Like the beating of a mighty11 heart heard through the rushing clamor of the pulses, a single deep-throated bell boomed solemnly six heavy, rumbling12 strokes.
Six o'clock! Kirkwood roused out of his dour13 brooding. The Amsterdam express would leave at 6:32, and he knew not from what station.
Striding swiftly across the promenade14, he entered a small tobacco shop and made inquiry15 of the proprietress. His command of French was tolerable; he experienced no difficulty in comprehending the good woman's instructions.
Trains for Amsterdam, she said, left from the Gare Centrale, a mile or so across the city. M'sieur had plenty of time, and to spare. There was the tram line, if m'sieur did not care to take a fiacre. If he would go by way of the Vielle Bourse he would discover the tram cars of the Rue16 Kipdorp. M'sieur was most welcome....
Monsieur departed with the more haste since he was unable to repay this courtesy with the most trifling17 purchase; such slight matters annoyed Kirkwood intensely. Perhaps it was well for him that he had the long walk to help him work off the fit of nervous exasperation18 into which he was plunged19 every time his thoughts harked back to that jovial20 black-guard, Stryker.... He was quite calm when, after a brisk walk of some fifteen minutes, he reached the station.
A public clock reassured21 him with the information that he had the quarter of an hour's leeway; it was only seventeen minutes past eighteen o'clock (Belgian railway time, always confusing). Inquiring his way to the Amsterdam train, which was already waiting at the platform, he paced its length, peering brazenly23 in at the coach windows, now warm with hope, now shivering with disappointment, realizing as he could not but realize that, all else aside, his only chance of rehabilitation24 lay in meeting Calendar. But in none of the coaches or carriages did he discover any one even remotely resembling the fat adventurer, his daughter, or Mulready.
Satisfied that they had not yet boarded the train, he stood aside, tortured with forebodings, while anxiously scrutinizing26 each individual of the throng27 of intending travelers.... Perhaps they had been delayed—by the Alethea's lateness in making port very likely; perhaps they purposed taking not this but a later train; perhaps they had already left the city by an earlier, or had returned to England.
On time, the bell clanged its warning; the guards bawled28 theirs; doors were hastily opened and slammed; the trucks began to groan29, couplings jolting30 as the engine chafed31 in constraint32. The train and Kirkwood moved simultaneously33 out of opposite ends of the station, the one to rattle34 and hammer round the eastern boundaries of the city and straighten out at top speed on the northern route for the Belgian line, the other to stroll moodily35 away, idle hands in empty pockets, bound aimlessly anywhere—it didn't matter!
Nothing whatever mattered in the smallest degree. Ere now the outlook had been dark; but this he felt to be the absolute nadir36 of his misfortunes. Presently—after a while—as soon as he could bring himself to it—he would ask the way and go to the American Consulate37. But just now, low as the tide of chance had ebbed38, leaving him stranded40 on the flats of vagabondage, low as showed the measure of his self-esteem, he could not tolerate the prospect41 of begging for assistance—help which would in all likelihood be refused, since his story was quite too preposterous42 to gain credence43 in official ears that daily are filled with the lamentations of those whose motives44 do not bear investigation45. And if he chose to eliminate the strange chain of events which had landed him in Antwerp, to base his plea solely46 on the fact that he was a victim of the San Francisco disaster ... he himself was able to smile, if sourly, anticipating the incredulous consular47 smile with which he would be shown the door.
No; that he would reserve as a last resort. True, he had already come to the Jumping-off Place; to the Court of the Last Resort alone could he now appeal. But ... not yet; after a while he could make his petition, after he had made a familiar of the thought that he must armor himself with callous48 indifference49 to rebuff, to say naught50 of the waves of burning shame that would overwhelm him when he came to the point of asking charity.
He found himself, neither knowing nor caring how he had won thither51, in the Place Verte, the vast venerable pile of the Cathedral rising on his right, hotels and quaint52 Old-World dwellings53 with peaked roofs and gables and dormer windows, inclosing the other sides of the square. The chimes (he could hear none but those of the Cathedral) were heralding54 the hour of seven. Listless and preoccupied55 in contemplation of his wretched case he wandered purposelessly half round the square, then dropped into a bench on its outskirts57.
It was some time later that he noticed, with a casual, indifferent eye, a porter running out of the H?tel de Flandre, directly opposite, and calling a fiacre in to the carriage block.
As languidly he watched a woman, very becomingly dressed, follow the porter down to the curb58.
The fiacre swung in, and the woman dismissed the porter before entering the vehicle; a proceeding59 so unusual that it fixed60 the onlooker's interest. He sat rigid61 with attention; the woman seemed to be giving explicit62 and lengthy63 directions to the driver, who nodded and gesticulated his comprehension.
The woman was Mrs. Hallam.
The first blush of recognition passed, leaving Kirkwood without any amazement64. It was an easy matter to account for her being where she was. Thrown off the scent65 by Kirkwood at Sheerness, the previous morning, she had missed the day boat, the same which had ferried over those whom she pursued. Returning from Sheerness to Queensborough, however, she had taken the night boat for Flushing and Antwerp,—and not without her plan, who was not a woman to waste her strength aimlessly; Kirkwood believed that she had had from the first a very definite campaign in view. In that campaign Queensborough Pier66 had been the first strategic move; the journey to Antwerp, apparently67, the second; and the American was impressed that he was witnessing the inception68 of the third decided69 step.... The conclusion of this process of reasoning was inevitable70: Madam would bear watching.
Thus was a magical transformation71 brought about. Instantaneously lassitude and vain repinings were replaced by hopefulness and energy. In a twinkling the young man was on his feet, every nerve a-thrill with excitement.
Mrs. Hallam, blissfully ignorant of this surveillance over her movements, took her place in the fiacre. The driver clucked to his horse, cracked his whip, and started off at a slow trot72: a pace which Kirkwood imitated, keeping himself at a discreet73 distance to the rear of the cab, but prepared to break into a run whenever it should prove necessary.
Such exertion74, however, was not required of him. Evidently Mrs. Hallam was in no great haste to reach her destination; the speed of the fiacre remained extremely moderate; Kirkwood found a long, brisk stride fast enough to keep it well in sight.
