pgw.piccadillyjim-第36章

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　〃I'm　working　with　Burke's　lot　just　now。　Say；　let's　be　sensible　about　this。　I'll　be　straight　with　you；　straight　as　a　string。〃
　〃Did　you　say　string　or　spring？〃
　〃And　I'll　expect　you　to　be　straight　with　me。〃
　〃Are　we　to　breathe　confidences　into　each　other's　ears？〃
　Lord　Wisbeach　went　to　the　door　again　and　submitted　the　passage　to　a　second　examination。
　〃You　seem　nervous；〃　said　Jimmy。
　〃I　don't　like　that　butler。　He's　up　to　something。〃
　〃Do　you　think　he's　one　of　Potter's　lot？〃
　〃Shouldn't　wonder。　He　isn't　on　the　level；　anyway；　or　why　did　he　pretend　to　recognise　you　as　Jimmy　Crocker？〃
　〃Recognition　of　me　as　Jimmy　Crocker　seems　to　be　the　acid　test　of　honesty。〃
　〃He　was　in　a　tight　place；　same　as　I　was；〃　said　Lord　Wisbeach。　〃He　couldn't　know　that　you　weren't　really　Jimmy　Crocker　until　you　put　him　wisesame　as　you　did　meby　pretending　to　know　him。〃　He　looked　at　Jimmy　with　grudging　admiration。　〃You'd　got　your　nerve　with　you；　pal；　ing　in　here　like　this。　You　were　taking　big　chances。　You　couldn't　have　known　you　wouldn't　run　up　against　some　one　who　really　knew　Jimmy　Crocker。　What　would　you　have　done　if　this　butler　guy　had　really　been　on　the　level？〃
　〃The　risks　of　the　profession！〃
　〃When　I　think　of　the　work　I　had　to　put　in；〃　said　Lord　Wisbeach；　〃it　makes　me　tired　to　think　of　some　one　else　just　walking　in　here　as　you　did。〃
　〃What　made　you　choose　Lord　Wisbeach　as　your　alias？〃
　〃I　knew　that　I　could　get　away　with　it。　I　came　over　on　the　boat　with　him；　and　I　knew　he　was　travelling　round　the　world　and　wasn't　going　to　stay　more　than　a　day　in　New　York。　Even　then　I　had　to　go　some　to　get　into　this　place。　Burke　told　me　to　get　hold　of　old　Chester　and　get　a　letter　of　introduction　from　him。　And　here　you　e　along　and　just　stroll　in　and　tell　them　you　have　e　to　stay！〃　He　brooded　for　a　moment　on　the　injustice　of　things。　〃Well；　what　are　you　going　to　do　about　it；　Pal？〃
　〃About　what？〃
　〃About　us　both　being　here？　Are　you　going　to　be　sensible　and　work　in　with　me　and　divvy　up　later　on；　or　are　you　going　to　risk　spoiling　everything　by　trying　to　hog　the　whole　thing？　I'll　be　square　with　you。　It　isn't　as　if　there　was　any　use　in　trying　to　bluff　each　other。　We're　both　here　for　the　same　thing。　You　want　to　get　hold　of　that　powder　stuff；　that　Partridgite；　and　so　do　I。〃
　〃You　believe　in　Partridgite；　then？〃
　〃Oh；　can　it；〃　said　Lord　Wisbeach　disgustedly。　〃What's　the　use？　Of　course　I　believe　in　it。　Burke's　had　his　eye　on　the　thing　for　a　year。　You've　heard　of　Dwight　Partridge；　haven't　you？　Well；　this　guy's　his　son。　Every　one　knows　that　Dwight　Partridge　was　working　on　an　explosive　when　he　died；　and　here's　his　son　es　along　with　a　test…tube　full　of　stuff　which　he　says　could　blow　this　city　to　bits。　What's　the　answer？　The　boy's　been　working　on　the　old　man's　dope。　From　what　I've　seen　of　him；　I　guess　there　wasn't　much　more　to　be　done　on　it；　or　he　wouldn't　have　done　it。　He's　pretty　well　dead　from　the　neck　up；　as　far　as　I　can　see。　But　that　doesn't　alter　the　fact　that　he's　got　the　stuff　and　that　you　and　I　have　got　to　get　together　and　make　a　deal。　If　we　don't；　I'm　not　saying　you　mightn't　gum　my　game；　just　as　I　might　gum　yours；　but　where's　the　sense　in　that？　It　only　means　taking　extra　chances。　Whereas　if　we　sit　in　together；　there's　enough　in　it　for　both　of　us。　You　know　as　well　as　I　do　that　there's　a　dozen　markets　which'll　bid　against　each　other　for　stuff　like　that　Partridgite。　If　you're　worrying　about　Burke　giving　you　a　square　deal；　forget　it。　I'll　fix　Burke。　He'll　treat　you　nice；　all　right。〃
　Jimmy　ground　the　butt　of　his　cigarette　against　his　plate。
　〃I'm　no　orator；　as　Brutus　is；　but；　as　you　know　me　all；　a　plain；　blunt　man。　And；　speaking　in　the　capacity　of　a　plain；　blunt　man；　I　rise　to　replyNothing　doing。〃
　〃What？　You　won't　e　in？〃
　Jimmy　shook　his　head。
　〃I'm　sorry　to　disappoint　you；　Wizzy；　if　I　may　still　call　you　that；　but　your　offer　fails　to　attract。　I　will　not　get　together　or　sit　in　or　anything　else。　On　the　contrary；　I　am　about　to　go　to　Mrs。　Pett　and　inform　her　that　there　is　a　snake　in　her　Eden。〃
　〃You're　not　going　to　squeal　on　me？〃
　〃At　the　top　of　my　voice。〃
