And now, Henry Leroux, Denise Ryland and Helen Cumberly were speeding along the Richmond Road beneath a sky which smiled upon Leroux's convalescence1; for this was a perfect autumn morning which ordinarily had gladdened him, but which saddened him to-day.
The sun shone and the sky was blue; a pleasant breeze played upon his cheeks; whilst Mira, his wife, was...
He knew that he had come perilously2 near to the borderland beyond which are gibbering, moving things: that he had stood upon the frontier of insanity3; and realizing the futility5 of such reflections, he struggled to banish6 them from his mind, for his mind was not yet healed—and he must be whole, be sane7, if he would take part in the work, which, now, strangers were doing, whilst he—whilst he was a useless hulk.
Denise Ryland had been very voluble at the commencement of the drive, but, as it progressed, had grown gradually silent, and now sat with her brows working up and down and with a little network of wrinkles alternately appearing and disappearing above the bridge of her nose. A self-reliant woman, it was irksome to her to know herself outside the circle of activity revolving8 around the mysterious Mr. King. She had had one interview with Inspector9 Dunbar, merely in order that she might give personal testimony11 to the fact that Mira Leroux had not visited her that year in Paris. Of the shrewd Scotsman she had formed the poorest opinion; and indeed she never had been known to express admiration12 for, or even the slightest confidence in, any man breathing. The amiable13 M. Gaston possessed14 virtues15 which appealed to her, but whilst she admitted that his conversation was entertaining and his general behavior good, she always spoke16 with the utmost contempt of his sartorial17 splendor18.
Now, with the days and the weeks slipping by, and with the spectacle before her of poor Leroux, a mere10 shadow of his former self, with the case, so far as she could perceive, at a standstill, and with the police (she firmly believed) doing “absolutely... nothing... whatever”—Denise Ryland recognized that what was lacking in the investigation19 was that intuition and wit which only a clever woman could bring to bear upon it, and of which she, in particular, possessed an unlimited20 reserve.
The car sped on toward the purer atmosphere of the riverside, and even the clouds of dust, which periodically enveloped21 them, with the passing of each motor-'bus, and which at the commencement of the drive had inspired her to several notable and syncopated outbursts, now left her unmoved.
She thought that at last she perceived the secret working of that Providence22 which ever dances attendance at the elbow of accomplished23 womankind. Following the lead set by “H. C.” in the Planet (“H. C.” was Helen Cumberly's nom de plume) and by Crocket in the Daily Monitor, the London Press had taken Olaf van Noord to its bosom24; and his exhibition in the Little Gallery was an established financial success, whilst “Our Lady of the Poppies” (which had, of course, been rejected by the Royal Academy) promised to be the picture of the year.
Mentally, Denise Ryland was again surveying that remarkable25 composition; mentally she was surveying Olaf van Noord's model, also. Into the scheme slowly forming in her brain, the yellow-wrapped cigarette containing “a small percentage of opium” fitted likewise. Finally, but not last in importance, the Greek gentleman, Mr. Gianapolis, formed a unit of the whole.
Denise Ryland had always despised those detective creations which abound26 in French literature; perceiving in their marvelous deductions27 a tortured logic28 incompatible29 with the classic models. She prided herself upon her logic, possibly because it was a quality which she lacked, and probably because she confused it with intuition, of which, to do her justice, she possessed an unusual share. Now, this intuition was at work, at work well and truly; and the result which this mental contortionist ascribed to pure reason was nearer to the truth than a real logician30 could well have hoped to attain31 by confining himself to legitimate32 data. In short, she had determined33 to her own satisfaction that Mr. Gianapolis was the clue to the mystery; that Mr. Gianapolis was not (as she had once supposed) enacting34 the part of an amiable liar35 when he declared that there were, in London, such apartments as that represented by Olaf van Noord; that Mr. Gianapolis was acquainted with the present whereabouts of Mrs. Leroux; that Mr. Gianapolis knew who murdered Iris36 Vernon; and that Scotland Yard was a benevolent37 institution for the support of those of enfeebled intellect.
These results achieved, she broke her long silence at the moment that the car was turning into Richmond High Street.
“My dear!” she exclaimed, clutching Helen's arm, “I see it all!”
“Oh!” cried the girl, “how you startled me! I thought you were ill or that you had seen something frightful38.”...
“I HAVE... seen something... frightful,” declared Denise Ryland. She glared across at the haggard Leroux. “Harry... Leroux,” she continued, “it is very fortunate... that I came to London... very fortunate.”
“My dear,” said Denise Ryland, turning again to Helen Cumberly, “you say you met that... cross-eyed... being... Gianapolis, again?”
“My dear... child”—Denise squeezed her tightly by the arm, and peered into her face, intently—“cul-tivate... DELIBERATELY41 cul-tivate that man's acquaintance!”
“I am afraid I do not understand at all,” she said, breathlessly.