Round the green square, under the beautiful walls of Notre Dame75 d'Anvers, through Grande Place and past the H?tel de Ville, the cab proceeded, dogged by what might plausibly76 be asserted the most persistent77 and infatuated soul that ever crossed the water; and so on into the Quai Van Dyck, turning to the left at the old Steen dungeon78 and, slowing to a walk, moving soberly up the drive.
Beyond the lip of the embankment, the Scheldt flowed, its broad shining surface oily, smooth and dark, a mirror for the incandescent79 glory of the skies. Over on the western bank old Tête de Flandre lifted up its grim curtains and bastions, sable80 against the crimson81, rampart and parapet edged with fire. Busy little side-wheeled ferry steamers spanked82 the waters noisily and smudged the sunset with dark drifting trails of smoke; and ever and anon a rowboat would slip out of shadow to glide83 languidly with the current. Otherwise the life of the river was gone; and at their moorings the ships swung in great quietness, riding lights glimmering84 like low wan56 stars.
In the company of the latter the young man marked down the Alethea; a sight which made him unconsciously clench85 both fists and teeth, reminding him of that rare wag, Stryker....
To his way of thinking the behavior of the fiacre was quite unaccountable. Hardly had the horse paced off the length of two blocks on the Quai ere it was guided to the edge of the promenade and brought to a stop. And the driver twisted the reins86 round his whip, thrust the latter in its socket87, turned sidewise on the box, and began to smoke and swing his heels, surveying the panorama88 of river and sunset with complacency—a cabby, one would venture, without a care in the world and serene89 in the assurance of a generous pour-boire when he lost his fare. But as for the latter, she made no move; the door of the cab remained closed,—like its occupant's mind, a mystery to the watcher.
Twilight90 shadows lengthened91, darkling, over the land; street-lights flashed up in long, radiant ranks. Across the promenade hotels and shops were lighted up; people began to gather round the tables beneath the awnings92 of an open-air café. In the distance, somewhere, a band swung into the dreamy rhythm of a haunting waltz. Scattered93 couples moved slowly, arm in arm, along the riverside walk, drinking in the fragrance94 of the night. Overhead stars popped out in brilliance95 and dropped their reflections to swim lazily on spellbound waters.... And still the fiacre lingered in inaction, still the driver lorded it aloft, in care-free abandon.
In the course of time this inertia96, where he had looked for action, this dull suspense97 when he had forecast interesting developments, wore upon the watcher's nerves and made him at once impatient and suspicious. Now that he had begun to doubt, he conceived it as quite possible that Mrs. Hallam (who was capable of anything) should have stolen out of the cab by the other and, to him, invisible door. To resolve the matter, finally, he took advantage of the darkness, turned up his coat collar, hunched98 up his shoulders, hid his hands in pockets, pulled the visor of his cap well forward over his eyes, and slouched past the fiacre.
Mrs. Hallam sat within. He could see her profile clearly silhouetted99 against the light; she was bending forward and staring fixedly100 out of the window, across the driveway. Mentally he calculated the direction of her gaze, then, moved away and followed it with his own eyes; and found himself staring at the fa?ade of a third-rate hotel. Above its roof the gilded101 letters of a sign, catching102 the illumination from below, spelled out the title of "H?tel du Commerce."
Mrs. Hallam was interested in the H?tel du Commerce?
Thoughtfully Kirkwood fell back to his former point of observation, now the richer by another object of suspicion, the hostelry. Mrs. Hallam was waiting and watching for some one to enter or to leave that establishment. It seemed a reasonable inference to draw. Well, then, so was Kirkwood, no less than the lady; he deemed it quite conceivable that their objects were identical.
He started to beguile103 the time by wondering what she would do, if...
Of a sudden he abandoned this line of speculation104, and catching his breath, held it, almost afraid to credit the truth that for once his anticipations105 were being realized under his very eyes.
Against the lighted doorway106 of the H?tel du Commerce, the figures of two men were momentarily sketched107, as they came hurriedly forth108; and of the two, one was short and stout109, and even at a distance seemed to bear himself with an accent of assertiveness110, while the other was tall and heavy of shoulder.
Side by side they marched in step across the embankment to the head of the Quai gangway, descending112 without pause to the landing-stage. Kirkwood, hanging breathlessly over the guard-rail, could hear their footfalls ringing in hollow rhythm on the planks113 of the inclined way,—could even discern Calendar's unlovely profile in dim relief beneath one of the waterside lights; and he recognized unmistakably Mulready's deep voice, grumbling114 inarticulately.
At the outset he had set after them, with intent to accost115 Calendar; but their pace had been swift and his irresolute116. He hung fire on the issue, dreading117 to reveal himself, unable to decide which were the better course, to pursue the men, or to wait and discover what Mrs. Hallam was about. In the end he waited; and had his disappointment for recompense.
For Mrs. Hallam did nothing intelligible118. Had she driven over to the hotel, hard upon the departure of the men, he would have believed that she was seeking Dorothy, and would, furthermore, have elected to crowd their interview, if she succeeded in obtaining one with the girl. But she did nothing of the sort. For a time the fiacre remained as it had been ever since stopping; then, evidently admonished119 by his fare, the driver straightened up, knocked out his pipe, disentangled reins and whip, and wheeled the equipage back on the way it had come, disappearing in a dark side street leading eastward121 from the embankment.
Kirkwood was, then, to believe that Mrs. Hallam, having taken all that trouble and having waited for the two adventurers to appear, had been content with sight of them? He could hardly believe that of the woman; it wasn't like her.
He started across the driveway, after the fiacre, but it was lost in a tangle120 of side streets before he could make up his mind whether it was worth while chasing or not; and, pondering the woman's singular action, he retraced122 his steps to the promenade rail.
