“How long have you known Bletchley?” asked Tommy as he stepped offthe tee and watched with approval his ball leaping down the centre of thefairway.
Commander Haydock, who had also done a good drive, had a pleasedexpression on his face as he shouldered his clubs and replied:
“Bletchley? Let me see. Oh! About nine months or so. He came here lastautumn.”
“Friend of friends of yours, I think you said?” Tommy suggested menda-ciously.
“Did I?” The Commander looked a little surprised. “No, I don’t think so.
Rather fancy I met him here at the club.”
“Bit of a mystery man, I gather?”
The Commander was clearly surprised this time.
“Mystery man? Old Bletchley?” He sounded frankly1 incredulous.
Tommy sighed inwardly. He supposed he was imagining things.
He played his next shot and topped it. Haydock had a good iron shot thatstopped just short of the green. As he rejoined the other, he said:
“What on earth makes you call Bletchley a mystery man? I should havesaid he was a painfully prosaic3 chap—typical Army. Bit set in his ideasand all that—narrow life, an Army life—but mystery!”
Tommy said vaguely4:
“Oh well, I just got the idea from something somebody said—”
They got down to the business of putting. The Commander won the hole.
“Three up and two to play,” he remarked with satisfaction.
Then, as Tommy had hoped, his mind, free of the preoccupation of thematch, harked back to what Tommy had said.
“What sort of mystery do you mean?” he asked.
Tommy shrugged5 his shoulders.
“Oh, it was just that nobody seemed to know much about him.”
“He was in the Rugbyshires.”
“Oh, you know that definitely?”
“Well, I — well, no, I don’t know myself. I say, Meadowes, what’s theidea? Nothing wrong about Bletchley, is there?”
“No, no, of course not.” Tommy’s disclaimer came hastily. He had star-ted his hare. He could now sit back and watch the Commander’s mindchasing after it.
“Always struck me as an almost absurdly typical sort of chap,” said Hay-dock.
“Just so, just so.”
“Ah, yes—see what you mean. Bit too much of a type, perhaps?”
“I’m leading the witness,” thought Tommy. “Still perhaps somethingmay crop up out of the old boy’s mind.”
“Yes, I do see what you mean,” the Commander went on thoughtfully.
“And now I come to think of it I’ve never actually come across anyone whoknew Bletchley before he came down here. He doesn’t have any old pals6 tostay—nothing of that kind.”
“Ah!” said Tommy, and added, “Shall we play the bye? Might as well geta bit more exercise. It’s a lovely evening.”
They drove off, then separated to play their next shots. When they metagain on the green, Haydock said abruptly7:
“Tell me what you heard about him.”
“Nothing—nothing at all.”
“No need to be so cautious with me, Meadowes. I hear all sorts of ru-mours. You understand? Everyone comes to me. I’m known to be prettykeen on the subject. What’s the idea—that Bletchley isn’t what he seems tobe?”
“It was only the merest suggestion.”
“What do they think he is? A Hun? Nonsense, the man’s as English asyou and I.”
“Oh, yes, I’m sure he’s quite all right.”
“Why, he’s always yelling for more foreigners to be interned8. Look howviolent he was against that young German chap—and quite right, too, itseems. I heard unofficially from the Chief Constable9 that they foundenough to hang von Deinim a dozen times over. He’d got a scheme topoison the water supply of the whole country and he was actually workingout a new gas—working on it in one of our factories. My God, the short-sightedness of our people! Fancy letting the fellow inside the place to be-gin with. Believe anything, our Government would! A young fellow hasonly to come to this country just before war starts and whine10 a bit aboutpersecution, and they shut both eyes and let him into all our secrets. Theywere just as dense11 about that fellow Hahn—”
Tommy had no intention of letting the Commander run ahead on thewell-grooved track. He deliberately12 missed a putt.
“Hard lines,” cried Haydock. He played a careful shot. The ball rolledinto the hole.
“My hole. A bit off your game today. What were we talking about?”
Tommy said firmly:
“About Bletchley being perfectly13 all right.”
“Of course. Of course. I wonder now—I did hear a rather funny storyabout him—didn’t think anything of it at the time—”
Here, to Tommy’s annoyance14, they were hailed by two other men. Thefour returned to the clubhouse together and had drinks. After that, theCommander looked at his watch and remarked that he and Meadowesmust be getting along. Tommy had accepted an invitation to supper withthe Commander.
Smugglers’ Rest was in its usual condition of apple- pie order. A tallmiddle-aged manservant waited on them with the professional deftness15 ofa waiter. Such perfect service was somewhat unusual to find outside of aLondon restaurant.
When the man had left the room, Tommy commented on the fact.
“Yes, I was lucky to get Appledore.”
