“You’reonlyfitforthegrocery。”saidGordon-Nasmythscornfully，sittingdownandhelpinghimselftooneofmyuncle’scigars。“I’msorryIcame。But，still，nowI’mhere。Andfirstastoquap；quap，sir，isthemostradio-activestuffintheworld。That’squap！It’safesteringmassofearthsandheavymetals，polonium，radium，ythorium，thorium，carium，andnewthings，too。There’sastuffcalledXk——provisionally。
Theretheyare，muckeduptogetherinasortofrottingsand。
Whatitis，howitgotmade，Idon’tknow。It’slikeasifsomeyoungcreatorhadbeenplayingaboutthere。Thereitliesintwoheaps，onesmall，onegreat，andtheworldformilesaboutitisblastedandscorchedanddead。Youcanhaveitforthegetting。
You’vegottotakeit——that’sall！”
“Thatsoundsallright。”saidI。“Haveyousamples？”
“Well——shouldI？Youcanhaveanything——uptotwoounces。”
“Whereisit？”。
Hisblueeyesmiledatmeandscrutinisedme。Hesmokedandwasfragmentaryforatime，fendingoffmyquestions；thenhisstorybegantopieceitselftogether。Heconjuredupavisionofthisstrangeforgottenkinkintheworld’slittoral，ofthelongmeanderingchannelsthatspreadanddivaricateandspendtheirburdenofmudandsiltwithinthethunderbeltofAtlanticsurf，ofthedensetangledvegetationthatcreepsintotheshimmeringwaterwithrootandsucker。Hegaveasenseofheatandaperpetualreekofvegetabledecay，andtoldhowatlastcomesabreakamongthesethings，anarenafringedwithbone-whitedeadtrees，asightofthehard-bluesealinebeyondthedazzlingsurfandawidedesolationofdirtyshingleandmud，bleachedandscarred。Alittlewayoffamongcharreddeadweedsstandstheabandonedstation，——abandonedbecauseeverymanwhostayedtwomonthsatthatstationstayedtodie，eatenupmysteriouslylikealeperwithitsdismantledshedsanditsdecayingpierofwormrottenandobliquepilesandplanks，stillinsecurelypossible。
Andinthemidst，twoclumsyheapsshapedlikethebacksofhogs，onesmall，onegreat，stickingoutunderaribofrockthatcutsthespaceacross，——quap！
“Thereitis。”saidGordon-Nasmyth，“worththreepoundsanounce，ifit’sworthapenny；twogreatheapsofit，rottenstuffandsoft，readytoshovelandwheel，andyoumaygetitbytheton！”
“Howdiditgetthere？”
“Godknows！。Thereitis——forthetaking！Inacountrywhereyoumustn’ttrade。Inacountrywherethecompanywaitsforgoodkindmentofinditrichesandthentake’emawayfrom’em。
Thereyouhaveit——derelict。”
“Can’tyoudoanysortofdeal？”
“They’retoodamnedstupid。You’vegottogoandtakeit。
That’sall。”
“Theymightcatchyou。”
“Theymight，ofcourse。Butthey’renotgreatatcatching。”
Wewentintotheparticularsofthatdifficulty。“Theywouldn’tcatchme，becauseI’dsinkfirst。Givemeayacht。”saidGordon-Nasmyth；“that’sallIneed。”
“Butifyougetcaught。”saidmyuncle。
IaminclinedtothinkGordon-Nasmythimaginedwewouldgivehimachequeforsixthousandpoundsonthestrengthofhistalk。Itwasverygoodtalk，butwedidn’tdothat。Istipulatedforsamplesofhisstuffforanalysis，andheconsented——reluctantly。
Ithink，onthewhole，hewouldratherIdidn’texaminesamples。
Hemadeamotionpocketwards，thatgaveusaninvinciblepersuasionthathehadasampleuponhim，andthatatthelastinstanthedecidednottoproduceitprematurely。
Therewasevidentlyacuriousstrainofsecretivenessinhim。Hedidn’tliketogiveussamples，andhewouldn’tindicatewithinthreehundredmilesthepositionofthisMordetIslandofhis。
Hehaditclearinhismindthathehadasecretofimmensevalue，andhehadnoideaatallofjusthowfarheoughttogowithbusinesspeople。Andsopresently，togaintimeforthesehesitationsofhis，hebegantotalkofotherthings。Hetalkedverywell。HetalkedoftheDutchEastIndiesandoftheCongo，ofPortugueseEastAfricaandParaguay，ofMalaysandrichChinesemerchants，DyaksandnegroesandthespreadoftheMahometanworldinAfricato-day。Andallthistimehewastryingtojudgeifweweregoodenoughtotrustwithhisadventure。Ourcosyinnerofficebecamealittleplace，andallourbusinesscoldandlifelessexploitsbesidehisglimpsesofstrangeminglingsofmen，ofslayingsunavengedandcuriouscustoms，oftradewherenowritsrun，andthedarktreacheriesofeasternportsandunchartedchannels。
WehadneitherofusgoneabroadexceptforafewvulgarraidsonParis；ourworldwasEngland，aretheplacesoforiginofhalftherawmaterialofthegoodswesoldhadseemedtousasremoteasfairylandortheforestofArden。ButGordon-Nasmythmadeitsorealandintimateforusthatafternoon——forme，atanyrate——thatitseemedlikesomethingseenandforgottenandnowagainremembered。
