It would be as well to pass over the sufferings of the next four hours asquickly as possible. Bundle found her position extremely cramped1. Shehad judged that the meeting, if meeting there was to be, would take placeat a time when the club was in full swing—somewhere probably betweenthe hours of midnight and two a.m.
She was just deciding that it must be at least six o’clock in the morningwhen a welcome sound come to her ears, the sound of the unlocking of adoor.
In another minute the electric light was switched on. The hum of voices,which had come to her for a minute or two, rather like the far-off roar ofsea waves, ceased as suddenly as it had begun, and Bundle heard thesound of a bolt being shot. Clearly someone had come in from the gamingroom next door, and she paid tribute to the thoroughness with which thecommunicating door had been rendered soundproof.
In another minute the intruder came into her line of vision—a line ofvision that was necessarily somewhat incomplete but which yet answeredits purpose. A tall man, broad-shouldered and powerful looking, with along black beard, Bundle remembered having seen him sitting at one ofthe baccarat tables on the preceding night.
This, then, was Alfred’s mysterious Russian gentleman, the proprietor2 ofthe club, the sinister3 Mr. Mosgorovsky. Bundle’s heart beat faster with ex-citement. So little did she resemble her father that at this minute she fairlygloried in the extreme discomfort4 of her position.
The Russian remained for some minutes standing5 by the table, strokinghis beard. Then he drew a watch from his pocket and glanced at the time.
Nodding his head as though satisfied, he again thrust his hand into hispocket and, pulling out something that Bundle could not see, he moved outof the line of vision.
When he reappeared she could hardly help giving a gasp6 of surprise.
His face was now covered by a mask—but hardly a mask in the conven-tional sense. It was not shaped to the face. It was a mere7 piece of materialhanging in front of the features like a curtain in which two slits8 werepierced for the eyes. In shape it was round and on it was the representa-tion of a clock face, with the hands pointing to six o’clock.
“The Seven Dials!” said Bundle to herself.
And at that minute there came a new sound—seven muffled9 taps.
Mosgorovsky strode across to where Bundle knew was the other cup-board door. She heard a sharp click, and then the sound of greetings in aforeign tongue.
Presently she had a view of the newcomers.
They also wore clock masks, but in their case the hands were in a differ-ent position—four o’clock and five o’clock respectively. Both men were inevening dress—but with a difference. One was an elegant, slender youngman wearing evening clothes of exquisite10 cut. The grace with which hemoved was foreign rather than English. The other man could be better de-scribed as wiry and lean. His clothes fitted him sufficiently11 well, but nomore, and Bundle guessed at his nationality even before she heard hisvoice.
“I reckon we’re the first to arrive at this little meeting.”
A full pleasant voice with a slight American drawl, and an inflection ofIrish behind it.
The elegant young man said in good, but slightly stilted12 English:
“I had much difficulty in getting away tonight. These things do not al-ways arrange themselves fortunately. I am not, like No 4 here, my ownmaster.”
Bundle tried to guess at his nationality. Until he spoke13, she had thoughthe might be French, but the accent was not a French one. He might pos-sibly, she thought, be an Austrian, or a Hungarian, or even a Russian.
The American moved to the other side of the table, and Bundle heard achair being pulled out.
“One o’clock’s being a great success,” he said. “I congratulate you on tak-ing the risk.”
Five o’clock shrugged14 his shoulders.
“Unless one takes risks—” He left the sentence unfinished.
Again seven taps sounded and Mosgorovsky moved across to the secretdoor.
She failed to catch anything definite for some moments since the wholecompany were out of sight, but presently she heard the bearded Russian’svoice upraised.
“Shall we begin proceedings15?”
He himself came round the table and took the seat next to the armchairat the top. Sitting thus, he was directly facing Bundle’s cupboard. The eleg-ant five o’clock took the place next to him. The third chair that side wasout of Bundle’s sight, but the American, No 4, moved into her line of visionfor a moment or two before he sat down.
On the near side of the table also, only two chairs were visible, and asshe watched a hand turned the second—really the middle chair—down.
