the amateur cracksman-第30章

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The　incident　would　have　been　a　godsend　to　the　Press　a　few　weeks　later。　　Even　in　June　there　were　leaders；　letters；　large　headlines；　leaded　type；　the　Daily　Chronicle　devoting　half　its　literary　page　to　a　charming　drawing　of　the　island　capital　which　the　new　Pall　Mall；　in　a　leading　article　headed　by　a　pun；　advised　the　Government　to　blow　to　flinders。　I　was　myself　driving　a　poor　but　not　dishonest　quill　at　the　time；　and　the　topic　of　the　hour　goaded　me　into　satiric　verse　which　obtained　a　better　place　than　anything　I　had　yet　turned　out。　　I　had　let　my　flat　in　town；　and　taken　inexpensive　quarters　at　Thames　Ditton；　on　the　plea　of　a　disinterested　passion　for　the　river。

〃First…rate；　old　boy！〃　said　Raffles　（who　must　needs　come　and　see　me　there）；　lying　back　in　the　boat　while　I　sculled　and　steered。　　〃I　suppose　they　pay　you　pretty　well　for　these；　eh？〃

〃Not　a　penny。〃

〃Nonsense；　Bunny！　　I　thought　they　paid　so　well？　　Give　them　time；　and　you'll　get　your　check。〃

〃Oh；　no；　I　sha'n't；〃　said　I　gloomily。　　〃I've　got　to　be　content　with　the　honor　of　getting　in；　the　editor　wrote　to　say　so；　in　so　many　words；〃　I　added。　　But　I　gave　the　gentleman　his　distinguished　name。

〃You　don't　mean　to　say　you've　written　for　payment　already？〃

No；　it　was　the　last　thing　I　had　intended　to　admit。　　But　I　had　done　it。　　The　murder　was　out；　there　was　no　sense　in　further　concealment。　　I　had　written　for　my　money　because　I　really　needed　it；　if　he　must　know；　I　was　cursedly　hard　up。　　Raffles　nodded　as　though　he　knew　already。　　I　warmed　to　my　woes。　　It　was　no　easy　matter　to　keep　your　end　up　as　a　raw　freelance　of　letters；　for　my　part；　I　was　afraid　I　wrote　neither　well　enough　nor　ill　enough　for　success。　　I　suffered　from　a　persistent　ineffectual　feeling　after　style。　　Verse　I　could　manage；　but　it　did　not　pay。　　To　personal　paragraphs　and　the　baser　journalism　I　could　not　and　I　would　not　stoop。

Raffles　nodded　again；　this　time　with　a　smile　that　stayed　in　his　eyes　as　he　leant　back　watching　me。　I　knew　that　he　was　thinking　of　other　things　I　had　stooped　to；　and　I　thought　I　knew　what　he　was　going　to　say。　　He　had　said　it　before　so　often；　he　was　sure　to　say　it　again。　　I　had　my　answer　ready；　but　evidently　he　was　tired　of　asking　the　same　question。　　His　lids　fell；　he　took　up　the　paper　he　had　dropped；　and　I　sculled　the　length　of　the　old　red　wall　of　Hampton　Court　before　he　spoke　again。

〃And　they　gave　you　nothing　for　these！　　My　dear　Bunny；　they're　capital；　not　only　qua　verses　but　for　crystallizing　your　subject　and　putting　it　in　a　nutshell。　　Certainly　you've　taught　ME　more　about　it　than　I　knew　before。　　But　is　it　really　worth　fifty　thousand　poundsa　single　pearl？〃

〃A　hundred；　I　believe；　but　that　wouldn't　scan。〃

〃A　hundred　thousand　pounds！〃　said　Raffles；　with　his　eyes　shut。　　And　again　I　made　certain　what　was　coming；　but　again　I　was　mistaken。　　〃If　it's　worth　all　that；〃　he　cried　at　last；　〃there　would　be　no　getting　rid　of　it　at　all；　it's　not　like　a　diamond　that　you　can　subdivide。　　But　I　beg　your　pardon；　Bunny。　　I　was　forgetting！〃

And　we　said　no　more　about　the　emperor's　gift；　for　pride　thrives　on　an　empty　pocket；　and　no　privation　would　have　drawn　from　me　the　proposal　which　I　had　expected　Raffles　to　make。　　My　expectation　had　been　half　a　hope；　though　I　only　knew　it　now。　　But　neither　did　we　touch　again　on　what　Raffles　professed　to　have　forgottenmy　〃apostasy；〃　my　〃lapse　into　virtue；〃　as　he　had　been　pleased　to　call　it。　　We　were　both　a　little　silent；　a　little　constrained；　each　preoccupied　with　his　own　thoughts。　　It　was　months　since　we　had　met；　and；　as　I　saw　him　off　towards　eleven　o'clock　that　Sunday　night；　I　fancied　it　was　for　more　months　that　we　were　saying　good…by。

But　as　we　waited　for　the　train　I　saw　those　clear　eyes　peering　at　me　under　the　station　lamps；　and　when　I　met　their　glance　Raffles　shook　his　head。

〃You　don't　look　well　on　it；　Bunny；〃　said　he。　〃I　never　did　believe　in　this　Thames　Valley。　　You　want　a　change　of　air。〃

I　wished　I　might　get　it。

〃What　you　really　want　is　a　sea　voyage。〃

〃And　a　winter　at　St。　Moritz；　or　do　you　recommend　Cannes　or　Cairo？　　It's　all　very　well；　A。　J。；　but　you　forget　what　I　told　you　about　my　funds。〃

