Two years after the events just described, T. X. journeying up toLondon from Bath was attracted by a paragraph in the Morning Post.
It told him briefly1 that Mr. Remington Kara, the influentialleader of the Greek Colony, had been the guest of honor at adinner of the Hellenic Society.
T. X. had only seen Kara for a brief space of time following thattragic morning, when he had discovered not only that his bestfriend had escaped from Dartmoor prison and disappeared, as itwere, from the world at a moment when his pardon had been signed,but that that friend's wife had also vanished from the face of theearth.
At the same time - it might, as even T. X. admitted, have been theveriest coincidence that Kara had also cleared out of London toreappear at the end of six months. Any question addressed to him,concerning the whereabouts of the two unhappy people, was met witha bland3 expression of ignorance as to their whereabouts.
John Lexman was somewhere in the world, hiding as he believed fromjustice, and with him was his wife. T. X. had no doubt in hismind as to this solution of the puzzle. He had caused to bepublished the story of the pardon and the circumstances underwhich that pardon had been secured, and he had, moreover, arrangedfor an advertisement to be inserted in the principal papers ofevery European country.
It was a moot4 question amongst the departmental lawyers as towhether John Lexman was not guilty of a technical and punishableoffence for prison breaking, but this possibility did not keep T.
X. awake at nights. The circumstances of the escape had beencarefully examined. The warder responsible had been dischargedfrom the service, and had almost immediately purchased for himselfa beer house in Falmouth, for a sum which left no doubt in theofficial mind that he had been the recipient6 of a heavy bribe7.
Who had been the guiding spirit in that escape - Mrs. Lexman, orKarat?
It was impossible to connect Kara with the event. The motor carhad been traced to Exeter, where it had been hired by a"foreign-looking gentleman," but the chauffeur8, whoever he was,had made good his escape. An inspection9 of Kara's hangars atWembley showed that his two monoplanes had not been removed, andT. X. failed entirely10 to trace the owner of the machine he hadseen flying over Dartmoor on the fatal morning.
T. X. was somewhat baffled and a little amused by thedisinclination of the authorities to believe that the escape hadbeen effected by this method at all. All the events of the trialcame back to him, as he watched the landscape spinning past.
He set down the newspaper with a little sigh, put his feet on thecushions of the opposite seat and gave himself up to reverie.
Presently he returned to his journals and searched them idly forsomething to interest him in the final stretch of journey betweenNewbury and Paddington.
Presently he found it in a two column article with the uninspiringtitle, "The Mineral Wealth of Tierra del Fuego." It was writtenbrightly with a style which was at once easy and informative12. Ittold of adventures in the marshes13 behind St. Sebastian Bay andjourneys up the Guarez Celman river, of nights spent in primevalforests and ended in a geological survey, wherein the commercialvalue of syenite, porphyry, trachite and dialite were severallycanvassed.
The article was signed "G. G." It is said of T. X. that hisgreatest virtue15 was his curiosity. He had at the tip of hisfingers the names of all the big explorers and author-travellers,and for some reason he could not place "G. G." to hissatisfaction, in fact he had an absurd desire to interpret theinitials into "George Grossmith." His inability to identify thewriter irritated him, and his first act on reaching his office wasto telephone to one of the literary editors of the Times whom heknew.
"Not my department," was the chilly17 reply, "and besides we nevergive away the names of our contributors. Speaking as a personoutside the office I should say that "G. G." was 'GeorgeGathercole' the explorer you know, the fellow who had an armchewed off by a lion or something.""George Gathercole!" repeated T. X. "What an ass14 I am.""Yes," said the voice at the other end the wire, and he had rungoff before T. X. could think of something suitable to say.
Having elucidated18 this little side-line of mystery, the matterpassed from the young Commissioner19's mind. It happened thatmorning that his work consisted of dealing20 with John Lexman'sestate.
With the disappearance21 of the couple he had taken over control oftheir belongings22. It had not embarrassed him to discover that hewas an executor under Lexman's will, for he had already acted astrustee to the wife's small estate, and had been one of theparties to the ante-nuptial contract which John Lexman had madebefore his marriage.
The estate revenues had increased very considerably23. All thevanished author's books were selling as they had never soldbefore, and the executor's work was made the heavier by the factthat Grace Lexman had possessed24 an aunt who had most ininconsiderately died, leaving a considerable fortune to her"unhappy niece.""I will keep the trusteeship another year," he told the solicitorwho came to consult him that morning. "At the end of that time Ishall go to the court for relief.""Do you think they will ever turn up?" asked the solicitor26, anelderly and unimaginative man.
"Of course, they'll turn up!" said T. X. impatiently; "all theheroes of Lexman's books turn up sooner or later. He willdiscover himself to us at a suitable moment, and we shall beproperly thrilled."That Lexman would return he was sure. It was a faith from whichhe did not swerve27.