　Lord　Wisbeach　laughed　unpleasantly。
　〃Yes；　you　will；〃　he　said。　〃How　are　you　going　to　explain　why　you　recognised　me　as　an　old　pal　before　lunch　if　I'm　a　crook　after　lunch。　You　can't　give　me　away　without　giving　yourself　away。　If　I'm　not　Lord　Wisbeach；　then　you're　not　Jimmy　Crocker。〃
　Jimmy　sighed。　〃I　get　you。　Life　is　very　plex；　isn't　it？〃
　Lord　Wisbeach　rose。
　〃You'd　better　think　it　over；　son；〃　he　said。　〃You　aren't　going　to　get　anywhere　by　acting　like　a　fool。　You　can't　stop　me　going　after　this　stuff；　and　if　you　won't　e　in　and　go　fifty…fifty；　you'll　find　yourself　left。　I'll　beat　you　to　it。〃
　He　left　the　room；　and　Jimmy；　lighting　a　fresh　cigarette；　addressed　himself　to　the　contemplation　of　this　new　plication　in　his　affairs。　It　was　quite　true　what　Gentleman　Jack　or　Joe　or　whatever　the　〃boys〃　called　him　had　said。　To　denounce　him　meant　denouncing　himself。　Jimmy　smoked　thoughtfully。　Not　for　the　first　time　he　wished　that　his　record　during　the　past　few　years　had　been　of　a　snowier　character。　He　began　to　appreciate　what　must　have　been　the　feelings　of　Dr。　Jekyll　under　the　handicap　of　his　disreputable　second　self；　Mr。　Hyde。
　
　CHAPTER　XVI
　MRS。　PETT　TAKES　PRECAUTIONS
　
　MRS。　PETT；　on　leaving　the　luncheon…table；　had　returned　to　the　drawing…room　to　sit　beside　the　sick…settee　of　her　stricken　child。　She　was　troubled　about　Ogden。　The　poor　lamb　was　not　at　all　himself　to…day。　A　bowl　of　clear　soup；　the　midday　meal　prescribed　by　Doctor　Briginshaw；　lay　untasted　at　his　side。
　She　crossed　the　room　softly；　and　placed　a　cool　hand　on　her　son's　aching　brow。
　〃Oh；　Gee；〃　said　Ogden　wearily。
　〃Are　you　feeling　a　little　better；　Oggie　darling？〃
　〃No；〃　said　Ogden　firmly。　〃I'm　feeling　a　lot　worse。〃
　〃You　haven't　drunk　your　nice　soup。〃
　〃Feed　it　to　the　cat。〃
　〃Could　you　eat　a　nice　bowl　of　bread…and…milk；　precious？〃
　〃Have　a　heart；〃　replied　the　sufferer。
　Mrs。　Pett　returned　to　her　seat；　sorrowfully。　It　struck　her　as　an　odd　coincidence　that　the　poor　child　was　nearly　always　like　this　on　the　morning　after　she　had　been　entertaining　guests；　she　put　it　down　to　the　reaction　from　the　excitement　working　on　a　highly…strung　temperament。　To　his　present　collapse　the　brutal　behaviour　of　Jerry　Mitchell　had；　of　course；　contributed。　Every　drop　of　her　maternal　blood　boiled　with　rage　and　horror　whenever　she　permitted　herself　to　contemplate　the　excesses　of　the　late　Jerry。　She　had　always　mistrusted　the　man。　She　had　never　liked　his　facenot　merely　on　aesthetic　grounds　but　because　she　had　seemed　to　detect　in　it　a　lurking　savagery。　How　right　events　had　proved　this　instinctive　feeling。　Mrs。　Pett　was　not　vulgar　enough　to　describe　the　feeling；　even　to　herself；　as　a　hunch；　but　a　hunch　it　had　been；　and；　like　every　one　whose　hunches　have　proved　correct；　she　was　conscious　in　the　midst　of　her　grief　of　a　certain　placency。　It　seemed　to　her　that　hers　must　be　an　intelligence　and　insight　above　the　ordinary。
　The　peace　of　the　early　afternoon　settled　upon　the　drawing…room。　Mrs。　Pett　had　taken　up　a　book；　Ogden；　on　the　settee；　breathed　stertorously。　Faint　snores　proceeded　from　the　basket　in　the　corner　where　Aida；　the　Pomeranian；　lay　curled　in　refreshing　sleep。　Through　the　open　window　floated　sounds　of　warmth　and　Summer。
　Yielding　to　the　drowsy　calm；　Mrs。　Pett　was　just　nodding　into　a　pleasant　nap；　when　the　door　opened　and　Lord　Wisbeach　came　in。
　Lord　Wisbeach　had　been　doing　some　rapid　thinking。　Rapid　thought　is　one　of　the　essentials　in　the　position　of　men　who　are　known　as　Gentleman　Jack　to　the　boys　and　whose　livelihood　is　won　only　by　a　series　of　arduous　struggles　against　the　forces　of　Society　and　the　machinations　of　Potter　and　his　gang。　Condensed　into　capsule　form；　his　lordship's　meditations　during　the　minutes　after　he　had　left　Jimmy　in　the　dining…room　amounted　to　the　realisation　that　the　best　mode　of　defence　is　attack。　It　is　your　man　who　knows　how　to　play　the　bold　game　on　occasion　who　wins。　A　duller　schemer　than　Lord　Wisbeach　might　have　been　content　to　be　inactive　after　such　a　conversation　as　had　just　taken　place　between　himself　and　Jimmy。　His　lordship；　giving　the　matter　the　concentrated　attention　of　his　trained　mind；　had　hit　on