human
You look rather down in the mouth. Bob, he said.
gpt
Anything wrong?
human
I’m a bit worried, Templeton replied.
gpt
I don’t think I’m naturally suspicious——
human
Rather not! You’re as innocent as a babe. Any old diddler could suck you in. But what’s happened?
gpt
This afternoon I had to go out for an hour or so to try a car. Wilkins was away, so I left the shop closed. While I was running the car I had an idea for my specification and when I got back I took it out of my coat to alter it. And I found this.
human
Well? It’s the same old thing—same old rigmarole, isn’t it?
gpt
That smudge of ink!
human
As you say, it’s all in pencil. It hasn’t been near ink, so far as I know. At any rate, that smudge wasn’t there this morning.
gpt
Wilkins knew about your specification, of course; everybody knows everything in this Arcadia. My prophetic soul! He’s been copying your draft, Bob, and being an untidy penman, left his mark behind. He must have been uncommon slippy to copy it all in an hour, though, with all these erasures and interlinings. Any one else got a key of the shop?
human
No one, so far as I know.
gpt
Noakes? You remember when we caught him at the drawer? My hat! They don’t stick at trifles. This is felony, or I’m a Dutchman. Wilkins, or Noakes, or both of them, want to get in first at the Patent Office; they’ve stolen your specification.
human
That’s a serious charge. We’ve no proof.
gpt
My dear chap, it’s as plain as a pikestaff. But look here, what can be done? Look at the worst; say they have copied your stuff, what then?
human
If they file their application at the Patent Office it will be no end of a bother and expense to prove it’s mine.
gpt
I’d swear that before any beak in the country. But let’s keep to the point. They couldn’t get to the Patent Office to-night?
human
No; it closes at five; opens at ten in the morning.
gpt
What time’s the last train up?
human
It left twenty minutes ago,
gpt
And in the morning?
human
The first train reaches London something after eleven.
gpt
I tell you what, he said at length.
human
You set to work and make a fair copy of this stuff, and we’ll go up by the first train to-morrow and see if—Hallo! here’s a car. Rather late for a visit.