At four o'clock in the afternoon I had heard nothing further from Bristol, but I did not doubt that he would advise me of his arrangements in good time. I sought by hard work to forget for a time the extraordinary business of the stolen slipper1; but it persistently2 intruded3 upon my mind. Particularly, my thoughts turned to the night of Professor Deeping's murder, and to the bewitchingly pretty woman who had warned me of the impending4 tragedy. She had bound me to secrecy5—a secrecy which had proved irksome, for it had since appeared to me that she must have been an accomplice6 of Hassan of Aleppo. At the time I had been at a loss to define her peculiar7 accent, now it seemed evidently enough to have been Oriental.
I threw down my pen in despair, for work was impossible, went downstairs, and walked out under the arch into Fleet Street. Quite mechanically I turned to the left, and, still engaged with idle conjectures8, strolled along westward9.
Passing the entrance to one of the big hotels, I was abruptly10 recalled to the realities—by a woman's voice.
"Wait for me here," came musically to my ears.
I stopped, and turned. A woman who had just quitted a taxi-cab was entering the hotel. The day was hot and thunderously oppressive, and this woman with the musical voice wore a delicate costume of flimsiest white. A few steps upward she paused and glanced back. I had a view of a Greek profile, and for one magnetic instant looked into eyes of the deepest and most wonderful violet.
Then, shaking off inaction, I ran up the steps and overtook the lady in white as a porter swung open the door to admit her. We entered together.
"Madame," I said in a low tone, "I must detain you for a moment. There is something I have to ask."
She turned, exhibiting the most perfect composure, lowered her lashes11 and raised them again, the gaze of the violet eyes sweeping12 me from head to foot with a sort of frigid13 scorn.
"I fear you have made a mistake, sir. We have never met before!"
Her voice betrayed no trace of any foreign accent!
"But," I began—and paused.
I felt myself flush; for this encounter in the foyer of an hotel, with many curious onlookers14, was like to prove embarrassing if my beautiful acquaintance persisted in her attitude. I fully15 realized what construction would be put upon my presence there, and foresaw that forcible and ignominious16 ejection must be my lot if I failed to establish my right to address her.
She turned away, and crossed in the direction of the staircase. A sunbeam sought out a lock of hair that strayed across her brow, and kissed it to a sudden glow like that which lurks17 in the heart of a blush rose.
That wonderful sheen, which I had never met with elsewhere in nature, but which no artifice18 could lend, served to remove my last frail19 doubt which had survived the evidence of the violet eyes. I had been deceived by no strange resemblance; this was indeed the woman who had been the harbinger of Professor Deeping's death. In three strides I was beside her again. Curious glances were set upon me, and I saw a servant evidently contemplating20 approach; but I ignored all save my own fixed21 purpose.
"You must listen to what I have to say!" I whispered. "If you decline, I shall have no alternative but to call in the detective who holds a warrant for your arrest!"
She stood quite still, watching me coolly. "I suppose you would wish to avoid a scene?" I added.
"You have already made me the object of much undesirable22 attention," she replied scornfully. "I do not need your assurance that you would disgrace me utterly23! You are talking nonsense, as you must be aware—unless you are insane. But if your object be to force your acquaintance upon me, your methods are novel, and, under the circumstances, effective. Come, sir, you may talk to me—for three minutes!"
The musical voice had lost nothing of its imperiousness, but for one instant the lips parted, affording a fleeting24 glimpse of pearl beyond the coral.
Her sudden change of front was bewildering. Now, she entered the lift and I followed her. As we ascended25 side by side I found it impossible to believe that this dainty white figure was that of an associate of the Hashishin, that of a creature of the terrible Hassan of Aleppo. Yet that she was the same girl who, a few days after my return from the East, had shown herself conversant26 with the plans of the murderous fanatics27 was beyond doubt. Her accent on that occasion clearly had been assumed, with what object I could not imagine. Then, as we quitted the lift and entered a cosy28 lounge, my companion seated herself upon a Chesterfield, signing to me to sit beside her.
As I did so she lay back smiling, and regarding me from beneath her black lashes. Thus, half veiled, her great violet eyes were most wonderful.
"Now, sir," she said softly, "explain yourself."
"Then you persist in pretending that we have not met before?"
"There is no occasion for pretence," she replied lightly; and I found myself comparing her voice with her figure, her figure with her face, and vainly endeavouring to compute29 her age. Frankly30, she was bewildering—this lovely girl who seemed so wholly a woman of the world.
"This fencing is useless."
"It is quite useless! Come, I know New York, London, and I know Paris, Vienna, Budapest. Therefore I know mankind! You thought I was pretty, I suppose? I may be; others have thought so. And you thought you would like to make my acquaintance without troubling about the usual formalities? You adopted a singularly brutal31 method of achieving your object, but I love such insolence32 in a man. Therefore I forgave you. What have you to say to me?"