“I am positive that I do not,” declared Leroux, who was as much surprised as Helen. “In the first place I am not acquainted with this cross-eyed being.”
“You are... out of this!” cried Denise Ryland with a sweeping42 movement of the left hand; “entirely... out of it! This is no MAN'S... business.”...
“But my dear Denise!” exclaimed Helen....
“Perhaps,” said Helen, with eyes widely opened, “you will condescend45 to give me some slight reason why I should do anything so extraordinary and undesirable46?”
“Undesirable!” cried Denise. “On the contrary;... it is MOST ... desirable! It is essential. The wretched... cross-eyed ... creature has presumed to fall in love... with you.”...
“Oh!” cried Helen, flushing, and glancing rapidly at Leroux, who now was thoroughly47 interested, “please do not talk nonsense!”
“It is no... nonsense. It is the finger... of Providence. Do you know where you can find... him?”
“Not exactly; but I have a shrewd suspicion,” again she glanced in an embarrassed way at Leroux, “that he will know where to find ME.”
“Who is this presumptuous48 person?” inquired the novelist, leaning forward, his dark blue eyes aglow49 with interest.
“Never mind,” replied Denise Ryland, “you will know... soon enough. In the meantime... as I am simply... starving, suppose we see about... lunch?”
Moved by some unaccountable impulse, Helen extended her hand to Leroux, who took it quietly in his own and held it, looking down at the slim fingers as though he derived50 strength and healing from their touch.
“Poor boy,” she said softly.
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1
convalescence
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| n.病后康复期 | |
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perilously
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| adv.充满危险地，危机四伏地 | |
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insanity
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| n.疯狂，精神错乱；极端的愚蠢，荒唐 | |
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sanity
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| n.心智健全，神智正常，判断正确 | |
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futility
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| n.无用 | |
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banish
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| vt.放逐，驱逐；消除，排除 | |
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sane
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| adj.心智健全的，神志清醒的，明智的，稳健的 | |
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revolving
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| adj.旋转的，轮转式的；循环的v.（使）旋转( revolve的现在分词 )；细想 | |
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inspector
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| n.检查员，监察员，视察员 | |
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mere
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| adj.纯粹的；仅仅，只不过 | |
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testimony
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| n.证词；见证，证明 | |
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admiration
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| n.钦佩，赞美，羡慕 | |
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amiable
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| adj.和蔼可亲的，友善的，亲切的 | |
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possessed
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| adj.疯狂的；拥有的，占有的 | |
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virtues
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| 美德( virtue的名词复数 )； 德行； 优点； 长处 | |
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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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sartorial
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| adj.裁缝的 | |
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splendor
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| n.光彩；壮丽，华丽；显赫，辉煌 | |
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investigation
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| n.调查，调查研究 | |
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unlimited
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| adj.无限的，不受控制的，无条件的 | |
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enveloped
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| v.包围，笼罩，包住( envelop的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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providence
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| n.深谋远虑，天道，天意；远见；节约；上帝 | |
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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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bosom
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| n.胸，胸部；胸怀；内心；adj.亲密的 | |
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remarkable
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| adj.显著的，异常的，非凡的，值得注意的 | |
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abound
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| vi.大量存在；(in，with)充满，富于 | |
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deductions
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| 扣除( deduction的名词复数 )； 结论； 扣除的量； 推演 | |
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logic
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| n.逻辑(学)；逻辑性 | |
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incompatible
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| adj.不相容的，不协调的，不相配的 | |
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logician
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| n.逻辑学家 | |
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attain
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| vt.达到，获得，完成 | |
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legitimate
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| adj.合法的，合理的，合乎逻辑的；v.使合法 | |
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determined
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| adj.坚定的；有决心的 | |
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enacting
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| 制定（法律），通过（法案）( enact的现在分词 ) | |
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liar
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| n.说谎的人 | |
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iris
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| n.虹膜，彩虹 | |
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benevolent
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| adj.仁慈的，乐善好施的 | |
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frightful
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| adj.可怕的；讨厌的 | |
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kindly
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| adj.和蔼的，温和的，爽快的；adv.温和地，亲切地 | |
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loathsome
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| adj.讨厌的，令人厌恶的 | |
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deliberately
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| adv.审慎地；蓄意地；故意地 | |
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sweeping
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| adj.范围广大的，一扫无遗的 | |
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beseech
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| v.祈求，恳求 | |
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entreat
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| v.恳求，恳请 | |
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condescend
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| v.俯就，屈尊；堕落，丢丑 | |
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46
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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47
thoroughly
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| adv.完全地，彻底地，十足地 | |
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48
presumptuous
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| adj.胆大妄为的，放肆的，冒昧的，冒失的 | |
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aglow
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| adj.发亮的；发红的；adv.发亮地 | |
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50
derived
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| vi.起源；由来；衍生；导出v.得到( derive的过去式和过去分词 )；（从…中）得到获得；源于；（从…中）提取 | |
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