| Billington junior, a nice lad, met me at the... 781 |
[Jan. 29th, 2010|07:22 am] |
Billington junior, a nice lad, met me at the station, and brought me to his father's house, where they had decided that I must spend the nightThey are hospitable, with true Yorkshire hospitality, give a guest everything and leave him to do as he likesThey all knew that I was busy, and that my stay was short, and MrBillington had ready in his office all the papers concerning the consignment of boxesIt gave me almost a turn to see again one of the letters which I had seen on the Count's table before I knew of his diabolical plansEverything had been carefully thought out, and done systematically and with precisionHe seemed to have been prepared for every obstacle which might be placed by accident in the way of his intentions being carried outTo use an Americanism, he had 'taken no chances', and the absolute accuracy with which his instructions were fulfilled was simply the logical result of his careI saw the invoice, and took note of it'Fifty cases of common earth, to be used for experimental purposes'Also the copy of the letter to Carter Paterson, and their replyOf both these I got copiesThis was all the information MrBillington could give me, so I went down to the port and saw the coastguards, the Customs Officers and the harbour master, who kindly put me in communication with the men who had actually received the boxesTheir tally was exact with the list, and they had nothing to add to the simple description 'fifty cases of common earth', except that the boxes were 'main and mortal heavy', and that shifting them was dry workOne of them added that it was hard lines that there wasn't any gentleman 'such like as like yourself, squire', to show some sort of appreciation of their efforts in a liquid formAnother put in a rider that the thirst then generated was such that even the time which had elapsed had not completely allayed itNeedless to add, I took care before leaving to lift, forever and adequately, this source of reproach-The station master was good enough to give me a line to his old companion the station master at King's Cross, so that when I arrived there in the morning I was able to ask him about the arrival of the boxesHe, too put me at once in communication with the proper officials, and I saw that their tally was correct with the original invoiceThe opportunities of acquiring an abnormal thirst had been here limitedA noble use of them had, however, been made, and again I was compelled to deal with the result in ex post facto manner
From thence I went to Carter Paterson's central office, where I met with the utmost courtesyThey looked up the transaction in their day book and letter book, and at once telephoned to their King's Cross office for more detailsBy good fortune, the men who did the teaming were waiting for work, and the official at once sent them over, sending also by one of them the way-bill and all the papers connected with the delivery of the boxes at CarfaxHere again I found the tally agreeing exactlyThe carriers' men were able to supplement the paucity of the written words with a few more detailsThese were, I shortly found, connected almost solely with the dusty nature of the job, and the consequent thirst engendered in the operatorsOn my affording an opportunity, through the medium of the currency of the realm, of the allaying, at a later period, this beneficial evil, one of the men remarked,
"That 'ere 'ouse, guv'nor, is the rummiest I ever was inBlyme! But it ain't been touched sence a hundred yearsThere was dust that thick in the place that you might have slep' on it without 'urtin' of yer bonesAn' the place was that neglected that yer might 'ave smelled ole Jerusalem in itBut the old chapel, that took the cike, that did! Me and my mate, we thort we wouldn't never git out quick enoughLor', I wouldn't take less nor a quid a moment to stay there arter dark
Having been in the house, I could well believe him, but if he knew what I know, he would, I think have raised his terms
Of one thing I am now satisfiedThat all those boxes which arrived at Whitby from Varna in the Demeter were safely deposited in the old chapel at CarfaxThere should be fifty of them there, unless any have since been removed, as from DrSeward's diary I fear-Mina and I have worked all day, and we have put all the papers into |
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