Blinded by the light, Keith stood for a barely appreciable1 moment in the wrecked2 doorway3. Sansome, startled by the crash, relaxed his efforts. Nan thrust him from her so strongly that he staggered back. Keith's vision cleared. He appreciated the meaning of the tableau4, uttered a choked growl5, and advanced.
Immediately Sansome drew and presented his weapon. He was shocked far toward sobriety, but the residue6 of the whiskey fumes7 in combination with a sudden sick and guilty panic imbued9 him with a sort of desperation. Sansome was a bold and dashing villain10 only as long as things came his way. His amours had always been of the safe rather than the wildly adventurous11 sort. Sansome had no morals; but being found out produced effects so closely resembling those of conscience that they could not be distinguished12. In the chaotic13 collapse14 of this heroic episode he managed to cling to but one thing. That was Morrell's often reiterated15 warning: "Don't let Keith get his hands on you!"
At the sight of his levelled weapon, Nan, who was nearest, uttered a stifled16 cry and made as though to throw herself on him.
"Stop!" commanded Keith, without looking toward her. But so quietly authoritative17 was his voice and manner that in spite of herself her impulse was checked. She remained rigid18.
Keith advanced steadily19 on Sansome, his hands clenched20 at his side, his eye's fixed21 frowningly and contemptuously on those of the other man. The pistol barrel was held on his breast. Sansome fully22 intended to shoot, but found himself unable to pull the trigger. This is a condition every rifleman knows well by experience; he calls it being "frozen on the bull's eye," when, the alignment23 perfect, his rifle steady as a rock, he nevertheless cannot transmit just the little nerve power necessary to crook24 the forefinger25. Three times Sansome sent the message to his trigger finger; three times the impulse died before it had compassed the distance between his brain and his hand. This was partly because his correlations26 had been weakened by the drink; partly because his fuddled mind was divided between fear, guilt8, despair, and a rage at himself for having got into such a mess; but principally because he was hypnotically dominated by the other man's stronger personality.
So evident was this that a sudden feeling of confidence replaced in Nan the sick terror at the sight of the weapon. She seemed to know positively27 that here was no real peril28. A wave of contempt for Sansome, even as a dangerous creature, mingled29 with a passionate30 admiration31 for the man who thus dominated him unarmed.
Sansome's nerve broke. He dropped his hand, looked to right and left frantically32 like a rat in a corner, uttered a very ratty squeak33. Suddenly he hurled34 the loaded pistol blindly at Keith, and plunged35 bodily, with an immense crash of breaking glass, through the closed window. Keith, with a snarl36 of baffled rage, dashed forward.
The sight seemed to touch Nan's sense of humour. She laughed at the picture, caught her breath, gasped37. Keith whirled and snatched her fiercely in his arms.
"Nan!" he cried in an agony, "are you all right? What did that beast--"
She clung to him, still choking, on the edge of hysterics. In a moment of illumination she realized that the intangible barrier these past years had so slowly built between them had gone crashing down before the assault of the old love triumphant38.
"I'm all right, dear," she gasped; "really all right. And I never was so happy in my life!"
They clung together frantically, he patting her shoulder, her cheek against his own, murmuring broken, soothing39 little phrases. The time and the place did not exist for them.
A scuffle outside, which they had only vaguely40 sensed, and which had not at all penetrated41 to their understandings, came to an end. Mrs. Sherwood appeared in the doorway. Her dress was torn and dishevelled, a strand42 of her smooth hair had fallen across her forehead, an angry red mark showed on one cheek. But she was in high spirits. Her customary quiet poise43 had given place to a vibrant44, birdlike, vital, quivering eagerness. To the two in the centre of the room, still clasped in each other's arms, came the same thought: that never, in spite of her ruffled45 plumes46, in spite of the cheek already beginning to swell47, had this extraordinary woman looked so beautiful! Then Keith realized that she was panting heavily, and was clinging to the doorway. He sprang to her assistance.
"What is it? Where is Krafft?" he asked.
She laughed a little, and permitted him to help her to an armchair into which she sank. She waved aside Keith's attempts to find a whole glass in the wreckage48 of the table.
"I'm all right," she said, "and isn't this a nice little party?"