And then with a swift movement, one of the newcomers brushed past thecupboard and took the chair opposite Mosgorovsky. Whoever sat therehad, of course, their back directly turned to Bundle—and it was at thatback that Bundle was staring with a good deal of interest, for it was theback of a singularly beautiful woman very much décolleté.
It was she who spoke first. Her voice was musical, foreign—with a deepseductive note in it. She was glancing towards the empty chair at the headof the table.
“So we are not to see No 7 tonight?” she said. “Tell me, my friends, shallwe ever see him?”
“That’s darned good,” said the American. “Darned good! As for seveno’clock—I’m beginning to believe there is no such person.”
“I should not advise you to think that, my friend,” said the Russianpleasantly.
There was a silence—rather an uncomfortable silence, Bundle felt.
She was still staring as though fascinated at the beautiful back in frontof her. There was a tiny black mole16 just below the right shoulder bladethat enhanced the whiteness of the skin. Bundle felt that at last the term“beautiful adventuress,” so often read, had a real meaning for her. Shewas quite certain that this woman had a beautiful face—a dark Slavonicface with passionate17 eyes.
She was recalled from her imagining by the voice of the Russian, whoseemed to act as master of ceremonies.
“Shall we get on with our business? First to our absent comrade! No 2!”
He made a curious gesture with his hand towards the turned downchair next to the woman, which everyone present imitated, turning to thechair as they did so.
“I wish No 2 were with us tonight,” he continued. “There are manythings to be done. Unsuspected difficulties have arisen.”
“Have you had his report?” It was the American who spoke.
“As yet—I have nothing from him.” There was a pause. “I cannot under-stand it.”
“You think it may have—gone astray?”
“That is—a possibility.”
“In other words,” said five o’clock softly, “there is—danger.”
He spoke the word delicately—and yet with relish18.
The Russian nodded emphatically.
“Yes—there’s danger. Too much is getting known about us—about thisplace. I know of several people who suspect.” He added coldly: “They mustbe silenced.”
Bundle felt a little cold shiver pass down her spine19. If she were to befound, would she be silenced? She was recalled suddenly to attention by aword.
“So nothing has come to light about Chimneys?”
Mosgorovsky shook his head.
“Nothing.”
Suddenly No 5 leant forward.
“I agree with Anna; where is our president—No 7? He who called us intobeing. Why do we never see him?”
“No 7,” said the Russian, “has his own ways of working.”
“So you always say.”
“I will say no more,” said Mosgorovsky. “I pity the man—or woman—who comes up against him.”
There was an awkward silence.
“We must get on with our business,” said Mosgorovsky quietly. “No 3,you have the plans of Wyvern Abbey?”
Bundle strained her ears. So far she had neither caught a glimpse of No3, nor had she heard his voice. She heard it now and recognized it as un-mistakable. Low, pleasant, indistinct—the voice of a well-bred English-man.
“I’ve got them here, sir.”
Some papers were shoved across the table. Everyone bent20 forward.
Presently Mosgorovsky raised his head again.
“And the list of guests?”
“Here.”
The Russian read them.
“Sir Stanley Digby. Mr. Terence O’Rourke. Sir Oswald and Lady Coote.
Mr. Bateman. Countess Anna Radzky. Mrs. Macatta. Mr. James Thesiger—”
He paused and then asked sharply:
“Who is Mr. James Thesiger?”
The American laughed.
“I guess you needn’t worry any about him. The usual complete youngass.”
The Russian continued reading.
“Herr Eberhard and Mr. Eversleigh. That completes the list.”
“Does it?” said Bundle silently. “What about that sweet girl, Lady EileenBrent?”
“Yes, there seems nothing to worry about there,” said Mosgorovsky. Helooked across the table. “I suppose there’s no doubt whatever about thevalue of Eberhard’s invention?”
Three o’clock made a laconic21 British reply.
“None whatever.”
“Commercially it should be worth millions,” said the Russian. “And in-ternationally—well, one knows only too well the greed of nations.”
Bundle had an idea that behind his mask he was smiling unpleasantly.
“Yes,” he went on. “A gold mine.”
“Well worth a few lives,” said No 5, cynically22, and laughed.
“But you know what inventors are,” said the American. “Sometimesthese darned things won’t work.”
“A man like Sir Oswald Coote will have made no mistake,” said Mos-gorovsky.
