Harry1 listened attentively2 whilst I recounted all the events that I have nar-rated in these pages. The thing that bewildered and astonished him mostwas to find that all along the diamonds had been in my possession—orrather in Suzanne’s. That was a fact he had never suspected. Of course,after hearing his story, I realized the point of Carton’s little arrangement—or rather Nadina’s, since I had no doubt that it was her brain which hadconceived the plan. No surprise tactics executed against her or her hus-band could result in the seizure3 of the diamonds. The secret was locked inher own brain, and the “Colonel” was not likely to guess that they hadbeen entrusted4 to the keeping of an ocean steward5!
Harry’s vindication6 from the old charge of theft seemed assured. It wasthe other graver charge that paralysed all our activities. For, as thingsstood, he could not come out in the open to prove his case.
The one thing we came back to, again and again, was the identity of the“Colonel.” Was he, or was he not, Guy Pagett?
“I should say he was but for one thing,” said Harry. “It seems prettymuch of a certainty that it was Pagett who murdered Anita Grünberg atMarlow—and that certainly lends colour to the supposition that he is actu-ally the ‘Colonel,’ since Anita’s business was not of the nature to be dis-cussed with a subordinate. No—the only thing that militates against thattheory is the attempt to put you out of the way the night of your arrivalhere. You saw Pagett left behind at Cape7 Town—by no possible meanscould he have arrived here before the following Wednesday. He is un-likely to have any emissaries in this part of the world, and all his planswere laid to deal with you in Cape Town. He might, of course, have cabledinstructions to some lieutenant8 of his in Johannesburg, who could havejoined the Rhodesian train at Mafeking, but his instructions would havehad to be particularly definite to allow of that note being written.”
We sat silent for a moment, then Harry went on slowly:
“You say that Mrs. Blair was asleep when you left the hotel and that youheard Sir Eustace dictating9 to Miss Pettigrew? Where was Colonel Race?”
“I could not find him anywhere.”
“Had he any reason to believe that—you and I might be friendly witheach other?”
“He might have had,” I answered thoughtfully, remembering our con-versation on the way back from the Matopos. “He’s a very powerful per-sonality,” I continued, “but not at all my idea of the ‘Colonel.’ And, any-way, such an idea would be absurd. He’s in the Secret Service.”
“How do we know that he is? It’s the easiest thing in the world to throwout a hint of that kind. No one contradicts it, and the rumour10 spreads untileveryone believes it as gospel truth. It provides an excuse for all sorts ofdoubtful doings. Anne, do you like Race?”
“I do—and I don’t. He repels11 me and at the same time fascinates me; butI know one thing, I’m always a little afraid of him.”
“He was in South Africa, you know, at the time of the Kimberley rob-bery,” said Harry slowly.
“But it was he who told Suzanne all about the ‘Colonel’ and how he hadbeen in Paris trying to get on his track.”
“Camouflage—of a particularly clever kind.”
“But where does Pagett come in? Is he in Race’s pay?”
“Perhaps,” said Harry slowly, “he doesn’t come in at all.”
“What?”
“Think back, Anne. Did you ever hear Pagett’s own account of that nighton the Kilmorden?”
“Yes—through Sir Eustace.”
I repeated it. Harry listened closely.
“He saw a man coming from the direction of Sir Eustace’s cabin and fol-lowed him up on deck. Is that what he says? Now, who had the cabin op-posite to Sir Eustace? Colonel Race. Supposing Colonel Race crept up ondeck, and, foiled in his attack on you, fled round the deck and met Pagettjust coming through the saloon door. He knocks him down and springs in-side, closing the door. We dash round and find Pagett lying there. How’sthat?”
“You forget that he declares positively12 it was you who knocked himdown.”
“Well, suppose that just as he regains13 consciousness he sees me disap-pearing in the distance? Wouldn’t he take it for granted that I was his as-sailant? Especially as he thought all along it was I he was following?”
“It’s possible, yes,” I said slowly. “But it alters all our ideas. And thereare other things.”
“Most of them are open to explanation. The man who followed you inCape Town spoke14 to Pagett, and Pagett looked at his watch. The man mighthave merely asked him the time.”
“It was just a coincidence, you mean?”
“Not exactly. There’s a method in all this, connecting Pagett with the af-fair. Why was the Mill House chosen for the murder? Was it because Pa-gett had been in Kimberley when the diamonds were stolen? Would hehave been made the scapegoat15 if I had not appeared so providentiallyupon the scene?”
“Then you think he may be entirely16 innocent?”
“It looks like it, but, if so, we’ve got to find out what he was doing inMarlow. If he’s got a reasonable explanation of that, we’re on the righttrack.”
He got up.
“It’s past midnight. Turn in, Anne, and get some sleep. Just before dawnI’ll take you over in the boat. You must catch the train at Livingstone. I’vegot a friend there who will keep you hidden away until the train starts.
