As to M. Vandeloup, he was indefatigable in his efforts to find
Villiers, for, as he very truly said, he could never repay Madame
Midas sufficiently for her kindness to him, and he wanted to do all
in his power to punish her cruel husband. But in spite of all this
seeking, the whereabouts of Mr Randolph Villiers remained
undiscovered, and at last, in despair, everyone gave up looking.
Villiers had disappeared entirely, and had taken the nugget with
him, so where he was and what he was doing remained a mystery.
One result of Madame's illness was that M. Vandeloup had met Dr
Gollipeck, and the two, though apparently dissimilar in both
character and appearance, had been attracted to one another by a
liking which they had in common. This was the study of toxicology, a
science at which the eccentric old man had spent a lifetime. He
found in Vandeloup a congenial spirit, for the young Frenchman had a
wonderful liking for the uncanny subject; but there was a difference
in the aims of both men, Gollipeck being drawn to the study of
poisons from a pure love of the subject, whereas Vandeloup wanted to
find out the secrets of toxicology for his own ends, which were
anything but disinterested.
Wearied of the dull routine of the office work, Vandeloup was taking
a walk in the meadows which surrounded the Pactolus, when he saw Dr
Gollipeck shuffling along the dusty white road from the railway
station.
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