A light was burning in the hallway, and from the little dining-room on the left the reflection of a cheerful fire danced upon the white paint of the half-open door. Kerry deposited his hat, cane2, and overall upon the rack, and moving very quietly entered the room and turned on the light. A modestly furnished and scrupulously3 neat apartment was revealed. On the sheepskin rug before the fire a Manx cat was dozing4 beside a pair of carpet slippers5. On the table some kind of cold repast was laid, the viands6 concealed7 under china covers. At a large bottle of Guinness's Extra Stout8 Kerry looked with particular appreciation9.
He heaved a long sigh of contentment, and opened the bottle of stout. Having poured out a glass of the black and foaming10 liquid and satisfied an evidently urgent thirst, he explored beneath the covers, and presently was seated before a spread of ham and tongue, tomatoes, and bread and butter.
A door opened somewhere upstairs, and:
“Is that yoursel', Dan?” inquired a deep but musical female voice.
“Sure it is,” replied Kerry; and no one who had heard the high official tones of the imperious Chief Inspector would have supposed that they could be so softened11 and modulated12. “You should have been asleep hours ago, Mary.”
“Have ye to go out again?”
“I have, bad luck; but don't trouble to come down. I've all I want and more.”
“If 'tis a new case I'll come down.”
“It's the devil's own case; but you'll get your death of cold.”
Sounds of movement in the room above followed, and presently footsteps on the stairs. Mrs. Kerry, enveloped13 in a woollen dressing-gown, which obviously belonged to the Inspector, came into the room. Upon her Kerry directed a look from which all fierceness had been effaced14, and which expressed only an undying admiration15. And, indeed, Mary Kerry was in many respects a remarkable16 character. Half an inch taller than Kerry, she fully17 merited the compliment designed by that trite18 apothegm, “a fine woman.” Large-boned but shapely, as she came in with her long dark hair neatly19 plaited, it seemed to her husband—who had remained her lover—that he saw before him the rosy20-cheeked lass whom ten years before he had met and claimed on the chilly21 shores of Loch Broom. By all her neighbors Mrs. Kerry was looked upon as a proud, reserved person, who had held herself much aloof22 since her husband had become Chief Inspector; and the reputation enjoyed by Red Kerry was that of an aggressive and uncompanionable man. Now here was a lover's meeting, not lacking the shy, downward glance of dark eyes as steel-blue eyes flashed frank admiration.
Kerry, who quarrelled with everybody except the Assistant Commissioner23, had only found one cause of quarrel with Mary. He was a devout24 Roman Catholic, and for five years he had clung with the bull-dog tenacity25 which was his to the belief that he could convert his wife to the faith of Rome. She remained true to the Scottish Free Church, in whose precepts26 she had been reared, and at the end of the five years Kerry gave it up and admired her all the more for her Caledonian strength of mind. Many and heated were the debates he had held with worthy27 Father O'Callaghan respecting the validity of a marriage not solemnized by a priest, but of late years he had grown reconciled to the parting of the ways on Sunday morning; and as the early mass was over before the Scottish service he was regularly to be seen outside a certain Presbyterian chapel28 waiting for his heretical spouse29.
He pulled her down on to his knee and kissed her.
“It's twelve hours since I saw you,” he said.
She rested her arm on the back of the saddle-back chair, and her dark head close beside Kerry's fiery30 red one.
“An hour. No more. There's a lot to do before the papers come out in the morning. By breakfast time all England, including the murderer, will know I'm in charge of the case. I wish I could muzzle33 the Press.”
“'Tis a murder, then? The Lord gi'e us grace. Ye'll be wishin' to tell me?”
“Ye've time for a rest an' a smoke. Put ye're slippers on.”
“I've no time for that, Mary.”
“Put ye're slippers on,” she repeated firmly.