He had as implicit28 a confidence that one day or other Kara, themagnificent, would play into his hands.
There were some queer stories in circulation concerning the Greek,but on the whole they were stories and rumours29 which weredifficult to separate from the malicious30 gossip which invariablyattaches itself to the rich and to the successful.
One of these was that Kara desired something more than an Albanianchieftainship, which he undoubtedly31 enjoyed. There were whispersof wider and higher ambitions. Though his father had been born aGreek, he had indubitably descended32 in a direct line from one ofthose old Mprets of Albania, who had exercised their briefauthority over that turbulent land.
The man's passion was for power. To this end he did not sparehimself. It was said that he utilized33 his vast wealth for thisreason, and none other, and that whatever might have been theirregularities of his youth - and there were adduced concreteinstances - he was working toward an end with a singleness ofpurpose, from which it was difficult to withhold34 admiration35.
T. X. kept in his locked desk a little red book, steel bound andtriple locked, which he called his "Scandalaria." In this heinscribed in his own irregular writing the titbits which might notbe published, and which often helped an investigator37 to light uponthe missing threads of a problem. In truth he scorned no sourceof information, and was conscienceless in the compilation38 of thissomewhat chaotic39 record.
The affairs of John Lexman recalled Kara, and Kara's greatreception. Mansus would have made arrangements to secure averbatim report of the speeches which were made, and these wouldbe in his hands by the night. Mansus did not tell him that Karawas financing some very influential2 people indeed, that a certainUnder-secretary of State with a great number of very influentialrelations had been saved from bankruptcy40 by the timely advanceswhich Kara had made. This T. X. had obtained through sourceswhich might be hastily described as discreditable. Mansus knew ofthe baccarat establishment in Albemarle Street, but he did notknow that the neurotic41 wife of a very great man indeed, no lessthan the Minister of Justice, was a frequent visitor to thatestablishment, and that she had lost in one night some 6,000pounds. In these circumstances it was remarkable42, thought T. X.,that she should report to the police so small a matter as thepetty pilfering43 of servants. This, however, she had done andwhilst the lesser44 officers of Scotland Yard were interrogatingpawnbrokers, the men higher up were genuinely worried by thelady's own lapses45 from grace.
It was all sordid46 but, unfortunately, conventional, because highlyplaced people will always do underbred things, where money orwomen are concerned, but it was necessary, for the proper conductof the department which T. X. directed, that, however sordid andhowever conventional might' be the errors which the great ones ofthe earth committed, they should be filed for reference.
The motto which T. X. went upon in life was, "You never know."The Minister of Justice was a very important person, for he was apersonal friend of half the monarchs47 of Europe. A poor man, withtwo or three thousand a year of his own, with no very definitepolitical views and uncommitted to the more violent policies ofeither party, he succeeded in serving both, with profit tohimself, and without earning the obloquy48 of either. Though he didnot pursue the blatant49 policy of the Vicar of Bray50, yet it is factwhich may be confirmed from the reader's own knowledge, that heserved in four different administrations, drawing the pay andemoluments of his office from each, though the fundamentalpolicies of those four governments were distinct.
Lady Bartholomew, the wife of this adaptable51 Minister, hadrecently departed for San Remo. The newspapers announced the factand spoke52 vaguely53 of a breakdown54 which prevented the lady fromfulfilling her social engagements.
T. X., ever a Doubting Thomas, could trace no visit of nervespecialist, nor yet of the family practitioner55, to the officialresidence in Downing Street, and therefore he drew conclusions.
In his own "Who's Who" T. X. noted56 the hobbies of his victimswhich, by the way, did not always coincide with the innocentoccupations set against their names in the more pretentiousvolume. Their follies57 and their weaknesses found a place and wererecorded at a length (as it might seem to the uninformed observer)beyond the limit which charity allowed.
Lady Mary Bartholomew's name appeared not once, but many times, inthe erratic58 records which T. X. kept. There was a plainmatter-of-fact and wholly unobjectionable statement that she wasborn in 1874, that she was the seventh daughter of the Earl ofBalmorey, that she had one daughter who rejoiced in the somewhatunpromising name of Belinda Mary, and such further information asa man might get without going to a great deal of trouble.
T. X.,refreshing59 his memory from the little red book, wonderedwhat unexpected tragedy had sent Lady Bartholomew out of London inthe middle of the season. The information was that the lady wasfairly well off at this moment, and this fact made matters all themore puzzling and almost induced him to believe that, after all,the story was true, and a nervous breakdown really was the causeof her sudden departure. He sent for Mansus.
"You saw Lady Bartholomew off at Charing60 Cross, I suppose?"Mansus nodded.
"She went alone?""She took her maid, but otherwise she was alone. I thought shelooked ill.""She has been looking ill for months past," said T. X., withoutany visible expression of sympathy.