Andintheendheproducedhissample，alittlelumpofmuddyclayspeckledwithbrownishgrains，inaglassbottlewrappedaboutwithleadandflannel——redflannelitwas，Iremember——ahuewhichis，Iknow，popularlysupposedtodoubleallthemysticalefficaciesofflannel。
“Don’tcarryitaboutonyou。”saidGordon-Nasmyth。“Itmakesasore。”
ItookthestufftoThorold，andThoroldhadtheexquisiteagonyofdiscoveringtwonewelementsinwhatwasthenaconfidentialanalysis。Hehaschristenedthemandpublishedsince，butatthetimeGordon-Nasmythwouldn’thearforamomentofourpublicationofanyfactsatall；indeed，heflewintoaviolentpassionandabusedmemercilesslyevenforshowingthestufftoThorold。“I
thoughtyouweregoingtoanalyseityourself。”hesaidwiththetouchingpersuasionofthelaymanthatascientificmanknowsandpractisesatthesciences。
Imadesomecommercialinquiries，andthereseemedeventhenmuchtruthinGordon-Nasmyth’sestimateofthevalueofthestuff。
ItwasbeforethedaysofCapern’sdiscoveryofthevalueofcanadiumandhisuseofitintheCapernfilament，buttheceriumandthoriumalonewereworththemoneyheextractedforthegas-mantlestheninvogue。Therewere，however，doubts。Indeed，therewerenumerousdoubts。Whatwerethelimitsofthegas-mantletrade？Howmuchthorium，nottospeakofcerium，couldtheytakeatamaximum。Supposethatquantitywashighenoughtojustifyourshipload，camedoubtsinanotherquarter。
Weretheheapsuptosample？Weretheyasbigashesaid？WasGordon-Nasmyth——imaginative？Andifthesevaluesheld，couldweafterallgetthestuff？Itwasn’tours。Itwasonforbiddenground。Yousee，thereweredoubtsofeverygradeandclassinthewayofthisadventure。
Wewentsomeway，nevertheless，inthediscussionofhisproject，thoughIthinkwetriedhispatience。ThensuddenlyhevanishedfromLondon，andIsawnomoreofhimforayearandahalf。
Myunclesaidthatwaswhathehadexpected，andwhenatlastGordon-NasmythreappearedandmentionedinanincidentalwaythathehadbeentoParaguayonprivate(andweguessedpassionate)affairs，thebusinessofthe“quap“expeditionhadtobebegunagainatthebeginning。Myunclewasdisposedtobealtogethersceptical，butIwasn’tsodecided。IthinkIwasdrawnbyitspicturesqueaspects。ButweneitherofusdreamtoftouchingitseriouslyuntilCapern’sdiscovery。
Nasmyth’sstoryhadlaidholdofmyimaginationlikeonesmall，intensepictureoftropicalsunshinehungonawallofgreybusinessaffairs。IkeptitgoingduringGordon-Nasmyth’sintermittentappearancesinEngland。EverynowandthenheandI
wouldmeetandreinforceitseffect。WewouldlunchinLondon，orhewouldconetoseemyglidersatCrestHill，andmakenewprojectsforgettingatthoseheapsagainnowwithme，nowalone。
Attimestheybecameasortoffairy-storywithus，animaginativeexercise。AndtherecameCapern’sdiscoveryofwhathecalledtheidealfilamentandwithitanaltogetherlessproblematicalqualityaboutthebusinesssideofquap。Fortheidealfilamentneededfivepercent。ofcanadium，andcanadiumwasknowntotheworldonlyasanewlyseparatedconstituentofavarietyoftheraremineralrutile。ButtoThorolditwasbetterknownasanelementinamysterioussamplebroughttohimbyme，andtomeitwasknownasoneoftheelementsinquap。Itoldmyuncle，andwejumpedontotheprocessatonce。WefoundthatGordon-Nasmyth，stillunawareofthealteredvalueofthestuff，andstillthinkingoftheexperimentalpricesofradiumandtherarityvalueofcerium，hadgotholdofacousinnamedPollack，madesomeextraordinarytransactionabouthislifeinsurancepolicy，andwasbuyingabrig。Weputin，putdownthreethousandpounds，andforthwiththelifeinsurancetransactionandthePollacksideofthisfinancevanishedintothinair，leavingPollack，Iregrettosay，inthebrigandinthesecret——exceptsofarascanadiumandthefilamentwent——asresiduum。Wediscussedearnestlywhetherweshouldcharterasteamerorgoonwiththebrig，butwedecidedonthebrigasalessconspicuousinstrumentforanenterprisethatwasafterall，toputitplainly，stealing。
Butthatwasoneofourlastenterprisesbeforeourgreatcrisis，andIwilltellofitinitsplace。
Soitwasquapcameintoouraffairs，cameinasafairy-taleandbecamereal。Moreandmorerealitgrewuntilatlastitwasreal，untilatlastIsawwithmyeyestheheapsmyimaginationhadseenforsolong，andfeltbetweenmyfingersagainthathalf-gritty，halfsofttextureofquap，likesandedmoist-sugarmixedwithclayinwhichtherestirssomething——
Onemustfeelittounderstand。