Kerry stooped without another word and began to unlace his brogues. Meanwhile from a side-table his wife brought a silver tobacco-box and a stumpy Irish clay. The slippers substituted for his shoes, Kerry lovingly filled the cracked and blackened bowl with strong Irish twist, which he first teased carefully in his palm. The bowl rested almost under his nostrils36 when he put the pipe in his mouth, and how he contrived37 to light it without burning his moustache was not readily apparent. He succeeded, however, and soon was puffing38 clouds of pungent39 smoke into the air with the utmost contentment.
“Now,” said his wife, seating herself upon the arm of the chair, “tell me, Dan.”
Thereupon began a procedure identical to that which had characterized the outset of every successful case of the Chief Inspector. He rapidly outlined the complexities40 of the affair in old Bond Street, and Mary Kerry surveyed the problem with a curious and almost fey detachment of mind, which enabled her to see light where all was darkness to the man on the spot. With the clarity of a trained observer Kerry described the apartments of Kazmah, the exact place where the murdered man had been found, and the construction of the rooms. He gave the essential points from the evidence of the several witnesses, quoting the exact times at which various episodes had taken place. Mary Kerry, looking straightly before her with unseeing eyes, listened in silence until he ceased speaking; then:
“There are really but twa rooms,” she said, in a faraway voice, “but the second o' these is parteetioned into three parts?”
“That's it.”
“A door free the landing opens upon the fairst room, a door free a passage opens upon the second. Where does yon passage lead?”
“From the main stair along beside Kazmah's rooms to a small back stair. This back stair goes from top to bottom of the building, from the end of the same hallway as the main stair.”
“There is na either way out but by the front door?”
“No.”
“Then if the evidence o' the Spinker man is above suspeecion, Mrs. Irvin and this Kazmah were still on the premises41 when ye arrived?”
“Exactly. I gathered that much at Vine Street before I went on to Bond Street. The whole block was surrounded five minutes after my arrival, and it still is.”
“What ither offices are in this passage?”
“None. It's a blank wall on the left, and one door on the right—the one opening into the Kazmah office. There are other premises on the same floor, but they are across the landing.”
“What premises?”
“The floor below?”
“It's all occupied by a modiste, Renan.”
“The top floor?”
“Cubanis Cigarette Company, a servants' and an electrician.”
“Nae more?”
“No more.”
“Where does yon back stair open on the topmaist floor?”
“In a corridor similar to that alongside Kazmah's. It has two windows on the right overlooking a narrow roof and the top of the arcade43, and on the left is the Cubanis Cigarette Company. The other offices are across the landing.”
Mary Kerry stared into space awhile.
“Kazmah and Mrs. Irvin could ha' come down to the fairst floor, or gene44 up to the thaird floor unseen by the Spinker man,” she said dreamily.
“But they couldn't have reached the street, my dear!” cried Kerry.
“No—they couldn'a ha' gained the street.”
She became silent again, her husband watching her expectantly. Then:
“If puir Sir Lucien Pyne was killed at a quarter after seven—the time his watch was broken—the native sairvent did no' kill him. Frae the Spinker's evidence the black man went awe45' before then,” she said. “Mrs. Irvin?”
Kerry shook his head.
“From all accounts a slip of a woman,” he replied. “It was a strong hand that struck the blow.”
“Kazmah?”
“Probably.”
“Mr. Quentin Gray came back wi' a cab and went upstairs, free the Spinker's evidence, at aboot a quarter after seven, and came doon five meenites later sair pale an' fretful.”
“We have only the bare word of Mr. Gray that he didn't go in again, Mary; but I believe him. He's a hot-headed fool, but square.”
“Then 'twas yon Kazmah,” announced Mrs. Kerry. “Who is Kazmah?”
Her husband laughed shortly.
