Page:Roy Norton--The unknown Mr Kent.djvu/162

 "Mr. Kent has retained one of the expert accountants sent him from London as his private secretary," Paulo added, as a further note of interest "He speaks our tongue. Also, Ivan has brought all their personal belongings from Steinweg. Mr. Kent has also bought a strange sort of clock arrangement that he compels the chancellor and the Minister of War to punch in a curious fashion whenever they enter or leave their offices. Mr. Kent said he was thinking of getting one for Your Majesty. This curious device registers the time when one comes in or goes out, so that by referring to it, Mr. Kent says he can tell whether they are doing a full day's work."

His Majesty decided that it was time for him to retire to his own part of the palace. Mr. Kent seemed to be doing quite a lot of things. Among others, His Majesty learned a few days later, was the reorganisation of the working plant of the mining concession, effected by a distinguished mining engineer who had not only arrived but had telegraphed for new machinery that was to be installed. Also local engineers had been sent to make surveys and plans for electric power plants at several places where hitherto some noble waterfalls had been permitted to flow as nature made them, untrammelled by harness. Quarries owned and long neglected by the crown were being prepared for reopening on large scales, and the king [158]