The two were in close conversation, a conversation that occasionally gave every evidence of bordering upon heated argument.
“I tell you,” said the man, “that I do not see what we need of the others. Why should they share with us—why divide into six portions that which you and I might have alone?”
“It takes money to carry the plan through,” she replied, “and neither you nor I have any money. They have it and they will back us with it—me for my knowledge and you for your appearance and your strength. They searched for you, Esteban, for two years, and, now that they have found you, I should not care to be in your shoes if you betrayed them. They would just as soon slit4 your throat as not, Esteban, if they no more than thought they couldn’t use you, now that you have all the details of their plan. But if you should try to take all the profit from them—” She paused, shrugging her shoulders. “No, my dear, I love life too well to join you in any such conspiracy6 as that.”
“But I tell you, Flora7, we ought to get more out of it than they want to give. You furnish all the knowledge and I take all the risk—why shouldn’t we have more than a sixth apiece?”
“Talk to them yourself, then, Esteban,” said the girl, with a shrug5, “but if you will take my advice you will be satisfied with what you are offered. Not only have I the information, without which they can do nothing, but I found you into the bargain, yet I do not ask it all—I shall be perfectly8 satisfied with one-sixth, and I can assure you that if you do not muddle9 the thing, one-sixth of what you bring out will be enough for any one of us for the rest of his natural life.”
The man did not seem convinced, and the young woman had a feeling that he would bear watching. Really, she knew very little about him, and had seen him in person only a few times since her first discovery of him some two months before, upon the screen of a London cinema house in a spectacular feature in which he had played the rôle of a Roman soldier of the Pretorian Guard.
Here his heroic size and perfect physique had alone entitled him to consideration, for his part was a minor10 one, and doubtless of all the thousands who saw him upon the silver sheet Flora Hawkes was the only one who took more than a passing interest in him, and her interest was aroused, not by his histrionic ability, but rather because for some two years she and her confederates had been searching for such a type as Esteban Miranda so admirably represented. To find him in the flesh bade fair to prove difficult of accomplishment11, but after a month of seemingly fruitless searching she finally discovered him among a score of extra men at the studio of one of London’s lesser12 producing companies. She needed no other credentials13 than her good looks to form his acquaintance, and while that was ripening14 into intimacy15 she made no mention to him of the real purpose of her association with him.
That he was a Spaniard and apparently16 of good family was evident to her, and that he was unscrupulous was to be guessed by the celerity with which he agreed to take part in the shady transaction that had been conceived in the mind of Flora Hawkes, and the details of which had been perfected by her and her four confederates. So, therefore, knowing that he was unscrupulous, she was aware that every precaution must be taken to prevent him taking advantage of the knowledge of their plan that he must one day have in detail, the key to which she, up to the present moment, had kept entirely17 to herself, not even confiding18 it to any one of her four other confederates.
They sat for a moment in silence, toying with the empty glasses from which they had been drinking. Presently she looked up to find his gaze fixed19 upon her and an expression in his eyes that even a less sophisticated woman than Flora Hawkes might readily have interpreted.
“You can make me do anything you want, Flora,” he said, “for when I am with you I forget the gold, and think only of that other reward which you continually deny me, but which one day I shall win.”
“Love and business do not mix well,” replied the girl. “Wait until you have succeeded in this work, Esteban, and then we may talk of love.”
“You do not love me,” he whispered, hoarsely20. “I know—I have seen—that each of the others loves you. That is why I could hate them. And if I thought that you loved one of them, I could cut his heart out. Sometimes I have thought that you did—first one of them and then another. You are too familiar with them, Flora. I have seen John Peebles squeeze your hand when he thought no one was looking, and when you dance with Dick Throck he holds you too close and you dance cheek to cheek. I tell you I do not like it, Flora, and one of these days I shall forget all about the gold and think only of you, and then something will happen and there will not be so many to divide the ingots that I shall bring back from Africa. And Bluber and Kraski are almost as bad; perhaps Kraski is the worst of all, for he is a good-looking devil and I do not like the way in which you cast sheep’s eyes at him.”
The fire of growing anger was leaping to the girl’s eyes. With an angry gesture she silenced him.
“What business is it of yours, Señor Miranda, who I choose for my friends, or how I treat them or how they treat me? I will have you understand that I have known these men for years, while I have known you for but a few weeks, and if any has a right to dictate21 my behavior, which, thank God, none has, it would be one of them rather than you.”