Presently he told himself he understood. Dorothy was no longer of her father's party; he had a suspicion that Mulready's attitude had made it seem advisable to Calendar either to leave the girl behind, in England, or to segregate123 her from his associates in Antwerp. If not lodged124 in another quarter of the city, or left behind, she was probably traveling on ahead, to a destination which he could by no means guess. And Mrs. Hallam was looking for the girl; if there were really jewels in that gladstone bag, Calendar would naturally have had no hesitation125 about intrusting them to his daughter's care; and Mrs. Hallam avowedly126 sought nothing else. How the woman had found out that such was the case, Kirkwood did not stop to reckon; unless he explained it on the proposition that she was a person of remarkable127 address. It made no matter, one way or the other; he had lost Mrs. Hallam; but Calendar and Mulready he could put his finger on; they had undoubtedly128 gone off to the Alethea to confer again with Stryker,—that was, unless they proposed sailing on the brigantine, possibly at turn of tide that night.
Panic gripped his soul and shook it, as a terrier shakes a rat, when he conceived this frightful129 proposition.
In his confusion of mind he evolved spontaneously an entirely130 new hypothesis: Dorothy had already been spirited aboard the vessel131; Calendar and his confederate, delaying to join her from enigmatic motives, were now aboard; and presently the word would be, Up-anchor and away!
Were they again to elude132 him? Not, he swore, if he had to swim for it. And he had no wish to swim. The clothes he stood in, with what was left of his self-respect, were all that he could call his own on that side of the North Sea. Not a boatman on the Scheldt would so much as consider accepting three English pennies in exchange for boat-hire. In brief, it began to look as if he were either to swim or ... to steal a boat.
Upon such slender threads of circumstance depends our boasted moral health. In one fleeting133 minute Kirkwood's conception of the law of meum et tuum, its foundations already insidiously134 undermined by a series of cumulative135 misfortunes, toppled crashing to its fall; and was not.
He was wholly unconscious of the change. Beneath him, in a space between the quays136 bridged by the gangway, a number of rowboats, a putative137 score, lay moored138 for the night and gently rubbing against each other with the soundless lift and fall of the river. For all that Kirkwood could determine to the contrary, the lot lay at the mercy of the public; nowhere about was he able to discern a figure in anything resembling a watchman.
Without a quiver of hesitation—moments were invaluable139, if what he feared were true—he strode to the gangway, passed down, and with absolute nonchalance140 dropped into the nearest boat, stepping from one to another until he had gained the outermost141. To his joy he found a pair of oars142 stowed beneath the thwarts143.
If he had paused to moralize—which he didn't—upon the discovery, he would have laid it all at the door of his lucky star; and would have been wrong. We who have never stooped to petty larceny144 know that the oars had been placed there at the direction of his evil genius bent145 upon facilitating his descent into the avernus of crime. Let us, then, pity the poor young man without condoning146 his offense147.
Unhitching the painter he set one oar25 against the gunwale of the next boat, and with a powerful thrust sent his own (let us so call it for convenience) stern-first out upon the river; then sat him composedly down, fitted the oars to their locks, and began to pull straight across-stream, trusting to the current to carry him down to the Alethea. He had already marked down that vessel's riding-light; and that not without a glow of gratitude148 to see it still aloft and in proper juxtaposition149 to the river-bank; proof that it had not moved.
He pulled a good oar, reckoned his distance prettily150, and shipping151 the blades at just the right moment, brought the little boat in under the brigantine's counter with scarce a jar. An element of surprise he held essential to the success of his plan, whatever that might turn out to be.
Standing152 up, he caught the brigantine's after-rail with both hands, one of which held the painter of the purloined153 boat, and lifted his head above the deck line. A short survey of the deserted154 after-deck gave him further assurance. The anchor-watch was not in sight; he may have been keeping well forward by Stryker's instructions, or he may have crept off for forty winks155. Whatever the reason for his absence from the post of duty, Kirkwood was relieved not to have him to deal with; and drawing himself gently in over the rail, made the painter fast, and stepped noiselessly over toward the lighted oblong of the companionway. A murmur156 of voices from below comforted him with the knowledge that he had not miscalculated, this time; at last he stood within striking distance of his quarry157.
The syllables158 of his surname ringing clearly in his ears and followed by Stryker's fleeting laugh, brought him to a pause. He flushed hotly in the darkness; the captain was retailing159 with relish160 some of his most successful witticisms161 at Kirkwood's expense.... "You'd ought to've seed the wye'e looked at me!" concluded the raconteur162 in a gale163 of mirth.
Mulready laughed with him, if a little uncertainly. Calendar's chuckle164 was not audible, but he broke the pause that followed.
"I don't know," he said with doubting emphasis. "You say you landed him without a penny in his pocket? I don't call that a good plan at all. Of course, he ain't a factor, but ... Well, it might've been as well to give him his fare home. He might make trouble for us, somehow.... I don't mind telling you, Cap'n, that you're an ass22."
The tensity of certain situations numbs165 the sensibilities. Kirkwood had never in his weirdest166 dreams thought of himself as an eavesdropper167; he did not think of himself as such in the present instance; he merely listened, edging nearer the skylight, of which the wings were slightly raised, and keeping as far as possible in shadow.
"Ow, I sye!" the captain was remonstrating169, aggrieved170. "'Ow was I to know 'e didn't 'ave it in for you? First off, when 'e comes on board (I'll sye this for 'im, 'e's as plucky171 as they myke 'em), I thought 'e was from the Yard. Then, when I see wot a bally hinnocent 'e was, I mykes up my mind 'e's just some one you've been ply172 in' one of your little gymes on, and 'oo was lookin' to square 'is account. So I did 'im proper."
"Evidently," assented173 Calendar dryly. "You're a bit of a heavy-handed brute174, Stryker. Personally I'm kind of sorry for the boy; he wasn't a bad sort, as his kind runs, and he was no fool, from what little I saw of him.... I wonder what he wanted."
"Possibly," Mulready chimed in suavely175, "you can explain what you wanted of him, in the first place. How did you come to drag him into this business?"
"Oh, that!" Calendar laughed shortly. "That was partly accident, partly inspiration. I happened to see his name on the Pless register; he'd put himself down as from 'Frisco. I figured it out that he would be next door to broke and getting desperate, ready to do anything to get home; and thought we might utilize176 him; to smuggle177 some of the stuff into the States. Once before, if you'll remember—no; that was before we got together, Mulready—I picked up a fellow-countryman on the Strand39. He was down and out, jumped at the job, and we made a neat little wad on it."
