I had taken great pains with
the drawing of this plan: the future houses, the future square, the
future river-walk with seats at intervals, were all to be found in the
roll which I unfolded and laid before him, and the effect my sketch
produced surprised me.
"In Heaven's name, Mr. Patterson," he asked, "where did you get this?
You never drew it out of your own head!"
I hastened to assure him I had certainly not got it out of any other
person's head; but he smiled incredulously.
"Probably," he suggested, "Mr. Elmsdale left some such sketch behind
him--something, at all events, which suggested the idea to you."
"If he did, I never saw nor heard of it," I answered.
"You may have forgotten the circumstance," he persisted; "but I feel
confident you must have seen something like this before. Perhaps amongst
the papers in Mr. Craven's office."
"May I inquire why you have formed such an opinion?" I said, a
little stiffly.
"Simply because this tri-sided square was a favourite project of the
late owner of River Hall," he replied. "After the death of his wife,
the place grew distasteful to him, and I have often heard him say he
would convert the ground into one of the handsomest squares in the
neighbourhood of London. All he wanted was a piece of additional
land lying to the west, which piece is, I believe, now to be had at
a price--"
I sat like one stricken dumb.
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