You go to Bulawayo and catch the Beira train there. I can find out from myfriend in Livingstone what’s going on at the hotel and where your friendsare now.”
“Beira,” I said meditatively17.
“Yes, Anne, it’s Beira for you. This is man’s work. Leave it to me.”
We had had a momentary18 respite19 from emotion whilst we talked thesituation out, but it was on us again now. We did not even look at eachother.
“Very well,” I said, and passed into the hut.
I lay down on the skin-covered couch, but I didn’t sleep, and outside Icould hear Harry Rayburn pacing up and down, up and down through thelong dark hours. At last he called me:
“Come, Anne, it’s time to go.”
I got up and came out obediently. It was still quite dark, but I knew thatdawn was not far off.
“We’ll take the canoe, not the motorboat—” Harry began, when sud-denly he stopped dead and held up his hand.
“Hush! What’s that?”
I listened, but could hear nothing. His ears were sharper than mine,however, the ears of a man who has lived long in the wilderness20.
Presently I heard it too—the faint splash of paddles in the water comingfrom the direction of the right bank of the river and rapidly approachingour little landing stage.
We strained our eyes in the darkness, and could make out a dark bluron the surface of the water. It was a boat. Then there was a momentaryspurt of flame. Someone had struck a match. By its light I recognized onefigure, the red-bearded Dutchman of the villa22 at Muizenberg. The otherswere natives.
“Quick—back to the hut.”
Harry swept me back with him. He took down a couple of rifles and arevolver from the wall.
“Can you load a rifle?”
“I never have. Show me how.”
I grasped his instructions well enough. We closed the door and Harrystood by the window which overlooked the landing stage. The boat wasjust about to run alongside it.
“Who’s that?” called out Harry, in a ringing voice.
Any doubt we might have had as to our visitors’ intentions was swiftlyresolved. A hail of bullets splattered round us. Fortunately neither of uswas hit. Harry raised the rifle. It spat23 murderously, and again and again. Iheard two groans24 and a splash.
“That’s given ’em something to think about,” he muttered grimly, as hereached for the second rifle. “Stand well back, Anne, for God’s sake. Andload quickly.”
More bullets. One just grazed Harry’s cheek. His answering fire wasmore deadly than theirs. I had the rifle reloaded when he turned for it. Hecaught me close with his left arm and kissed me once savagely25 before heturned to the window again. Suddenly he uttered a shout.
“They’re going—had enough of it. They’re a good mark out there on thewater, and they can’t see how many of us there are. They’re routed for themoment—but they’ll come back. We’ll have to get ready for them.” Heflung down the rifle and turned to me.
“Anne! You beauty! You wonder! You little queen! As brave as a lion.
Black-haired witch!”
He caught me in his arms. He kissed my hair, my eyes, my mouth.
“And now to business,” he said, suddenly releasing me. “Get out thosetins of paraffin.”
I did as I was told. He was busy inside the hut. Presently I saw him onthe roof of the hut, crawling along with something in his arms. He re-joined me in a minute or two.
“Go down to the boat. We’ll have to carry it across the island to the otherside.”
He picked up the paraffin as I disappeared.
“They’re coming back,” I called softly. I had seen the blur21 moving outfrom the opposite shore.
He ran down to me.
“Just in time. Why—where the hell’s the boat?”
Both had been cut adrift. Harry whistled softly.
“We’re in a tight place, honey. Mind?”
“Not with you.”
“Ah, but dying together’s not much fun. We’ll do better than that. See—they’ve got two boatloads this time. Going to land at two different points.
Now for my little scenic26 effect.”
Almost as he spoke a long flame shot up from the hut. Its light illumin-ated two crouching27 figures huddled28 together on the roof.
“My old clothes—stuffed with rags—but they won’t tumble to it for sometime. Come, Anne, we’ve got to try desperate means.”
Hand in hand, we raced across the island. Only a narrow channel of wa-ter divided it from the shore on that side.
“We’ve got to swim for it. Can you swim at all, Anne? Not that it matters.
I can get you across. It’s the wrong side for a boat—too many rocks, butthe right side for swimming, and the right side for Livingstone.”
“I can swim a little—further than that. What’s the danger, Harry?” For Ihad seen the grim look on his face. “Sharks?”
“No, you little goose. Sharks live in the sea. But you’re sharp, Anne.
Crocs, that’s the trouble.”
“Crocodiles?”
“Yes, don’t think of them—or say your prayers, whichever you feel in-clined.”
We plunged29 in. My prayers must have been efficacious, for we reachedthe shore without adventure, and drew ourselves up wet and dripping onthe bank.
“Now for Livingstone. It’s rough going, I’m afraid, and wet clothes won’tmake it any better. But it’s got to be done.”
That walk was a nightmare. My wet skirts flapped round my legs, andmy stockings were soon torn off by the thorns. Finally, I stopped, utterlyexhausted. Harry came back to me.
“Hold up, honey. I’ll carry you for a bit.”
