第1章

TherewereveryfewpeopleuponPlatformNumberTwenty-oneofLiverpoolStreetStationataquartertonineontheeveningofApril2-possiblybecausetheplatforminquestionisoneofthemostremoteandleastusedinthegreatterminus。Thestation-master，however，wastherehimself，withaninspectorinattendance。Adark，thick-setman，wearingalongtravellingulsterandaHomburghat，andcarryinginhishandabrownleatherdressing-case，acrosswhichwaspaintedinblacklettersthenameMR。JOHNP。DUNSTER，wasstandingafewyardsaway，smokingalongcigar，and，toallappearanceabsorbedinstudyingtheadvertisementswhichdecoratedthegrimywallontheothersideofthesingletrack。Acoupleofporterswereseateduponabarrowwhichcontainedonesolitaryportmanteau。Therewerenosignsofotherpassengers，nootherluggage。Asamatteroffact，accordingtothetime-table，notrainwasduetoleavethestationortoarriveatit，onthisparticularplatform，forseveralhours。

Downattheotherendoftheplatformthewoodenbarrierwasthrustback，andaporterwithsomeluggageuponabarrowmadehisnoisyapproach。Hewasfollowedbyatallyoungmaninagreytweedsuitandastrawhatonwhichwerethecoloursofafamouscricketclub。

Theinspectorwatchedthemcuriously。“Losthisway，Ishouldthink，“heobserved。

Thestation-masternodded。“Itlooksliketheyoungmanwhomissedtheboattrain，“heremarked。“Perhapshehascometobegalift。“

Theyoungmaninquestionmadesteadyprogressuptheplatform。

Hishandswerethrustdeepintothepocketsofhiscoat，andhisforeheadwascontractedinafrown。Asheapproachedmoreclosely，hesingledoutMr。JohnP。Dunster，andmotioninghisportertowait，crossedtotheedgeofthetrackandaddressedhim。

“CanIspeaktoyouforamoment，sir？“

Mr。JohnP。Dunsterturnedatonceandfacedhisquestioner。Hedidsowithouthaste-withacertaindeliberation，infact-yethiseyesweresuddenlybrightandkeen。Hewasneatlydressed，withthequietprecisionwhichseemsasaruletocharacterisethetravellingAmerican。Hewasapparentlyofalittlelessthanmiddle-age，clean-shaven，broad-shouldered，witheveryappearanceofphysicalstrength。Heseemedlikeamanonwires，amanonthealert，likelytomissnothing。

“AreyouMr。JohnP。Dunster？“theyouthasked。

“Icarrymyvisiting-cardinmyhand，sir，“theotherreplied，swinginghisdressing-casearound。“MynameisJohnP。Dunster。“

Theyoungman’sexpressionwasscarcelyingratiating。Toanaturalsullennesswasaddednowthenervousdistasteofonewhoapproachesadisagreeabletask。

“Iwant，ifImay，toaskyouafavour，“hecontinued。“Ifyoudon’tfeellikegrantingit，pleasesaynoandI’llbeoffatonce。IamonmywaytoTheHague。Iwastohavegonebytheboattrainwhichlefthalfanhourago。Ihadtakenaseat，andtheyassuredmethatthetrainwouldnotleaveforatleasttenminutes，asthemailsweren’tin。IwentdowntheplatformtobuysomepapersandstoodtalkingforamomentortwowithamanwhomIknow。IsupposeI

musthavebeenlongerthanIthought，ortheymusthavebeenquickerthantheyexpectedwiththemailbags。Anyhow，whenIcamebackthetrainwasmoving。Theywouldnotletmejumpin。Icouldhavedoneiteasily，butthatfoolofaninspectoroverthereheldme。“

“Theyareverystrictinthiscountry，Iknow。“

Mr。Dunsteragreed，withoutchangeofexpression。

“Pleasegoon。“

“Isawyouarrive-justtoolateforthetrain。WhileIwasswearingattheinspector，Iheardyouspeaktothestation-master。

SincethenIhavemadeinquiries。IunderstandthatyouhaveorderedaspecialtraintoHarwich。“

Mr。JohnP。Dunstersaidnothing，onlyhiskeen，cleareyesseemedallthetimetobequestioningthisgloomy-lookingbutapparentlyharmlessyoungman。

“Iwenttothestation-master’soffice，“thelattercontinued，“andtriedtopersuadethemtoletmerideintheguard’svanofyourspecial，buthemadeastupidfussaboutit，soIthoughtI’dbettercometoyou。CanIbegaseatinyourcompartment，oranywhereinthetrain，asfarasHarwich？“

Mr。Dunsteravoided，forthemoment，adirectreply。Hehadtheairofamanwho，whetherreasonablyorunreasonably，dislikedtherequestwhichhadbeenmadetohim。

“Youareparticularlyanxioustocrossto-night？“heasked。

“Iam，“theyouthadmittedemphatically。“Ineveroughttohaveriskedmissingthetrain。IamdueatTheHagueto-morrow。“

