“Let’ssee，“addedSirRoberttohimself。“OldJackson，theeditorof/TheJudge/，wasagreatfriendofVernon’sfather，thelateSirWilliamVernon，G。C。B。Ibelievethathewasengagedtobemarriedtohissisteryearsago，onlyshediedorsomething。SotheMajoroughttobeabletogetroundhimifanybodycan。OnlytheworstofitisI
don’taltogethertrustthatyounggentleman。Itsuitedustogivehimashareinthebusinessbecauseheisanengineerwhoknowsthecountry，andthisSaharaschemewashisnotion，averygoodoneinaway，andforotherreasons。Nowheshowssignsofkickingoverthetraces，wantstoknowtoomuch，isdevelopingaconscience，andsoforth。Asthoughthepromotersofspeculativecompanieshadanybusinesswithconsciences。Ah！herehecomes。“
SirRobertseatedhimselfathisdeskandresumedhiscalculationsuponahalf-sheetofnote-paper，andthatmomentaclear，heartyvoicewasheardspeakingtotheclerksintheouteroffice。Thencamethesoundofastrong，firmfootstep，thedooropenedandMajorAlanVernonappeared。
Hewasstillquiteayoungman，notmorethanthirty-twoorthreeyearsofage，thoughhelackedtheultrarobustandrubicundappearancewhichistypicalofsomanyEnglishmenofhisclassatthisperiodoflife。AheavyboutofblackwaterfeveracquiredonserviceinWestAfrica，whichwouldhavekilledanyoneofweakerconstitution，hadrobbedhisfaceofitsbloomandleftitmuchsallower，ifmoreinterestingthanonceithadbeen。Forinawaytherewasinterestabouttheface；alsoacertaincharm。Itwasagoodandhonestfacewitharathereager，ratherpuzzledlook，thatofamanwhohasimaginationandideasandwhosearchesforthetruthbutfailstofindit。Asforthecharm，itlayforthemostpartinthepleasant，opensmileandinthefrankbutratherroundbrowneyesoverhungbyasomewhatmassiveforeheadwhichprojectedalittle，orperhapsthesevereillnessalreadyalludedtohadcausedtherestofthefacetosink。Thoughthin，themanwasbiglybuilt，withbroadshouldersandwell-developedlimbs，measuringatrifleundersixfeetinheight。
SuchwastheoutwardappearanceofAlanVernon。Asforhismind，itwasableenoughincertainfashions，forinstancethoseofengineering，andthesoldier-likefacultiestowhichithadbeentrained；frankandkindlyalso，butinotherrespectsnotquick，perhapsfromitsunsuspiciousness。AlanVernonwasamanslowtodiscoverillandslowerstilltobelieveinitevenwhenitseemedtobediscovered，aweaknessthatmayhavegonefartoaccountforhispresenceintheofficeofthoseeminentandbrilliantfinanciers，Messrs。Aylward&Champers-Haswell。Justnowhelookedalittleworried，likeafishoutofwater，orratherafishwhichhasbeguntosuspectthequalityofthewater，somethinginitssmellortaste。
“Jeffreystellsmethatyouwanttoseeme，SirRobert，“hesaidinhislowandpleasantvoice，lookingatthebaronetratheranxiously。
“Yes，mydearVernon，Iwishtoaskyoutodosomething，ifyoukindlywill，althoughitisnotquiteinyourline。OldJackson，theeditorof/TheJudge/，isafriendofyours，isn’the？“
“Hewasafriendofmyfather’s，andIusedtoknowhimslightly。“
“Well，that’snearenough。AsIdaresayyouhaveheard，heisanunreasonableoldbeggar，andhastakenadisliketoourSaharascheme。
Someonehassethimagainstitandherefusestoreceiveadvertisements，threatenscriticisms，etc。Nowtheoppositionof/TheJudge/oranyotherpaperwon’tkillus，andifnecessarywecanfight，butatthesametimeitisalwayswisetoagreewithyourenemywhileheisintheway，andinshort——wouldyoumindgoingdownandexplaininghismistaketohim？“