“That's the point at which I got stumped,” he replied. “We've heard of him at the Yard, of course, and we know that under the cloak of a dealer47 in Eastern perfumes he carried on a fortune-telling business. He managed to avoid prosecution48, though. It took me over an hour tonight to explore the thought-reading mechanism49; it's a sort of Maskelyne's Mysteries worked from the inside room. But who Kazmah is or what's his nationality I know no more than the man in the moon.”
“Yes, Mary. The first room is a sort of miniature scent51 bazaar52. There are funny little imitation antique flasks53 of Kazmah preparations, creams, perfumes and incense54, also small square wooden boxes of a kind of Turkish delight, and a stock of Egyptian mummy-beads, statuettes, and the like, which may be genuine for all I know.”
“Nae books or letters?”
“Not a thing, except his own advertisements, a telephone directory, and so on.”
“The inside office bureau?”
“Empty as Mother Hubbard's cupboard!”
“The place was ransacked55 by the same folk that emptied the dead man's pockets so as tee leave nae clue,” pronounced the sibyl-like voice. “Mr. Gray said he had choc'lates wi' him. Where did he leave them?”
“Mary, you're a wonder!” exclaimed the admiring Kerry. “The box was lying on the divan56 in the first room where he said he had left it on going out for a cab.”
“Does nane o' the evidence show if Mrs. Irvin had been to Kazmah's before?”
“Yes. She went there fairly regularly to buy perfume.”
“No' for the fortune-tellin'?”
“No. According to Mr. Gray, to buy perfume.”
“Had Mr. Gray been there wi' her before?”
“No. Sir Lucien Pyne seems to have been her pretty constant companion.”
“Do ye suspect she was his lady-love?”
“I believe Mr. Gray suspects something of the kind.”
“And Mr. Gray?”
“He is not such an old friend as Sir Lucien was. But I fancy nevertheless it was Mr. Gray that her husband doubted.”
“Do ye suspect the puir soul had cause, Dan?”
“No,” replied Kerry promptly57; “I don't. The boy is mad about her, but I fancy she just liked his company. He's the heir of Lord Wrexborough, and Mrs. Irvin used to be a stage beauty. It's a usual state of affairs, and more often than not means nothing.”
“I dinna ken31 sich folk,” declared Mary Kerry. “They a'most desairve all they get. They are bound tee come tee nae guid end. Where did ye say Sir Lucien lived?”
“Albemarle Street; just round the corner.”
“Ye told me that he only kepit twa sairvents: a cook, hoosekeper, who lived awe', an' a man—a foreigner?”
“A kind of half-baked Dago, named Juan Mareno. A citizen of the United States according to his own account.”
“Ye dinna like Juan Mareno?”
“He's a hateful swine!” flashed Kerry, with sudden venom58. “I'm watching Mareno very closely. Coombes is at work upon Sir Lucien's papers. His life was a bit of a mystery. He seems to have had no relations living, and I can't find that he even employed a solicitor.”
“Ye'll be sairchin' for yon Egyptian?”
“The servant? Yes. We'll have him by the morning, and then we shall know who Kazmah is. Meanwhile, in which of the offices is Kazmah hiding?”
Mary Kerry was silent for so long that her husband repeated the question:
“In which of the offices is Kazmah hiding?”
“In nane,” she said dreamily. “Ye surrounded the buildings too late, I ken.”
“Eh!” cried Kerry, turning his head excitedly. “But the man Brisley was at the door all night!”
“It doesna' matter. They have escapit.”
Kerry scratched his close-cropped head in angry perplexity.
“You're always right, Mary,” he said. “But hang me if—Never mind! When we get the servant we'll soon get Kazmah.”
“Aye,” murmured his wife. “If ye hae na' got Kazmah the now.”
“It's no' clear eno', Dan. But for sure behind this mystery o' the death o' Sir Lucien there's a darker mystery still; sair dark. 'Tis the biggest case ye ever had. Dinna look for Kazmah. Look tee find why the woman went tee him; and try tee find the meanin' o' the sma' window behind the big chair.... Yes”—she seemed to be staring at some distant visible object—“watch the man Mareno—”
“But—Mrs. Irvin—”
“Is in God's guid keepin'—”
“You don't think she's dead!”
