morning was beginning to struggle with night when grey turned his footsteps from mrs. rent's lodgings towards the quay. he was more than satisfied with his work, despite the fact that the most unpleasant and most repulsive part of it was yet to come. he was tired and weary by this time, but there was something to be accomplished before he returned to the yacht. one or two facts had to be verified. he turned aside for a bit and walked along the foreshore to rent's workshop. but it was in absolute darkness, and no doubt swift had gone to his lodgings. it was swift whom grey wanted to see, and, rather than go to the yacht before his task was altogether finished, grey loitered about the streets till daybreak. he took a short cut through a series of dingy streets and past the fish-market, where one or two public-houses flaunted their garish lights across the pavement. grey wondered at this infringing of the licensing act, until it dawned upon him that these were free houses specially retained for the benefit of the fish-dealers and hawkers and certain crews of yachts which landed in the early morning. it was a survival of old times. for the most part they seemed to be doing a certain amount of business.
there was something inviting about the lights and the open doors. it suddenly occurred to grey that it was six or seven hours since he had partaken of food. he turned into one of the houses, where he saw piles of thick but appetising sandwiches laid out in plates upon the long table. he called for three or four of these and a small glass of whisky-and-soda, which he proceeded to dispose of in the snug seclusion of one of the little oak cabins which still obtain in some old-fashioned taverns. the cabins were by no means well-lighted, so that one could sit practically unseen in the darkness and yet see everything that was going on in the bar. grey had barely finished his repast and lighted a cigarette before the swing door was thrown open and ephraim bark swaggered in. there was nothing surprising in the appearance of the little man; in fact, this was just the kind of place that such a thirsty soul would patronise, seeing that it was possible to obtain strong drink at any time of the day or night. all the same, it was a coincidence, and grey determined to make the best of it.
but bark had not come solely with the intention of consuming drink. he asked a question of the sleepy-looking man behind the bar, then looked at his watch impatiently. grey smiled grimly to see that bark was in possession of a watch again. evidently he was in funds once more. for nearly half an hour bark stood exchanging pungent chaff with the barman, until the door opened and swift came in. no doubt this was the man for whom bark was waiting. bark scowled at the newcomer and intimated that a few moments later and he and the public-house bar would have been complete strangers. swift did not appear to heed. he swayed unsteadily to and fro. his face was ghastly white and twitching. there was a queer, fitful gleam in his eyes.
"something to drink," he said hoarsely. "a large glass of brandy with nothing in it. i'll pay the next time i come in, upon my honour i will."
the barman laughed contemptuously. evidently swift was an old customer and his promise carried but little weight in the eyes of the management. bark looked curiously at the dreadful wreck opposite him with his head cocked on one side.
"shall i risk it or not?" he asked. "you are on the verge of a bad breakdown, if ever man was, and it is a toss-up what the stuff will do for you. it will pull your wits together and make a man of you; on the other hand, it may send you climbing up the gaspipes under the impression that you are a monkey. i know all about it. i have been there myself."
this coarse badinage passed over swift's head. he pressed his hand to his burning throat and once more asked piteously for drink. bark relented.
"all right," he said. "let him have it. we have all got to take risks sometimes. there, do you feel better now?"
like a man dying of thirst in a desert, swift reached out an eager, trembling hand for the potent yellow fluid and poured it down his throat at one fell swoop. then gradually but surely a little colour crept back into his cheeks. his hands ceased to twitch and the horrible spasmodic jerkings of his lips left his mouth firm and straight.
"ah, that's better," he said, with the air of a man escaping from physical pain. "now i am ready to talk. what is it you want? haven't you done mischief enough already? you have managed to knock arnold rent out of time, and that ought to be sufficient. what can i do for you?"
grey started as these words fell upon his ears. he knew now how the latter's state of mind had been brought about. he saw bark and his companion cross the bar and take their places in one of the cabins higher up the room. bark called for more refreshment, but he was careful to specify the exact quantity which swift was to consume, with the promise of more when their business was concluded. there was a certain amount of risk attached to it, but grey felt he must establish himself in the next cabin so that he might hear what was going on. while the barman's back was turned, grey crept noiselessly across the floor and disappeared in the cabin next to that occupied by bark and his companion. the little man apparently was bent on business only, for the first words he uttered took him straight to the point.
"oh, you know what i want," he said. "i want you to tell me how that affair was managed. it doesn't matter so long as i can get about without any danger. now, you needn't look at me like that, pretending to be innocent, because you know where the jewels are hidden."
"what jewels?" swift asked. "what do you mean?"
"mean!" bark echoed. "why, what i say."
"there seems to be some misunderstanding," swift murmured. "i give you my word, i don't know anything about any jewels. this is the first time that i have heard them mentioned. oh, i am all right now. my head is as clear as yours. but, so far as any gems are concerned, you are talking clean over my head."
bark hesitated for a moment, then laughed with the air of a man who is rather pleased with himself.
"so much the better," he said. "sometimes a little knowledge is a dangerous thing. i believe what you say, and, seeing that you don't know, i am not going to enlighten you. and now we come to another matter. you are a scientist and so is arnold rent. it wouldn't be any exaggeration to say that you are two of the cleverest of the new school of investigators in england. if you kept off the drink and arnold rent had not been an extravagant fool you might have startled europe before now. you could have made edison look like an ignorant schoolboy. but i didn't bring you here for the purposes of flattery. i mean to ask you questions and see that you answer them. question number one—did you ever hear of intermittent electricity, and what does it mean?"
a sharp exclamation broke from swift.
"you don't know what you are talking about," he cried.
"ah, well, that's just why i am asking questions, my friend," bark sneered. "but, as it happens, i have dabbled in science and am not quite such a fool as i look. i know you can send messages by wireless telegraphy, and before very long wireless telephones will be a back number. this being so, why shouldn't we have wireless electricity? suppose you put a battery of five hundred volts over yonder where the barman is—— oh, by the way, would five hundred volts cause a fatal shock to anybody who came in contact with the current?"
a choking sort of sound proceeded from swift. evidently he had some difficulty in getting out his words. grey, listening behind the partition, understood him to say that the shock of five hundred volts would be fatal in certain conditions.
"well, i know that," bark said impatiently. "what conditions would the force be fatal under?"
"some people might suffer with impunity," swift said hoarsely. "on the other hand, it would simply shrivel up others, and, in any case, no one could withstand it if they stood——"
swift paused. it seemed almost impossible for him to speak further. bark laughed in a sneering manner.
"well, go on," he said encouragingly. "don't be afraid. i suppose what you mean to infer is that the dose would be absolutely fatal if any one was wet or stood on wet ground?"
"that's it," swift replied. "quite correct."
"very good," bark replied. "we are getting on. now listen to me and answer me carefully. on your oath, have you discovered the secret of wireless electricity or not?"