His eyes blazed angrily.
“It is as I thought!” he cried. “You love one of them.” He half rose from the table and leaned across it toward her, menacingly. “Just let me find out which one it is and I will cut him into pieces!”
He ran his fingers through his long, black hair until it stood up on end like the mane of an angry lion. His eyes were blazing with a light that sent a chill of dread22 through the girl’s heart. He appeared a man temporarily bereft23 of reason—if he were not a maniac24 he most certainly looked one, and the girl was afraid and realized that she must placate25 him.
“Come, come, Esteban,” she whispered softly, “there is no need for working yourself into a towering rage over nothing. I have not said that I loved one of these, nor have I said that I do not love you, but I am not used to being wooed in such fashion. Perhaps your Spanish señoritas like it, but I am an English girl and if you love me treat me as an English lover would treat me.”
“You have not said that you loved one of these others—no, but on the other hand you have not said that you do not love one of them—tell me, Flora, which one of them is it that you love?”
His eyes were still blazing, and his great frame trembling with suppressed passion.
“I do not love any of them, Esteban,” she replied, “nor, as yet, do I love you. But I could, Esteban, that much I will tell you. I could love you, Esteban, as I could never love another, but I shall not permit myself to do so until after you have returned and we are free to live where and how we like. Then, maybe—but, even so, I do not promise.”
“You had better promise,” he said, sullenly27, though evidently somewhat mollified. “You had better promise, Flora, for I care nothing for the gold if I may not have you also.”
“Hush,” she cautioned, “here they come now, and it is about time; they are fully a half-hour late.”
The man turned his eyes in the direction of her gaze, and the two sat watching the approach of four men who had just entered the chop-house. Two of them were evidently Englishmen—big, meaty fellows of the middle class, who looked what they really were, former pugilists; the third, Adolph Bluber, was a short, fat German, with a round, red face and a bull neck; the other, the youngest of the four, was by far the best looking. His smooth face, clear complexion28, and large dark eyes might of themselves have proven sufficient grounds for Miranda’s jealousy29, but supplementing these were a mop of wavy30, brown hair, the figure of a Greek god and the grace of a Russian dancer, which, in truth, was what Carl Kraski was when he chose to be other than a rogue31.
The girl greeted the four pleasantly, while the Spaniard vouchsafed32 them but a single, surly nod, as they found chairs and seated themselves at the table.
“Hale!” cried Peebles, pounding the table to attract the attention of a waiter, “let us ’ave hale.”
The suggestion met with unanimous approval, and as they waited for their drink they spoke33 casually35 of unimportant things; the heat, the circumstance that had delayed them, the trivial occurrences since they had last met; throughout which Esteban sat in sullen26 silence, but after the waiter had returned and they drank to Flora, with which ceremony it had long been their custom to signalize each gathering36, they got down to business.
“Now,” cried Peebles, pounding the table with his meaty fist, “ ’ere we are, and that’s that! We ’ave everything, Flora—the plans, the money, Señor Miranda—and are jolly well ready, old dear, for your part of it.”
“How much money have you?” asked Flora. “It is going to take a lot of money, and there is no use starting unless you have plenty to carry on with.”
Peebles turned to Bluber. “There,” he said, pointing a pudgy finger at him, “is the bloomin’ treasurer37. ’E can tell you ’ow much we ’ave, the fat rascal38 of a Dutchman.”
Bluber smiled an oily smile and rubbed his fat palms together. “Vell,” he said, “how much you t’ink, Miss Flora, ve should have?”
“Not less than two thousand pounds to be on the safe side,” she replied quickly.
“Oi! Oi!” exclaimed Bluber. “But dot is a lot of money—two t’ousand pounds. Oi! Oi!”
The girl made a gesture of disgust. “I told you in the first place that I wouldn’t have anything to do with a bunch of cheap screws, and that until you had enough money to carry the thing out properly I would not give you the maps and directions, without which you cannot hope to reach the vaults39, where there is stored enough gold to buy this whole, tight, little island if half that what I have heard them say about it is true. You can go along and spend your own money, but you’ve got to show me that you have at least two thousand pounds to spend before I give up the information that will make you the richest men in the world.”
“He can’t help it,” growled the Russian, “it’s a racial characteristic; Bluber would try to jew down the marriage license41 clerk if he were going to get married.”
