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But then I
am generally alone. There are twenty-four fountains in this garden," he
added. "They might help to keep the place cool. But of course not one
of them is in use now. You have observed, have you not, that there is
no running water on this island? That old Duke built the fountains all
the same, and to every one of them he attached a cistern, to hold the
winter rains; then a pumping apparatus. Relays of slaves had to work
underground, day and night, pumping water for these twenty-four
fountains; it fell back into the cisterns, and was forced up again. The
Arabs had fountains. He meant to have them too. Particularly at night!
If anything went wrong with the machinery at that hour, there was the
devil to pay. He swore he could not sleep unless he heard the music of
the water. And his sleepless nights were bad for his subjects. They
generally hid in caves till the fountains were reported to be in
working order again. That is the way to run an island, Mr. Heard. One
must be a stylist."
"You might re-activate one of them, at least, with the help of those
servants.


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