"What has happened? Where is Krafft?" repeated Keith.
"I sent him to the stable for help. There didn't seem to be anybody about the place."
"But what happened to you? Did that brute49 Sansome--"
"Sansome? was that Sansome? the one who came through the window?" She dabbed50 at her cheek. "You might wet me a handkerchief or a towel or something," she suggested. "No, he didn't stop!" she laughed again. "Are you all right?" she asked anxiously of Nan.
"Yes. But tell us--"
"Well, children, I was waiting on the veranda51, obeying orders like a good girl, when, in the dim light I saw a man mount a stool and look into the room. He was very much interested. I crept up quite close to him without his knowing it. I heard him mutter to himself something about a 'weak kneed fool.' Then he drew a revolver. He looked quite determined52 and heroic"--she giggled53 reminiscently--"so I kicked the stool out from under him! About that time there was a most terrific crash, and somebody came out through the window."
"But your cheek, your hair--"
"I tried to hold him, but he was too strong for me. He hit me in the face, wrenched54 himself free, and ran. That was all; except that he dropped the pistol, and I'm going to keep it as a trophy55."
Keith was looking at her, deep in thought.
"I don't understand," he said slowly. "Who could it have been?"
Mrs. Sherwood shook her head.
"Somebody about to shoot a pistol; that's all I know. I couldn't see his face."
"Whoever it was, you saved one or both of us," said Keith, "there's no doubt in my mind of that. Let's see the pistol."
It proved to be one of the smaller Colt's models, about 31 calibre, cap and ball, silver plated, with polished rosewood handles, and heavily engraved56 with scrollwork. Turning it over, Keith finally discovered on the bottom of the butt57 frame two letters scratched rudely, apparently58 with the point of a knife. He took it closer to the light.
"I have it," said he. "Here are the letters C.M."
"Charles Morrell!" cried both women in a breath.
At this moment appeared Krafft, somewhat out of wind, followed by the surly and reluctant proprietor59 from whom the place took its name. Jake had been liberally paid to keep himself and his staff out of the way. Now finding that he was not wanted, he promptly60 disappeared.
"Let's get to the bottom of this thing," said Keith decisively. "If those are really meant for Morrell's initials, what was he doing here?"
"Mrs. Morrell came out with me," put in Nan.
"Jake told me there was to be a supper party later," said Krafft.
"It's clear enough," contributed Mrs. Sherwood. "The whole thing is a plot to murder or do worse. I've been through '50 and '51, and I know."
"I can't believe yet that Sansome--" said Keith doubtfully.
"Oh, Sansome is merely a tool, I don't doubt," replied Mrs. Sherwood.
"I can find out to-morrow from Mex Ryan who sent the note," said Krafft.
"Let's get out of this horrible place!" cried Nan with a convulsive shiver.
Again they had great difficulty in finding any one to get their rigs, but finally repeated calls brought the hostler and Jake himself. The latter made some growl about payment for the entertainment, but at this Keith turned on him with such concentrated fury that he muttered something and slouched away. It was agreed that Krafft should conduct Mrs. Sherwood. They clambered into the two buggies and drove away.
