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from standard lamps； wall brackets； and four clusters in the ceiling。 Now the room was as bright as a film studio。 It was an extraordinary transformation。 Bond； half dazzled； watched Goldfinger open the front door and stride out。 In a minute he heard the sound of a car； but not the Rolls； rev up noisily； change gear and go off fast down the drive。
On an instinct； Bond walked over to the front door and opened it。 The drive was empty。 In the distance he saw the lights of the car turn left…handed on the main road and make off in the direction of Margate。 He turned back into the house and closed the door。 He stood still； listening。 The silence； except for the heavy clock…tick； was plete。 He walked across to the service door and opened it。 A long dark passage disappeared towards the back of the house。 Bond bent forward； all his senses alert。 Silence； dead silence。 Bond shut the door and looked thoughtfully round the brilliantly lit hall。 He had been left alone in Goldfinger's house； alone with its secrets。 Why？
Bond walked over to the drink tray and poured himself a strong gin and tonic。 There certainly had been a telephone call； but it could easily have been an arranged call from the factory。 The story of the servant was plausible and it was reasonable that Goldfinger should go himself to bail the man out and take his chauffeur with him。 Goldfinger had twice mentioned that Bond would be alone for half an hour during which he 'would be left to his own devices'。 This could be innocent； or it could be an invitation for Bond to show his hand； mit some indiscretion。 Was somebody watching him？ How many of these Koreans were there and what were they doing？ Bond glanced at his watch。 Five minutes had gone。 He made up his mind。 Trap or no trap； this was too good a chance to miss。 He would have a quick look round…but an innocent one； with some sort of a cover story to explain why he had left the hall。 Where should he begin？ A
look at the factory。 His story？ That his car had given trouble on the way over … choked petrol feed probably … and that he had gone to see if there was a mechanic who could give him a hand。 Flimsy； but it would do。 Bond downed his drink and went purposefully to the service door and walked through。
There was a light switch。 He turned on the light and walked swiftly down a long passage。 It ended with a blank wall and two doors to right and left。 He listened for an instant at the left…hand one and heard muffled kitchen noises。 He opened the right…hand door and found himself in the paved garage yard he might have expected。 The only odd thing about it was that it was brilliantly lit by arc lights。 The long wall of the factory occupied the far side and now the rhythmic engine thump was very loud。 There was a plain wooden door low down in the wall opposite。 Bond walked across the yard to it； looking around him with casual interest。 The door was unlocked。 He opened it with discretion and walked through； leaving the door ajar。 He found himself in a small empty office lit by one naked bulb hanging from the ceiling。 There was a desk with papers on it； a time…clock； a couple of filing cabinets and a telephone。 Another door led from the office into the main factory space and there was a window beside the door for keeping an eye on the workmen。 It would be the foreman's office。 Bond walked to the window and looked through。
Bond didn't know what he had expected； but there seemed to be the usual accoutrements of a small metal…working business。 Facing him were the open mouths of two blast furnaces； their fires now drawn。 Beside these stood a row of kilns for the molten metal； of which sheets of different sizes and colours stood against the wall near by。 There was the polished steel table of a circular saw； a diamond saw presumably； for cutting the sheets； and to the left in the shadows a big oil engine connected to a generator pounding away making power。 To the right； under arc lights； a group of five men in overalls； four of them Koreans； were at work on … of all things … Goldfinger's Rolls Royce。 It stood there gleaming under the lights； immaculate save for the right…hand door which had been taken off its hinges and now lay across two nearby benches minus its door panel。 As Bond watched； two men picked up the new door panel； a heavy； discoloured sheet of aluminium…coloured metal； and placed it on the door frame。 There were two hand riveters on the floor and soon； Bond thought； the men would rivet the panel into place and paint it to match the rest of the car。 All perfectly innocent and above…board。 Goldfinger had dented the panel that afternoon and had had a quick repair job done in preparation for his trip tomorrow。 Bond gave a quick； sour look round； withdrew from the window and went out by the factory door and closed it softly behind him。 Nothing there； damn it。 And now what was his story？ That he had not wanted to disturb the men at their work … perhaps after dinner； if one of them had a moment。
Bond walked unhurriedly back the way he had e and regained the hall without misadventure。
Bond looked at his watch。 Ten minutes to go。 Now for the first floor。 The secrets of a house are in the bedrooms and bathrooms。 Those are the private places where the medicine cabinets； the dressing…table； the bedside drawers； reveal the intimate things； the frailties。 Bond had a bad headache。 He had gone to look for an aspirin。 He acted the part for an invisible audience； massaged his temples； glanced up at the gallery； walked decisively across the floor and climbed the stairs。 The gallery gave on to a brightly lit passage。 Bond walked down it opening the doors and glancing in。 But they were spare bedrooms^ the beds not made up。 They held a smell of must and shut windows。 A large ginger cat appeared from nowhere and followed him； mewing and rubbing itself against his trouser legs。 The end room was the one。 Bond went in and closed the door to a crack。
All the lights were on。 Perhaps one of the servants was in the bathroom。 Bond walked boldly across to the municating door and opened it。 More lights； but no one。 It was a big bathroom； probably a spare room converted into a bathroom and； in addition to the bath and lavatory； it held various fitness machines…a rowing machine； a fixed bicycle wheel； Indian clubs and a Ralli Health Belt。 The medicine cabinet contained nothing except a great variety of purges … senna pods； cascara； Calsalettes； Enos and various apparatus for the same purpose。 There were no other drugs and no aspirin。 Bond went back into the bedroom and again drew a blank。 It was a typical man's room； fortable； lived in； with plenty of fitted cupboards。 It even smelled neutral。 There was a small bookcase beside the bed in which all the books were history or biography； all in English。 The drawer of the bedside table yielded a solitary indiscretion； a yellow…backed copy of The Hidden Sight of Love； Palladium Publications； Paris。
Bond glanced at his watch。 Five more minutes。 It was time to go。 He took a last look round the room and moved to the door。 Suddenly he stopped。 What was it he had noticed almost subconsciously ever since he had e into the room？ He sharpened his senses。 There was an incongruity somewhere。 What wa