Page:The Snake's Pass (Stoker).djvu/81

 and 'ha'd'—then with a smile he said quite frankly:—

"The fact is that I am not at liberty to say. The worthy Gombeen Man put a special clause in our agreement that I was not during the time of my engagement to mention to any one the object of my work. He wanted the clause to run that I was never to mention it; but I kicked at that, and only signed in the modified form."

I thought to myself "more mysteries at Shleenanaher!" Dick went on:—

"However, I have no doubt that you will very soon gather the object for yourself. You are yourself something of a scientist, if I remember?"

"Not me!" I answered. My Great Aunt took care of that when she sent me to our old tutor. Or, indeed, to do the old boy justice, he tried to teach me something of the kind; but I found out it wasn't my vogue. Anyhow, I haven't done anything lately."

"How do you mean?"

"I haven't got over being idle yet. It's not a year since I came into my fortune. Perhaps—indeed I hope—that I may settle down to work again."

"I'm sure I hope so, too, old fellow," he answered gravely. "When a man has once tasted the pleasure of real work, especially work that taxes the mind and the imagination, the world seems only a poor place without it."

"Like the wurrld widout girruls for me, or widout