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1
appreciable
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| adj.明显的，可见的，可估量的，可觉察的 | |
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wrecked
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| adj.失事的，遇难的 | |
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doorway
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| n.门口，(喻)入门；门路，途径 | |
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tableau
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| n.画面，活人画（舞台上活人扮的静态画面） | |
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growl
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| v.（狗等）嗥叫，（炮等）轰鸣；n.嗥叫，轰鸣 | |
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residue
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| n.残余，剩余，残渣 | |
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fumes
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| n.(强烈而刺激的)气味，气体 | |
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guilt
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| n.犯罪；内疚；过失，罪责 | |
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imbued
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| v.使（某人/某事）充满或激起（感情等）( imbue的过去式和过去分词 )；使充满；灌输；激发（强烈感情或品质等） | |
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villain
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| n.反派演员，反面人物；恶棍；问题的起因 | |
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adventurous
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| adj.爱冒险的；惊心动魄的，惊险的，刺激的 | |
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distinguished
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| adj.卓越的，杰出的，著名的 | |
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chaotic
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| adj.混沌的，一片混乱的，一团糟的 | |
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collapse
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| vi.累倒；昏倒；倒塌；塌陷 | |
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reiterated
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| 反复地说，重申( reiterate的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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stifled
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| （使）窒息， （使）窒闷( stifle的过去式和过去分词 )； 镇压，遏制； 堵 | |
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authoritative
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| adj.有权威的，可相信的；命令式的；官方的 | |
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rigid
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| adj.严格的，死板的；刚硬的，僵硬的 | |
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steadily
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| adv.稳定地；不变地；持续地 | |
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clenched
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| v.紧握，抓紧，咬紧( clench的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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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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fully
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| adv.完全地，全部地，彻底地；充分地 | |
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alignment
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| n.队列；结盟，联合 | |
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crook
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| v.使弯曲；n.小偷，骗子，贼；弯曲(处) | |
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forefinger
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| n.食指 | |
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correlations
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| 相互的关系( correlation的名词复数 ) | |
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27
positively
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| adv.明确地，断然，坚决地；实在，确实 | |
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peril
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| n.(严重的)危险；危险的事物 | |
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29
mingled
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| 混合，混入( mingle的过去式和过去分词 )； 混进，与…交往[联系] | |
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30
passionate
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| adj.热情的，热烈的，激昂的，易动情的，易怒的，性情暴躁的 | |
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31
admiration
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| n.钦佩，赞美，羡慕 | |
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frantically
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| ad.发狂地, 发疯地 | |
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33
squeak
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| n.吱吱声，逃脱；v.（发出）吱吱叫，侥幸通过；（俚）告密 | |
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34
hurled
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| v.猛投，用力掷( hurl的过去式和过去分词 )；大声叫骂 | |
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35
plunged
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| v.颠簸( plunge的过去式和过去分词 )；暴跌；骤降；突降 | |
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36
snarl
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| v.吼叫，怒骂，纠缠，混乱；n.混乱，缠结，咆哮 | |
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37
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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38
triumphant
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| adj.胜利的，成功的；狂欢的，喜悦的 | |
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39
soothing
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| adj.慰藉的；使人宽心的；镇静的 | |
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40
vaguely
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| adv.含糊地，暖昧地 | |
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41
penetrated
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| adj. 击穿的，鞭辟入里的 动词penetrate的过去式和过去分词形式 | |
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42
strand
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| vt.使（船）搁浅，使（某人）困于（某地） | |
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43
poise
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| vt./vi. 平衡，保持平衡；n.泰然自若，自信 | |
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44
vibrant
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| adj.震颤的，响亮的，充满活力的，精力充沛的，(色彩)鲜明的 | |
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45
ruffled
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| adj. 有褶饰边的, 起皱的 动词ruffle的过去式和过去分词 | |
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46
plumes
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| 羽毛( plume的名词复数 )； 羽毛饰； 羽毛状物； 升上空中的羽状物 | |
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47
swell
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| vi.膨胀，肿胀；增长，增强 | |
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48
wreckage
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| n.（失事飞机等的）残骸，破坏，毁坏 | |
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49
brute
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| n.野兽，兽性 | |
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50
dabbed
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| （用某物）轻触( dab的过去式和过去分词 )； 轻而快地擦掉（或抹掉）； 快速擦拭； （用某物）轻而快地涂上（或点上）… | |
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51
veranda
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| n.走廊；阳台 | |
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52
determined
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| adj.坚定的；有决心的 | |
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53
giggled
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| v.咯咯地笑( giggle的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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54
wrenched
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| v.（猛力地）扭( wrench的过去式和过去分词 )；扭伤；使感到痛苦；使悲痛 | |
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55
trophy
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| n.优胜旗，奖品，奖杯，战胜品，纪念品 | |
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56
engraved
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| v.在（硬物）上雕刻（字，画等）( engrave的过去式和过去分词 )；将某事物深深印在（记忆或头脑中） | |
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57
butt
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| n.笑柄；烟蒂；枪托；臀部；v.用头撞或顶 | |
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58
apparently
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| adv.显然地；表面上，似乎 | |
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59
proprietor
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| n.所有人；业主；经营者 | |
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60
promptly
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| adv.及时地，敏捷地 | |
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