“Oh, vell,” sighed Bluber, “for vy should we spend more money than is necessary? If ve can do it for vone t’ousand pounds so much the better.”
“Certainly,” snapped the girl, “and if it don’t take but one thousand, that is all that you will have to spend, but you’ve got to have the two thousand in case of emergencies, and from what I have seen of that country you are likely to run up against more emergencies than anything else.
“Oi! Oi!” cried Bluber.
“ ’E’s got the money all right,” said Peebles, “now let’s get busy.”
“He may have it, but I want to see it first,” replied the girl.
“Vat you t’ink; I carry all dot money around in my pocket?” cried Bluber.
“You’re a nice bunch of crooks44 to ask me that,” she replied, laughing in the face of the burly ruffians. “I’ll take Carl’s word for it, though; if he tells me that you have it, and that it is in such shape that it can, and will, be used to pay all the necessary expenses of our expedition, I will believe him.”
Peebles and Throck scowled45 angrily, and Miranda’s eyes closed to two narrow, nasty slits47, as he directed his gaze upon the Russian. Bluber, on the contrary, was affected48 not at all; the more he was insulted, the better, apparently, he liked it. Toward one who treated him with consideration or respect he would have become arrogant49, while he fawned50 upon the hand that struck him. Kraski, alone, smiled a self-satisfied smile that set the blood of the Spaniard boiling.
“Bluber has the money, Flora,” he said; “each of us has contributed his share. We’ll make Bluber treasurer, because we know that he will squeeze the last farthing until it shrieks51 before he will let it escape him. It is our plan now to set out from London in pairs.”
He drew a map from his pocket, and unfolding it, spread it out upon the table before them. With his finger he indicated a point marked X. “Here we will meet and here we will equip our expedition. Bluber and Miranda will go first; then Peebles and Throck. By the time that you and I arrive everything will be in shape for moving immediately into the interior, where we shall establish a permanent camp, off the beaten track and as near our objective as possible. Miranda will disport52 himself behind his whiskers until he is ready to set out upon the final stage of his long journey. I understand that he is well schooled in the part that he is to play and that he can depict53 the character to perfection. As he will have only ignorant natives and wild beasts to deceive it should not tax his histrionic ability too greatly.” There was a veiled note of sarcasm54 in the soft, drawling tone that caused the black eyes of the Spaniard to gleam wickedly.
“Do I understand,” asked Miranda, his soft tone belying55 his angry scowl46, “that you and Miss Hawkes travel alone to X?”
“You do, unless your understanding is poor,” replied the Russian.
The Spaniard half rose from the table and leaned across it menacingly toward Kraski. The girl, who was sitting next to him, seized his coat.
“None of that!” she said, dragging him back into his chair. “There has been too much of it among you already, and if there is any more I shall cut you all and seek more congenial companions for my expedition.”
“Yes, cut it out; ’ere we are, and that’s that!” exclaimed Peebles belligerently56.
“John’s right,” rumbled43 Throck, in his deep bass57, “and I’m here to back him up. Flora’s right, and I’m here to back her up. And if there is any more of it, blime if I don’t bash a couple of you pretty ’uns,” and he looked first at Miranda and then at Kraski.
“Right-o,” cried Peebles, “that’s the talk. Give ’im your ’and, Esteban. Come, Carl, bury the ’atchet. We can’t start in on this thing with no hanimosities, and ’ere we are, and that’s that.”
The Russian, feeling secure in his position with Flora, and therefore in a magnanimous mood, extended his hand across the table toward the Spaniard. For a moment Esteban hesitated.
“Come, man, shake!” growled Throck, “or you can go back to your job as an extra man, blime, and we’ll find someone else to do your work and divvy the swag with.”
Suddenly the dark countenance59 of the Spaniard was lighted by a pleasant smile. He extended his hand quickly and clasped Kraski’s. “Forgive me,” he said, “I am hot-tempered, but I mean nothing. Miss Hawkes is right, we must all be friends, and here’s my hand on it, Kraski, as far as I am concerned.”
“Good,” said Kraski, “and I am sorry if I offended you;” but he forgot that the other was an actor, and if he could have seen into the depths of that dark soul he would have shuddered60.