"The more fool you, to take outsiders into your confidence," grumbled Mulready.
"Ow?" interrogated178 Calendar, mimicking179 Stryker's accent inimitably. "Well, you've got a heap to learn about this game, Mul; about the first thing is that you must trust Old Man Know-it-all, which is me. I've run more diamonds into the States, in one way or another, in my time, than you ever pinched out of the shirt-front of a toff on the Empire Prom., before they made the graft180 too hot for you and you came to take lessons from me in the gentle art of living easy."
"Oh, cut that, cawn't you?"
"Delighted, dear boy.... One of the first principles, next to profiting by the admirable example I set you, is to make the fellows in your own line trust you. Now, if this boy had taken on with me, I could have got a bunch of the sparklers on my mere168 say-so, from old Morganthau up on Finsbury Pavement. He does a steady business hoodwinking the Customs for the benefit of his American clients—and himself. And I'd've made a neat little profit besides: something to fall back on, if this fell through. I don't mind having two strings181 to my bow."
"Yes," argued Mulready; "but suppose this Kirkwood had taken on with you and then peached?"
"That's another secret; you've got to know your man, be able to size him up. I called on this chap for that very purpose; but I saw at a glance he wasn't our man. He smelt182 a nigger in the woodpile and most politely told me to go to the devil. But if he had come in, he'd've died before he squealed183. I know the breed; there's honor among gentlemen that knocks the honor of thieves higher'n a kite, the old saw to the contrary—nothing doing.... You understand me, I'm sure, Mulready?" he concluded with envenomed sweetness.
"I don't see yet how Kirkwood got anything to do with Dorothy."
"Miss Calendar to you, Mister Mulready!" snapped Calendar. "There, there, now! Don't get excited.... It was when the Hallam passed me word that a man from the Yard was waiting on the altar steps for me, that Kirkwood came in. He was dining close by; I went over and worked on his feelings until he agreed to take Dorothy off my hands. If I had attempted to leave the place with her, they'd've spotted184 me for sure.... My compliments to you, Dick Mulready."
There came the noise of chair legs scraped harshly on the cabin deck. Apparently Mulready had leaped to his feet in a rage.
"I've told you—" he began in a voice thick with passion.
"Oh, sit down!" Calendar cut in contemptuously. "Sit down, d'you hear? That's all over and done with. We understand each other now, and you won't try any more monkey-shines. It's a square deal and a square divide, so far's I'm concerned; if we stick together there'll be profit enough for all concerned. Sit down, Mul, and have another slug of the captain's bum185 rum."
Although Mulready consented to be pacified186, Kirkwood got the impression that the man was far gone in drink. A moment later he heard him growl187 "Chin-chin!" antiphonal to the captain's "Cheer-o!"
"Now, then," Calendar proposed, "Mr. Kirkwood aside—peace be with him!—let's get down to cases."
"Wot's the row?" asked the captain.
"The row, Cap'n, is the Hallam female, who has unexpectedly shown up in Antwerp, we have reason to believe with malicious188 intent and a private detective to add to the gaiety of nations."
"Wot's the odds189? She carn't 'urt us without lyin' up trouble for 'erself."
"Damn little consolation190 to us when we're working it out in Dartmoor."
"Speak for yourself," grunted191 Mulready surlily.
"I do," returned Calendar easily; "we're both in the shadow of Dartmoor, Mul, my boy; since you choose to take the reference as personal. Sing Sing, however, yawns for me alone; it's going to keep on yawning, too, unless I miss my guess. I love my native land most to death, but ..."
"Ow, blow that!" interrupted the captain irritably192. "Let's 'ear about the 'Allam. Wot're you afryd of?"
"'Fraid she'll set up a yell when she finds out we're planting the loot, Cap'n. She's just that vindictive193; you'd think she'd be satisfied with her end of the stick, but you don't know the Hallam. That milk-and-water offspring of hers is the apple of her eye, and Freddie's going to collar the whole shooting-match or madam will kick over the traces."
"Well?"
"Well, she's queered us here. We can't do anything if my lady is going to camp on our trail and tell everybody we're shady customers, can we? The question now before the board is: Where now,—and how?"
"Amsterdam," Mulready chimed in. "I told you that in the beginning."
"But how?" argued Calendar. "The Lord knows I'm willing but ... we can't go by rail, thanks to the Hallam. We've got to lose her first of all."
"But wot I'm arskin' is, wot's the matter with—"
"The Alethea, Cap'n? Nothing, so far as Dick and I are concerned. But my dutiful daughter is prejudiced; she's been so long without proper paternal194 discipline," Calendar laughed, "that she's rather high-spirited. Of course I might overcome her objections, but the girl's no fool, and every ounce of pressure I bring to bear just now only helps make her more restless and suspicious."
"You leave her to me," Mulready interposed, with a brutal195 laugh. "I'll guarantee to get her aboard, or..."
"drop it, Dick!" Calendar advised quietly. "And go a bit easy with that bottle for five minutes, can't you?"
"Well, then," Stryker resumed, apparently concurring196 in Calendar's attitude, "w'y don't one of you tyke the stuff, go off quiet and dispose of it to a proper fence, and come back to divide. I don't see w'y that—"
"Naturally you wouldn't," chuckled197 Calendar. "Few people besides the two of us understand the depth of affection existing between Dick, here, and me. We just can't bear to get out of sight of each other. We're sure inseparable—since night before last. Odd, isn't it?"
"You drop it!" snarled198 Mulready, in accents so ugly that the listener was startled. "Enough's enough and—"
"There, there, Dick! All right; I'll behave," Calendar soothed199 him. "We'll forget and say no more about it."
"Well, see you don't."
"But 'as either of you a plan?" persisted Stryker.
"I have," replied Mulready; "and it's the simplest and best, if you could only make this long-lost parent here see it."
"Wot is it?"
Mulready seemed to ignore Calendar and address himself to the captain. He articulated with some difficulty, slurring201 his words to the point of indistinctness at times.
