Lord Arthur Savile's Crime; The Portrait of Mr. W.H., and Other StoriesWilde, Oscar
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Lord Arthur Savile's Crime; The Portrait of Mr. W.H., and Other Stories
Wilde, Oscar
Manners and customs -- Fiction; Short stories, English
‘I am afraid you overrate me, Herr Winckelkopf,’ said Lord Arthur,
blushing. ‘The fact is, I really know nothing about theology.’
‘It is a purely private matter then?’
‘Purely private.’
Herr Winckelkopf shrugged his shoulders, and left the room, returning in
a few minutes with a round cake of dynamite about the size of a penny,
and a pretty little French clock, surmounted by an ormolu figure of
Liberty trampling on the hydra of Despotism.
Lord Arthur’s face brightened up when he saw it. ‘That is just what I
want,’ he cried, ‘and now tell me how it goes off.’
‘Ah! there is my secret,’ answered Herr Winckelkopf, contemplating his
invention with a justifiable look of pride; ‘let me know when you wish it
to explode, and I will set the machine to the moment.’
‘Well, to-day is Tuesday, and if you could send it off at once—’
‘That is impossible; I have a great deal of important work on hand for
some friends of mine in Moscow. Still, I might send it off to-morrow.’
‘Oh, it will be quite time enough!’ said Lord Arthur politely, ‘if it is
delivered to-morrow night or Thursday morning. For the moment of the
explosion, say Friday at noon exactly. The Dean is always at home at
that hour.’
‘Friday, at noon,’ repeated Herr Winckelkopf, and he made a note to that
effect in a large ledger that was lying on a bureau near the fireplace.
‘And now,’ said Lord Arthur, rising from his seat, ‘pray let me know how
much I am in your debt.’
‘It is such a small matter, Lord Arthur, that I do not care to make any
charge. The dynamite comes to seven and sixpence, the clock will be
three pounds ten, and the carriage about five shillings. I am only too
pleased to oblige any friend of Count Rouvaloff’s.’
‘But your trouble, Herr Winckelkopf?’
‘Oh, that is nothing! It is a pleasure to me. I do not work for money;
I live entirely for my art.’
Lord Arthur laid down £4, 2s. 6d. on the table, thanked the little German
for his kindness, and, having succeeded in declining an invitation to
meet some Anarchists at a meat-tea on the following Saturday, left the
house and went off to the Park.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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