“Tell your master that Mr. Paul Harley has called to see him upon urgent business.”
“Master no got,” replied Ah Tsong, and proceeded to close the door.
Paul Harley thrust his hand against it and addressed the man rapidly in Chinese. I could not have supposed the face of Ah Tsong capable of expressing so much animation4. At the sound of his native tongue his eyes lighted up, and:
“Tchée, tchée,” he said, turned, and disappeared.
Although he had studiously avoided looking at me, that Ah Tsong would inform his master of the identity of his second visitor I did not doubt. If I had doubted I should promptly5 have been disillusioned6, for:
“Tell them to go away!” came a muffled7 cry from somewhere within. “No spy of Devil Menendez shall ever pass my doors again!”
The Chinaman, on retiring, had left the door wide open, and I could see right to the end of the gloomy hall. Ah Tsong presently re-appeared, shuffling8 along in our direction. Unemotionally:
“Master no got,” he repeated.
“Good God, Knox,” he said, “this unreasonable10 fool almost exhausts my patience.”
Again he addressed Ah Tsong in Chinese, and although the man’s wrinkled ivory face exhibited no trace of emotion, a deep understanding was to be read in those oblique12 eyes; and a second time Ah Tsong turned and trotted13 back to the study. I could hear a muttered colloquy14 in progress, and suddenly the gaunt figure of Colin Camber burst into view.
He was shaved this morning, but arrayed as I had last seen him. Whilst he was not in that state of incoherent anger which I remembered and still resented, he was nevertheless in an evil temper.
He strode along the hallway, his large eyes widely opened, and fixing a cold stare upon the face of Harley.
“I learn that your name is Mr. Paul Harley,” he said, entirely15 ignoring my presence, “and you send me a very strange message. I am used to the ways of Señor Menendez, therefore your message does not deceive me. The gateway16, sir, is directly behind you.”
“The scaffold, Mr. Camber,” he replied, “is directly in front of you.”
“What do you mean, sir?” demanded the other, and despite my resentment18 of the treatment which I had received at his hands, I could only admire the lofty disdain19 of his manner.
“I mean, Mr. Camber, that the police are close upon my heels.”
“The police? Of what interest can this be to me?”
Harley’s keen eyes were searching the pale face of the man before him.
“Mr. Camber,” he said, “the shot was a good one.”
Not a muscle of Colin Camber’s face moved, but slowly he looked Paul Harley up and down, then:
“I have been called a hasty man,” he replied, coldly, “but I can scarcely be accused of leaping to a conclusion when I say that I believe you to be mad. You have interrupted me, sir. Good morning.”
He stepped back, and would have closed the door, but:
“Mr. Camber,” said Paul Harley, and the tone of his voice was arresting.
Colin Camber paused.
“My name is evidently unfamiliar20 to you,” Harley continued. “You regard myself and Mr. Knox as friends of the late Colonel Menendez—”
At that Colin Camber started forward.
“The late Colonel Menendez?” he echoed, speaking almost in a whisper.
But as if he had not heard him Harley continued:
“As a matter of fact, I am a criminal investigator21, and Mr. Knox is assisting me in my present case.”
Colin Camber clenched his hands and seemed to be fighting with some emotion which possessed22 him, then:
“Do you mean,” he said, hoarsely—“do you mean that Menendez is—dead?”
“I do,” replied Harley. “May I request the privilege of ten minutes’ private conversation with you?”
Colin Camber stood aside, holding the door open, and inclining his head in that grave salutation which I knew, but on this occasion, I think, principally with intent to hide his emotion.
Not another word did he speak until the three of us stood in the strange study where East grimaced23 at West, and emblems24 of remote devil-worship jostled the cross of the Holy Rose. The place was laden25 with tobacco smoke, and scattered26 on the carpet about the feet of the writing table lay twenty or more pages of closely written manuscript. Although this was a brilliant summer’s morning, an old-fashioned reading lamp, called, I believe, a Victoria, having a nickel receptacle for oil at one side of the standard and a burner with a green glass shade upon the other, still shed its light upon the desk. It was only reasonable to suppose that Colin Camber had been at work all night.
He placed chairs for us, clearing them of the open volumes which they bore, and, seating himself at the desk:
“Mr. Knox,” he began, slowly, paused, and then stood up, “I accused you of something when you last visited my house, something of which I would not lightly accuse any man. If I was wrong, I wish to apologize.”
“Only a matter of the utmost urgency could have induced me to cross your threshold again,” I replied, coldly. “Your behaviour, sir, was inexcusable.”
He rested his long white hands upon the desk, looking across at me.