“Speaking as an aviator23 myself,” said No 5, “the thing is perfectly24 feas-ible. It has been discussed for years—but it needed the genius of Eberhardto bring it to fruition.”
“Well,” said Mosgorovsky, “I don’t think we need discuss matters anyfurther. You have all seen the plans. I do not think our original schemecan be bettered. By the way, I hear something about a letter of GeraldWade’s that has been found — a letter that mentions this organization.
Who found it?”
“Lord Caterham’s daughter—Lady Eileen Brent.”
“Bauer should have been on to that,” said Mosgorovsky. “It was carelessof him. Who was the letter written to?”
“His sister, I believe,” said No 3.
“Unfortunate,” said Mosgorovsky. “But it cannot be helped. The inqueston Ronald Devereux is tomorrow. I suppose that has been arranged for?”
“Reports as to local lads having been practising with rifles have beenspread everywhere,” said the American.
“That should be all right then. I think there is nothing further to be said.
I think we must all congratulate our dear one o’clock and wish her luck inthe part she has to play.”
“Hurrah!” cried No 5. “To Anna!”
All hands flew out in the same gesture which Bundle had noticed before.
“To Anna!”
One o’clock acknowledged the salutation with a typically foreign ges-ture. Then she rose to her feet and the others followed suit. For the firsttime, Bundle caught a glimpse of No 3 as he came to put Anna’s cloakround her—a tall, heavily built man.
Then the party filed out through the secret door. Mosgorovsky secured itafter them. He waited a few moments and then Bundle heard him unboltthe other door and pass through after extinguishing the electric light.
It was not until two hours later that a white and anxious Alfred came torelease Bundle. She almost fell into his arms and he had to hold her up.
“Nothing,” said Bundle. “Just stiff, that’s all. Here, let me sit down.”
“Oh, Gord, my lady, it’s been awful.”
“Nonsense,” said Bundle. “It all went off splendidly. Don’t get the windup now it’s all over. It might have gone wrong, but thank goodness itdidn’t.”
“Thank goodness, as you say, my lady. I’ve been in a twitter all the even-ing. They’re a funny crowd, you know.”
“A damned funny crowd,” said Bundle, vigorously massaging25 her armsand legs. “As a matter of fact, they’re the sort of crowd I always imagineduntil tonight only existed in books. In this life, Alfred, one never stopslearning.”
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cramped
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| a.狭窄的 | |
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proprietor
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| n.所有人；业主；经营者 | |
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sinister
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| adj.不吉利的，凶恶的，左边的 | |
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discomfort
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| n.不舒服，不安，难过，困难，不方便 | |
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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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gasp
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| n.喘息，气喘；v.喘息；气吁吁他说 | |
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mere
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| adj.纯粹的；仅仅，只不过 | |
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slits
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| n.狭长的口子，裂缝( slit的名词复数 )v.切开，撕开( slit的第三人称单数 )；在…上开狭长口子 | |
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muffled
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| adj.（声音）被隔的；听不太清的；（衣服）裹严的；蒙住的v.压抑，捂住( muffle的过去式和过去分词 )；用厚厚的衣帽包着（自己） | |
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exquisite
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| adj.精美的；敏锐的；剧烈的，感觉强烈的 | |
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sufficiently
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| adv.足够地，充分地 | |
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stilted
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| adj.虚饰的；夸张的 | |
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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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shrugged
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| vt.耸肩（shrug的过去式与过去分词形式） | |
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proceedings
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| n.进程，过程，议程；诉讼(程序)；公报 | |
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mole
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| n.胎块；痣；克分子 | |
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passionate
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| adj.热情的，热烈的，激昂的，易动情的，易怒的，性情暴躁的 | |
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relish
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| n.滋味，享受，爱好，调味品；vt.加调味料，享受，品味；vi.有滋味 | |
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spine
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| n.脊柱，脊椎；(动植物的)刺；书脊 | |
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bent
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| n.爱好，癖好；adj.弯的；决心的，一心的 | |
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laconic
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| adj.简洁的；精练的 | |
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cynically
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aviator
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| n.飞行家，飞行员 | |
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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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massaging
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| 按摩，推拿( massage的现在分词 ) | |
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