It was eight o'clock when he got into the room which he had taken in the Wellington. He had got his keys from Hunt and mentioned casually6 that he was going out later in the evening. It was a cloudy, moonless night, and though the street lamps spread a diffused7 light through the air everywhere, the rear of the Wellington was as much in the shadow as it was possible for any place in the city to be. A jutting8 angle of the wall, in which there were no windows, gave him further protection in his venture.
He fastened one end of his rope ladder securely on the inside ledge9 of his window, and then dropped it down. It reached just to Fullerton's window on the floor below. Cautiously Lyon went down the frail10 support. It was a windy night and the gusts11 that came around the corner tossed the free end of the ladder wildly, but his weight steadied it, and though he swayed dizzily for a few minutes, he soon swung down to a point where he could get a footing on the broad window ledge of Fullerton's room. He had come prepared to cut out a piece of glass opposite the window catch, but as he put his hand upon it he felt it yield, and to his surprise and very much to his relief he found that he could push the sash up. This not only would save time, but it would enable him to cover his trail more effectively. Curiosity made him pause, even in his hurry, to examine the catch, and he found that, through a shrinkage of the wood, the snap on the lower sash did not reach to lock into the upper. It looked locked, but it did not catch. It would be possible, therefore, for him to leave it still apparently13 locked from the inside when leaving.
He fastened the end of his ladder so that it would not blow out of his reach, and then pulled down the window and drew the curtains to exclude the light. Only then did he venture to strike a match and to turn on the nearest gas-jet. He remembered the general arrangement of the room very well from his former visit. Here was the large square writing table in the middle of the room, and there, to the right of it on the floor, was the rug Hunt had spoken of, where the letters lay. Lyon sat down before the table and studied the arrangement quietly. A man sitting here could toss the letters to the rug easily with a careless flip15 of his right hand, but a letter would not of itself fall from the table to the rug. Even if blown from the table by a strong gust12 from the open window,--an idea that he had had in his mind as a possibility,--it would not be apt to fall upon the rug. The direct line would carry it to one side. For the present he would eliminate the table.
Where else could the letters have been placed, so as to fall upon the rug? Assuming that Fullerton had written them the last evening he was in the room, and had either forgotten to leave them for mailing, or had laid them aside for some reason when his caller arrived, where would he have been apt to leave them? Lyon took his position on the rug and studied the various pieces of furniture which lay in unobstructed lines from that point. There was a small table against the wall, and on it a circular pipe tray with an array of pipes. Above it, fastened against the wall at a height which a man could reach only if standing16, was a small Chinese cabinet, carved in the semblance17 of a dragon, and gleaming with scarlet18 and gold. Like the serpent-marked note paper, it bore witness to Fullerton's fantastic taste. It would be quite in keeping with his habits for him to use this as a repository for his letters. Lyon walked over to examine it. It opened readily at his touch. The inside of the cabinet was filled with tobacco-jars. He tried to lift it from the wall, but it was too securely fastened to make this easy. But the idea that this was and must be the place where Fullerton had deposited Miss Wolcott's letters had now taken possession of him, and stepping up on a chair he examined the cabinet closely on all sides. From that point he at once saw what he had not noticed before, that on one side, near the bottom, was a crack, and the white corner of an envelope was plainly visible. With the help of his penknife he pulled it out. It was addressed to Fullerton in a delicate hand. There was at least no more mystery as to how the letters had reached the rug. Evidently Fullerton had placed them, at some time, for some purpose, in this cabinet, and they had been shaken loose at the dramatically opportune19 moment when Hunt found them. Probably the jarring of the wall when the furniture in this upper apartment had been moved out had helped to dislodge them, or perhaps they occasionally slipped out even when Fullerton was there, without exciting suspicions of supernatural agency. The letters he wanted were probably inside.
He again examined the cabinet within and without, and though he could find no secret drawer, he saw, by the shallowness of the space within as compared with the depth on the outside, that there must be a drawer beneath the compartment20 where the tobacco jars reposed21. Well, if needs must--He inserted the strongest blade of his knife and pried22 open the whole side,--not so difficult a task as one might have supposed, for the delicate wood of the cabinet had not been expected to resist the dry heat of a modern apartment house, and it was badly cracked at several points. As the side came loose in his hands, he saw that under the ostensible23 interior was a shallow drawer filled with packages of letters, longer documents, and note books. He gathered the whole mass together, and tied it hastily into a bundle in his silk neckerchief. Then, with a view to Bede's possible explorations, he carefully pressed the loose side back into place.
