Jonathan
Harker's Journal30 September The station master was good enough
to give me a line to his old companion the station master at King's Cross, so
that when I arrived there in the morning I was able to ask him about the arrival
of the boxes. He, too put me at once in communication with the proper officials,
and I saw that their tally was correct with the original invoice. The opportunities
of acquiring an abnormal thirst had been here limited. A noble use of them had,
however, been made, and again I was compelled to deal with the result in ex post
facto manner. From thence I went to Carter Paterson's central office, where
I met with the utmost courtesy. They looked up the transaction in their day book
and letter book, and at once telephoned to their King's Cross office for more
details. By good fortune, the men who did the teaming were waiting for work, and
the official at once sent them over, sending also by one of them the way-bill
and all the papers connected with the delivery of the boxes at Carfax. Here again
I found the tally agreeing exactly. The carriers' men were able to supplement
the paucity of the written words with a few more details. These were, I shortly
found, connected almost solely with the dusty nature of the job, and the consequent
thirst engendered in the operators. On my affording an opportunity, through the
medium of the currency of the realm, of the allaying, at a later period, this
beneficial evil, one of the men remarked, "That 'ere 'ouse, guv'nor,
is the rummiest I ever was in. Blyme! But it ain't been touched sence a hundred
years. There was dust that thick in the place that you might have slep' on it
without 'urtin' of yer bones. An' the place was that neglected that yer might
'ave smelled ole Jerusalem in it. But the old chapel, that took the cike, that
did! Me and my mate, we thort we wouldn't never git out quick enough. Lor', I
wouldn't take less nor a quid a moment to stay there arter dark." Having
been in the house, I could well believe him, but if he knew what I know, he would,
I think have raised his terms. Of one thing I am now satisfied. That all
those boxes which arrived at Whitby from Varna in the Demeter were safely deposited
in the old chapel at Carfax. There should be fifty of them there, unless any have
since been removed, as from Dr. Seward's diary I fear. Later.--Mina and
I have worked all day, and we have put all the papers into order. |