"Simple enough," he propounded202 solemnly. "We've got the gladstone bag here; Miss Dolly's at the hotel—that's her papa's bright notion; he thinks she's to be trusted ... Now then, what's the matter with weighing anchor and slipping quietly out to sea?"
"Leavin' the dootiful darter?"
"Cert'n'y. She's only a drag any way. 'Better off without her.... Then we can wait our time and get highest market prices—"
"You forget, Dick," Calendar put it, "that there's a thousand in it for each of us if she's kept out of England for six weeks. A thousand's five thousand in the land I hail from; I can use five thousand in my business."
"Why can't you be content with what you've got?" demanded Mulready wrathfully.
"Because I'm a seventh son of a seventh son; I can see an inch or two beyond my nose. If Dorothy ever finds her way back to England she'll spoil one of the finest fields of legitimate204 graft I ever licked my lips to look at. The trouble with you, Mul, is you're too high-toned. You want to play the swell205 mobs-man from post to finish. A quick touch and a clean getaway for yours. Now, that's all right; that has its good points, but you don't want to underestimate the advantages of a good blackmailing206 connection.... If I can keep Dorothy quiet long enough, I look to the Hallam and precious Freddie to be a great comfort to me in my old age."
"Then, for God's sake," cried Mulready, "go to the hotel, get your brat207 by the scruif of her pretty neck and drag her aboard. Let's get out of this."
"I won't," returned Calendar inflexibly208.
The dispute continued, but the listener had heard enough. He had to get away and think, could no longer listen; indeed, the voices of the three blackguards below came but indistinctly to his ears, as if from a distance. He was sick at heart and ablaze209 with indignation by turns. Unconsciously he was trembling violently in every limb; swept by alternate waves of heat and cold, feverish210 one minute, shivering the next. All of which phenomena211 were due solely to the rage that welled inside his heart.
Stealthily he crept away to the rail, to stand grasping it and staring across the water with unseeing eyes at the gay old city twinkling back with her thousand eyes of light. The cool night breeze, sweeping212 down unhindered over the level Netherlands from the bleak213 North Sea, was comforting to his throbbing214 temples. By degrees his head cleared, his rioting pulses subsided215, he could think; and he did.
Over there, across the water, in the dingy216 and disreputable H?tel du Commerce, Dorothy waited in her room, doubtless the prey217 of unnumbered nameless terrors, while aboard the brigantine her fate was being decided by a council of three unspeakable scoundrels, one of whom, professing218 himself her father, openly declared his intention of using her to further his selfish and criminal ends.
His first and natural thought, to steal away to her and induce her to accompany him back to England, Kirkwood perforce discarded. He could have wept over the realization219 of his unqualified impotency. He had no money,—not even cab-fare from the hotel to the railway station. Something subtler, more crafty220, had to be contrived221 to meet the emergency. And there was one way, one only; he could see none other. Temporarily he must make himself one of the company of her enemies, force himself upon them, ingratiate himself into their good graces, gain their confidence, then, when opportunity offered, betray them. And the power to make them tolerate him, if not receive him as a fellow, the knowledge of them and their plans that they had unwittingly given him, was his.
And Dorothy, was waiting....
He swung round and without attempting to muffle222 his footfalls strode toward the companionway. He must pretend he had just come aboard.
Subconsciously223 he had been aware, during his time of pondering, that the voices in the cabin had been steadily224 gaining in volume, rising louder and yet more loud, Mulready's ominous225, drink-blurred accents dominating the others. There was a quarrel afoot; as soon as he gave it heed226, Kirkwood understood that Mulready, in the madness of his inflamed227 brain, was forcing the issue while Calendar sought vainly to calm and soothe200 him.
The American arrived at the head of the companionway at a critical juncture228. As he moved to descend111 some low, cool-toned retort of Calendar's seemed to enrage229 his confederate beyond reason. He yelped230 aloud with wrath203, sprang to his feet, knocking over a chair, and leaping back toward the foot of the steps, flashed an adroit231 hand behind him and found his revolver.
"I've stood enough from you!" he screamed, his voice oddly clear in that moment of insanity232. "You've played with me as long as you will, you hulking American hog233! And now I'm going to show—"
As he held his fire to permit his denunciation to bite home, Kirkwood, appalled234 to find himself standing on the threshold of a tragedy, gathered himself together and launched through the air, straight for the madman's shoulders.
As they went down together, sprawling235, Mulready's head struck against a transom and the revolver fell from his limp fingers.