That was the way I came into Livingstone, slung30 acrossd his shoulderlike a sack of coals. How he did it for all that way, I don’t know. The firstfaint light of dawn was just breaking. Harry’s friend was a young man oftwenty years old who kept a store of native curios. His name was Ned—perhaps he had another, but I never heard it. He didn’t seem in the leastsurprised to see Harry walk in, dripping wet, holding an equally drippingfemale by the hand. Men are very wonderful.
He gave us food to eat, and hot coffee, and got our clothes dried for uswhilst we rolled ourselves in Manchester blankets of gaudy31 hue32. In thetiny back room of the hut we were safe from observation whilst he depar-ted to make judicious33 inquiries34 as to what had become of Sir Eustace’sparty, and whether any of them were still at the hotel.
It was then that I informed Harry that nothing would induce me to go toBeira. I never meant to, anyway, but now all reason for such proceedingshad vanished. The point of the plan had been that my enemies believedme dead. Now that they knew I wasn’t dead, my going to Beira would dono good whatever. They could easily follow me there and murder mequietly. I should have no one to protect me. It was finally arranged that Ishould join Suzanne, wherever she was, and devote all my energies to tak-ing care of myself. On no account was I to seek adventures or endeavourto checkmate the “Colonel.”
I was to remain quietly with her and await instructions from Harry. Thediamonds were to be deposited in the Bank at Kimberley under the nameof Parker.
“There’s one thing,” I said thoughtfully, “we ought to have a code ofsome kind. We don’t want to be hoodwinked again by messages purport-ing to come from one to the other.”
“That’s easy enough. Any message that comes genuinely from me willhave the word ‘and’ crossed out in it.”
“Without trademark35, none genuine,” I murmured. “What about wires?”
“Any wires from me will be signed ‘Andy.’ ”
“Train will be in before long, Harry,” said Ned, putting his head in, andwithdrawing it immediately.
I stood up.
“And shall I marry a nice steady man if I find one?” I asked demurely36.
Harry came close to me.
“My God! Anne, if you ever marry anyone else but me, I’ll wring37 hisneck. And as for you—”
“Yes,” I said, pleasurably excited.
“I shall carry you away and beat you black and blue!”
“What a delightful38 husband I have chosen!” I said satirically. “Anddoesn’t he change his mind overnight!”
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收听单词发音
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1
harry
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| vt.掠夺，蹂躏，使苦恼 | |
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attentively
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| adv.聚精会神地；周到地；谛；凝神 | |
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seizure
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| n.没收；占有；抵押 | |
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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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steward
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| n.乘务员，服务员；看管人；膳食管理员 | |
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vindication
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| n.洗冤，证实 | |
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cape
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| n.海角，岬；披肩，短披风 | |
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lieutenant
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| n.陆军中尉，海军上尉；代理官员，副职官员 | |
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dictating
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| v.大声讲或读( dictate的现在分词 )；口授；支配；摆布 | |
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rumour
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| n.谣言，谣传，传闻 | |
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repels
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| v.击退( repel的第三人称单数 )；使厌恶；排斥；推开 | |
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positively
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| adv.明确地，断然，坚决地；实在，确实 | |
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regains
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| 复得( regain的第三人称单数 )； 赢回； 重回； 复至某地 | |
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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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scapegoat
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| n.替罪的羔羊，替人顶罪者；v.使…成为替罪羊 | |
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entirely
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| ad.全部地，完整地；完全地，彻底地 | |
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meditatively
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| adv.冥想地 | |
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momentary
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respite
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wilderness
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| n.杳无人烟的一片陆地、水等，荒漠 | |
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blur
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villa
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| n.别墅，城郊小屋 | |
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spat
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groans
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| n.呻吟，叹息( groan的名词复数 )；呻吟般的声音v.呻吟( groan的第三人称单数 )；发牢骚；抱怨；受苦 | |
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savagely
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| adv. 野蛮地，残酷地 | |
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scenic
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| adj.自然景色的，景色优美的 | |
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crouching
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| v.屈膝，蹲伏( crouch的现在分词 ) | |
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huddled
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| 挤在一起（huddle的过去式与过去分词形式） | |
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plunged
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| v.颠簸( plunge的过去式和过去分词 )；暴跌；骤降；突降 | |
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slung
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| 抛( sling的过去式和过去分词 )； 吊挂； 遣送； 押往 | |
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gaudy
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| adj.华而不实的；俗丽的 | |
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hue
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| n.色度；色调；样子 | |
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judicious
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| adj.明智的，明断的，能作出明智决定的 | |
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inquiries
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| n.调查( inquiry的名词复数 )；疑问；探究；打听 | |
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trademark
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| n.商标；特征；vt.注册的…商标 | |
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demurely
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| adv.装成端庄地，认真地 | |
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wring
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| n.扭绞；v.拧，绞出，扭 | |
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delightful
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| adj.令人高兴的，使人快乐的 | |
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