“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？“