Page:Marsh--The seen and the unseen.djvu/272

248 the room, leaning on two sticks, and as soon as he saw the box on the chair he seemed more than half disposed to back out again.

"Didn't the rascals tell you to drown the box in a cistern of water?"

"The rascals did. But the Marquis of Bewlay will permit me to observe that I always require a sufficient explanation before I act on instructions which I receive from strangers."

With Mr. Champnell's assistance the Marquis took refuge in a chair.

"What's your fee?"

"My lowest fee is one hundred guineas."

"Too much."

"In the case of the Marquis of Bewlay my lowest fee will be one hundred and fifty guineas."

The Marquis glanced up at him—and leered.

"You shall have it for your impudence—the Champnells always were an impudent lot. Find out who sent what is in that box, and you shall have your hundred and fifty. Here's the key, look inside—only mind, gently does it"

Unlocking the iron box with the key the Marquis gave him, Mr. Champnell found that it contained other smaller wooden boxes, which were divided from each other by layers of cotton wool. Removing the covers of these wooden boxes he perceived that each contained what seemed to be some sort of oil can.

"Thirteen of them, aren*t they?" On counting them Mr. Champnell discovered that the number was correct "Lucky number, and pretty playthings, every one of them. All infernal machines, or I'm a