“Und now, dot ve are all good friends,” said Bluber, rubbing his hands together unctuously61, “vy not arrange for vhen ve shall commence starting to finish up everyt’ings? Miss Flora, she gives me the map und der directions und we start commencing immediately.”
“Loan me a pencil, Carl,” said the girl, and when the man had handed her one she searched out a spot upon the map some distance into the interior from X, where she drew a tiny circle. “This is O,” she said. “When we all reach here you shall have the final directions and not before.”
Bluber threw up his hands. “Oi! Miss Flora, vhat you t’ink, ve spend two t’ousand pounds to buy a pig in a poke34? Oi! Oi! you vouldn’t ask us to do dot? Ve must see everyt’ing, ve must know everyt’ing, before ve spend vun farthing.”
“Yes, and ’ere we are, and that’s that!” roared John Peebles, striking the table with his fist.
The girl rose leisurely62 from her seat. “Oh, very well,” she said with a shrug. “If you feel that way about it we might as well call it all off.”
“Oh, vait, vait, Miss Flora,” cried Bluber, rising hurriedly. “Don’t be ogcited. But can’t you see vere ve are? Two t’ousand pounds is a lot of money, and ve are good business men. Ve shouldn’t be spending it all vit’out getting not’ings for it.”
“I am not asking you to spend it and get nothing for it,” replied the girl, tartly63; “but if anyone has got to trust anyone else in this outfit64, it is you who are going to trust me. If I give you all the information I have, there is nothing in the world that could prevent you from going ahead and leaving me out in the cold, and I don’t intend that that shall happen.”
“But we are not gonoffs, Miss Flora,” insisted the Jew. “Ve vould not t’ink for vun minute of cheating you.”
“You’re not angels, either, Bluber, any of you,” retorted the girl. “If you want to go ahead with this you’ve got to do it in my way, and I am going to be there at the finish to see that I get what is coming to me. You’ve taken my word for it, up to the present time, that I had the dope, and now you’ve got to take it the rest of the way or all bets are off. What good would it do me to go over into a bally jungle and suffer all the hardships that we are bound to suffer, dragging you along with me, if I were not going to be able to deliver the goods when I got there? And I am not such a softy as to think I could get away with it with a bunch of bandits like you if I tried to put anything of that kind over on you. And as long as I do play straight I feel perfectly safe, for I know that either Esteban or Carl will look after me, and I don’t know but what the rest of you would, too. Is it a go or isn’t it?”
“Vell, John, vot do you und Dick t’ink?” asked Bluber, addressing the two ex-prize-fighters. “Carl, I know he vill t’ink v’hatever Flora t’inks. Hey? V’at?”
“Blime,” said Throck, “I never was much of a hand at trusting nobody unless I had to, but it looks now as though we had to trust Flora.”
“Same ’ere,” said John Peebles. “If you try any funny work, Flora—” He made a significant movement with his finger across his throat.
“I understand, John,” said the girl with a smile, “and I know that you would do it as quickly for two pounds as you would for two thousand. But you are all agreed, then, to carry on according to my plans? You too, Carl?”
The Russian nodded. “Whatever the rest say goes with me,” he remarked.
And so the gentle little coterie65 discussed their plans in so far as they could—each minutest detail that would be necessary to place them all at the O which the girl had drawn66 upon the map.
