The clock in the Council Chamber1 struck nine.
“Well,” said Lord Caterham, with a deep sigh. “Here they all are, just likelittle Bo-Peep’s flock, back again and wagging their tails behind them.”
He looked sadly round the room.
“Organ grinder complete with monkey,” he murmured, fixing the Baronwith his eye. “Nosy Parker of Throgmorton Street—”
“I think you’re rather unkind to the Baron,” protested Bundle, to whomthese confidences were being poured out. “He told me that he consideredyou the perfect example of English hospitality among the haute noblesse.”
“I daresay,” said Lord Caterham. “He’s always saying things like that. Itmakes him most fatiguing2 to talk to. But I can tell you I’m not nearly asmuch of the hospitable3 English gentleman as I was. As soon as I can I shalllet Chimneys to an enterprising American, and go and live in an hotel.
There, if anyone worries you, you can just ask for your bill and go.”
“Cheer up,” said Bundle. “We seem to have lost Mr. Fish for good.”
“I always found him rather amusing,” said Lord Caterham, who was in acontradictory temper. “It’s that precious young man of yours who has letme in for this. Why should I have this board meeting called in my house?
Why doesn’t he rent The Larches4 or Elmhurst, or some nice villa5 residencelike that at Streatham, and hold his company meetings there?”
“Wrong atmosphere,” said Bundle.
“No one is going to play any tricks on us, I hope?” said her fathernervously. “I don’t trust that French fellow, Lemoine. The French policeare up to all sorts of dodges6. Put india rubber bands round your arm, andthen reconstruct the crime and make you jump, and it’s registered on athermometer. I know that when they call out ‘Who killed Prince Michael?’
I shall register a hundred and twenty-two or something perfectly7 frightful8,and they’ll haul me off to jail at once.”
The door opened and Tredwell announced:
“Mr. George Lomax. Mr. Eversleigh.”
“Enter Codders, followed by faithful dog,” murmured Bundle.
Bill made a beeline for her, whilst George greeted Lord Caterham in thegenial manner he assumed for public occasions.
“My dear Caterham,” said George, shaking him by the hand, “I got yourmessage and came over, of course.”
“Very good of you, my dear fellow, very good of you. Delighted to seeyou.” Lord Caterham’s conscience always drove him on to an excess ofgeniality when he was conscious of feeling none. “Not that it was my mes-sage, but that doesn’t matter at all.”
In the meantime Bill was attacking Bundle in an undertone.
“I say. What’s it all about? What’s this I hear about Virginia bolting off inthe middle of the night? She’s not been kidnapped has she?”
“Oh, no,” said Bundle. “She left a note pinned to the pincushion in theorthodox fashion.”
“She’s not gone off with anyone, has she? Not with that Colonial Johnny?
I never liked the fellow, and, from all I hear, there seems to be an ideafloating around that he himself is the super-crook. But I don’t quite seehow that can be?”
“Why not?”
“Well, this King Victor was a French fellow, and Cade’s English enough.”
“You don’t happen to have heard that King Victor was an accomplishedlinguist, and, moreover, was half Irish?”
“Oh, Lord! Then that’s why he’s made himself scarce, is it?”
“I don’t know about his making himself scarce. He disappeared the daybefore yesterday, as you know. But this morning we got a wire from himsaying he would be down here at 9 p.m. tonight, and suggesting that Cod-ders should be asked over. All these other people have turned up as well—asked by Mr. Cade.”
“It is a gathering,” said Bill, looking round. “One French detective bywindow, one English ditto by fireplace. Strong foreign element. The Starsand Stripes don’t seem to be represented?”
Bundle shook her head.
“Mr. Fish has disappeared into the blue. Virginia’s not here either. Buteveryone else is assembled, and I have a feeling in my bones, Bill, that weare drawing very near to the moment when somebody says ‘James, thefootman,’ and everything is revealed. We’re only waiting now for AnthonyCade to arrive.”
“He’ll never show up,” said Bill.
“Then why call this company meeting, as Father calls it?”