"Did she take Belinda Mary?"Mansus was puzzled. "Belinda Mary?" he repeated slowly. "Oh, youmean the daughter. No, she's at a school somewhere in France."T. X. whistled a snatch of a popular song, closed the little redbook with a snap and replaced it in his desk.
"I wonder where on earth people dig up names like Belinda Mary?"he mused11. "Belinda Mary must be rather a weird61 little animal -the Lord forgive me for speaking so about my betters! If hereditycounts for anything she ought to be something between a headwaiter and a pack of cards. Have you lost anything'?"Mansus was searching his pockets.
"I made a few notes, some questions I wanted to ask you about andLady Bartholomew was the subject of one of them. I have had herunder observation for six months; do you want it kept up?"T. X. thought awhile, then shook his head.
"I am only interested in Lady Bartholomew in so far as Kara isinterested in her. There is a criminal for you, my friend!" headded, admiringly.
Mansus busily engaged in going through the bundles of letters,slips of paper and little notebooks he had taken from his pocket,sniffed62 audibly.
"Have you a cold?" asked T. X. politely.
"No, sir," was the reply, "only I haven't much opinion of Kara asa criminal. Besides, what has he got to be a criminal about? Hehas all that he requires in the money department, he's one of themost popular people in London, and certainly one of thebest-looking men I've ever seen in my life. He needs nothing."T. X. regarded him scornfully.
"You're a poor blind brute," he said, shaking his head; don't youknow that great criminals are never influenced by materialdesires, or by the prospect63 of concrete gains? The man, who robshis employer's till in order to give the girl of his heart the25-pearl and ruby64 brooch her soul desires, gains nothing but theglow of satisfaction which comes to the man who is thought wellof. The majority of crimes in the world are committed by peoplefor the same reason - they want to be thought well of. Here isDoctor X. who murdered his wife because she was a drunkard and aslut, and he dared not leave her for fear the neighbours wouldhave doubts as to his respectability. Here is another gentlemanwho murders his wives in their baths in order that he should keepup some sort of position and earn the respect of his friends andhis associates. Nothing roused him more quickly to a frenzy65 ofpassion than the suggestion that he was not respectable. Here isthe great financier, who has embezzled66 a million and a quarter,not because he needed money, but because people looked up to him.
Therefore, he must build great mansions67, submarine pleasure courtsand must lay out huge estates - because he wished that he shouldbe thought well of.
Mansus sniffed again.
"What about the man who half murders his wife, does he do that tobe well thought of?" he asked, with a tinge68 of sarcasm69.
T. X. looked at him pityingly.
"The low-brow who beats his wife, my poor Mansus," he said, "doesso because she doesn't think well of him. That is our rulingpassion, our national characteristic, the primary cause of mostcrimes, big or little. That is why Kara is a bad criminal andwill, as I say, end his life very violently."He took down his glossy70 silk hat from the peg71 and slipped into hisovercoat.
"I am going down to see my friend Kara," he said. "I have afeeling that I should like to talk with him. He might tell mesomething."His acquaintance with Kara's menage had been mere72 hearsay73. He hadinterviewed the Greek once after his return, but since all hisefforts to secure information concerning the whereabouts of JohnLexman and his wife - the main reason for his visit been in vain,he had not repeated his visit.
The house in Cadogan Square was a large one, occupying a cornersite. It was peculiarly English in appearance with its windowboxes, its discreet74 curtains, its polished brass75 and enamelleddoorway. It had been the town house of Lord Henry Gratham, thateccentric connoisseur76 of wine and follower77 of witless pleasure.
It had been built by him "round a bottle of port," as his friendssaid, meaning thereby78 that his first consideration had been thecellarage of the house, and that when those cellars had been builtand provision made for the safe storage of his priceless wines,the house had been built without the architect's being greatlytroubled by his lordship. The double cellars of Gratham Househad, in their time, been one of the sights of London. WhenHenry Gratham lay under eight feet of Congo earth (he was killedby an elephant whilst on a hunting trip) his executors had beensingularly fortunate in finding an immediate5 purchaser. Rumourhad it that Kara, who was no lover of wine, had bricked up thecellars, and their very existence passed into domestic legendary79.
The door was opened by a well-dressed and deferential80 man-servantand T. X. was ushered81 into the hall. A fire burnt cheerily in abronze grate and T. X. had a glimpse of a big oil painting of Karaabove the marble mantle-piece.
"Mr. Kara is very busy, sir," said the man.
"Just take in my card," said T. X. "I think he may care to seeme."The man bowed, produced from some mysterious corner a silversalver and glided82 upstairs in that manner which well-trainedservants have, a manner which seems to call for no bodily effort.
In a minute he returned.
"Will you come this way, sir," he said, and led the way up a broadflight of stairs.