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| n.预感，不祥感；v.预示 | |
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2
smitten
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| 猛打，重击，打击( smite的过去分词 ) | |
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3
pealing
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| v.（使）（钟等）鸣响，（雷等）发出隆隆声( peal的现在分词 ) | |
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4
vibrant
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| adj.震颤的，响亮的，充满活力的，精力充沛的，(色彩)鲜明的 | |
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5
brazen
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| adj.厚脸皮的，无耻的，坚硬的 | |
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6
spire
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| n.(教堂)尖顶，尖塔，高点 | |
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7
grumbled
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| 抱怨( grumble的过去式和过去分词 )； 发牢骚； 咕哝； 发哼声 | |
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8
drowsily
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| adv.睡地，懒洋洋地，昏昏欲睡地 | |
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9
resonance
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| n.洪亮；共鸣；共振 | |
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10
dwarfed
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| vt.（使）显得矮小（dwarf的过去式与过去分词形式） | |
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11
mighty
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| adj.强有力的；巨大的 | |
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12
rumbling
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| n. 隆隆声, 辘辘声 adj. 隆隆响的 动词rumble的现在分词 | |
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13
dour
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| adj.冷酷的，严厉的；（岩石）嶙峋的；顽强不屈 | |
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14
promenade
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| n./v.散步 | |
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15
inquiry
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| n.打听，询问，调查，查问 | |
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16
rue
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| n.懊悔，芸香，后悔；v.后悔，悲伤，懊悔 | |
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17
trifling
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| adj.微不足道的；没什么价值的 | |
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18
exasperation
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| n.愤慨 | |
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19
plunged
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| v.颠簸( plunge的过去式和过去分词 )；暴跌；骤降；突降 | |
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20
jovial
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| adj.快乐的，好交际的 | |
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21
reassured
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| adj.使消除疑虑的；使放心的v.再保证，恢复信心( reassure的过去式和过去分词) | |
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22
ass
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| n.驴；傻瓜，蠢笨的人 | |
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23
brazenly
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| adv.厚颜无耻地；厚脸皮地肆无忌惮地 | |
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24
rehabilitation
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| n.康复，悔过自新，修复，复兴，复职，复位 | |
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25
oar
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| n.桨，橹，划手；v.划行 | |
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26
scrutinizing
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| v.仔细检查，详审( scrutinize的现在分词 ) | |
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27
throng
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| n.人群，群众；v.拥挤，群集 | |
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28
bawled
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| v.大叫，大喊( bawl的过去式和过去分词 )；放声大哭；大声叫出；叫卖（货物） | |
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29
groan
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| vi./n.呻吟，抱怨；(发出)呻吟般的声音 | |
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30
jolting
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| adj.令人震惊的 | |
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31
chafed
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| v.擦热（尤指皮肤）( chafe的过去式 )；擦痛；发怒；惹怒 | |
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32
constraint
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| n.(on)约束，限制；限制(或约束)性的事物 | |
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33
simultaneously
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| adv.同时发生地，同时进行地 | |
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34
rattle
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| v.飞奔，碰响；激怒；n.碰撞声；拨浪鼓 | |
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35
moodily
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| adv.喜怒无常地；情绪多变地；心情不稳地；易生气地 | |
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36
nadir
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| n.最低点，无底 | |
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37
consulate
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| n.领事馆 | |
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38
ebbed
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| （指潮水）退( ebb的过去式和过去分词 )； 落； 减少； 衰落 | |
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39
strand
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| vt.使（船）搁浅，使（某人）困于（某地） | |
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40
stranded
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| a.搁浅的，进退两难的 | |
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41
prospect
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| n.前景，前途；景色，视野 | |
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42
preposterous
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| adj.荒谬的，可笑的 | |
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43
credence
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| n.信用，祭器台，供桌，凭证 | |
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44
motives
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| n.动机，目的( motive的名词复数 ) | |
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45
investigation
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| n.调查，调查研究 | |
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46
solely
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| adv.仅仅，唯一地 | |
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47
consular
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| a.领事的 | |
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48
callous
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| adj.无情的，冷淡的，硬结的，起老茧的 | |
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49
indifference
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| n.不感兴趣，不关心，冷淡，不在乎 | |
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50
naught
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| n.无，零 [=nought] | |
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51
thither
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| adv.向那里；adj.在那边的，对岸的 | |
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52
quaint
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| adj.古雅的，离奇有趣的，奇怪的 | |
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53
dwellings
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| n.住处，处所( dwelling的名词复数 ) | |
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54
heralding
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| v.预示( herald的现在分词 )；宣布（好或重要） | |
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55
preoccupied
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| adj.全神贯注的，入神的；被抢先占有的；心事重重的v.占据（某人）思想，使对…全神贯注，使专心于( preoccupy的过去式) | |
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56
wan
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| (wide area network)广域网 | |
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57
outskirts
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| n.郊外，郊区 | |
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58
curb
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| n.场外证券市场，场外交易；vt.制止，抑制 | |
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59
proceeding
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| n.行动，进行，(pl.)会议录，学报 | |
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60
fixed
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| adj.固定的，不变的，准备好的；(计算机)固定的 | |
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61
rigid
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| adj.严格的，死板的；刚硬的，僵硬的 | |
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62
explicit
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| adj.详述的，明确的；坦率的；显然的 | |
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63
lengthy
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| adj.漫长的，冗长的 | |
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64
amazement
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| n.惊奇，惊讶 | |
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65
scent
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| n.气味，香味，香水，线索，嗅觉；v.嗅，发觉 | |
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66
pier
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| n.码头；桥墩，桥柱；[建]窗间壁，支柱 | |
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67
apparently
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| adv.显然地；表面上，似乎 | |
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68
inception
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| n.开端，开始，取得学位 | |
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69
decided
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| adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的 | |
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70
inevitable
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| adj.不可避免的，必然发生的 | |
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71
transformation
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| n.变化；改造；转变 | |
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72
trot
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| n.疾走，慢跑；n.老太婆；现成译本；(复数）trots:腹泻（与the 连用）；v.小跑，快步走，赶紧 | |
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73
discreet
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| adj.(言行)谨慎的；慎重的；有判断力的 | |
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74
exertion
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| n.尽力，努力 | |
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75
dame
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| n.女士 | |
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76
plausibly
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| 似真地 | |
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77
persistent
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| adj.坚持不懈的，执意的；持续的 | |
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78
dungeon
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| n.地牢，土牢 | |
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79
incandescent
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| adj.遇热发光的， 白炽的，感情强烈的 | |
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80
sable
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| n.黑貂；adj.黑色的 | |