“Ah, there’s some deep idea behind that. Depend upon it. Wants us allhere while he’s somewhere else—you know the sort of thing.”
“You don’t think he’ll come, then?”
“No fear. Run his head into the lion’s mouth? Why, the room’s bristlingwith detectives and high officials.”
“You don’t know much about King Victor, if you think that would deterhim. By all accounts, it’s the kind of situation he loves above all, and he al-ways manages to come out on top.”
Mr. Eversleigh shook his head doubtfully.
“That would take some doing—with the dice9 loaded against him. He’llnever—”
The door opened again and Tredwell announced:
“Mr. Cade.”
Anthony came straight across to his host.
“Lord Caterham,” he said, “I’m giving you a frightful lot of trouble, andI’m awfully10 sorry about it. But I really do think that tonight will see theclearing up of the mystery.”
Lord Caterham looked mollified. He had always had a secret liking11 forAnthony.
“No trouble at all,” he said heartily12.
“It’s very kind of you,” said Anthony. “We’re all here, I see. Then I canget on with the good work.”
“I don’t understand,” said George Lomax weightily. “I don’t understandin the least. This is all very irregular. Mr. Cade has no standing13—no stand-ing whatever. The position is a very difficult and delicate one. I amstrongly of the opinion—”
George’s flood of eloquence14 was arrested. Moving unobtrusively to thegreat man’s side, Superintendent15 Battle whispered a few words in his ear.
George looked perplexed16 and baffled.
“Very well, if you say so,” he remarked grudgingly17. Then added in alouder tone, “I’m sure we are all willing to listen to what Mr. Cade has tosay.”
Anthony ignored the palpable condescension18 of the other’s tone.
“It’s just a little idea of mine, that’s all,” he said cheerfully. “Probably allof you know that we got hold of a certain message in cipher19 the other day.
There was a reference to Richmond, and some numbers.” He paused.
“Well, we had a shot at solving it—and we failed. Now in the late CountStylptitch’s memoirs20 (which I happen to have read) there is a reference toa certain dinner—a ‘flower’ dinner which everyone attended wearing abadge representing a flower. The Count himself wore the exact duplicateof that curious device we found in the cavity in the secret passage. It rep-resented a rose. If you remember, it was all rows of things—buttons, letterEs, and finally rows of knitting. Now, gentlemen, what is there in thishouse that is arranged in rows? Books, isn’t that so? Add to that, that in thecatalogue of Lord Caterham’s library there is a book called The Life of theEarl of Richmond, and I think you will get a very fair idea of the hidingplace. Starting at the volume in question, and using the numbers to denoteshelves and books, I think you will find that the—er—object of our searchis concealed21 in a dummy22 book, or in a cavity behind a particular book.”
Anthony looked round modestly, obviously waiting for applause.
“Upon my word, that’s very ingenious,” said Lord Caterham.
“Quite ingenious,” admitted George condescendingly. “But it remains23 tobe seen—”
Anthony laughed.
“The proof of the pudding’s in the eating—eh? Well, I’ll soon settle thatfor you.” He sprang to his feet. “I’ll go to the library—”
He got no farther. M. Lemoine moved forward from the window.
“Just one moment, Mr. Cade. You permit, Lord Caterham?”
He went to the writing table, and hurriedly scribbled24 a few lines. Hesealed them up in an envelope, and then rang the bell. Tredwell appearedin answer to it. Lemoine handed him the note.
“See that that is delivered at once, if you please.”
“Very good, sir,” said Tredwell.
With his usual dignified25 tread he withdrew.
Anthony, who had been standing, irresolute26, sat down again.
“What’s the big idea, Lemoine?” he asked gently.
There was a sudden sense of strain in the atmosphere.
“If the jewel is where you say it is—well, it has been there for over sevenyears—a quarter of an hour more does not matter.”
“Go on,” said Anthony. “That wasn’t all you wanted to say?”
“No, it was not. At this juncture27 it is—unwise to permit any one personto leave the room. Especially if that person has rather questionable28 ante-cedents.”
Anthony raised his eyebrows29 and lighted a cigarette.