At the head of the stairs was a corridor which ran to the left andto the right. From this there gave four rooms. One at theextreme end of the passage on the right, one on the left, and twoat fairly regular intervals83 in the centre.
When the man's hand was on one of the doors, T. X. asked quietly,"I think I have seen you before somewhere, my friend."The man smiled.
"It is very possible, sir. I was a waiter at the Constitutionalfor some time."T. X. nodded.
"That is where it must have been," he said.
The man opened the door and announced the visitor.
T. X. found himself in a large room, very handsomely furnished,but just lacking that sense of cosiness84 and comfort which is thefeature of the Englishman's home.
Kara rose from behind a big writing table, and came with a smileand a quick step to greet the visitor.
"This is a most unexpected pleasure," he said, and shook handswarmly.
T. X. had not seen him for a year and found very little change inthis strange young man. He could not be more confident than hehad been, nor bear himself with a more graceful85 carriage.
Whatever social success he had achieved, it had not spoiled him,for his manner was as genial86 and easy as ever.
"I think that will do, Miss Holland," he said, turning to the girlwho, with notebook in hand, stood by the desk.
"Evidently," thought T. X.,"our Hellenic friend has a pretty tastein secretaries."In that one glance he took her all in - from the bronze-brown ofher hair to her neat foot.
T. X. was not readily attracted by members of the opposite sex.
He was self-confessed a predestined bachelor, finding life and itsincidence too absorbing to give his whole mind to the seriousproblem of marriage, or to contract responsibilities and interestswhich might divert his attention from what he believed was thegreater game. Yet he must be a man of stone to resist thefreshness, the beauty and the youth of this straight, slendergirl; the pink-and-whiteness of her, the aliveness and buoyancyand the thrilling sense of vitality87 she carried in her verypresence.
"What is the weirdest88 name you have ever heard?" asked Karalaughingly. "I ask you, because Miss Holland and I have beendiscussing a begging letter addressed to us by a Maggie Goomer."The girl smiled slightly and in that smile was paradise, thoughtT. X.
"The weirdest name?" he repeated, "why I think the worst I haveheard for a long time is Belinda Mary.""That has a familiar ring," said Kara.
T. X. was looking at the girl.
She was staring at him with a certain languid insolence89 which madehim curl up inside. Then with a glance at her employer she sweptfrom the room.
"I ought to have introduced you," said Kara. "That was mysecretary, Miss Holland. Rather a pretty girl, isn't she?""Very," said T. X.,recovering his breath.
"I like pretty things around me," said Kara, and somehow thecomplacency of the remark annoyed the detective more than anythingthat Kara had ever said to him.
The Greek went to the mantlepiece, and taking down a silvercigarette box, opened and offered it to his visitor. Kara waswearing a grey lounge suit; and although grey is a very tryingcolour for a foreigner to wear, this suit fitted his splendidfigure and gave him just that bulk which he needed.
"You are a most suspicious man, Mr. Meredith," he smiled.
"Suspicious! I?" asked the innocent T. X.
Kara nodded.
"I am sure you want to enquire90 into the character of all mypresent staff. I am perfectly91 satisfied that you will never be atrest until you learn the antecedents of my cook, my valet, mysecretary - "T. X. held up his hand with a laugh.
"Spare me," he said. "It is one of my failings, I admit, but Ihave never gone much farther into your domestic affairs than topry into the antecedents of your very interesting chauffeur."A little cloud passed over Kara's face, but it was only momentary92.
"Oh, Brown," he said, airily, with just a perceptible pausebetween the two words.
"It used to be Smith," said T. X.,"but no matter. His name isreally Poropulos.""Oh, Poropulos," said Kara gravely, "I dismissed him a long timeago.""Pensioned hire, too, I understand," said T. X.
The other looked at him awhile, then, "I am very good to my oldservants," he said slowly and, changing the subject; "to what goodfortune do I owe this visit?"T. X. selected a cigarette before he replied.
"I thought you might be of some service to me," he said,apparently giving his whole attention to the cigarette.
"Nothing would give me greater pleasure," said Kara, a littleeagerly. "I am afraid you have not been very keen on continuingwhat I hoped would have ripened93 into a valuable friendship, morevaluable to me perhaps," he smiled, "than to you.""I am a very shy man," said the shameless T. X., "difficult to afault, and rather apt to underrate my social attractions. I havecome to you now because you know everybody - by the way, how longhave you had your secretary!" he asked abruptly94.
Kara looked up at the ceiling for inspiration.
"Four, no three months," he corrected, "a very efficient younglady who came to me from one of the training establishments.
Somewhat uncommunicative, better educated than most girls in herposition - for example, she speaks and writes modern Greek fairlywell.""A treasure!" suggested T. X.