At that moment he heard through the silence the metallic24 rattle25 of the elevator. Someone was stopping at this floor. Hastily concluding that it was wiser to make his escape unseen, if possible, with the booty which he had already secured than to risk discovery by lingering on the chance of finding more, Lyon softly turned out the gas, and made his escape by the window, carrying his knotted kerchief like an emigrant's bundle in his hand. He pulled the window down behind him and climbed up his ladder to his own room. As he leaned out to pull up his rope ladder, a sudden gleam of light shot out into the night from the window below. Bede was in Fullerton's room.
Lyon's heart was jumping, partly from the unusual physical exertion26, partly from the excitement. He stood still for a moment, considering whether he should examine his find here and now, or try to make his escape from the building with it before he opened the bundle. He had suddenly a panicky feeling that Bede might appear at any moment and demand his papers. Had he really covered his tracks, or had he left some perfectly27 obvious clue for the detective to follow? His rope ladder lay in a heap at his feet. He rolled it up and poked28 it into the bottom of his bag, and then, taking courage, he opened up his bundle. The first thing that fell out was a good-sized package, neatly29 wrapped and sealed, and superscribed,
"This package is to be delivered to Edith Wolcott's husband on his wedding day, with the compliments and congratulations of
"Warren Fullerton."
Lyon smiled grimly as he slipped the package into his pocket. There was little doubt as to the contents of the sealed packet, and with the recovery of those unhappy love-letters, his immediate30 object had been most perfectly accomplished31. He glanced at his watch. It was not yet nine. He might be so fortunate as to be admitted yet, and to save her even one night of the oppression which he had witnessed would be worth much. He hastily packed the balance of his trophy32 into his bag without examining it, and made his way out of the apartment and out of the building. Taking the staircase instead of the elevator, he felt reasonably sure that his departure had been unobserved, and so indeed it proved.
When he reached Hemlock33 Avenue the lights were still burning in Miss Wolcott's house, and it was Miss Wolcott herself who, after a little delay, opened the door in answer to his ring. It struck him that she looked less mistress of herself than usual. She had a startled, not to say nervous, air.
"I hoped It might be you," she said. "Come to the library." And she led the way into the room where a dancing fire blazed upon the hearth34.
"I only stopped for a moment, to bring you this package," said Lyon. "If you wouldn't mind, I wish that you would open it, so that you can tell me whether or not it contains the letters you spoke14 of the other evening."
She took the package from him with a startled look but without a word,--a characteristic of hers which he was coming to understand. He turned away and picked up a book on the table, to withdraw his presence from her as much as possible, as she tore open the wrappings. Then he heard her give a gasping35 sigh, and he turned quickly toward her. She had sunk into the chair before the fire, and with her hands before her face she was sobbing36 with a childish abandon that was so poignant37 It brought a catch into Lyon's throat, even though he saw that her tears were tears of relief and joy. Scattered38 on the floor at her feet, where they had slipped from her trembling fingers, were dozens of little letters,--the dainty little notes of a young girl's inscribing39. Like the fallen petals40 of blossoms that had been torn down by a harsh wind, they lay In pathetic disorder41, witnessing to a beauty that had been and was no more. Lyon reached for his hat and moved silently to the door, but at his movement she rose, crushing back her tears with that self-control which had become second nature with her.
"Oh, wait!" she cried, breathlessly. "Don't go yet! Don't leave me alone--with them."
Lyon laughed. "Poor little letters! They look so forlorn. The power to hurt was never in them,--only in a man's wicked mind."
She drew a long, sobbing breath. "Still,--I don't want to touch them! Oh, I have so hated the thought of them all these years,--it seems as though all the world had been lying under the oppression of the fact that they were lurking42 in the dark, waiting a chance to spring out upon me. Would you mind--would you put them on the fire for me?"
"Certainly," said Lyon, with perfect gravity. He knelt down by the fireplace and gathered the white handfuls up and laid them upon the coals. When the last little envelope had curled up into filmy ash, he rose. She was standing erect43 before the fire, with a vitality44 and radiance in every line of her figure that made her like a different being. "Truly, women are beyond all understanding," thought Lyon, as he waited for her next word.
