Gold bottling in Upper Pryshma near Yekaterinburg, Russia. In Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s morality tale, Raffles Haw realises the alchemist’s dream and discovers a process for turning lead into gold. He is lavishly generous with his new-found wealth, but it is not long before he finds that easy access to other people’s money can have disastrous effects on character and judgment in the best of people.
Part 1 of 2
“I HOPE, Miss McIntyre,” said Raffles Haw, when they had descended to the sitting-room once more, “that you will do me the honour of coming to see the little curiosities which I have gathered together. Your brother will, I am sure, escort you up; or perhaps Mr McIntyre would care to come?”
“I shall be delighted to come, Mr Haw,” cried Laura, with her sweetest smile. “A good deal of my time just now is taken up in looking after the poor people, who find the cold weather very trying.” Robert raised his eyebrows, for it was the first he had heard of his sister’s missions of mercy, but Mr Raffles Haw nodded approvingly. “Robert was telling us of your wonderful hot-houses. I am sure I wish I could transport the whole parish into one of them, and give them a good warm.”
“Nothing would be easier, but I am afraid that they might find it a little trying when they came out again.
Part Two
Choti Tara, a tigress of the Tadoba Andhari Tiger Reserve in Maharashtra, India. Laura McIntyre assumed that Raffles Haw was joking about the tiger, just as she did not take seriously his offer to move a hill that obscured the view from her window. But the following morning, the McIntyre’s maid, Mary, broke into the sitting-room in breathless panic. “If you please, miss,” she screamed, “your tiger has arrove.”
“I HAVE one house [continued Mr Haw] which is only just finished. Your brother has not seen it yet, but I think it is the best of them all. It represents an Indian jungle, and is hot enough in all conscience.”
“I shall so look forward to seeing it,” cried Laura, clasping her hands. “It has been one of the dreams of my life to see India. I have read so much of it, the temples, the forests, the great rivers, and the tigers. Why, you would hardly believe it, but I have never seen a tiger except in a picture.”
“That can easily be set right,” said Raffles Haw, with his quiet smile. “Would you care to see one?”
“Oh, immensely.”
“I will have one sent down. Let me see, it is nearly twelve o’clock. I can get a wire to Liverpool by one. There is a man there who deals in such things. I should think he would be due to-morrow morning.”