"Unusually so," said Kara. "She lives in Marylebone Road, 86a isthe address. She has no friends, spends most of her evenings inher room, is eminently95 respectable and a little chilling in herattitude to her employer."T. X. shot a swift glance at the other.
"Why do you tell me all this?" he asked.
"To save you the trouble of finding out," replied the othercoolly. "That insatiable curiosity which is one of the equipmentsof your profession, would, I feel sure, induce you to conductinvestigations for your own satisfaction."T. X. laughed.
"May I sit down?" he said.
The other wheeled an armchair across the room and T. X. sank intoit. He leant back and crossed his legs, and was, in a second, thepersonification of ease.
"I think you are a very clever man, Monsieur Kara," he said.
The other looked down at him this time without amusement.
"Not so clever that I can discover the object of your visit," hesaid pleasantly enough.
"It is very simply explained," said T. X. "You know everybody intown. You know, amongst other people, Lady Bartholomew.""I know the lady very well indeed," said Kara, readily, - tooreadily in fact, for the rapidity with which answer had followedquestion, suggested to T. X. that Kara had anticipated the reasonfor the call.
"Have you any idea," asked T. X., speaking with deliberation, "asto why Lady Bartholomew has gone out of town at this particularmoment?"Kara laughed.
"What an extraordinary question to ask me - as though LadyBartholomew confided96 her plans to one who is little more than achance acquaintance!""And yet," said T. X., contemplating97 the burning end of hiscigarette, "you know her well enough to hold her promissory note.""Promissory note?" asked the other.
His tone was one of involuntary surprise and T. X. swore softly tohimself for now he saw the faintest shade of relief in Kara'sface. The Commissioner realized that he had committed an error -he had been far too definite.
"When I say promissory note," he went on easily, as though he hadnoticed nothing, "I mean, of course, the securities which thedebtor invariably gives to one from whom he or she has borrowedlarge sums of money."Kara made no answer, but opening a drawer of his desk he took outa key and brought it across to where T. X. was sitting.
"Here is the key of my safe," he said quietly. "You are atliberty to go carefully through its contents and discover foryourself any promissory note which I hold from Lady Bartholomew.
My dear fellow, you don't imagine I'm a moneylender, do you?" hesaid in an injured tone.
"Nothing was further from my thoughts," said T. X., untruthfully.
But the other pressed the key upon him.
"I should be awfully98 glad if you would look for yourself," he saidearnestly. "I feel that in some way you associate LadyBartholomew's illness with some horrible act of usury99 on my part -will you satisfy yourself and in doing so satisfy me?"Now any ordinary man, and possibly any ordinary detective, wouldhave made the conventional answer. He would have protested thathe had no intention of doing anything of the sort; he would haveuttered, if he were a man in the position which T. X. occupied,the conventional statement that he had no authority to search theprivate papers, and that he would certainly not avail himself ofthe other's kindness. But T. X. was not an ordinary person. Hetook the key and balanced it lightly in the palm of his hand.
"Is this the key of the famous bedroom safe?" he said banteringly.
Kara was looking down at him with a quizzical smile. "It isn'tthe safe you opened in my absence, on one memorable100 occasion, Mr.
Meredith," he said. "As you probably know, I have changed thatsafe, but perhaps you don't feel equal to the task?""On the contrary," said T. X.,calmly, and rising from the chair,"I am going to put your good faith to the test."For answer Kara walked to the door and opened it.
"Let me show you the way," he said politely.
He passed along the corridor and entered the apartment at the end.
The room was a large one and lighted by one big square windowwhich was protected by steel bars. In the grate which was broadand high a huge fire was burning and the temperature of the roomwas unpleasantly close despite the coldness of the day.
"That is one of the eccentricities101 which you, as an Englishman,will never excuse in me," said Kara.
Near the foot of the bed, let into, and flush with, the wall, wasa big green door of the safe.
"Here you are, Mr. Meredith," said Kara. "All the precioussecrets of Remington Kara are yours for the seeking.""I am afraid I've had my trouble for nothing," said T. X., makingno attempt to use the key.
"That is an opinion which I share," said Kara, with a smile.
"Curiously102 enough," said T. X. "I mean just what you mean."He handed the key to Kara.
"Won't you open it?" asked the Greek.
T. X. shook his head.
"The safe as far as I can see is a Magnus, the key which you havebeen kind enough to give me is legibly inscribed36 upon the handle'Chubb.' My experience as a police officer has taught me thatChubb keys very rarely open Magnus safes."Kara uttered an exclamation103 of annoyance104.
"How stupid of me!" he said, "yet now I remember, I sent the keyto my bankers, before I went out of town - I only came back thismorning, you know. I will send for it at once.""Pray don't trouble," murmured T. X. politely. He took from hispocket a little flat leather case and opened it. It contained anumber of steel implements105 of curious shape which were held inposition by a leather loop along the centre of the case. From oneof these loops he extracted a handle, and deftly106 fitted somethingthat looked like a steel awl107 to the socket108 in the handle. Lookingin wonder, and with no little apprehension109, Kara saw that the awlwas bent110 at the head.