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81
crimson
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| n./adj.深(绯)红色(的)；vi.脸变绯红色 | |
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82
spanked
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| v.用手掌打( spank的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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83
glide
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| n./v.溜，滑行；(时间)消逝 | |
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84
glimmering
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| n.微光，隐约的一瞥adj.薄弱地发光的v.发闪光，发微光( glimmer的现在分词 ) | |
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85
clench
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| vt.捏紧（拳头等），咬紧（牙齿等），紧紧握住 | |
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86
reins
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| 感情，激情； 缰( rein的名词复数 )； 控制手段； 掌管； （成人带着幼儿走路以防其走失时用的）保护带 | |
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87
socket
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| n.窝，穴，孔，插座，插口 | |
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88
panorama
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| n.全景，全景画，全景摄影，全景照片[装置] | |
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89
serene
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| adj. 安详的，宁静的，平静的 | |
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90
twilight
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| n.暮光，黄昏；暮年，晚期，衰落时期 | |
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91
lengthened
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| （时间或空间）延长，伸长( lengthen的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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92
awnings
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| 篷帐布 | |
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93
scattered
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| adj.分散的，稀疏的；散步的；疏疏落落的 | |
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94
fragrance
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| n.芬芳，香味，香气 | |
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95
brilliance
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| n.光辉，辉煌，壮丽，（卓越的）才华，才智 | |
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96
inertia
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| adj.惰性，惯性，懒惰，迟钝 | |
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97
suspense
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| n.（对可能发生的事）紧张感，担心，挂虑 | |
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98
hunched
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| （常指因寒冷、生病或愁苦）耸肩弓身的，伏首前倾的 | |
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99
silhouetted
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| 显出轮廓的，显示影像的 | |
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100
fixedly
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| adv.固定地；不屈地，坚定不移地 | |
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101
gilded
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| a.镀金的，富有的 | |
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102
catching
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| adj.易传染的，有魅力的，迷人的，接住 | |
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103
beguile
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| vt.欺骗，消遣 | |
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104
speculation
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| n.思索，沉思；猜测；投机 | |
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105
anticipations
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| 预期( anticipation的名词复数 )； 预测； （信托财产收益的）预支； 预期的事物 | |
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106
doorway
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| n.门口，(喻)入门；门路，途径 | |
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107
sketched
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| v.草拟（sketch的过去式与过去分词形式） | |
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108
forth
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| adv.向前；向外，往外 | |
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110
assertiveness
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| n.过分自信 | |
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111
descend
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| vt./vi.传下来，下来，下降 | |
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112
descending
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| n. 下行 adj. 下降的 | |
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113
planks
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| （厚）木板( plank的名词复数 )； 政纲条目，政策要点 | |
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114
grumbling
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| adj. 喃喃鸣不平的, 出怨言的 | |
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115
accost
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| v.向人搭话，打招呼 | |
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116
irresolute
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| adj.无决断的，优柔寡断的，踌躇不定的 | |
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117
dreading
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| v.害怕，恐惧，担心( dread的现在分词 ) | |
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118
intelligible
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| adj.可理解的，明白易懂的，清楚的 | |
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119
admonished
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| v.劝告( admonish的过去式和过去分词 )；训诫；（温和地）责备；轻责 | |
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120
tangle
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| n.纠缠；缠结；混乱；v.(使)缠绕；变乱 | |
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121
eastward
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| adv.向东；adj.向东的；n.东方，东部 | |
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122
retraced
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| v.折回( retrace的过去式和过去分词 )；回忆；回顾；追溯 | |
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123
segregate
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| adj.分离的，被隔离的；vt.使分离，使隔离 | |
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124
lodged
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| v.存放( lodge的过去式和过去分词 )；暂住；埋入；（权利、权威等）归属 | |
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125
hesitation
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| n.犹豫，踌躇 | |
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126
avowedly
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| adv.公然地 | |
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127
remarkable
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| adj.显著的，异常的，非凡的，值得注意的 | |
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128
undoubtedly
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| adv.确实地，无疑地 | |
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129
frightful
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| adj.可怕的；讨厌的 | |
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130
entirely
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| ad.全部地，完整地；完全地，彻底地 | |
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131
vessel
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| n.船舶；容器，器皿；管，导管，血管 | |
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132
elude
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| v.躲避，困惑 | |
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133
fleeting
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| adj.短暂的，飞逝的 | |
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134
insidiously
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| 潜在地，隐伏地，阴险地 | |
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135
cumulative
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| adj.累积的，渐增的 | |
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136
quays
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| 码头( quay的名词复数 ) | |
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137
putative
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| adj.假定的 | |
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138
moored
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| adj. 系泊的 动词moor的过去式和过去分词形式 | |
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139
invaluable
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| adj.无价的，非常宝贵的，极为贵重的 | |
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140
nonchalance
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| n.冷淡，漠不关心 | |
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141
outermost
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| adj.最外面的，远离中心的 | |
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142
oars
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| n.桨，橹( oar的名词复数 )；划手v.划（行）( oar的第三人称单数 ) | |
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143
thwarts
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| 阻挠( thwart的第三人称单数 )； 使受挫折； 挫败； 横过 | |
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144
larceny
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| n.盗窃（罪） | |
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145
bent
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| n.爱好，癖好；adj.弯的；决心的，一心的 | |
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146
condoning
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| v.容忍，宽恕，原谅( condone的现在分词 ) | |
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147
offense
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| n.犯规，违法行为；冒犯，得罪 | |
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148
gratitude
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| adj.感激，感谢 | |
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149
juxtaposition
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| n.毗邻，并置，并列 | |
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150
prettily
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| adv.优美地；可爱地 | |
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151
shipping
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| n.船运（发货，运输，乘船） | |
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152
standing
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| n.持续，地位；adj.永久的，不动的，直立的，不流动的 | |
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153
purloined
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| v.偷窃( purloin的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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154
deserted
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| adj.荒芜的，荒废的，无人的，被遗弃的 | |
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155
winks
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| v.使眼色( wink的第三人称单数 )；递眼色（表示友好或高兴等）；（指光）闪烁；闪亮 | |
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156
murmur
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| n.低语，低声的怨言；v.低语，低声而言 | |
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157
quarry
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| n.采石场；v.采石；费力地找 | |
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158
syllables
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| n.音节( syllable的名词复数 ) | |
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159
retailing
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| n.零售业v.零售(retail的现在分词) | |
