She laughed at my sudden Irish effervescence. "Why not?" she said."You have everything a man could have,--youth, health, strength,education, energy. I was sorry you spoke. And now I am glad--soglad--if it wakens these thoughts in you!"
"And if I do----"
Her dear hand rested like warm velvet upon my lips. "Not another word,Sir! You should have been at the office for evening duty half an hourago; only I hadn't the heart to remind you. Some day, perhaps, whenyou have won your place in the world, we shall talk it over again."
And so it was that I found myself that foggy November evening pursuingthe Camberwell tram with my heart glowing within me, and with the eagerdetermination that not another day should elapse before I should findsome deed which was worthy of my lady. But who--who in all this wideworld could ever have imagined the incredible shape which that deed wasto take, or the strange steps by which I was led to the doing of it?
And, after all, this opening chapter will seem to the reader to havenothing to do with my narrative; and yet there would have been nonarrative without it, for it is only when a man goes out into the worldwith the thought that there are heroisms all round him, and with thedesire all alive in his heart to follow any which may come within sightof him, that he breaks away as I did from the life he knows, andventures forth into the wonderful mystic twilight land where lie thegreat adventures and the great rewards. Behold me, then, at the officeof the Daily Gazette, on the staff of which I was a most insignificantunit, with the settled determination that very night, if possible, tofind the quest which should be worthy of my Gladys! Was it hardness,was it selfishness, that she should ask me to risk my life for her ownglorification? Such thoughts may come to middle age; but never toardent three-and-twenty in the fever of his first love.
CHAPTER II
"Try Your Luck with Professor Challenger"
I always liked McArdle, the crabbed, old, round-backed, red-headed newseditor, and I rather hoped that he liked me. Of course, Beaumont wasthe real boss; but he lived in the rarefied atmosphere of some Olympianheight from which he could distinguish nothing smaller than aninternational crisis or a split in the Cabinet. Sometimes we saw himpassing in lonely majesty to his inner sanctum, with his eyes staringvaguely and his mind hovering over the Balkans or the Persian Gulf. Hewas above and beyond us. But McArdle was his first lieutenant, and itwas he that we knew. The old man nodded as I entered the room, and hepushed his spectacles far up on his bald forehead.
"Well, Mr. Malone, from all I hear, you seem to be doing very well,"said he in his kindly Scotch accent.
I thanked him.
"The colliery explosion was excellent. So was the Southwark fire. Youhave the true descreeptive touch. What did you want to see me about?"
"To ask a favor."
He looked alarmed, and his eyes shunned mine. "Tut, tut! What is it?"
"Do you think, Sir, that you could possibly send me on some mission forthe paper? I would do my best to put it through and get you some goodcopy."
"What sort of meesion had you in your mind, Mr. Malone?"
"Well, Sir, anything that had adventure and danger in it. I reallywould do my very best. The more difficult it was, the better it wouldsuit me."
"You seem very anxious to lose your life."
"To justify my life, Sir."
"Dear me, Mr. Malone, this is very--very exalted. I'm afraid the dayfor this sort of thing is rather past. The expense of the 'specialmeesion' business hardly justifies the result, and, of course, in anycase it would only be an experienced man with a name that would commandpublic confidence who would get such an order. The big blank spaces inthe map are all being filled in, and there's no room for romanceanywhere. Wait a bit, though!" he added, with a sudden smile upon hisface. "Talking of the blank spaces of the map gives me an idea. Whatabout exposing a fraud--a modern Munchausen--and making himrideeculous? You could show him up as the liar that he is! Eh, man,it would be fine. How does it appeal to you?"
"Anything--anywhere--I care nothing."
McArdle was plunged in thought for some minutes.
"I wonder whether you could get on friendly--or at least on talkingterms with the fellow," he said, at last. "You seem to have a sort ofgenius for establishing relations with people--seempathy, I suppose, oranimal magnetism, or youthful vitality, or something. I am consciousof it myself."
"You are very good, sir."
"So why should you not try your luck with Professor Challenger, ofEnmore Park?"
I dare say I looked a little startled.
"Challenger!" I cried. "Professor Challenger, the famous zoologist!Wasn't he the man who broke the skull of Blundell, of the Telegraph?"
The news editor smiled grimly.
"Do you mind? Didn't you say it was adventures you were after?"
"It is all in the way of business, sir," I answered.
"Exactly. I don't suppose he can always be so violent as that. I'mthinking that Blundell got him at the wrong moment, maybe, or in thewrong fashion. You may have better luck, or more tact in handling him.There's something in your line there, I am sure, and the Gazette shouldwork it."