“I suppose a vagabond life is not very respectable,” he mused30.
“Two months ago, Mr. Cade, you were in South Africa. That is admitted.
Where were you before that?”
Anthony leaned back in his chair, idly blowing smoke rings.
“Canada. Wild Northwest.”
“Are you sure you were not in prison? A French prison?”
Automatically, Superintendent Battle moved a step nearer the door, as ifto cut off a retreat that way, but Anthony showed no signs of doing any-thing dramatic.
Instead, he stared at the French detective, and then burst out laughing.
“My poor Lemoine. It is a monomania with you! You do indeed see KingVictor everywhere. So you fancy that I am that interesting gentleman?”
“Do you deny it?”
Anthony brushed a fleck31 of ash from his coat sleeve.
“I never deny anything that amuses me,” he said lightly. “But the accusa-tion is really too ridiculous.”
“Ah! you think so?” The Frenchman leant forward. His face was twitch-ing painfully, and yet he seemed perplexed and baffled—as though some-thing in Anthony’s manner puzzled him. “What if I tell you, monsieur, thatthis time—this time—I am out to get King Victor, and nothing shall stopme!”
“Very laudable,” was Anthony’s comment. “You’ve been out to get himbefore, though, haven’t you, Lemoine? And he’s got the better of you.
Aren’t you afraid that that may happen again? He’s a slippery fellow, byall accounts.”
The conversation had developed into a duel32 between the detective andAnthony. Everyone else in the room was conscious of the tension. It was afight to a finish between the Frenchman, painfully in earnest, and the manwho smoked so calmly and whose words seemed to show that he had not acare in the world.
“If I were you, Lemoine,” continued Anthony, “I should be very, verycareful. Watch your step, and all that sort of thing.”
“This time,” said Lemoine grimly, “there will be no mistake.”
“You seem very sure about it all,” said Anthony. “But there’s such athing as evidence, you know.”
Lemoine smiled, and something in his smile seemed to attract Anthony’sattention. He sat up and stubbed out his cigarette.
“You saw that note I wrote just now?” said the French detective. “It wasto my people at the inn. Yesterday I received from France the fingerprintsand the Bertillon measurements of King Victor — the so- called CaptainO’Neill. I have asked for them to be sent up to me here. In a few minuteswe shall know whether you are the man!”
Anthony stared steadily33 at him. Then a little smile crept over his face.
“You’re really rather clever, Lemoine. I never thought of that. The docu-ments will arrive, you will induce me to dip my fingers in the ink, or some-thing equally unpleasant, and you will measure my ears and look for mydistinguishing marks. And if they agree—”
“Well,” said Lemoine, “if they agree—eh?”
Anthony leaned forward in his chair.
“Well, if they do agree,” he said very gently, “what then?”
“What then?” The detective seemed taken aback. “But — I shall haveproved then that you are King Victor!”
But for the first time, a shade of uncertainty34 crept into his manner.
“That will doubtless be a great satisfaction to you,” said Anthony. “But Idon’t quite see where it’s going to hurt me. I’m not admitting anything, butsupposing, just for the sake of argument, that I was King Victor—I mightbe trying to repent35, you know.”
“Repent?”
“That’s the idea. Put yourself in King Victor’s place, Lemoine. Use yourimagination. You’ve just come out of prison. You’re getting on in life.
You’ve lost the first fine rapture36 of the adventurous37 life. Say, even that youmeet a beautiful girl. You think of marrying and settling down somewherein the country where you can grow vegetable marrows38. You decide fromhenceforth to lead a blameless life. Put yourself in King Victor’s place.
Can’t you imagine feeling like that?”
“I do not think that I should feel like that,” said Lemoine with a sardonicsmile.
“Perhaps you wouldn’t,” admitted Anthony. “But then you’re not KingVictor, are you? You can’t possibly know what he feels like.”
“But it is nonsense, what you are saying there,” spluttered the French-man.
