Things might be going well, but there was nothing visible to the commissioners. And, moreover, there was one very suspicious circumstance which struck Spitzhase especially, and this was that Behrend spent his time in his own colliery. It was there that all the expensive machines had been set up and all the chemical stuffs had been taken. Not a single thing had been done to the company's mine; not a bit of rubbish had been cleared away, not one of the entrances had been opened; in fact, a fortnight had slipped away, and no work had been undertaken. It was undoubtedly true that the machines were always at work, and cart-loads of clay and stones were perpetually being wheeled away.
The whole thing was incomprehensible, and Behrend would not give the slightest explanation.
At the beginning of the following week Spitzhase lost all patience.
"Sir," he said to Ivan, with suppressed irritation, "you promised that in a fortnight the conflagration in our mine would be extinguished. The time is up, and I have not seen that anything has been even attempted."
"That is very probable," returned Ivan, quietly.
"Do you maintain still that everything is progressing satisfactorily?"
"I do."
"Can I see for myself what has been done?"
"Where you are standing it would be impossible for you to judge."
"Well, let me go where I can see something."