“Whatever I did and whatever I said,” he continued, “one insult I laid upon you more deadly than the rest: I accused you of friendship with Juan Menendez. Was I unjust?”
He paused for a moment.
“I had been retained professionally by Colonel Menendez,” replied Harley without hesitation27, “and Mr. Knox kindly28 consented to accompany me.”
Colin Camber looked very hard at the speaker, and then equally hard at me.
“Was it at behest of Colonel Menendez that you called upon me, Mr. Knox?”
“It was not,” said Harley, tersely29; “it was at mine. And he is here now at my request. Come, sir, we are wasting time. At any moment—”
Colin Camber held up his hand, interrupting him.
“By your leave, Mr. Harley,” he said, and there was something compelling in voice and gesture, “I must first perform my duty as a gentleman.”
He stepped forward in my direction.
“Mr. Knox, I have grossly insulted you. Yet if you knew what had inspired my behaviour I believe you could find it in your heart to forgive me. I do not ask you to do so, however; I accept the humiliation30 of knowing that I have mortally offended a guest.”
He bowed to me formally, and would have returned to his seat, but:
“Pray say no more,” I said, standing11 up and extending my hand. Indeed, so impressive was the man’s strange personality that I felt rather as one receiving a royal pardon than as an offended party being offered an apology. “It was a misunderstanding. Let us forget it.”
His eyes gleamed, and he seized my hand in a warm grip.
“You are generous, Mr. Knox, you are generous. And now, sir,” he inclined his head in Paul Harley’s direction, and resumed his seat.
Harley had suffered this odd little interlude in silence but now:
“Mr. Camber,” he said, rapidly, “I sent you a message by your Chinese servant to the effect that the police would be here within ten minutes to arrest you.”
“You did, sir,” replied Colin Camber, drawing toward him a piece of newspaper upon which rested a dwindling31 mound32 of shag. “This is most disturbing, of course. But since I have not rendered myself amenable33 to the law, it leaves me moderately unmoved. Upon your second point, Mr. Harley, I shall beg you, to enlarge. You tell me that Don Juan Menendez is dead?”
He had begun to fill his corn-cob as he spoke34 the words, but from where I sat I could just see his face, so that although his voice was well controlled, the gleam in his eyes was unmistakable.
“He was shot through the head shortly after midnight.”
“What?”
Colin Camber dropped the corn-cob and stood up again, the light of a dawning comprehension in his eyes.
“Do you mean that he was murdered?”
“I do.”
“Good God,” whispered Camber, “at last I understand.”
“That is why we are here, Mr. Camber, and that is why the police will be here at any moment.”
“So this was the meaning of the shot which we heard in the night,” he said, slowly.
Crossing the room, he closed and locked the study door, then, returning, he sat down once more, entirely, master of himself. Frowning slightly he looked from Harley in my direction, and then back again at Harley.
“Gentlemen,” he resumed, “I appreciate the urgency of my danger. Preposterous36 though I know it to be, nevertheless it is perhaps no more than natural that suspicion should fall upon me.”
He was evidently thinking rapidly. His manner had grown quite cool, and I could see that he had focussed his keen brain upon the abyss which he perceived to lie in his path.
“Before I commit myself to any statements which might be used as evidence,” he said, “doubtless, Mr. Harley, you will inform me of your exact standpoint in this matter. Do you represent the late Colonel Menendez, do you represent the law, or may I regard you as a perfectly37 impartial38 enquirer39?”
“You may regard me, Mr. Camber, as one to whom nothing but the truth is of the slightest interest. I was requested by the late Colonel Menendez to visit Cray’s Folly40.”
“Professionally?”
“To endeavour to trace the origin of certain occurrences which had led him to believe his life to be in danger.”
Harley paused, staring hard at Colin Camber.
“Since I recognize myself to be standing in the position of a suspect,” said the latter, “it is perhaps unfair to request you to acquaint me with the nature of these occurrences?”
“The one, sir,” replied Paul Harley, “which most intimately concerns yourself is this: Almost exactly a month ago the wing of a bat was nailed to the door of Cray’s Folly.”
“What?” exclaimed Colin Camber, leaning forward eagerly—“the wing of a bat? What kind of bat?”
The effect of those words was curious. If any doubt respecting Camber’s innocence42 had remained with me at this time I think his expression as he leaned forward across the desk must certainly have removed it. That the man was intellectually unusual, and intensely difficult to understand, must have been apparent to the most superficial observer, but I found it hard to believe that these moods of his were simulated. At the words “A South American Vampire Bat” the enthusiasm of the specialist leapt into his eyes. Personal danger was forgotten. Harley had trenched upon his particular territory, and I knew that if Colin Camber had actually killed Colonel Menendez, then it had been the act of a maniac43. No man newly come from so bloody44 a deed could have acted as Camber acted now.