“Oh, no, it isn’t. Come now, Lemoine, if I’m King Victor, what have youagainst me after all? You could never get the necessary evidence in theold, old days, remember. I’ve served my sentence, and that’s all there is toit. I suppose you could arrest me for the French equivalent of ‘Loiteringwith intent to commit a felony,’ but that would be poor satisfaction,wouldn’t it?”
“You forget,” said Lemoine. “America! How about this business of ob-taining money under false pretences39, and passing yourself off as PrinceNicholas Obolovitch?”
“No good, Lemoine,” said Anthony, “I was nowhere near America at thetime. And I can prove that easily enough. If King Victor impersonatedPrince Nicholas in America, then I’m not King Victor. You’re sure he wasimpersonated? That it wasn’t the man himself?”
Superintendent Battle suddenly interposed.
“The man was an imposter all right, Mr. Cade.”
“I wouldn’t contradict you, Battle,” said Anthony. “You have such a habitof being always right. Are you equally sure that Prince Nicholas died inthe Congo?”
Battle looked at him curiously40.
“I wouldn’t swear to that, sir. But it’s generally believed.”
“Careful man. What’s your motto? Plenty of rope, eh? I’ve taken a leafout of your book. I’ve given M. Lemoine plenty of rope. I’ve not denied hisaccusations. But, all the same, I’m afraid he’s going to be disappointed.
You see I always believe in having something up one’s sleeve. Anticipatingthat some little unpleasantness might arise here, I took the precaution tobring a trump41 card along with me. It—or rather he—is upstairs.”
“Upstairs?” said Lord Caterham, very interested.
“Yes, he’s been having rather a trying time of it lately, poor fellow. Got anasty bump on the head from someone. I’ve been looking after him.”
Suddenly the deep voice of Mr. Isaacstein broke in: “Can we guess whohe is?”
“If you like,” said Anthony, “but—”
Lemoine interrupted with sudden ferocity:
“All this is foolery. You think to outwit me yet again. It may be true whatyou say—that you were not in America. You are too clever to say it if itwere not true. But there is something else. Murder! Yes, murder. Themurder of Prince Michael. He interfered42 with you that night as you werelooking for the jewel.”
“Lemoine, have you ever known King Victor do murder?” Anthony’svoice rang out sharply. “You know as well—better than I do, that he hasnever shed blood.”
“Who else but you could have murdered him?” cried Lemoine. “Tell methat!”
The last word died on his lips, as a shrill43 whistle sounded from the ter-race outside. Anthony sprang up, all his assumed nonchalance44 laid aside.
“You ask me who murdered Prince Michael?” he cried. “I won’t tell you—I’ll show you. That whistle was the signal I’ve been waiting for. The mur-derer of Prince Michael is in the library now.”
He sprang out through the window, and the others followed him as heled the way round the terrace, until they came to the library window. Hepushed the window, and it yielded to his touch.
Very softly he held aside the thick curtain, so that they could look intothe room.
Standing by the bookcase was a dark figure, hurriedly pulling out andreplacing volumes, so absorbed in the task that no outside sound washeeded.
And then, as they stood watching, trying to recognize the figure that wasvaguely silhouetted45 against the light of the electric torch it carried,someone sprang past them with a sound like the roar of a wild beast.
The torch fell to the ground, was extinguished, and the sounds of a ter-rific struggle filled the room. Lord Caterham groped his way to the lightsand switched them on.
Two figures were swaying together. And as they looked the end came.
The short sharp crack of a pistol shot, and the small figure crumbled46 upand fell. The other figure turned and faced them—it was Boris, his eyesalight with rage.
“She killed my master,” he growled47. “Now she tries to shoot me. I wouldhave taken the pistol from her and shot her, but it went off in the struggle.
St. Michael directed it. The evil woman is dead.”
“A woman?” cried George Lomax.
They drew nearer. On the floor, the pistol still clasped in her hand, andan expression of deadly malignity48 on her face, lay—Mademoiselle Brun.