“She is wairse than dead. Her sins have found her out.” The fey light suddenly left her eyes, and they became filled with tears. She turned impulsively60 to her husband. “Oh, Dan! Ye must find her! Ye must find her! Puir weak hairt—dinna ye ken how she is suffering!”
“My dear,” he said, putting his arms around her, “What is it? What is it?”
She brushed the tears from her eyes and tried to smile. “'Tis something like the second sight, Dan,” she answered simply. “And it's escapit me again. I a'most had the clue to it a' oh, there's some horrible wickedness in it, an' cruelty an' shame.”
The clock on the mantel shelf began to peal61. Kerry was watching his wife's rosy face with a mixture of loving admiration and wonder. She looked so very bonny and placid62 and capable that he was puzzled anew at the strange gift which she seemingly inherited from her mother, who had been equally shrewd, equally comely63 and similarly endowed.
“God bless us all!” he said, kissed her heartily64, and stood up. “Back to bed you go, my dear. I must be off. There's Mr. Irvin to see in the morning, too.”
A few minutes later he was swinging through the deserted65 streets, his mind wholly occupied with lover-like reflections to the exclusion66 of those professional matters which properly should have been engaging his attention. As he passed the end of a narrow court near the railway station, the gleam of his silver mounted malacca attracted the attention of a couple of loafers who were leaning one on either side of an iron pillar in the shadow of the unsavory alley67. Not another pedestrian was in sight, and only the remote night-sounds of London broke the silence.
Twenty paces beyond, the footpads silently closed in upon their prey68. The taller of the pair reached him first, only to receive a back-handed blow full in his face which sent him reeling a couple of yards.
Round leapt the assaulted man to face his second assailant.
“If you two smarts really want handling,” he rapped ferociously69, “say the word, and I'll bash you flat.”
As he turned, the light of a neighboring lamp shone down upon the savage70 face, and a smothered71 yell came from the shorter ruffian:
“Blimey, Bill! It's Red Kerry!”
Whereupon, as men pursued by devils, the pair made off like the wind!
Kerry glared after the retreating figures for a moment, and a grin of fierce satisfaction revealed his gleaming teeth. He turned again and swung on his way toward the main road. The incident had done him good. It had banished72 domestic matters from his mind, and he was become again the highly trained champion of justice, standing73, an unseen buckler, between society and the criminal.
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1
inspector
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| n.检查员，监察员，视察员 | |
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cane
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| n.手杖，细长的茎，藤条；v.以杖击，以藤编制的 | |
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scrupulously
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| adv.一丝不苟地；小心翼翼地，多顾虑地 | |
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dozing
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| v.打瞌睡,假寐 n.瞌睡 | |
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slippers
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| n. 拖鞋 | |
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viands
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| n.食品，食物 | |
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concealed
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| a.隐藏的，隐蔽的 | |
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appreciation
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| n.评价；欣赏；感谢；领会，理解；价格上涨 | |
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foaming
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| adj.布满泡沫的；发泡 | |
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softened
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| （使）变软( soften的过去式和过去分词 )； 缓解打击； 缓和； 安慰 | |
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modulated
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| 已调整[制]的，被调的 | |
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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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effaced
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| v.擦掉( efface的过去式和过去分词 )；抹去；超越；使黯然失色 | |
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15
admiration
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| n.钦佩，赞美，羡慕 | |
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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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fully
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| adv.完全地，全部地，彻底地；充分地 | |
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trite
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| adj.陈腐的 | |
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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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rosy
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| adj.美好的，乐观的，玫瑰色的 | |
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chilly
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| adj.凉快的，寒冷的 | |
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aloof
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| adj.远离的；冷淡的，漠不关心的 | |
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commissioner
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| n.（政府厅、局、处等部门）专员，长官，委员 | |
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devout
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| adj.虔诚的，虔敬的，衷心的 (n.devoutness) | |
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tenacity
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| n.坚韧 | |
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precepts
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| n.规诫，戒律，箴言( precept的名词复数 ) | |
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worthy
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| adj.(of)值得的，配得上的；有价值的 | |
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chapel
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| n.小教堂，殡仪馆 | |