"What are you going to do?" he asked, a little alarmed.
"I'll show you," said T. X. pleasantly.
Very gingerly he inserted the instrument in the small keyhole andturned it cautiously first one way and then the other. There wasa sharp click followed by another. He turned the handle and thedoor of the safe swung open.
"Simple, isn't it!" he asked politely.
In that second of time Kara's face had undergone a transformation111.
The eyes which met T. X. Meredith's blazed with an almost insanefury. With a quick stride Kara placed himself before the opensafe.
"I think this has gone far enough, Mr. Meredith," he said harshly.
"If you wish to search my safe you must get a warrant."T. X. shrugged112 his shoulders, and carefully unscrewing theinstrument he had employed and replacing it in the case, hereturned it to his inside pocket.
"It was at your invitation, my dear Monsieur Kara," he saidsuavely. "Of course I knew that you were putting a bluff113 up on mewith the key and that you had no more intention of letting me seethe114 inside of your safe than you had of telling me exactly whathappened to John Lexman."The shot went home.
The face which was thrust into the Commissioner's was ridged andveined with passion. The lips were turned back to show the bigwhite even teeth, the eyes were narrowed to slits115, the jaw116 thrustout, and almost every semblance117 of humanity had vanished from hisface.
"You - you - " he hissed118, and his clawing hands moved suspiciouslybackward.
"Put up your hands," said T. X. sharply, "and be damned quickabout it!"In a flash the hands went up, for the revolver which T. X. heldwas pressed uncomfortably against the third button of the Greek'swaistcoat.
"That's not the first time you've been asked to put up your hands,I think," said T. X. pleasantly.
His own left hand slipped round to Kara's hip25 pocket. He foundsomething in the shape of a cylinder119 and drew it out from thepocket. To his surprise it was not a revolver, not even a knife;it looked like a small electric torch, though instead of a bulband a bull's-eye glass, there was a pepper-box perforation at oneend.
He handled it carefully and was about to press the small nickelknob when a strangled cry of horror broke from Kara.
"For God's sake be careful!" he gasped120. "You're pointing it atme! Do not press that lever, I beg!""Will it explode!" asked T. X. curiously.
"No, no!"T. X. pointed121 the thing downward to the carpet and pressed theknob cautiously. As he did so there was a sharp hiss16 and thefloor was stained with the liquid which the instrument contained.
Just one gush122 of fluid and no more. T. X. looked down. Thebright carpet had already changed colour, and was smoking. Theroom was filled with a pungent123 and disagreeable scent124. T. X.
looked from the floor to the white-faced man.
"Vitriol, I believe," he said, shaking his head admiringly. "Whata dear little fellow you are!"The man, big as he was, was on the point of collapse125 and mumbledsomething about self-defence, and listened without a word, whilstT. X.,labouring under an emotion which was perfectly pardonable,described Kara, his ancestors and the possibilities of his futureestate.
Very slowly the Greek recovered his self-possession.
"I didn't intend using it on you, I swear I didn't," he pleaded.
"I'm surrounded by enemies, Meredith. I had to carry some meansof protection. It is because my enemies know I carry this thatthey fight shy of me. I'll swear I had no intention of using iton you. The idea is too preposterous126. I am sorry I fooled youabout the safe.""Don't let that worry you," said T. X. "I am afraid I did all thefooling. No, I cannot let you have this back again," he said, asthe Greek put out his hand to take the infernal little instrument.
"I must take this back to Scotland Yard; it's quite a long timesince we had anything new in this shape. Compressed air, Ipresume."Kara nodded solemnly.
"Very ingenious indeed," said T. X. "If I had a brain like yours,"he paused, "I should do something with it - with a gun," he added,as he passed out of the room.
