Chapter 16

           IntheeveningMr.Trelawnytookagainthewholepartyintothestudy.Whenwewereallattentionhebegantounfoldhisplans:

           "IhavecometotheconclusionthatforthepropercarryingoutofwhatwewillcallourGreatExperimentwemusthaveabsoluteandcompleteisolation.Isolationnotmerelyforadayortwo,butforaslongaswemayrequire.Heresuchathingwouldbeimpossible;theneedsandhabitsofagreatcitywithitsingrainedpossibilitiesofinterruption,would,ormight,quiteupsetus.Telegrams,registeredletters,orexpressmessengerswouldalonebesufficient;butthegreatarmyofthosewhowanttogetsomethingwouldmakedisastercertain.Inaddition,theoccurrencesofthelastweekhavedrawnpoliceattentiontothishouse.EvenifspecialinstructionstokeepaneyeonithavenotbeenissuedfromScotlandYardortheDistrictStation,youmaybesurethattheindividualpolicemanonhisroundswillkeepitwellunderobservation.Besides,theservantswhohavedischargedthemselveswillbeforelongbegintotalk.Theymust;fortheyhave,forthesakeoftheirowncharacters,togivesomereasonfortheterminationofaservicewhichhasIshouldsayapositionintheneighbourhood.Theservantsoftheneighbourswillbegintotalk,and,perhapstheneighboursthemselves.ThentheactiveandintelligentPresswill,withitsusualzealfortheenlightenmentofthepublicanditseyetoincreaseofcirculation,getholdofthematter.Whenthereporterisafterusweshallnothavemuchchanceofprivacy.