“You owe us an explanation, I think, Mr. Cade,” said Herman Isaacstein,somewhat later in the evening.
“There’s nothing much to explain,” said Anthony modestly. “I went toDover and Fish followed me under the impression that I was King Victor.
We found a mysterious stranger imprisoned1 there, and as soon as weheard his story we knew where we were. The same idea again, you see.
The real man kidnapped, and the false one—in this case King Victor him-self—takes his place. But it seems that Battle here always thought therewas something fishy2 about his French colleague, and wired to Paris for hisfingerprints and other means of identification.”
“Ah!” cried the Baron4. “The fingerprints3. The Bertillon measurementsthat that scoundrel talked about?”
“It was a clever idea,” said Anthony. “I admired it so much that I feltforced to play it up. Besides, my doing so puzzled the false Lemoineenormously. You see, as soon as I had given the tip about the ‘rows’ andwhere the jewel really was, he was keen to pass on the news to his accom-plice, and at the same time to keep us all in that room. The note was reallyto Mademoiselle Brun. He told Tredwell to deliver it at once, and Tredwelldid so by taking it upstairs to the schoolroom. Lemoine accused me of be-ing King Victor, by that means creating a diversion and preventing anyonefrom leaving the room. By the time all that had been cleared up and weadjourned to the library to look for the stone, he flattered himself that thestone would be no longer there to find!”
George cleared his throat.
“I must say, Mr. Cade,” he said pompously6, “that I consider your actionin that matter highly reprehensible7. If the slightest hitch8 had occurred inyour plans, one of our national possessions might have disappeared bey-ond the hope of recovery. It was foolhardy, Mr. Cade, reprehensibly fool-hardy.”
“I guess you haven’t tumbled to the little idea, Mr. Lomax,” said thedrawling voice of Mr. Fish. “That historic diamond was never behind thebooks in the library.”
“Never?”
“Not on your life.”
“You see,” explained Anthony, “that little device of Count Stylptitch’sstood for what it had originally stood for—a rose. When that dawned uponme on Monday afternoon, I went straight to the rose garden. Mr. Fish hadalready tumbled to the same idea. If, standing9 with your back to the sun-dial, you take seven paces straight forward, then eight to the left and threeto the right, you come to some bushes of a bright red rose called Rich-mond. The house has been ransacked10 to find the hiding place, but nobodyhas thought of digging in the garden. I suggest a little digging party tomor-row morning.”
“Then the story about the books in the library—”
“An invention of mine to trap the lady. Mr. Fish kept watch on the ter-race, and whistled when the psychological moment had arrived. I may saythat Mr. Fish and I established martial11 law at the Dover house, and pre-vented the Comrades from communicating with the false Lemoine. Hesent them an order to clear out, and word was conveyed to him that thishad been done. So he went happily ahead with his plans for denouncingme.”
“Well, well,” said Lord Caterham cheerfully, “everything seems to havebeen cleared up most satisfactorily.”
“Everything but one thing,” said Mr. Isaacstein.
“What is that?”
The great financier looked steadily13 at Anthony.
“What did you get me down here for? Just to assist at a dramatic sceneas an interested onlooker14?”
Anthony shook his head.
“No, Mr. Isaacstein. You are a busy man whose time is money. Why didyou come down here originally?”
“To negotiate a loan.”
“With whom?”
“Prince Michael of Herzoslovakia.”
“Exactly. Prince Michael is dead. Are your prepared to offer the sameloan on the same terms to his cousin Nicholas?”
“Can you produce him? I thought he was killed in the Congo?”
“He was killed all right. I killed him. Oh, no, I’m not a murderer. When Isay I killed him, I mean that I spread the report of his death. I promise youa prince, Mr. Isaacstein. Will I do?”
“You?”
“Yes, I’m the man. Nicholas Sergius Alexander Ferdinand Obolovitch.
Rather long for the kind of life I proposed to live, so I emerged from theCongo as plain Anthony Cade.”
Little Captain Andrassy sprang up.
“But this is incredible — incredible,” he spluttered. “Have a care, sir,what you say.”
“I can give you plenty of proofs,” said Anthony quietly. “I think I shall beable to convince the Baron here.”
The Baron lifted his hand.
“Your proofs I will examine, yes. But of them for me there is no need.
Your word alone sufficient for me is. Besides, your English mother youmuch resemble. All along have I said: ‘This young man on one side or theother most highly born is.’ ”
“You have always trusted my word, Baron,” said Anthony. “I can assureyou that in the days to come I shall not forget.”