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160
relish
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| n.滋味，享受，爱好，调味品；vt.加调味料，享受，品味；vi.有滋味 | |
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161
witticisms
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| n.妙语，俏皮话( witticism的名词复数 ) | |
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162
raconteur
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| n.善讲故事者 | |
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163
gale
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| n.大风，强风，一阵闹声（尤指笑声等） | |
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164
chuckle
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| vi.／n.轻声笑，咯咯笑 | |
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165
numbs
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| v.使麻木，使麻痹( numb的第三人称单数 ) | |
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166
weirdest
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| 怪诞的( weird的最高级 )； 神秘而可怕的； 超然的； 古怪的 | |
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167
eavesdropper
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| 偷听者 | |
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168
mere
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| adj.纯粹的；仅仅，只不过 | |
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169
remonstrating
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| v.抗议( remonstrate的现在分词 )；告诫 | |
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170
aggrieved
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| adj.愤愤不平的，受委屈的；悲痛的；（在合法权利方面）受侵害的v.令委屈，令苦恼，侵害( aggrieve的过去式)；令委屈，令苦恼，侵害( aggrieve的过去式和过去分词) | |
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171
plucky
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| adj.勇敢的 | |
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172
ply
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| v.(搬运工等)等候顾客，弯曲 | |
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173
assented
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| 同意，赞成( assent的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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174
brute
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| n.野兽，兽性 | |
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175
suavely
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176
utilize
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| vt.使用，利用 | |
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177
smuggle
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| vt.私运；vi.走私 | |
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178
interrogated
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| v.询问( interrogate的过去式和过去分词 )；审问；（在计算机或其他机器上）查询 | |
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179
mimicking
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| v.（尤指为了逗乐而）模仿( mimic的现在分词 )；酷似 | |
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180
graft
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| n.移植，嫁接，艰苦工作，贪污；v.移植，嫁接 | |
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181
strings
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| n.弦 | |
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182
smelt
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| v.熔解，熔炼；n.银白鱼，胡瓜鱼 | |
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183
squealed
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| v.长声尖叫，用长而尖锐的声音说( squeal的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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184
spotted
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| adj.有斑点的，斑纹的，弄污了的 | |
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185
bum
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| n.臀部；流浪汉，乞丐；vt.乞求，乞讨 | |
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186
pacified
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| 使（某人）安静( pacify的过去式和过去分词 )； 息怒； 抚慰； 在（有战争的地区、国家等）实现和平 | |
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187
growl
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| v.（狗等）嗥叫，（炮等）轰鸣；n.嗥叫，轰鸣 | |
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188
malicious
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| adj.有恶意的，心怀恶意的 | |
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189
odds
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| n.让步，机率，可能性，比率；胜败优劣之别 | |
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190
consolation
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| n.安慰，慰问 | |
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191
grunted
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| （猪等）作呼噜声( grunt的过去式和过去分词 )； （指人）发出类似的哼声； 咕哝着说 | |
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192
irritably
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| ad.易生气地 | |
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193
vindictive
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| adj.有报仇心的，怀恨的，惩罚的 | |
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194
paternal
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| adj.父亲的，像父亲的，父系的，父方的 | |
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195
brutal
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| adj.残忍的，野蛮的，不讲理的 | |
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196
concurring
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| 同时发生的，并发的 | |
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197
chuckled
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| 轻声地笑( chuckle的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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198
snarled
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| v.（指狗）吠，嗥叫， （人）咆哮( snarl的过去式和过去分词 )；咆哮着说，厉声地说 | |
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199
soothed
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| v.安慰( soothe的过去式和过去分词 )；抚慰；使舒服；减轻痛苦 | |
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200
soothe
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| v.安慰；使平静；使减轻；缓和；奉承 | |
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201
slurring
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| 含糊地说出( slur的现在分词 )； 含糊地发…的声； 侮辱； 连唱 | |
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202
propounded
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| v.提出（问题、计划等）供考虑[讨论]，提议( propound的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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203
wrath
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| n.愤怒，愤慨，暴怒 | |
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204
legitimate
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| adj.合法的，合理的，合乎逻辑的；v.使合法 | |
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205
swell
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| vi.膨胀，肿胀；增长，增强 | |
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206
blackmailing
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| 胁迫，尤指以透露他人不体面行为相威胁以勒索钱财( blackmail的现在分词 ) | |
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207
brat
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| n.孩子；顽童 | |
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208
inflexibly
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| adv.不屈曲地，不屈地 | |
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209
ablaze
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| adj.着火的，燃烧的；闪耀的，灯火辉煌的 | |
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210
feverish
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| adj.发烧的，狂热的，兴奋的 | |
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211
phenomena
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| n.现象 | |
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212
sweeping
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| adj.范围广大的，一扫无遗的 | |
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213
bleak
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| adj.(天气)阴冷的；凄凉的；暗淡的 | |
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214
throbbing
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| a. 跳动的,悸动的 | |
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215
subsided
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| v.（土地）下陷（因在地下采矿）( subside的过去式和过去分词 )；减弱；下降至较低或正常水平；一下子坐在椅子等上 | |
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216
dingy
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| adj.昏暗的，肮脏的 | |
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217
prey
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| n.被掠食者，牺牲者，掠食；v.捕食，掠夺，折磨 | |
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218
professing
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| 声称( profess的现在分词 )； 宣称； 公开表明； 信奉 | |
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219
realization
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| n.实现；认识到，深刻了解 | |
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220
crafty
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| adj.狡猾的，诡诈的 | |
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221
contrived
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| adj.不自然的，做作的；虚构的 | |
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222
muffle
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| v.围裹；抑制；发低沉的声音 | |
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223
subconsciously
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| ad.下意识地，潜意识地 | |
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224
steadily
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| adv.稳定地；不变地；持续地 | |
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225
ominous
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| adj.不祥的，不吉的，预兆的，预示的 | |
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226
heed
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| v.注意，留意；n.注意，留心 | |
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227
inflamed
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| adj.发炎的，红肿的v.（使）变红，发怒，过热( inflame的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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228
juncture
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| n.时刻，关键时刻，紧要关头 | |
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229
enrage
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| v.触怒，激怒 | |
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230
yelped
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| v.发出短而尖的叫声( yelp的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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231
adroit
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| adj.熟练的，灵巧的 | |
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232
insanity
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| n.疯狂，精神错乱；极端的愚蠢，荒唐 | |
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233
hog
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| n.猪；馋嘴贪吃的人；vt.把…占为己有，独占 | |
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234
appalled
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| v.使惊骇，使充满恐惧( appall的过去式和过去分词)adj.惊骇的；丧胆的 | |
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235
sprawling
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| adj.蔓生的，不规则地伸展的v.伸开四肢坐[躺]( sprawl的现在分词 )；蔓延；杂乱无序地拓展；四肢伸展坐着（或躺着） | |
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