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spouse
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| n.配偶(指夫或妻) | |
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fiery
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| adj.燃烧着的，火红的；暴躁的；激烈的 | |
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ken
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| n.视野，知识领域 | |
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kenned
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| v.知道( ken的过去式和过去分词 )；懂得；看到；认出 | |
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muzzle
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| n.鼻口部；口套；枪(炮)口；vt.使缄默 | |
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stumped
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| 僵直地行走，跺步行走( stump的过去式和过去分词 )； 把（某人）难住； 使为难； （选举前）在某一地区作政治性巡回演说 | |
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hearth
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| n.壁炉炉床，壁炉地面 | |
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nostrils
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| 鼻孔( nostril的名词复数 ) | |
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contrived
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| adj.不自然的，做作的；虚构的 | |
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puffing
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| v.使喷出( puff的现在分词 )；喷着汽（或烟）移动；吹嘘；吹捧 | |
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pungent
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| adj.（气味、味道）刺激性的，辛辣的；尖锐的 | |
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complexities
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| 复杂性(complexity的名词复数)； 复杂的事物 | |
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premises
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| n.建筑物，房屋 | |
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solicitor
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| n.初级律师，事务律师 | |
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arcade
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| n.拱廊；(一侧或两侧有商店的)通道 | |
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gene
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| n.遗传因子，基因 | |
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awe
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| n.敬畏，惊惧；vt.使敬畏，使惊惧 | |
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stifling
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| a.令人窒息的 | |
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dealer
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| n.商人，贩子 | |
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prosecution
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| n.起诉，告发，检举，执行，经营 | |
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mechanism
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| n.机械装置；机构，结构 | |
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queried
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| v.质疑，对…表示疑问( query的过去式和过去分词 )；询问 | |
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scent
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| n.气味，香味，香水，线索，嗅觉；v.嗅，发觉 | |
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bazaar
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| n.集市，商店集中区 | |
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flasks
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| n.瓶，长颈瓶， 烧瓶( flask的名词复数 ) | |
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incense
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| v.激怒；n.香，焚香时的烟，香气 | |
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ransacked
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| v.彻底搜查( ransack的过去式和过去分词 )；抢劫，掠夺 | |
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divan
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| n.长沙发；（波斯或其他东方诗人的）诗集 | |
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promptly
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| adv.及时地，敏捷地 | |
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venom
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| n.毒液，恶毒，痛恨 | |
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helping
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| n.食物的一份&adj.帮助人的，辅助的 | |
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impulsively
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| adv.冲动地 | |
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peal
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| n.钟声；v.鸣响 | |
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placid
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| adj.安静的，平和的 | |
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comely
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| adj.漂亮的，合宜的 | |
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heartily
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| adv.衷心地，诚恳地，十分，很 | |
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deserted
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| adj.荒芜的，荒废的，无人的，被遗弃的 | |
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exclusion
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| n.拒绝，排除，排斥，远足，远途旅行 | |
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alley
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| n.小巷，胡同；小径，小路 | |
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68
prey
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| n.被掠食者，牺牲者，掠食；v.捕食，掠夺，折磨 | |
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ferociously
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| 野蛮地，残忍地 | |
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savage
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| adj.野蛮的；凶恶的，残暴的；n.未开化的人 | |
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71
smothered
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| （使）窒息， （使）透不过气( smother的过去式和过去分词 )； 覆盖； 忍住； 抑制 | |
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72
banished
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| v.放逐，驱逐( banish的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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73
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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