解説　場面 17「土地の話」

"'Some little time ago I bought a small place—a very small place—within ten miles of Reading. I was fortunate enough to discover that there was a deposit of fuller's-earth in one of my fields. On examining it, however, I found that this deposit was a comparatively small one, and that it formed a link between two very much larger ones upon the right and left—both of them, however, in the grounds of my neighbours. These good people were absolutely ignorant that their land contained that which was quite as valuable as a gold-mine. Naturally, it was to my interest to buy their land before they discovered its true value, but unfortunately I had no capital by which I could do this. I took a few of my friends into the secret, however, and they suggested that we should quietly and secretly work our own little deposit and that in this way we should earn the money which would enable us to buy the neighbouring fields. This we have now been doing for some time, and in order to help us in our operations we erected a hydraulic press. This press, as I have already explained, has got out of order, and we wish your advice upon the subject. We guard our secret very jealously, however, and if it once became known that we had hydraulic engineers coming to our little house, it would soon rouse inquiry, and then, if the facts came out, it would be good-bye to any chance of getting these fields and carrying out our plans. That is why I have made you promise me that you will not tell a human being that you are going to Eyford to-night. I hope that I make it all plain?'

「『少し前、私はレディングから十マイル以内に小さな土地――ごく小さな土地を買いました。幸運にも、その畑の一つに漂白土の鉱床があると分かりました。ところが調べると、その鉱床は比較的小さく、左右にある二つのはるかに大きな鉱床をつなぐ部分だと分かりました。ただし、その二つはどちらも隣人の土地にあります。善良な隣人たちは、自分たちの土地に金鉱にも劣らぬ価値の物があるとはまったく知りません。当然、彼らが本当の価値に気づく前に土地を買うのが私の利益になりますが、残念ながらその資金がありませんでした。そこで数人の友人にだけ秘密を明かすと、自分たちの小さな鉱床をひそかに採掘し、その収入で隣の畑を買える資金を稼ごうと提案されました。しばらく前からそうしており、作業を助けるために水圧機を設置しました。すでに説明したとおり、その機械が故障したので、あなたの助言が欲しいのです。しかし私たちは秘密を厳重に守っています。もし小さな屋敷に水力技師が出入りしていると知られれば、すぐ疑問を持たれ、事実が明るみに出れば、その畑を手に入れて計画を実行する望みは消えてしまいます。だからこそ、今夜アイフォードへ行くことを誰にも話さないと約束していただいたのです。これですべて明瞭になったでしょうか』