点击
收听单词发音
收听单词发音 |
1
chamber
|
|
| n.房间，寝室；会议厅；议院；会所 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
2
fatiguing
|
|
| a.使人劳累的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
3
hospitable
|
|
| adj.好客的；宽容的；有利的，适宜的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
4
larches
|
|
| n.落叶松（木材）( larch的名词复数 ) | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
5
villa
|
|
| n.别墅，城郊小屋 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
6
dodges
|
|
| n.闪躲( dodge的名词复数 )；躲避；伎俩；妙计v.闪躲( dodge的第三人称单数 )；回避 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
7
perfectly
|
|
| adv.完美地，无可非议地，彻底地 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
8
frightful
|
|
| adj.可怕的；讨厌的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
9
dice
|
|
| n.骰子；vt.把（食物）切成小方块，冒险 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
10
awfully
|
|
| adv.可怕地，非常地，极端地 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
11
liking
|
|
| n.爱好；嗜好；喜欢 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
12
heartily
|
|
| adv.衷心地，诚恳地，十分，很 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
13
standing
|
|
| n.持续，地位；adj.永久的，不动的，直立的，不流动的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
14
eloquence
|
|
| n.雄辩；口才，修辞 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
15
superintendent
|
|
| n.监督人，主管，总监；(英国)警务长 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
16
perplexed
|
|
| adj.不知所措的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
17
grudgingly
|
|
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
18
condescension
|
|
| n.自以为高人一等，贬低(别人) | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
19
cipher
|
|
| n.零；无影响力的人；密码 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
20
memoirs
|
|
| n.回忆录；回忆录传( mem,自oir的名词复数) | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
21
concealed
|
|
| a.隐藏的，隐蔽的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
22
dummy
|
|
| n.假的东西；(哄婴儿的)橡皮奶头 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
23
remains
|
|
| n.剩余物，残留物；遗体，遗迹 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
24
scribbled
|
|
| v.潦草的书写( scribble的过去式和过去分词 )；乱画；草草地写；匆匆记下 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
25
dignified
|
|
| a.可敬的，高贵的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
26
irresolute
|
|
| adj.无决断的，优柔寡断的，踌躇不定的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
27
juncture
|
|
| n.时刻，关键时刻，紧要关头 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
28
questionable
|
|
| adj.可疑的，有问题的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
29
eyebrows
|
|
| 眉毛( eyebrow的名词复数 ) | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
30
mused
|
|
| v.沉思，冥想( muse的过去式和过去分词 )；沉思自语说（某事） | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
31
fleck
|
|
| n.斑点，微粒 vt.使有斑点，使成斑驳 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
32
duel
|
|
| n./v.决斗；(双方的)斗争 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
33
steadily
|
|
| adv.稳定地；不变地；持续地 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
34
uncertainty
|
|
| n.易变，靠不住，不确知，不确定的事物 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
35
repent
|
|
| v.悔悟，悔改，忏悔，后悔 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
36
rapture
|
|
| n.狂喜；全神贯注；着迷；v.使狂喜 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
37
adventurous
|
|
| adj.爱冒险的；惊心动魄的，惊险的，刺激的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
38
marrows
|
|
| n.骨髓（marrow的复数形式） | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
|
39
pretences
|
|
| n.假装( pretence的名词复数 )；作假；自命；自称 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
40
curiously
|
|
| adv.有求知欲地；好问地；奇特地 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
41
trump
|
|
| n.王牌，法宝；v.打出王牌，吹喇叭 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
42
interfered
|
|
| v.干预( interfere的过去式和过去分词 )；调停；妨碍；干涉 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
43
shrill
|
|
| adj.尖声的；刺耳的；v尖叫 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
44
nonchalance
|
|
| n.冷淡，漠不关心 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
45
silhouetted
|
|
| 显出轮廓的，显示影像的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
46
crumbled
|
|
| （把…）弄碎， （使）碎成细屑( crumble的过去式和过去分词 )； 衰落； 坍塌； 损坏 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
47
growled
|
|
| v.（动物）发狺狺声， （雷）作隆隆声( growl的过去式和过去分词 )；低声咆哮着说 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
48
malignity
|
|
| n.极度的恶意，恶毒；（病的）恶性 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
| 欢迎访问英文小说网 |