pgw.uneasymoney-第32章
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n the present occasion there was a difference。 His mind was not adjusted for the occurrence。 There are times when it is unseasonable to touch a man on the leg。 This was a moment when it was unseasonable in the case of Mr Pickering。 He bounded silently into the air； his whole being rent asunder as by a cataclysm。
He had been holding his revolver in his hand as a protection against nameless terrors； and as he leaped he pulled the trigger。 Then with the automatic instinct for self…preservation； he sprang back into the bushes； and began to push his way through them until he had reached a safe distance from the danger zone。
James； the cat； meanwhile； hurt at the manner in which his friendly move had been received； had taken refuge on the outhouse roof。 He mewed plainingly； a puzzled note in his voice。 Mr Pickering's behaviour had been one of those things that no fellow can understand。 The whole thing seemed inexplicable to James。
18
Lord Dawlish stood in the doorway of the outhouse； holding the body of Eustace gingerly by the tail。 It was a solemn moment。 There was no room for doubt as to the pleteness of the extinction of Lady Wetherby's pet。
Dudley Pickering's bullet had done its lethal work。 Eustace's adventurous career was over。 He was through。
Elizabeth's mouth was trembling； and she looked very white in the moonlight。 Being naturally soft…hearted； she deplored the tragedy for its own sake； and she was also； though not lacking in courage； decidedly upset by the discovery that some person unknown had been roaming her premises with a firearm。
'Oh； Bill！' she said。 Then： 'Poor little chap！' And then： 'Who could have done it？'
Lord Dawlish did not answer。 His whole mind was occupied at the moment with the contemplation of the fact that she had called him Bill。 Then he realized that she had spoken three times and expected a reply。
'Who could have done it？'
Bill pondered。 Never a quick thinker； the question found him unprepared。
'Some fellow； I expect；' he said at last brightly。 'Got in； don't you know； and then his pistol went off by accident。'
'But what was he doing with a pistol？'
Bill looked a little puzzled at this。
'Why； he would have a pistol； wouldn't he？ I thought everybody had over here。'
Except for what he had been able to observe during the brief period of his present visit； Lord Dawlish's knowledge of the United States had been derived from the American plays which he had seen in London； and in these chappies were producing revolvers all the time。 He had got the impression that a revolver was as much a part of the ordinary well…dressed man's equipment in the United States as a collar。
'I think it was a burglar；' said Elizabeth。 'There have been a lot of burglaries down here this summer。'
'Would a burglar burgle the outhouse？ Rummy idea； rather； what？ Not much sense in it。 I think it must have been a tramp。 I expect tramps are always popping about and nosing into all sorts of extraordinary places； you know。'
'He must have been standing quite close to us while we were talking；' said Elizabeth； with a shiver。
Bill looked about him。 Everywhere was peace。 No sinister sounds peted with the croaking of the tree frogs。 No alien figures infested the landscape。 The only alien figure； that of Mr Pickering； was wedged into a bush； invisible to the naked eye。
'He's gone now； at any rate；' he said。 'What are we going to do？'
Elizabeth gave another shiver as she glanced hurriedly at the deceased。 After life's fitful fever Eustace slept well； but he was not looking his best。
'Withit？' she said。
'I say；' advised Bill； 'I shouldn't call him 〃it；〃 don't you know。 It sort of rubs it in。 Why not 〃him〃？ I suppose we had better bury him。 Have you a spade anywhere handy？'
'There isn't a spade on the place。'
Bill looked thoughtful。
'It takes weeks to make a hole with anything else； you know；' he said。 'When I was a kid a friend of mine bet me I wouldn't dig my way through to China with a pocket knife。 It was an awful frost。 I tried for a couple of days； and broke the knife and didn't get anywhere near China。' He laid the remains on the grass and surveyed them meditatively。 'This is what fellows always run up against in the detective novelsWhat to Do With the Body。 They manage the murder part of it all right； and then stub their toes on the body problem。'
'I wish you wouldn't talk as if we had done a murder。'
'I feel as if we had； don't you？'
'Exactly。'
'I read a story once where a fellow slugged somebody and melted the corpse down in a bath tub with sulphuric'
'Stop！ You're making me sick！'
'Only a suggestion； don't you know；' said Bill apologetically。
'Well； suggest something else； then。'
'How about leaving him on Lady Wetherby's doorstep？ See what I meanlet them take him in with the morning milk？ Or； if you would rather ring the bell and go away； andyou don't think much of it？'
'I simply haven't the nerve to do anything so risky。'
'Oh； I would do it。 There would be no need for you to e。'
'I wouldn't dream of deserting you。'
'That's awfully good of you。'
'Besides； I'm not going to be left alone to…night until I can jump into my little white bed and pull the clothes over my head。 I'm scared； I'm just boneless with fright。 And I wouldn't go anywhere near Lady Wetherby's doorstep with it。'
'Him。'
'It's no use； I can't think of it as 〃him。〃 It's no good asking me to。'
Bill frowned thoughtfully。
'I read a story once where two chappies wanted to get rid of a body。 They put it inside a fellow's piano。'
'You do seem to have read the most horrible sort of books。'
'I rather like a bit of blood with my fiction；' said Bill。 'What about this piano scheme I read about？'
'People only have talking machines in these parts。'
'I read a story'
'Let's try to forget the stories you've read。 Suggest something of your own。'
'Well； could we dissect the little chap？'
'Dissect him？'
'And bury him in the cellar； you know。 Fellows do it to their wives。'
Elizabeth shuddered。
'Try again；' she said。
'Well； the only other thing I can think of is to take him into the woods and leave him there。 It's a pity we can't let Lady Wetherby know where he is； she seems rather keen on him。 But I suppose the main point is to get rid of him。'
'I know how we can do both。 That's a good idea of yours about the woods。 They are part of Lady Wetherby's property。 I used to wander about there in the spring when the house was empty。 There's a sort of shack in the middle of them。 I shouldn't think anybody ever went thereit's a deserted sort of place。 We could leave him there； and thenwell； we might write Lady Wetherby a letter or something。 We could think out that part afterward。'
'It's the best thing we've thought of。 You really want to e？'
'If you attempt to leave here without me I shall scream。 Let's be starting。'
Bill picked Eustace up by his convenient tail。
'I read a story once；' he said； 'where a fellow was lugging a corpse through a wood； when suddenly'
'Stop right there；' said Elizabeth firmly。
During the conversation just recorded Dudley Pickering had been keeping a watchful eye on Bill and Elizabeth from the interior of a bush。 His was not the ideal position for espionage； for he was too far off to hear what they said； and the light was too dim to enable him to see what it was that Bill was holding。 It looked to Mr Pickering like a sack or bag of some sort。 As time went by he became convinced that it was a sack； limp and empty at present； but destined later to receive and bulge with what he believed was technically known as the swag。 When the two objects of vigilance concluded their lengthy consultation； and moved off in the direction of Lady Wetherby's woods； any doubts he may have had as to whether they were the criminals he had suspected them of being were dispersed。 The whole thing worked out logically。
The Man； having spied out the land in his two visits to Lady Wetherby's house； was now about to break in。 His acplice would stand by with the sack。 With a beating heart Mr Pickering gripped his revolver and moved round in the shadow of the shrubbery till he came to the gate； when he was just in time to see