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1
ambush
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| n.埋伏(地点)；伏兵；v.埋伏；伏击 | |
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fully
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| adv.完全地，全部地，彻底地；充分地 | |
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hips
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| abbr.high impact polystyrene 高冲击强度聚苯乙烯，耐冲性聚苯乙烯n.臀部( hip的名词复数 )；[建筑学]屋脊；臀围（尺寸）；臀部…的 | |
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slit
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| n.狭长的切口；裂缝；vt.切开，撕裂 | |
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shrug
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| v.耸肩(表示怀疑、冷漠、不知等) | |
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conspiracy
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| n.阴谋，密谋，共谋 | |
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flora
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| n.(某一地区的)植物群 | |
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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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muddle
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| n.困惑，混浊状态；vt.使混乱，使糊涂，使惊呆；vi.胡乱应付，混乱 | |
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10
minor
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| adj.较小(少)的，较次要的；n.辅修学科；vi.辅修 | |
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accomplishment
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| n.完成，成就，（pl.）造诣，技能 | |
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lesser
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| adj.次要的，较小的；adv.较小地，较少地 | |
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credentials
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| n.证明，资格，证明书，证件 | |
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14
ripening
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| v.成熟，使熟( ripen的现在分词 )；熟化；熟成 | |
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intimacy
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| n.熟悉，亲密，密切关系，亲昵的言行 | |
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apparently
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| adv.显然地；表面上，似乎 | |
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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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confiding
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| adj.相信人的，易于相信的v.吐露（秘密，心事等）( confide的现在分词 )；（向某人）吐露（隐私、秘密等） | |
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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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hoarsely
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| adv.嘶哑地 | |
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dictate
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| v.口授；(使)听写；指令，指示，命令 | |
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dread
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| vt.担忧，忧虑；惧怕，不敢；n.担忧，畏惧 | |
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bereft
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| adj.被剥夺的 | |
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maniac
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| n.精神癫狂的人；疯子 | |
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placate
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| v.抚慰，平息(愤怒) | |
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sullen
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| adj.愠怒的，闷闷不乐的，(天气等)阴沉的 | |
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sullenly
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| 不高兴地，绷着脸，忧郁地 | |
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complexion
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| n.肤色；情况，局面；气质，性格 | |
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jealousy
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| n.妒忌，嫉妒，猜忌 | |
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wavy
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| adj.有波浪的，多浪的，波浪状的，波动的，不稳定的 | |
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rogue
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| n.流氓；v.游手好闲 | |
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vouchsafed
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| v.给予，赐予( vouchsafe的过去式和过去分词 )；允诺 | |
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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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poke
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| n.刺，戳，袋；vt.拨开，刺，戳；vi.戳，刺，捅，搜索，伸出，行动散慢 | |
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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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gathering
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| n.集会，聚会，聚集 | |
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treasurer
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| n.司库，财务主管 | |
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rascal
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| n.流氓；不诚实的人 | |
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39
vaults
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| n.拱顶( vault的名词复数 )；地下室；撑物跳高；墓穴 | |
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40
growled
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| v.（动物）发狺狺声， （雷）作隆隆声( growl的过去式和过去分词 )；低声咆哮着说 | |
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41
license
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| n.执照，许可证，特许；v.许可，特许 | |
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42
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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43
rumbled
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| 发出隆隆声，发出辘辘声( rumble的过去式和过去分词 )； 轰鸣着缓慢行进； 发现…的真相； 看穿（阴谋） | |
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44
crooks
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| n.骗子( crook的名词复数 )；罪犯；弯曲部分；（牧羊人或主教用的）弯拐杖v.弯成钩形( crook的第三人称单数 ) | |
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45
scowled
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| 怒视，生气地皱眉( scowl的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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46
scowl
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| vi.(at)生气地皱眉，沉下脸，怒视；n.怒容 | |
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47
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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48
affected
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| adj.不自然的，假装的 | |
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arrogant
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| adj.傲慢的，自大的 | |
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fawned
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| v.（尤指狗等）跳过来往人身上蹭以示亲热( fawn的过去式和过去分词 )；巴结；讨好 | |
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51
shrieks
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| n.尖叫声( shriek的名词复数 )v.尖叫( shriek的第三人称单数 ) | |
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disport
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| v.嬉戏，玩 | |
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depict
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| vt.描画，描绘；描写，描述 | |
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sarcasm
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| n.讥讽，讽刺，嘲弄，反话 （adj.sarcastic） | |
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belying
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| v.掩饰，与…不符，使…失望；掩饰( belie的现在分词 )；证明（或显示）…为虚假；辜负；就…扯谎 | |
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belligerently
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bass
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| n.男低音(歌手)；低音乐器；低音大提琴 | |
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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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59
countenance
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| n.脸色，面容；面部表情；vt.支持，赞同 | |
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60
shuddered
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| v.战栗( shudder的过去式和过去分词 )；发抖；（机器、车辆等）突然震动；颤动 | |
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unctuously
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| adv.油腻地，油腔滑调地；假惺惺 | |
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leisurely
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| adj.悠闲的；从容的，慢慢的 | |
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tartly
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| adv.辛辣地，刻薄地 | |
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64
outfit
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| n.（为特殊用途的）全套装备，全套服装 | |
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coterie
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| n.(有共同兴趣的)小团体，小圈子 | |
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drawn
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| v.拖，拉，拔出；adj.憔悴的，紧张的 | |
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