〃I　forget　nothing。　　I　merely　don't　want　to　hurt　your　feelings。　　But；　look　here；　a　sea　voyage　you　shall　have。　　I　want　a　change　myself；　and　you　shall　come　with　me　as　my　guest。　　We'll　spend　July　in　the　Mediterranean。〃

〃But　you're　playing　cricket〃

〃Hang　the　cricket！〃

〃Well；　if　I　thought　you　meant　it〃

〃Of　course　I　mean　it。　　Will　you　come？〃

〃Like　a　shotif　you　go。〃

And　I　shook　his　hand；　and　waved　mine　in　farewell；　with　the　perfectly　good…humored　conviction　that　I　should　hear　no　more　of　the　matter。　　It　was　a　passing　thought；　no　more；　no　less。　　I　soon　wished　it　were　more；　that　week　found　me　wishing　myself　out　of　England　for　good　and　all。　　I　was　making　nothing。　　I　could　but　subsist　on　the　difference　between　the　rent　I　paid　for　my　flat　and　the　rent　at　which　I　had　sublet　it；　furnished；　for　the　season。　　And　the　season　was　near　its　end；　and　creditors　awaited　me　in　town。　　Was　it　possible　to　be　entirely　honest？　　I　had　run　no　bills　when　I　had　money　in　my　pocket；　and　the　more　downright　dishonesty　seemed　to　me　the　less　ignoble。

But　from　Raffles；　of　course；　I　heard　nothing　more；　a　week　went　by；　and　half　another　week；　then；　late　on　the　second　Wednesday　night；　I　found　a　telegram　from　him　at　my　lodgings；　after　seeking　him　vainly　in　town；　and　dining　with　desperation　at　the　solitary　club　to　which　I　still　belonged。

〃Arrange　to　leave　Waterloo　by　North　German　Lloyd　special；〃　he　wired；　〃9。25　A。　M。　Monday　next　will　meet　you　Southampton　aboard　Uhlan　with　tickets　am　writing。〃

And　write　he　did；　a　light…hearted　letter　enough；　but　full　of　serious　solicitude　for　me　and　for　my　health　and　prospects；　a　letter　almost　touching　in　the　light　of　our　past　relations；　in　the　twilight　of　their　complete　rupture。　　He　said　that　he　had　booked　two　berths　to　Naples；　that　we　were　bound　for　Capri；　which　was　clearly　the　island　of　the　Lotos…eaters；　that　we　would　bask　there　together；　〃and　for　a　while　forget。〃　　It　was　a　charming　letter。　　I　had　never　seen　Italy；　the　privilege　of　initiation　should　be　his。　　No　mistake　was　greater　than　to　deem　it　an　impossible　country　for　the　summer。　The　Bay　of　Naples　was　never　so　divine；　and　he　wrote　of　〃faery　lands　forlorn；〃　as　though　the　poetry　sprang　unbidden　to　his　pen。　　To　come　back　to　earth　and　prose；　I　might　think　it　unpatriotic　of　him　to　choose　a　German　boat；　but　on　no　other　line　did　you　receive　such　attention　and　accommodation　for　your　money。　　There　was　a　hint　of　better　reasons。　　Raffles　wrote；　as　he　had　telegraphed；　from　Bremen；　and　I　gathered　that　the　personal　use　of　some　little　influence　with　the　authorities　there　had　resulted　in　a　material　reduction　in　our　fares。

Imagine　my　excitement　and　delight！　　I　managed　to　pay　what　I　owed　at　Thames　Ditton；　to　squeeze　a　small　editor　for　a　very　small　check；　and　my　tailors　for　one　more　flannel　suit。　　I　remember　that　I　broke　my　last　sovereign　to　get　a　box　of　Sullivan's　cigarettes　for　Raffles　to　smoke　on　the　voyage。　　But　my　heart　was　as　light　as　my　purse　on　the　Monday　morning；　the　fairest　morning　of　an　unfair　summer；　when　the　special　whirled　me　through　the　sunshine　to　the　sea。

A　tender　awaited　us　at　Southampton。　　Raffles　was　not　on　board；　nor　did　I　really　look　for　him　till　we　reached　the　liner's　side。　　And　then　I　looked　in　vain。　　His　face　was　not　among　the　many　that　fringed　the　rail；　his　hand　was　not　of　the　few　that　waved　to　friends。　　I　climbed　aboard　in　a　sudden　heaviness。　　I　had　no　ticket；　nor　the　money　to　pay　for　one。　　I　did　not　even　know　the　number　of　my　room。　　My　heart　was　in　my　mouth　as　I　waylaid　a　steward　and　asked　if　a　Mr。　Raffles　was　on　board。　　Thank　heavenhe　was！　　But　where？　　The　man　did　not　know；　was　plainly　on　some　other　errand；　and　a…hunting　I　must　go。　　But　there　was　no　sign　of　him　on　the　promenade　deck；　and　none　below　in　the　saloon；　the　smoking…room　was　empty　but　for　a　little　German　with　a　red　moustache　twisted　into　his　eyes；　nor　was　Raffles　in　his　own　cabin；　whither　I　inquired　my　way　in　desperation；　but　where　the　sight　of　his　own　name　on　the　baggage　was　certainly　a　further　reassurance。　　Why　he　himself　kept　in　the　background；　however；　I　could　not　conceive；　and　only　sinister　reasons　would　suggest