Sir James’s words came like a bombshell. Both girls looked equallypuzzled. The lawyer went across to his desk, and returned with a smallnewspaper cutting, which he handed to Jane. Tuppence read it over hershoulder. Mr. Carter would have recognized it. It referred to the mysteri-ous man found dead in New York.
“As I was saying to Miss Tuppence,” resumed the lawyer, “I set to workto prove the impossible possible. The great stumbling block was the un-deniable fact that Julius Hersheimmer was not an assumed name. When Icame across this paragraph my problem was solved. Julius Hersheimmerset out to discover what had become of his cousin. He went out West,where he obtained news of her and her photograph to aid him in hissearch. On the eve of his departure from New York he was set upon andmurdered. His body was dressed in shabby clothes, and the face dis-figured to prevent identification. Mr. Brown took his place. He sailed im-mediately for England. None of the real Hersheimmer’s friends or intim-ates saw him before he sailed — though indeed it would hardly havemattered if they had, the impersonation was so perfect. Since then he hadbeen hand in glove with those sworn to hunt him down. Every secret oftheirs had been known to him. Only once did he come near disaster. Mrs.
Vandemeyer knew his secret. It was no part of his plan that that hugebribe should ever be offered to her. But for Miss Tuppence’s fortunatechange of plan, she would have been far away from the flat when we ar-rived there. Exposure stared him in the face. He took a desperate step,trusting in his assumed character to avert1 suspicion. He nearly succeeded—but not quite.”
“I can’t believe it,” murmured Jane. “He seemed so splendid.”
“The real Julius Hersheimmer was a splendid fellow! And Mr. Brown is aconsummate actor. But ask Miss Tuppence if she also has not had her sus-picions.”
Jane turned mutely to Tuppence. The latter nodded.
“I didn’t want to say it, Jane—I knew it would hurt you. And, after all, Icouldn’t be sure. I still don’t understand why, if he’s Mr. Brown, he res-cued us.”
“Was it Julius Hersheimmer who helped you to escape?”
Tuppence recounted to Sir James the exciting events of the evening, end-ing up: “But I can’t see why!”
“Can’t you? I can. So can young Beresford, by his actions. As a last hopeJane Finn was to be allowed to escape—and the escape must be managedso that she harbours no suspicions of its being a put-up job. They’re notaverse to young Beresford’s being in the neighbourhood, and, if necessary,communicating with you. They’ll take care to get him out of the way at theright minute. Then Julius Hersheimmer dashes up and rescues you in truemelodramatic style. Bullets fly—but don’t hit anybody. What would havehappened next? You would have driven straight to the house in Soho andsecured the document which Miss Finn would probably have entrusted2 toher cousin’s keeping. Or, if he conducted the search, he would have pre-tended to find the hiding place already rifled. He would have had a dozenways of dealing3 with the situation, but the result would have been thesame. And I rather fancy some accident would have happened to both ofyou. You see, you know rather an inconvenient4 amount. That’s a roughoutline. I admit I was caught napping; but somebody else wasn’t.”
“Tommy,” said Tuppence softly.
“Yes. Evidently when the right moment came to get rid of him—he wastoo sharp for them. All the same, I’m not too easy in my mind about him.”
“Why?”
“Because Julius Hersheimmer is Mr. Brown,” said Sir James dryly. “Andit takes more than one man and a revolver to hold up Mr. Brown. .?.?.”
Tuppence paled a little.
“What can we do?”
“Nothing until we’ve been to the house in Soho. If Beresford has still gotthe upper hand, there’s nothing to fear. If otherwise, our enemy will cometo find us, and he will not find us unprepared!” From a drawer in the desk,he took a Service revolver, and placed it in his coat pocket.
“Now we’re ready. I know better than even to suggest going withoutyou, Miss Tuppence—”
“I should think so indeed!”
“But I do suggest that Miss Finn should remain here. She will be per-fectly safe, and I am afraid she is absolutely worn out with all she hasbeen through.”
But to Tuppence’s surprise Jane shook her head.
“No. I guess I’m going too. Those papers were my trust. I must gothrough with this business to the end. I’m heaps better now anyway.”
Sir James’s car was ordered round. During the short drive Tuppence’sheart beat tumultuously. In spite of momentary6 qualms7 of uneasiness re-specting Tommy, she could not but feel exultation8. They were going towin!
The car drew up at the corner of the square and they got out. Sir Jameswent up to a plainclothesman who was on duty with several others, andspoke to him. Then he rejoined the girls.
“No one has gone into the house so far. It is being watched at the back aswell, so they are quite sure of that. Anyone who attempts to enter after wehave done so will be arrested immediately. Shall we go in?”
A policeman produced a key. They all knew Sir James well. They hadalso had orders respecting Tuppence. Only the third member of the partywas unknown to them. The three entered the house, pulling the door tobehind them. Slowly they mounted the rickety stairs. At the top was theragged curtain hiding the recess9 where Tommy had hidden that day. Tup-pence had heard the story from Jane in her character of “Annette.” Shelooked at the tattered10 velvet11 with interest. Even now she could almostswear it moved—as though someone was behind it. So strong was the illu-sion that she almost fancied she could make out the outline of a form .?.?.
Supposing Mr. Brown—Julius—was there waiting. .?.?.
Impossible of course! Yet she almost went back to put the curtain asideand make sure. .?.?.
Now they were entering the prison room. No place for anyone to hidehere, thought Tuppence, with a sigh of relief, then chided herself indig-nantly. She must not give way to this foolish fancying—this curious insist-ent feeling that Mr. Brown was in the house .?.?. Hark! what was that? Astealthy footstep on the stairs? There was someone in the house! Absurd!