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bland
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moot
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| v.提出；adj.未决议的；n.大会；辩论会 | |
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immediate
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| adj.立即的；直接的，最接近的；紧靠的 | |
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recipient
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| a.接受的,感受性强的 n.接受者,感受者,容器 | |
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7
bribe
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| n.贿赂；v.向…行贿，买通 | |
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8
chauffeur
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| n.(受雇于私人或公司的)司机；v.为…开车 | |
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inspection
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| n.检查，审查，检阅 | |
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entirely
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| ad.全部地，完整地；完全地，彻底地 | |
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mused
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| v.沉思，冥想( muse的过去式和过去分词 )；沉思自语说（某事） | |
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informative
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| adj.提供资料的，增进知识的 | |
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13
marshes
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| n.沼泽，湿地( marsh的名词复数 ) | |
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ass
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| n.驴；傻瓜，蠢笨的人 | |
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15
virtue
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| n.德行，美德；贞操；优点；功效，效力 | |
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hiss
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| v.发出嘶嘶声；发嘘声表示不满 | |
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17
chilly
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| adj.凉快的，寒冷的 | |
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18
elucidated
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| v.阐明，解释( elucidate的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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19
commissioner
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| n.（政府厅、局、处等部门）专员，长官，委员 | |
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20
dealing
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| n.经商方法，待人态度 | |
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21
disappearance
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| n.消失，消散，失踪 | |
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22
belongings
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| n.私人物品，私人财物 | |
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23
considerably
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| adv.极大地；相当大地；在很大程度上 | |
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24
possessed
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| adj.疯狂的；拥有的，占有的 | |
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25
hip
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| n.臀部，髋；屋脊 | |
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26
solicitor
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| n.初级律师，事务律师 | |
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27
swerve
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| v.突然转向，背离；n．转向，弯曲，背离 | |
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28
implicit
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| a.暗示的，含蓄的，不明晰的，绝对的 | |
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29
rumours
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| n.传闻( rumour的名词复数 )；风闻；谣言；谣传 | |
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30
malicious
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| adj.有恶意的，心怀恶意的 | |
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31
undoubtedly
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| adv.确实地，无疑地 | |
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32
descended
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| a.为...后裔的，出身于...的 | |
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33
utilized
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| v.利用，使用( utilize的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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34
withhold
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| v.拒绝，不给；使停止，阻挡 | |
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35
admiration
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| n.钦佩，赞美，羡慕 | |
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36
inscribed
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| v.写，刻( inscribe的过去式和过去分词 )；内接 | |
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37
investigator
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| n.研究者，调查者，审查者 | |
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38
compilation
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| n.编译，编辑 | |
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39
chaotic
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| adj.混沌的，一片混乱的，一团糟的 | |
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40
bankruptcy
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| n.破产；无偿付能力 | |
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41
neurotic
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| adj.神经病的，神经过敏的；n.神经过敏者，神经病患者 | |
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42
remarkable
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| adj.显著的，异常的，非凡的，值得注意的 | |
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43
pilfering
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| v.偷窃（小东西），小偷( pilfer的现在分词 )；偷窃（一般指小偷小摸） | |
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44
lesser
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| adj.次要的，较小的；adv.较小地，较少地 | |
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45
lapses
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| n.失误，过失( lapse的名词复数 )；小毛病；行为失检；偏离正道v.退步( lapse的第三人称单数 )；陷入；倒退；丧失 | |
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46
sordid
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| adj.肮脏的，不干净的，卑鄙的，暗淡的 | |
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47
monarchs
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| 君主，帝王( monarch的名词复数 ) | |
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48
obloquy
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| n.斥责，大骂 | |
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49
blatant
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| adj.厚颜无耻的；显眼的；炫耀的 | |
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50
bray
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| n.驴叫声, 喇叭声；v.驴叫 | |
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51
adaptable
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| adj.能适应的，适应性强的，可改编的 | |
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52
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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53
vaguely
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| adv.含糊地，暖昧地 | |
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54
breakdown
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| n.垮，衰竭；损坏，故障，倒塌 | |
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55
practitioner
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| n.实践者，从事者；(医生或律师等)开业者 | |
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56
noted
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| adj.著名的，知名的 | |
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57
follies
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| 罪恶，时事讽刺剧； 愚蠢，蠢笨，愚蠢的行为、思想或做法( folly的名词复数 ) | |
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58
erratic
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| adj.古怪的，反复无常的，不稳定的 | |
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59
refreshing
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| adj.使精神振作的，使人清爽的，使人喜欢的 | |
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60
charing
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| n.炭化v.把…烧成炭，把…烧焦( char的现在分词 )；烧成炭，烧焦；做杂役女佣 | |
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61
weird
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| adj.古怪的，离奇的；怪诞的，神秘而可怕的 | |
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62
sniffed
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| v.以鼻吸气，嗅，闻( sniff的过去式和过去分词 )；抽鼻子（尤指哭泣、患感冒等时出声地用鼻子吸气）；抱怨，不以为然地说 | |
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63
prospect
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| n.前景，前途；景色，视野 | |
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64
ruby
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| n.红宝石，红宝石色 | |
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65
frenzy
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| n.疯狂，狂热，极度的激动 | |