"Thank you," she said, and the simple phrase on her lips seemed like a p?an of thanksgiving. "Now,--one thing more. You know everything,--you are the only one who does. Will you tell Mr. Lawrence about these letters? He has always been a good friend, and--I should like to have him know!"
"I am sure he will be glad to learn that you will be free from further annoyance45 and anxiety," he said, cheerfully. "But as for my telling him,--suppose instead, I arrange for you to see him yourself to-morrow. It could be done without any publicity46, you know, and it would be a godsend to him to have a visit from you. You can't imagine how stupid it is to be in prison. A visit from anyone would be a welcome diversion!"
She looked thoughtful and abstracted.
"To-morrow?" she hesitated. "I don't know. I may not be at home to-morrow."
"Well,--the day after, if you must postpone47 it."
"I'll send you word," she said, after a moment. He thought a shadow had crossed her face, but it might only have been a shadow of thought. When he again reached for his hat, she put out both hands impulsively48.
"However things turn out,--other things," she said, somewhat incoherently, "I shall never, never forget what you have done for me. You have given me back myself."
Lyon smiled to himself as he left her. How long would she keep possession of that gift, if Lawrence were only free?
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1
frustrate
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| v.使失望；使沮丧；使厌烦 | |
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deliberately
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| adv.审慎地；蓄意地；故意地 | |
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dignified
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| a.可敬的，高贵的 | |
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philosophical
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| adj.哲学家的，哲学上的，达观的 | |
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paradox
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| n.似乎矛盾却正确的说法；自相矛盾的人(物) | |
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casually
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| adv.漠不关心地，无动于衷地，不负责任地 | |
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diffused
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| 散布的，普及的，扩散的 | |
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jutting
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| v.（使）突出( jut的现在分词 )；伸出；（从…）突出；高出 | |
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ledge
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| n.壁架，架状突出物；岩架，岩礁 | |
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frail
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| adj.身体虚弱的；易损坏的 | |
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gusts
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| 一阵强风( gust的名词复数 )； （怒、笑等的）爆发； （感情的）迸发； 发作 | |
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gust
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| n.阵风，突然一阵（雨、烟等），（感情的）迸发 | |
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apparently
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| adv.显然地；表面上，似乎 | |
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14
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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flip
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| vt.快速翻动；轻抛；轻拍；n.轻抛；adj.轻浮的 | |
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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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semblance
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| n.外貌，外表 | |
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scarlet
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| n.深红色，绯红色，红衣；adj.绯红色的 | |
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opportune
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| adj.合适的，适当的 | |
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compartment
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| n.卧车包房，隔间；分隔的空间 | |
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reposed
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| v.将（手臂等）靠在某人（某物）上( repose的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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pried
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| v.打听，刺探（他人的私事）( pry的过去式和过去分词 )；撬开 | |
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ostensible
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| adj.(指理由)表面的，假装的 | |
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metallic
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| adj.金属的；金属制的；含金属的；产金属的；像金属的 | |
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rattle
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| v.飞奔，碰响；激怒；n.碰撞声；拨浪鼓 | |
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exertion
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| n.尽力，努力 | |
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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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28
poked
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| v.伸出( poke的过去式和过去分词 )；戳出；拨弄；与（某人）性交 | |
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neatly
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| adv.整洁地，干净地，灵巧地，熟练地 | |
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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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accomplished
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| adj.有才艺的；有造诣的；达到了的 | |
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trophy
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| n.优胜旗，奖品，奖杯，战胜品，纪念品 | |
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hemlock
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| n.毒胡萝卜，铁杉 | |
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hearth
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| n.壁炉炉床，壁炉地面 | |
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gasping
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| adj. 气喘的, 痉挛的 动词gasp的现在分词 | |
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sobbing
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| <主方>Ⅰ adj.湿透的 | |
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poignant
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| adj.令人痛苦的，辛酸的，惨痛的 | |
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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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inscribing
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| v.写，刻( inscribe的现在分词 ) | |
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40
petals
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| n.花瓣( petal的名词复数 ) | |
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disorder
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| n.紊乱，混乱；骚动，骚乱；疾病，失调 | |
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42
lurking
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| 潜在 | |
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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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vitality
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| n.活力，生命力，效力 | |
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annoyance
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| n.恼怒，生气，烦恼 | |
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46
publicity
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| n.众所周知，闻名；宣传，广告 | |
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47
postpone
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| v.延期，推迟 | |
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impulsively
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| adv.冲动地 | |
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