Mr。JohnP。Dunstermovedhispositionalittle。Thelightfromarain-splashedgaslampshonenowfulluponthefaceofhissuppliant:

aboy’sface，whichwouldhavebeenpleasantandevenhandsomebutforthediscontentedmouth，theloweringforehead，andashadowintheeyes，asthough，boythoughhecertainlywasinyears，hehadalready，atsometimeoranother，lookedupontheseriousthingsoflife。Hisnervousness，too，wasalmostgrotesque。Hehadtheairofdislikingimmenselythisaskingafavourfromastranger。Mr。

Dunsterappreciatedallthesethings，buttherewerereasonswhichmadehimslowingrantingtheyoungman’srequest。

“WhatisthenatureofyourpressingbusinessatTheHague？“heasked。

Theyouthhesitated。

“Iamafraid，“hesaidgrimly，“thatyouwillnotthinkitofmuchimportance。Iamonmywaytoplayinagolftournamentthere。“

“AgolftournamentatTheHague！“Mr。Dunsterrepeated，inaslightlyalteredtone。“Whatisyourname？“

“GeraldFentolin。“

Mr。Dunsterstoodquitestillforamoment。Hewaspossessedofawonderfulmemory，andhewasconsciousatthatmomentofasubtleappealtoit。Fentolin！Therewassomethinginthenamewhichseemedtohimsomehowassociatedwiththethingsagainstwhichhewasonguard。Hestoodwithpuzzledfrown，reminiscentforseveralminutes，unsuccessful。Thenhesuddenlysmiled，andmovingunderneaththegaslamp，shookopenaneveningpaperwhichhehadbeencarrying。Heturnedoverthepagesuntilhearrivedatthesportingitems。Here，inalmostthefirstparagraph，hesawthenamewhichhadhappenedtocatchhiseyeamomentortwobefore:

GOLFATTHEHAGUE

Amongtheentrantsforthetournamentwhichcommencesto-morrow，areseveralwell-knownEnglishplayers，includingMr。Barwin，Mr。Parrott，Mr。HillardandMr。GeraldFentolin。

Mr。Dunsterfoldedupthenewspaperandreplaceditinhispocket。

Heturnedtowardstheyoungman。

“Soyou’reagolfer，areyou？“

“Iplayabit，“wasthesomewhatindifferentreply。

Mr。Dunsterturnedtoanotherpartofthepaperandpointedtothegreatblackhead-lines。

“Seemsaqueerthingforayoungfellowlikeyoutobeworryingaboutgames，“heremarked。“Ihaven’tbeeninthiscountrymorethanafewhours，butIexpectedtofindalltheyoungmengettingready。“

“Gettingreadyforwhat？“

“Why，tofight，ofcourse，“Mr。Dunsterreplied。“Seemsprettyclearthatthere’sanexpeditionaryforcebeingfittedout，accordingtothisevening’spaper，somewhereupintheNorthSea。

TheonlyEnglishmanI’vespokentoonthissidewaswillingtolaymeoddsthatwarwouldbedeclaredwithinaweek。“

Theyoungman’slackofinterestwascurious。

“Iamnotinthearmy，“hesaid。“Itreallydoesn’taffectme。“

Mr。Dunsterstaredathim。

“You’llforgivemycuriosity，“hesaid，“butsay，istherenothingyoucouldgetintoandfightifthisthingcamealong？“

“Nothingatall，thatIknowof，“theyouthrepliedcoolly。“Warisanaffairwhichconcernsonlythemilitaryandnavalpartoftwocountries。Thecivilpopulation-“

“Playsgolf，Isuppose，“Mr。Dunsterinterrupted。“Youngman，I

haven’tbeeninEnglandforsomeyears，andyourathertakemybreathaway。Allthesame，youcancomealongwithmeasfarasHarwich。“

Theyoungmanshowedsignsofsomesatisfaction。“Iamverymuchobligedtoyou，sir，“hededared。“IpromiseyouIwon’tbeintheway。“

Thestation-master，whohadbeenlookingthroughalittlepileoftelegramsbroughttohimbyaclerkfromhisoffice，nowturnedtowardsthem。Hisexpressionwasalittlegrave。

“Yourspecialwillbebackingdowndirectly，sir，“heannounced，“butIamsorrytosaythatwehearverybadaccountsoftheline。

Theysaythatthisisonlythefag-endofthestormthatwearegettinghere，andthatit’sbeenragingfornearlytwenty-fourhoursontheeastcoast。IdoubtwhethertheHarwichboatwillbeabletoputoff。“

“Wemusttakeourchanceaboutthat，“Dunsterremarked。“Ifthemailboatdoesn’trun，Ipresumetherewillbesomethingelsewecancharter。“

Thestation-masterlookedthecuriositywhichhedidnotactuallyexpressinwords。

“Moneywillbuymostthings，nowadays，sir，“heobserved，“butifitisn’tfitforourmailboat，itcertainlyisn’tfitforanythingelsethatcancomeintoHarwichHarbour。However，you’llhearwhattheysaywhenyougetthere。“

Mr。Dunsternoddedandrelapsedintoataciturnitywhichwasobviouslyoneofhispeculiarities。Theyoungmanstrolleddowntheplatform，andcatchingupwiththeinspector，touchedhimontheshoulder。

“Doyouknowwhothefellowisheaskedcuriously。“It’sawfullydecentofhimtoletmegowithhim，buthedidn’tseemverykeenaboutit。“

Theinspectorshookhishead。