She was becoming hysterical12.
Jane had gone straight to the picture of Marguerite. She unhooked itwith a steady hand. The dust lay thick upon it, and festoons of cobwebs laybetween it and the wall. Sir James handed her a pocketknife, and shestripped away the brown paper from the back .?.?. The advertisement pageof a magazine fell out. Jane picked it up. Holding apart the frayed13 inneredges she extracted two thin sheets covered with writing!
No dummy14 this time! The real thing!
“We’ve got it,” said Tuppence. “At last. .?.?.”
The moment was almost breathless in its emotion. Forgotten the faintcreakings, the imagined noises of a minute ago. None of them had eyes foranything but what Jane held in her hand.
Sir James took it, and scrutinized15 it attentively16.
“Yes,” he said quietly, “this is the ill-fated draft treaty!”
“We’ve succeeded,” said Tuppence. There was awe5 and an almost won-dering unbelief in her voice.
Sir James echoed her words as he folded the paper carefully and put itaway in his pocketbook, then he looked curiously17 round the dingy18 room.
“It was here that your young friend was confined for so long, was itnot?” he said. “A truly sinister19 room. You notice the absence of windows,and the thickness of the close- fitting door. Whatever took place herewould never be heard by the outside world.”
Tuppence shivered. His words woke a vague alarm in her. What if therewas someone concealed20 in the house? Someone who might bar that dooron them, and leave them to die like rats in a trap? Then she realized theabsurdity of her thought. The house was surrounded by police who, if theyfailed to reappear, would not hesitate to break in and make a thoroughsearch. She smiled at her own foolishness—then looked up with a start tofind Sir James watching her. He gave her an emphatic21 little nod.
“Quite right, Miss Tuppence. You scent22 danger. So do I. So does MissFinn.”
“Yes,” admitted Jane. “It’s absurd—but I can’t help it.”
Sir James nodded again.
“You feel—as we all feel—the presence of Mr. Brown. Yes”—as Tuppencemade a movement—“not a doubt of it—Mr. Brown is here. .?.?.”
“In this house?”
“In this room .?.?. You don’t understand? I am Mr. Brown. .?.?.”
Stupefied, unbelieving, they stared at him. The very lines of his face hadchanged. It was a different man who stood before them. He smiled a slowcruel smile.
“Neither of you will leave this room alive! You said just now we had suc-ceeded. I have succeeded! The draft treaty is mine.” His smile grew wideras he looked at Tuppence. “Shall I tell you how it will be? Sooner or laterthe police will break in, and they will find three victims of Mr. Brown—three, not two, you understand, but fortunately the third will not be dead,only wounded, and will be able to describe the attack with a wealth of de-tail! The treaty? It is in the hands of Mr. Brown. So no one will think ofsearching the pockets of Sir James Peel Edgerton!”
He turned to Jane.
“You outwitted me. I make my acknowledgments. But you will not do itagain.”
There was a faint sound behind him, but intoxicated23 with success he didnot turn his head.
He slipped his hand into his pocket.
“Checkmate to the Young Adventurers,” he said, and slowly raised thebig automatic.
But, even as he did so, he felt himself seized from behind in a grip ofiron. The revolver was wrenched24 from his hand, and the voice of JuliusHersheimmer said drawlingly:
“I guess you’re caught red-handed with the goods upon you.”
The blood rushed to the K.C.’s face, but his self-control was marvellous,as he looked from one to the other of his two captors. He looked longest atTommy.
“You,” he said beneath his breath. “You! I might have known.”
Seeing that he was disposed to offer no resistance, their grip slackened.
Quick as a flash his left hand, the hand which bore the big signet ring, wasraised to his lips. .?.?.
“ ‘Ave Caesar! te morituri salutant,’ ” he said, still looking at Tommy.
Then his face changed, and with a long convulsive shudder25 he fell for-ward in a crumpled26 heap, whilst an odour of bitter almonds filled the air.
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1
avert
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| v.防止，避免；转移(目光、注意力等) | |
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entrusted
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| v.委托，托付( entrust的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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dealing
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| n.经商方法，待人态度 | |
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inconvenient
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| adj.不方便的，令人感到麻烦的 | |
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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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momentary
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| adj.片刻的，瞬息的；短暂的 | |
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qualms
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| n.不安；内疚 | |
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exultation
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| n.狂喜，得意 | |
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recess
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| n.短期休息，壁凹（墙上装架子，柜子等凹处） | |
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tattered
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| adj.破旧的，衣衫破的 | |
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velvet
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| n.丝绒，天鹅绒；adj.丝绒制的，柔软的 | |
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12
hysterical
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| adj.情绪异常激动的，歇斯底里般的 | |
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frayed
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| adj.磨损的v.（使布、绳等）磨损，磨破( fray的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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14
dummy
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| n.假的东西；(哄婴儿的)橡皮奶头 | |
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scrutinized
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| v.仔细检查，详审( scrutinize的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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16
attentively
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| adv.聚精会神地；周到地；谛；凝神 | |
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17
curiously
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| adv.有求知欲地；好问地；奇特地 | |
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dingy
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| adj.昏暗的，肮脏的 | |
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sinister
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| adj.不吉利的，凶恶的，左边的 | |
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concealed
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| a.隐藏的，隐蔽的 | |
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emphatic
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| adj.强调的，着重的；无可置疑的，明显的 | |
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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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intoxicated
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| 喝醉的，极其兴奋的 | |
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24
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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shudder
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| v.战粟，震动，剧烈地摇晃；n.战粟，抖动 | |
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crumpled
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| adj. 弯扭的, 变皱的 动词crumple的过去式和过去分词形式 | |
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