Then he looked over at Superintendent15 Battle, whose face had remainedperfectly expressionless.
“You can understand,” said Anthony with a smile, “that my position hasbeen extremely precarious16. Of all of those in the house I might be sup-posed to have the best reason for wishing Michael Obolovitch out of theway, since I was the next heir to the throne. I’ve been extraordinarilyafraid of Battle all along. I always felt that he suspected me, but that hewas held up by lack of motive17.”
“I never believed for a minute that you’d shot him, sir,” said Superin-tendent Battle. “We’ve got a feeling in such matters. But I knew that youwere afraid of something, and you puzzled me. If I’d known sooner whoyou really were I daresay I’d have yielded to the evidence, and arrestedyou.”
“I’m glad I managed to keep one guilty secret from you. You wormedeverything else out of me all right. You’re a damned good man at your jobBattle. I shall always think of Scotland Yard with respect.”
“Most amazing,” muttered George. “Most amazing story I ever heard. I—I can really hardly believe it. You are quite sure, Baron, that—”
“My dear Mr. Lomax,” said Anthony, with a slight hardness in his tone,“I have no intention of asking the British Foreign Office to support myclaim without bringing forward the most convincing documentary evid-ence. I suggest that we adjourn5 now, and that you, the Baron, Mr. Isaac-stein and myself discuss the terms of the proposed loan.”
The Baron rose to his feet, and clicked his heels together.
“It will be the proudest moment of my life, sir,” he said solemnly, “whenI see you King of Herzoslovakia.”
“Oh, by the way, Baron,” said Anthony carelessly, slipping his handthrough the other’s arm, “I forgot to tell you. There’s a string tied to this.
I’m married, you know.”
The Baron retreated a step or two. Dismay overspread his countenance18.
“Something wrong I knew there would be,” he boomed. “Merciful God inheaven! He has married a black woman in Africa!”
“Come, come, it’s not so bad as all that,” said Anthony laughing. “She’swhite enough—white all through, bless her.”
“Good. A respectable morganatic affair it can be, then.”
“Not a bit of it. She’s to play Queen to my King. It’s no use shaking yourhead. She’s fully12 qualified19 for the post. She’s the daughter of an Englishpeer who dates back to the time of the Conqueror20. It’s very fashionablejust now for royalties21 to marry into the aristocracy—and she knows some-thing of Herzoslovakia.”
“My God!” cried George Lomax, startled out of his usual careful speech.
“Not—not—Virginia Revel22?”
“Yes,” said Anthony. “Virginia Revel.”
“My dear fellow,” cried Lord Caterham, “I mean—sir, I congratulate you.
I do indeed. A delightful23 creature.”
“Thank you, Lord Caterham,” said Anthony. “She’s all you say andmore.”
But Mr. Isaacstein was regarding him curiously24.
“You’ll excuse my asking your Highness, but when did this marriagetake place?”
Anthony smiled back at him.
“As a matter of fact,” he said, “I married her this morning.”
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1
imprisoned
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| 下狱，监禁( imprison的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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2
fishy
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| adj. 值得怀疑的 | |
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fingerprints
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| n.指纹( fingerprint的名词复数 )v.指纹( fingerprint的第三人称单数 ) | |
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baron
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| n.男爵；(商业界等)巨头，大王 | |
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adjourn
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| v.（使）休会，（使）休庭 | |
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6
pompously
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| adv.傲慢地，盛大壮观地；大模大样 | |
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reprehensible
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| adj.该受责备的 | |
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hitch
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| v.免费搭(车旅行)；系住；急提；n.故障；急拉 | |
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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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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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martial
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| adj.战争的，军事的，尚武的，威武的 | |
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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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steadily
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| adv.稳定地；不变地；持续地 | |
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onlooker
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| n.旁观者，观众 | |
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15
superintendent
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| n.监督人，主管，总监；(英国)警务长 | |
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precarious
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| adj.不安定的，靠不住的；根据不足的 | |
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motive
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| n.动机，目的；adv.发动的，运动的 | |
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18
countenance
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| n.脸色，面容；面部表情；vt.支持，赞同 | |
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qualified
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| adj.合格的，有资格的，胜任的，有限制的 | |
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conqueror
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| n.征服者，胜利者 | |
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royalties
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| 特许权使用费 | |
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revel
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| vi.狂欢作乐，陶醉；n.作乐，狂欢 | |
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delightful
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| adj.令人高兴的，使人快乐的 | |
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curiously
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| adv.有求知欲地；好问地；奇特地 | |
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