had gone back to Gravesend and cash it. I alsodetermined to find out, if possible something about his affairs, as themystery of all this sudden wealth was preying on my mind. I had quiterelinquished the hope of learning anything from Torrence himself, andshould now apply to other sources.
That night we retired early, as my brother said he was fatigued with thework of the day, and not knowing what else to do, I followed hisexample, fully resolved to cash my check and investigate matters on themorrow.
After a couple of hours of restlessness, and finding it impossible tosleep, I got up to go into the adjoining room for a glass of water. Idid not take a light, knowing exactly where to find it, but imagine mysurprise, when half-way across the floor of our _salon_, at seeing thetthe light in my brother's room was still burning brightly and shiningthrough the keyhole and under the bottom of the door. Scarcely had Iobserved this, when I caught the sound of low voices issuing from theroom, as of two people talking in an undertone. I stepped noiselesslyup to the door and listened.
"There is no danger; he is asleep!" said one of the voices, which Ithought was Torry's; and then some whispering f
ollowed, impossible tounderstand. At this moment a horrid thought flashed upon me. HadTorrence embarked in any crime, which he was trying to conceal? Themere suspicion sickened me. I could not believe it.
"It's for you to say," remarked the other; "for my part, I don't care adamn who knows it, provided the news don't come from me. Now look atthis."
I could hear the rustling of papers.
"And this; and this. The society shan't never see one of 'emagain--I'll let 'em rot first."
Then came Torry's voice.
"Of course if it's so, my brother Gurthrie will know all about it beforelong. Only I don't want to tell him yet. It isn't that I distrust you,Merrick, but naturally you can see for yourself what a laughing stock Ishould become if there should prove to be any mistake."
"Don't I know it? and without there bein' any mistake," answered theother.
"Precisely; and that being the case, I prefer to wait until the thing isproved to my own senses before announcing this most stupendous fact ofhistory to anyone."
I was relieved. There was something in both the tone and words thatconvinced me there could be nothing criminal under consideration. Andyet the mystery was deeper than ever. Here was no explanation of howthe money had come; which was an assured fact, but dark innuendoes ofproblems yet unsolved. I continued to listen, absorbed with interest.
"Now, as to the matter o' beasts and birds, bein' no scholar, I can'tprove nothin'. Thim you'll hev to study for your own self, and makeyour own deductions regardin' em. Nayther can I explain the how andwherefore of the light--but it's thar all the same, and you'll see it. Icould a' give my notions to the society, but the cussed fools wouldn'tlisten to nothin', and they can go see for theirselves if they wants to,afore I'll tell 'em another word. Now, don't let that slip your mind,'cause you're the only man, 'fore God a' mighty!"
"Now, about this belt," said Torrence, "how wide did you say it was?"
By the sound I imagined him to be tapping on the table with a pencil;but the words that followed were impossible to hear; and then the menhad evidently got their heads together in poring over some document orpaper which I could not see. Suddenly it occurred to me to stoop downand peep through the keyhole. Undoubtedly it was contemptible, but wasit any more so than listening? "An eavesdropper is bad enough, but apeeper is worse," I thought, and yet my curiosity was so aroused it wasimpossible to help it, and I excused myself partly on the ground that itwas right to be forearmed if I was not to be led blindly as anaccomplice into a possible crime. And so I succumbed, and placing myeye against the opening, obtained a circumscribed view of my brother'sapartment. To my amazement I immediately recognized the stranger as theman we had met upon the Thames boat, and afterward in the restaurant. Hewas the same dirty, unshaved sailor; at least his appearance indicatedthat he had followed the sea for a living, and I could not doubt that hehad. The men were sitting on opposite sides of a table, upon which apile of papers was heaped in confusion; and so far as I could judge someof these were the same that had come in the afternoon's mail.
"Give him as much time as he wants!" said the sailor, speaking again."He won't believe it at first, and it ain't reasonable as how he should;but it 'ill come over him by degrees like. He's bound to believe it efhe studies on it--there ain't no other chance."
"No, not if it's so," answered Torrence, "and he won't be as hard toconvince as you might suppose; perhaps no harder than I was, for I'vehalf believed it myself, and talked about it before. You found me anapt scholar, didn't you?"
"The only one with any sense I ever had," snarled the man. "But I don'tcare now," he continued, "I haven't long to live nohow; but I did hateto die with that secret, 'case another million years might pass afore itwas found out. I'm satisfied so long as you 'uns knows it, 'case theworld's bound to get it. But as for them cussed fools----!"
The man rapped on the table with his clinched fist.
"Hush!" said Torrence, "you might wake him up!"
The sailor grinned and scratched his head.
"No harm done, I reckon ef I did," he replied.
"No, but I told you my reasons for keeping mum!"
"Precisely; I mind your word. And the proofs, you found them allcorrect?"
"Quite so; but tell me don't you want any yourself?"
"Hell, no. I'll send you up a trunk full to-morrow. I've got all theswag I want--a good bed, plenty o' company, and a place to die in; for Itell you I can't last long. It's taken the stuffin' out o' me--but thesecret--the secret--Well, thank God, I shan't die with it, and that'sall I wanted."
Of course, this talk might almost as well have been in Hindoostanee, foraught I could make out of it. At one moment my fear of evil was arousedto a terrible pitch, at the next, I felt nothing but idle curiosity. Iwas, however, surprised to find so little that was intelligible in whatI heard. Presently the men began turning over bundles of papers, andTorry having moved his chair, it was impossible to see what these were,and this fact may have helped arouse the awful suspicion that suddenlyseized me; a thought which I am sure would never have presented itselfunder any but the bewildering circumstances in which I had been soblindly plunged. Could it be possible that the money which my brotherhad thrown about so freely, was counterfeit? A moment's reflectionconvinced me that it was not possible, and yet a terrible distrust hadtaken hold of me. For a moment I hesitated. My first impulse was tocall out and ask what was the matter. It would have been the frank andnatural thing to do, had my suspicions not been aroused, but as theywere, I felt that such a procedure would be silly and fruitless. Aburning desire to know consumed me, and I walked about the room in anagony of unrest. Again I looked through the keyhole, and was relieved tosee no plates, stamps, dies or machinery of any kind. I drew a longbreath. Then I recalled that there had been nothing in the conversationto indicate any such business; and I drew another breath. Finally,unable to gain the slightest clew to the mystery, I returned to my room,and went to bed in a very uncomfortable frame of mind.