BeforeansweringMajorVernonwalkedtothewindowleisurelyandlookedout。
“Idon’tlikeaskingfavoursfromfamilyfriends，“herepliedatlength，“and，asyousaid，Ithinkitisn’tquitemyline。Thoughofcourseifithasanythingtodowiththeengineeringpossibilities，I
shallbemosthappytoseehim，“headded，brightening。
“Idon’tknowwhatithastodowith；thatiswhatIshallbeobligedifyouwillfindout，“answeredSirRobertwithsomeasperity。“Onecan’tdivideamatterofthissortintowatertightcompartments。Itistruethatinsoimportantaconcerneachofushaschargeofhisowndivision，butthefactremainsthatwearejointlyandseverallyresponsibleforthewhole。Iamnotsurethatyoubearthissufficientlyinmind，mydearVernon，“headdedwithslowemphasis。
Hispartnermovedquickly；itmightalmosthavebeensaidthatheshivered，thoughwhetherthemovement，ortheshiver，wasproducedbytheargumentofjointandseveralliabilityorbythefamiliarityofthe“mydearVernon，“remainsuncertain。Perhapsitwasthelatter，sincealthoughtheeldermanwasabaronetandtheyoungeronlyaretiredMajorofEngineers，thegulfbetweenthem，asanyoneofdiscernmentcouldsee，waswide。Theywereborn，lived，andmovedindifferentspheresunbridgedbyanycommonelementorimpulse。
“IthinkthatIdobearitinmind，especiallyoflate，SirRobert，“
answeredAlanVernonslowly。
Hispartnerthrewasearchingglanceonhim，forhefeltthattherewasmeaninginthewords，butonlysaid:
“That’sallright。MymotorisoutsideandwilltakeyoutoFleetStreetinnotime。Meanwhileyoumighttellthemtotelephonethatyouarecoming，andperhapsyouwilljustlookinwhenyougetback。I
haven’tgottogototheHouseto-night，soshallbeheretilldinnertime，andso，Ithink，willyourcousinHaswell。Muzzlethatoldbulldog，Jackson，somehow。Nodoubthehashispriceliketherestofthem，inmealormalt，andyouneedn’tstickatthefigure。Wedon’twanthimhangingonourthroatforthenextweekortwo。“
Tenminuteslaterthesplendid，two-thousandguineamotorbroughamdrewupattheofficesofthe/Judge/andtheobsequiousmotor-footmanbowedMajorVernonthroughitsrathergrimydoorway。Within，asmallboyinakindofboxaskedhisbusiness，andwhenheheardhisname，saidthatthe“Guvnor“hadsentdownwordthathewasgoupatonce——
thirdfloor，firsttotherightandsecondtotheleft。Souphewent，andwhenhereachedtheindicatedlocalitywastakenpossessionofbyaworried-lookingclerkwhohadevidentlybeenwaitingforhim，andalmostthrustthroughadoortofindhimselfinabig，worn，untidyroom。Atahugedeskinthisroomsatanelderlyman，alsobig，worn，anduntidy-looking，whowavedalongslipofgalley-proofinhishand，andwasengagedinscoldingasub-editor。
“Whoisthat？“hesaid，wheelinground。“I’mbusy，can’tseeanyone。“
“Ibegyourpardon，“answeredtheMajorwithhumility，“yourpeopletoldmetocomeup。MynameisAlanVernon。“
“Oh！Iremember。Sitdownforamoment，willyou，and——Mr。Thomas，obligemebytakingawaythisrotandrewritingitentirelyinthesenseIhaveoutlined。“
Mr。Thomassnatchedhisrejectedcopyandvanishedthroughanotherdoor，whereonhischiefremarkedinanaudiblevoice:
“Thatmanisaperfectfool。LuckyIthoughttolookathisstuff。