“How did you get hold of him?”
“He answered an advertisement as a matter of fact. He had excellentreferences, was clearly far superior to any of the others who applied16 andasked remarkably17 low wages. I engaged him on the spot.”
Tommy said with a laugh:
“The war has certainly robbed us of most of our good restaurant service.
Practically all good waiters were foreigners. It doesn’t seem to come nat-urally to the Englishman.”
“Bit too servile, that’s why. Bowing and scraping doesn’t come kindly18 tothe English bulldog.”
Sitting outside, sipping19 coffee, Tommy gently asked:
“What was it you were going to say on the links? Something about afunny story—apropos of Bletchley.”
“What was it now? Hallo, did you see that? Light being shown out at sea.
Where’s my telescope?”
Tommy sighed. The stars in their courses seemed to be fighting againsthim. The Commander fussed into the house and out again, swept the hori-zon with his glass, outlined a whole system of signalling by the enemy tolikely spots on shore, most of the evidence for which seemed to be nonex-istent, and proceeded to give a gloomy picture of a successful invasion inthe near future.
“No organisation20, no proper coordination21. You’re an LDV yourself,Meadowes — you know what it’s like. With a man like old Andrews incharge—”
This was well- worn ground. It was Commander Haydock’s pet griev-ance. He ought to be the man in command and he was quite determined22 tooust Col Andrews if it could possibly be done.
The manservant brought out whisky and liqueurs while the Commanderwas still holding forth23.
“—and we’re still honeycombed with spies—riddled with ’em. It was thesame in the last war—hairdressers, waiters—”
Tommy, leaning back, catching24 the profile of Appledore as the latterhovered deft-footed, thought—“Waiters? You could call that fellow Fritzeasier than Appledore. .?.?.”
Well, why not? The fellow spoke25 perfect English, true, but then manyGermans did. They had perfected their English by years in English restaur-ants. And the racial type was not unlike. Fair-haired, blue-eyed—often be-trayed by the shape of the head—yes, the head—where had he seen a headlately. .?.?.
He spoke on an impulse. The words fitted in appositely enough withwhat the Commander was just saying.
“All these damned forms to fill in. No good at all, Meadowes. Series ofidiotic questions—”
Tommy said:
“I know. Such as ‘What is your name?’ Answer N or M.”
There was a swerve26 — a crash. Appledore, the perfect servant, hadblundered. A stream of crême de menthe soaked over Tommy’s cuff27 andhand.
The man stammered28, “Sorry, sir.”
Haydock blazed out in fury:
“You damned clumsy fool! What the hell do you think you’re doing?”
His usually red face was quite purple with anger. Tommy thought, “Talkof an Army temper—Navy beats it hollow!” Haydock continued with astream of abuse. Appledore was abject29 in apologies.
Tommy felt uncomfortable for the man, but suddenly, as though by ma-gic, the Commander’s wrath30 passed and he was his hearty31 self again.
“Come along and have a wash. Beastly stuff. It would be the crême dementhe.”
Tommy followed him indoors and was soon in the sumptuous32 bathroomwith the innumerable gadgets33. He carefully washed off the sticky sweetstuff. The Commander talked from the bedroom next door. He sounded alittle shamefaced.
“Afraid I let myself go a bit. Poor old Appledore—he knows I let go a bitmore than I mean always.”
Tommy turned from the washbasin drying his hands. He did not noticethat a cake of soap had slipped on to the floor. His foot stepped on it. Thelinoleum was highly polished.
A moment later Tommy was doing a wild ballet dancer step. He shotacross the bathroom, arms outstretched. One came up against the right-hand tap of the bath, the other pushed heavily against the side of a smallbathroom cabinet. It was an extravagant34 gesture never likely to beachieved except by some catastrophe35 such as had just occurred.
His foot skidded36 heavily against the end panel of the bath.
The thing happened like a conjuring37 trick. The bath slid out from thewall, turning on a concealed38 pivot39. Tommy found himself looking into adim recess40. He had no doubt whatever as to what occupied that recess. Itcontained a transmitting wireless41 apparatus42.
The Commander’s voice had ceased. He appeared suddenly in the door-way. And with a click, several things fell into place in Tommy’s brain.
Had he been blind up to now? That jovial43 florid face — the face of a“hearty Englishman”—was only a mask. Why had he not seen it all alongfor what it was—the face of a bad-tempered44 overbearing Prussian officer.
Tommy was helped, no doubt, by the incident that had just happened. Forit recalled to him another incident, a Prussian bully45 turning on a subordin-ate and rating him with the Junker’s true insolence46. So had CommanderHaydock turned on his subordinate that evening when the latter had beentaken unawares.