“It is the death-sign of Voodoo!” he exclaimed, excitedly.
Yet again he arose, and crossing to one of the many cabinets which were in the room, he pulled open a drawer and took out a shallow tray.
My friend was watching him intently, and from the expression upon his bronzed face I could deduce the fact that in Colin Camber he had met the supreme45 puzzle of his career. As Camber stood there, holding up an object which he had taken from the tray, whilst Paul Harley sat staring at him, I thought the scene was one transcending46 the grotesque47. Here was the suspected man triumphantly48 producing evidence to hang himself.
Between his finger and thumb Camber held the wing of a bat!
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1
elicited
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| 引出，探出( elicit的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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irritable
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| adj.急躁的；过敏的；易怒的 | |
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tattoo
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| n.纹身，(皮肤上的)刺花纹；vt.刺花纹于 | |
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4
animation
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| n.活泼，兴奋，卡通片／动画片的制作 | |
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promptly
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| adv.及时地，敏捷地 | |
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disillusioned
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| a.不再抱幻想的，大失所望的，幻想破灭的 | |
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7
muffled
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| adj.（声音）被隔的；听不太清的；（衣服）裹严的；蒙住的v.压抑，捂住( muffle的过去式和过去分词 )；用厚厚的衣帽包着（自己） | |
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8
shuffling
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| adj. 慢慢移动的, 滑移的 动词shuffle的现在分词形式 | |
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9
irritably
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| ad.易生气地 | |
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unreasonable
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| adj.不讲道理的，不合情理的，过度的 | |
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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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oblique
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| adj.斜的，倾斜的，无诚意的，不坦率的 | |
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13
trotted
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| 小跑，急走( trot的过去分词 )； 匆匆忙忙地走 | |
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14
colloquy
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| n.谈话，自由讨论 | |
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15
entirely
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| ad.全部地，完整地；完全地，彻底地 | |
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gateway
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| n.大门口，出入口，途径，方法 | |
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clenched
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| v.紧握，抓紧，咬紧( clench的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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resentment
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| n.怨愤，忿恨 | |
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disdain
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| n.鄙视，轻视；v.轻视，鄙视，不屑 | |
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unfamiliar
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| adj.陌生的，不熟悉的 | |
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investigator
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| n.研究者，调查者，审查者 | |
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possessed
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| adj.疯狂的；拥有的，占有的 | |
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grimaced
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| v.扮鬼相，做鬼脸( grimace的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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emblems
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| n.象征，标记( emblem的名词复数 ) | |
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laden
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| adj.装满了的；充满了的；负了重担的；苦恼的 | |
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scattered
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| adj.分散的，稀疏的；散步的；疏疏落落的 | |
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27
hesitation
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| n.犹豫，踌躇 | |
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kindly
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| adj.和蔼的，温和的，爽快的；adv.温和地，亲切地 | |
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tersely
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| adv. 简捷地, 简要地 | |
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30
humiliation
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| n.羞辱 | |
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31
dwindling
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| adj.逐渐减少的v.逐渐变少或变小( dwindle的现在分词 ) | |
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32
mound
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| n.土墩，堤，小山；v.筑堤，用土堆防卫 | |
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33
amenable
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| adj.经得起检验的；顺从的；对负有义务的 | |
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34
spoke
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| n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说 | |
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erect
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| n./v.树立，建立，使竖立；adj.直立的，垂直的 | |
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preposterous
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| adj.荒谬的，可笑的 | |
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perfectly
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| adv.完美地，无可非议地，彻底地 | |
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38
impartial
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| adj.(in,to)公正的，无偏见的 | |
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enquirer
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| 寻问者，追究者 | |
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40
folly
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| n.愚笨，愚蠢，蠢事，蠢行，傻话 | |
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41
vampire
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| n.吸血鬼 | |
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42
innocence
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| n.无罪；天真；无害 | |
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43
maniac
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| n.精神癫狂的人；疯子 | |
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44
bloody
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| adj.非常的的；流血的；残忍的；adv.很；vt.血染 | |
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45
supreme
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| adj.极度的，最重要的；至高的，最高的 | |
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46
transcending
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| 超出或超越（经验、信念、描写能力等）的范围( transcend的现在分词 )； 优于或胜过… | |
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47
grotesque
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| adj.怪诞的，丑陋的；n.怪诞的图案，怪人（物） | |
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48
triumphantly
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| ad.得意洋洋地；得胜地；成功地 | |
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