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66
embezzled
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| v.贪污，盗用（公款）( embezzle的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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67
mansions
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| n.宅第，公馆，大厦( mansion的名词复数 ) | |
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68
tinge
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| vt.(较淡)着色于，染色；使带有…气息；n.淡淡色彩，些微的气息 | |
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69
sarcasm
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| n.讥讽，讽刺，嘲弄，反话 （adj.sarcastic） | |
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70
glossy
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| adj.平滑的；有光泽的 | |
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71
peg
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| n.木栓，木钉；vt.用木钉钉，用短桩固定 | |
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72
mere
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| adj.纯粹的；仅仅，只不过 | |
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73
hearsay
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| n.谣传，风闻 | |
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74
discreet
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| adj.(言行)谨慎的；慎重的；有判断力的 | |
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75
brass
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| n.黄铜；黄铜器，铜管乐器 | |
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76
connoisseur
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| n.鉴赏家，行家，内行 | |
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77
follower
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| n.跟随者；随员；门徒；信徒 | |
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78
thereby
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| adv.因此，从而 | |
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79
legendary
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| adj.传奇（中）的，闻名遐迩的；n.传奇（文学） | |
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80
deferential
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| adj. 敬意的，恭敬的 | |
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81
ushered
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| v.引，领，陪同( usher的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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82
glided
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| v.滑动( glide的过去式和过去分词 )；掠过；（鸟或飞机 ） 滑翔 | |
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83
intervals
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| n.[军事]间隔( interval的名词复数 )；间隔时间；[数学]区间；（戏剧、电影或音乐会的）幕间休息 | |
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84
cosiness
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| n.舒适，安逸 | |
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85
graceful
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| adj.优美的，优雅的；得体的 | |
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86
genial
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| adj.亲切的，和蔼的，愉快的，脾气好的 | |
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87
vitality
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| n.活力，生命力，效力 | |
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88
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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89
insolence
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| n.傲慢；无礼；厚颜；傲慢的态度 | |
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90
enquire
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| v.打听，询问；调查，查问 | |
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91
perfectly
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| adv.完美地，无可非议地，彻底地 | |
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92
momentary
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| adj.片刻的，瞬息的；短暂的 | |
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93
ripened
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| v.成熟，使熟( ripen的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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94
abruptly
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| adv.突然地，出其不意地 | |
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95
eminently
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| adv.突出地；显著地；不寻常地 | |
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96
confided
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| v.吐露（秘密，心事等）( confide的过去式和过去分词 )；（向某人）吐露（隐私、秘密等） | |
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97
contemplating
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| 深思，细想，仔细考虑( contemplate的现在分词 )； 注视，凝视； 考虑接受（发生某事的可能性）； 深思熟虑，沉思，苦思冥想 | |
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98
awfully
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| adv.可怕地，非常地，极端地 | |
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99
usury
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| n.高利贷 | |
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100
memorable
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| adj.值得回忆的，难忘的，特别的，显著的 | |
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101
eccentricities
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| n.古怪行为( eccentricity的名词复数 )；反常；怪癖 | |
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102
curiously
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| adv.有求知欲地；好问地；奇特地 | |
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103
exclamation
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| n.感叹号，惊呼，惊叹词 | |
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104
annoyance
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| n.恼怒，生气，烦恼 | |
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105
implements
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| n.工具( implement的名词复数 )；家具；手段；[法律]履行（契约等）v.实现( implement的第三人称单数 )；执行；贯彻；使生效 | |
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106
deftly
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| adv.灵巧地，熟练地，敏捷地 | |
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107
awl
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| n.尖钻 | |
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108
socket
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| n.窝，穴，孔，插座，插口 | |
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109
apprehension
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| n.理解，领悟；逮捕，拘捕；忧虑 | |
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110
bent
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| n.爱好，癖好；adj.弯的；决心的，一心的 | |
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111
transformation
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| n.变化；改造；转变 | |
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112
shrugged
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| vt.耸肩（shrug的过去式与过去分词形式） | |
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113
bluff
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| v.虚张声势，用假象骗人；n.虚张声势，欺骗 | |
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114
seethe
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| vi.拥挤，云集；发怒，激动，骚动 | |
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115
slits
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| n.狭长的口子，裂缝( slit的名词复数 )v.切开，撕开( slit的第三人称单数 )；在…上开狭长口子 | |
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116
jaw
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| n.颚，颌，说教，流言蜚语；v.喋喋不休，教训 | |
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117
semblance
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| n.外貌，外表 | |
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118
hissed
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| 发嘶嘶声( hiss的过去式和过去分词 )； 发嘘声表示反对 | |
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119
cylinder
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| n.圆筒，柱(面)，汽缸 | |
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120
gasped
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| v.喘气( gasp的过去式和过去分词 )；喘息；倒抽气；很想要 | |
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121
pointed
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| adj.尖的，直截了当的 | |
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122
gush
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| v.喷，涌；滔滔不绝(说话)；n.喷，涌流；迸发 | |
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123
pungent
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| adj.（气味、味道）刺激性的，辛辣的；尖锐的 | |
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124
scent
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| n.气味，香味，香水，线索，嗅觉；v.嗅，发觉 | |
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125
collapse
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| vi.累倒；昏倒；倒塌；塌陷 | |
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126
preposterous
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| adj.荒谬的，可笑的 | |
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