And it all fitted in—it fitted in like magic. The double bluff47. The enemyagent Hahn, sent first, preparing the place, employing foreign workmen,drawing attention to himself, and proceeding48 finally to the next stage inthe plan, his own unmasking by the gallant49 British sailor CommanderHaydock. And then how natural that the Englishman should buy the placeand tell the story to everyone, boring them by constant repetition. And soN, securely settled in his appointed place, with sea communications andhis secret wireless and his staff officers at Sans Souci close at hand, isready to carry out Germany’s plan.
Tommy was unable to resist a flash of genuine admiration50. The wholething had been so perfectly planned. He himself had never suspected Hay-dock—he had accepted Haydock as the genuine article—only a completelyunforeseen accident had given the show away.
All this passed through Tommy’s mind in a few seconds. He knew, onlytoo well, that he was, that he must necessarily be, in deadly peril51. If onlyhe could act the part of the credulous2 thick- headed Englishman wellenough.
He turned to Haydock with what he hoped was a natural- soundinglaugh.
“By Jove, one never stops getting surprises at your place. Was this an-other of Hahn’s little gadgets? You didn’t show me this the other day.”
Haydock was standing52 still. There was a tensity about his big body as itstood there blocking the door.
“More than a match for me,” Tommy thought. “And there’s that con-founded servant, too.”
For an instant Haydock stood as though moulded in stone, then he re-laxed. He said with a laugh:
“Damned funny, Meadowes. You went skating over the floor like a balletdancer! Don’t suppose a thing like that would happen once in a thousandtimes. Dry your hands and come into the other room.”
Tommy followed him out of the bathroom. He was alert and tense inevery muscle. Somehow or other he must get safely away from this housewith his knowledge. Could he succeed in fooling Haydock? The latter’stone sounded natural enough.
With an arm round Tommy’s shoulders, a casual arm, perhaps (or per-haps not), Haydock shepherded him into the sitting room. Turning, heshut the door behind them.
“Look here, old boy, I’ve got something to say to you.”
His voice was friendly, natural—just a shade embarrassed. He motionedto Tommy to sit down.
“It’s a bit awkward,” he said. “Upon my word, it’s a bit awkward! Noth-ing for it, though, but to take you into my confidence. Only you’ll have tokeep dark about it, Meadowes. You understand that?”
Tommy endeavoured to throw an expression of eager interest upon hisface.
Haydock sat down and drew his chair confidentially53 close.
“You see, Meadowes, it’s like this. Nobody’s supposed to know it but I’mworking on Intelligence MI42 BX—that’s my department. Ever heard ofit?”
Tommy shook his head and intensified55 the eager expression.
“Well, it’s pretty secret. Kind of inner ring, if you know what I mean. Wetransmit certain information from here—but it would be absolutely fatal ifthat fact got out, you understand?”
“Of course, of course,” said Mr. Meadowes. “Most interesting! Naturallyyou can count on me not to say a word.”
“Yes, that’s absolutely vital. The whole thing is extremely confidential54.”
“I quite understand. Your work must be most thrilling. Really mostthrilling. I should like so much to know more about it—but I suppose Imustn’t ask that?”
“No, I’m afraid not. It’s very secret, you see.”
“Oh yes, I see. I really do apologise—a most extraordinary accident—”
He thought to himself, “Surely he can’t be taken in? He can’t imagine I’dfall for this stuff?”
It seemed incredible to him. Then he reflected that vanity had been theundoing of many men. Commander Haydock was a clever man, a big fel-low—this miserable56 chap Meadowes was a stupid Britisher—the sort ofman who would believe anything! If only Haydock continued to thinkthat.
Tommy went on talking. He displayed keen interest and curiosity. Heknew he mustn’t ask questions but—He supposed Commander Haydock’swork must be very dangerous? Had he ever been in Germany, workingthere?
Haydock replied genially58 enough. He was intensely the British sailornow—the Prussian officer had disappeared. But Tommy, watching himwith a new vision, wondered how he could ever have been deceived. Theshape of the head—the line of the jaw59—nothing British about them.
Presently Mr. Meadowes rose. It was the supreme60 test. Would it go offall right?
“I really must be going now—getting quite late—feel terribly apologetic,but can assure you will not say a word to anybody.”
(“It’s now or never. Will he let me go or not? I must be ready—a straightto his jaw would be best—”)
Talking amiably61 and with pleasurable excitement, Mr. Meadowes edgedtowards the door.
He was in the hall .?.?. he had opened the front door. .?.?.
Through the door on the right he caught a glimpse of Appledore settingthe breakfast things ready on a tray for the morning. (The damned foolswere going to let him get away with it!)
The two men stood in the porch, chatting—fixing up another match fornext Saturday.