I perceive that I had to deal with a bold adventuress, with a consummate33 actress, who, finding herself in a dangerous situation, had adopted this daring line of defence, and now by her personal charm sought to lure34 me from my purpose.
But with the scimitar of Hassan of Aleppo stretched over me, with the dangers of the night before me, I was in no mood for a veiled duel35 of words, for an interchange of glances in thrust and parry, however delightful36 such warfare37 might have been with so pretty an adversary38.
For a long time I looked sternly into her eyes; but their violet mystery defied, whilst her red-lipped smile taunted39 me.
"Unfortunately," I said, with slow emphasis, "you are protected by my promise, made on the occasion of our previous meeting. But murder has been done, so that honour scarcely demands that I respect my promise further—"
"Surely that depends upon the quality of the honour!" she said.
"I believe you to be a member of a murderous organization, and unless you can convince me that I am wrong, I shall act accordingly."
At that she leaned toward me, laying her hand on my arm.
"Please do not be so cruel," she whispered, "as to drag me into a matter with which truly I have no concern. Believe me, you are utterly mistaken. Wait one moment, and I will prove it."
She rose, and before I could make move to detain her, quitted the room; but the door scarcely had closed ere I was afoot. The corridor beyond was empty. I ran on. The lift had just descended41. A dark man whom I recognized stood near the closed gate.
"Quick!" I said, "I am Cavanagh of the Report! Did you see a lady enter the lift?"
"I did, Mr. Cavanagh," answered the hotel detective; for this was he.
In such a giant inn as this I knew full well that one could come and go almost with impunity42, though one had no right to the hospitality of the establishment; and it was with a premonition respecting what his answer would be, that I asked the man—
"Is she staying here?"
"She is not. I have never seen her before!"
The girl with the violet eyes had escaped, taking all her secrets with her!
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收听单词发音
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1
slipper
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| n.拖鞋 | |
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persistently
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| ad.坚持地；固执地 | |
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intruded
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| n.侵入的，推进的v.侵入，侵扰，打扰( intrude的过去式和过去分词 )；把…强加于 | |
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impending
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| a.imminent, about to come or happen | |
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secrecy
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| n.秘密，保密，隐蔽 | |
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accomplice
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| n.从犯，帮凶，同谋 | |
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peculiar
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| adj.古怪的，异常的；特殊的，特有的 | |
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conjectures
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| 推测，猜想( conjecture的名词复数 ) | |
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westward
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| n.西方，西部；adj.西方的，向西的；adv.向西 | |
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abruptly
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| adv.突然地，出其不意地 | |
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lashes
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| n.鞭挞( lash的名词复数 )；鞭子；突然猛烈的一击；急速挥动v.鞭打( lash的第三人称单数 )；煽动；紧系；怒斥 | |
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sweeping
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| adj.范围广大的，一扫无遗的 | |
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frigid
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| adj.寒冷的，凛冽的；冷淡的；拘禁的 | |
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onlookers
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| n.旁观者，观看者( onlooker的名词复数 ) | |
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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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ignominious
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| adj.可鄙的，不光彩的，耻辱的 | |
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lurks
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| n.潜在，潜伏；（lurk的复数形式）vi.潜伏，埋伏（lurk的第三人称单数形式） | |
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artifice
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| n.妙计，高明的手段；狡诈，诡计 | |
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frail
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| adj.身体虚弱的；易损坏的 | |
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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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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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undesirable
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| adj.不受欢迎的，不良的，不合意的，讨厌的；n.不受欢迎的人，不良分子 | |
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utterly
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| adv.完全地，绝对地 | |
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fleeting
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| adj.短暂的，飞逝的 | |
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ascended
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| v.上升，攀登( ascend的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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conversant
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| adj.亲近的，有交情的，熟悉的 | |
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fanatics
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| 狂热者，入迷者( fanatic的名词复数 ) | |
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cosy
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| adj.温暖而舒适的，安逸的 | |
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compute
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| v./n.计算，估计 | |
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frankly
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| adv.坦白地，直率地；坦率地说 | |
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brutal
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| adj.残忍的，野蛮的，不讲理的 | |
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insolence
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| n.傲慢；无礼；厚颜；傲慢的态度 | |
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consummate
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| adj.完美的；v.成婚；使完美 [反]baffle | |
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lure
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| n.吸引人的东西，诱惑物；vt.引诱，吸引 | |
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duel
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| n./v.决斗；(双方的)斗争 | |
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delightful
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| adj.令人高兴的，使人快乐的 | |
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warfare
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| n.战争(状态)；斗争；冲突 | |
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adversary
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| adj.敌手，对手 | |
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39
taunted
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| 嘲讽( taunt的过去式和过去分词 )； 嘲弄； 辱骂； 奚落 | |
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40
eyebrows
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| 眉毛( eyebrow的名词复数 ) | |
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descended
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| a.为...后裔的，出身于...的 | |
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impunity
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| n.(惩罚、损失、伤害等的)免除 | |
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