Well，heisnoworsethantherest，inthiswearyworld，“andheburstintoaheartylaughandswunghischairround，adding，“Nowthen，Alan，whatisit？Ihaveaquarterofanhouratyourservice。Why，blessme！Iwasforgettingthatit’smorethanadozenyearssincewemet；youwerestillaboythen，andnowyouhaveleftthearmywithaD。S。O。andgratuity，andturnedfinancier，whichIthinkwouldn’thavepleasedyouroldfather。Come，sitdownhereandletustalk。“
“Ididn’tleavethearmy，Mr。Jackson，“answeredhisvisitor；“itleftme；Iwasinvalidedout。TheysaidIshouldnevergetmyhealthbackafterthatlastgooffever，butIdid。“
“Ah！badluck，verybadluck，justatthebeginningofwhatshouldhavebeenabigcareer，forIknowtheythoughthighlyofyouattheWarOffice，thatis，iftheycanthink。Well，youhavegrownintoafine-lookingfellow，likeyourfather，very，andsomeoneelsetoo，“
andhesighed，runninghisfingersthroughhisgrizzledhair。“Butyoudon’trememberher；shewasbeforeyourtime。Nowletusgettobusiness；there’snotimeforreminiscencesinthisoffice。Whatisit，Alan，forlikeotherpeopleIsupposethatyouwantsomething？“
“ItisaboutthatSaharaflotation，Mr。Jackson，“hebeganratherdoubtfully。
Theoldeditor’sfacedarkened。“TheSaharaflotation！Thataccursed——“andheceasedabruptly。“Whathaveyou，ofallpeopleintheworld，gottodowithit？Oh！Iremember。SomeonetoldmethatyouhadgoneintopartnershipwithAylwardthecompanypromoter，andthatlittlebeast，Champers-Haswell，whoreallyisthecleverone。Well，setitout，setitout。“
“Itseems，Mr。Jackson，that/TheJudge/hasrefusednotonlyourarticle，butalsotheadvertisementofthecompany。Idon’tknowmuchaboutthissideoftheaffairmyself，butSirRobertaskedmeifI
wouldcomeroundandseeifthingscouldn’tbearranged。“
“YoumeanthatthemansentyoutotryandworkonmebecauseheknewthatIusedtobeintimatewithyourfamily。Well，itisapoorerrandandwillhaveapoorend。Youcan’t——nooneonearthcan，whileIsitinthischair，notevenmyproprietors。“
TherewassilencebrokenatlastbyAlan，whoremarkedawkwardly:
“Ifthatisso，Imustnottakeupyourtimeanylonger。“
“IsaidthatIwouldgiveyouaquarterofanhour，andyouhaveonlybeenherefourminutes。Now，AlanVernon，tellmeasyourfather’soldfriend，whyyouhavegonetoherdwiththesegildedswine？“
Therewassomethingsoearnestabouttheman’squestionthatitdidnotevenoccurtohisvisitortoresentitsroughness。
“Ofcourseitisnotoriginal，“heanswered，“butIhadthisideaaboutfloodingtheDesert；Ispentafurloughupthereafewyearsagoandemployedmytimeinmakingsomeroughsurveys。ThenIwasobligedtoleavetheServiceandwentdowntoYarleysaftermyfather’sdeath——it’sminenow，youknow，butworthnothingexceptashootingrent，whichjustpaysfortherepairs。ThereImetChampers-Haswell，wholivesnearandisakindofdistantcousinofmine——mymotherwasaChampers——andhappenedtomentionthethingtohim。HetookitupatonceandintroducedmetoAylward，andtheendofitwas，thattheyofferedmeapartnershipwithasmallshareinthebusiness，becausetheysaidIwasjustthemantheywanted。“
“Justthemantheywanted，“repeatedtheeditorafterhim。“Yes，thelastoftheVernons，anengineerwithanoldnameinhiscounty，acleanrecordandplentyofability。Yes，youwouldbejustthemantheywanted。Andyouaccepted？“
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