Tommy thought grimly: “There’ll be no next Saturday for you, my boy.”
Voices came from the road outside. Two men returning from a tramp onthe headland. They were men that both Tommy and the Commanderknew slightly. Tommy hailed them. They stopped. Haydock and he ex-changed a few words with them, all standing at the gate, then Tommywaved a genial57 farewell to his host and stepped off with the two men.
He had got away with it.
Haydock, damned fool, had been taken in!
He heard Haydock go back to his house, go in and shut the door. Tommytramped carefully down the hill with his two new-found friends.
Weather looked likely to change.
Old Monroe was off his game again.
That fellow Ashby refused to join the LDV. Said it was no damned good.
Pretty thick, that. Young Marsh62, the assistant caddy master, was a con-scientious objector. Didn’t Meadowes think that matter ought to be put upto the committee. There had been a pretty bad raid on Southampton thenight before last—quite a lot of damage done. What did Meadowes thinkabout Spain? Were they turning nasty? Of course, ever since the Frenchcollapse—
Tommy could have shouted aloud. Such good casual normal talk. Astroke of providence63 that these two men had turned up just at that mo-ment.
He said goodbye to them at the gate of Sans Souci and turned in.
He walked up the drive whistling softly to himself.
He had just turned the dark corner by the rhododendrons when some-thing heavy descended64 on his head. He crashed forward, pitching intoblackness and oblivion.
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1
frankly
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| adv.坦白地，直率地；坦率地说 | |
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credulous
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| adj.轻信的，易信的 | |
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prosaic
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| adj.单调的，无趣的 | |
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vaguely
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| adv.含糊地，暖昧地 | |
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shrugged
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| vt.耸肩（shrug的过去式与过去分词形式） | |
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pals
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| n.朋友( pal的名词复数 )；老兄；小子；（对男子的不友好的称呼）家伙 | |
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abruptly
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| adv.突然地，出其不意地 | |
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interned
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| v.拘留，关押( intern的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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constable
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| n.(英国)警察，警官 | |
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whine
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| v.哀号，号哭；n.哀鸣 | |
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dense
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| a.密集的，稠密的，浓密的；密度大的 | |
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deliberately
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| adv.审慎地；蓄意地；故意地 | |
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perfectly
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| adv.完美地，无可非议地，彻底地 | |
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annoyance
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deftness
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applied
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remarkably
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| ad.不同寻常地，相当地 | |
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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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sipping
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| v.小口喝，呷，抿( sip的现在分词 ) | |
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organisation
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coordination
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determined
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forth
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catching
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| adj.易传染的，有魅力的，迷人的，接住 | |
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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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swerve
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cuff
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stammered
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abject
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| adj.极可怜的，卑屈的 | |
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wrath
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| n.愤怒，愤慨，暴怒 | |
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hearty
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| adj.热情友好的；衷心的；尽情的，纵情的 | |
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sumptuous
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| adj.豪华的，奢侈的，华丽的 | |
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gadgets
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extravagant
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catastrophe
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skidded
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| v.（通常指车辆） 侧滑( skid的过去式和过去分词 )；打滑；滑行；（住在）贫民区 | |
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conjuring
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concealed
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| a.隐藏的，隐蔽的 | |
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pivot
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recess
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wireless
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apparatus
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| n.装置，器械；器具，设备 | |
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jovial
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| adj.快乐的，好交际的 | |
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bad-tempered
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| adj.脾气坏的 | |
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bully
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| n.恃强欺弱者，小流氓；vt.威胁，欺侮 | |
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insolence
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bluff
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proceeding
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| n.行动，进行，(pl.)会议录，学报 | |
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gallant
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| adj.英勇的，豪侠的；(向女人)献殷勤的 | |
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admiration
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peril
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| n.(严重的)危险；危险的事物 | |
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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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confidentially
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| ad.秘密地，悄悄地 | |
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confidential
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| adj.秘（机）密的，表示信任的，担任机密工作的 | |
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intensified
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| v.（使）增强， （使）加剧( intensify的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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miserable
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| adj.悲惨的，痛苦的；可怜的，糟糕的 | |
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genial
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| adj.亲切的，和蔼的，愉快的，脾气好的 | |
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genially
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| adv.亲切地，和蔼地；快活地 | |
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jaw
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| n.颚，颌，说教，流言蜚语；v.喋喋不休，教训 | |
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supreme
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| adj.极度的，最重要的；至高的，最高的 | |
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amiably
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| adv.和蔼可亲地，亲切地 | |
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marsh
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| n.沼泽，湿地 | |
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63
providence
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| n.深谋远虑，天道，天意；远见；节约；上帝 | |
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64
descended
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| a.为...后裔的，出身于...的 | |
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