the amateur cracksman-第31章

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und；　however；　I　could　not　conceive；　and　only　sinister　reasons　would　suggest　themselves　in　explanation。

〃So　there　you　are！　　I've　been　looking　for　you　all　over　the　ship！〃

Despite　the　graven　prohibition；　I　had　tried　the　bridge　as　a　last　resort；　and　there；　indeed；　was　A。　J。　Raffles；　seated　on　a　skylight；　and　leaning　over　one　of　the　officers'　long　chairs；　in　which　reclined　a　girl　in　a　white　drill　coat　and　skirta　slip　of　a　girl　with　a　pale　skin；　dark　hair；　and　rather　remarkable　eyes。　　So　much　I　noted　as　he　rose　and　quickly　turned；　thereupon　I　could　think　of　nothing　but　the　swift　grimace　which　preceded　a　start　of　well…feigned　astonishment。

〃WhyBUNNY？〃　cried　Raffles。　　〃Where　have　YOU　sprung　from？〃

I　stammered　something　as　he　pinched　my　hand。

〃And　are　you　coming　in　this　ship？　　And　to　Naples；　too？　　Well；　upon　my　word！　　Miss　Werner；　may　I　introduce　him？〃

And　he　did　so　without　a　blush；　describing　me　as　an　old　schoolfellow　whom　he　had　not　seen　for　months；　with　wilful　circumstance　and　gratuitous　detail　that　filled　me　at　once　with　confusion；　suspicion；　and　revolt。　　I　felt　myself　blushing　for　us　both；　and　I　did　not　care。　　My　address　utterly　deserted　me；　and　I　made　no　effort　to　recover　it；　to　carry　the　thing　off。　　All　I　would　do　was　to　mumble　such　words　as　Raffles　actually　put　into　my　mouth；　and　that　I　doubt　not　with　a　thoroughly　evil　grace。

〃So　you　saw　my　name　in　the　list　of　passengers　and　came　in　search　of　me？　　Good　old　Bunny；　I　say；　though；　I　wish　you'd　share　my　cabin。　　I've　got　a　beauty　on　the　promenade　deck；　but　they　wouldn't　promise　to　keep　me　by　myself。　　We　ought　to　see　about　it　before　they　shove　in　some　alien。　　In　any　case　we　shall　have　to　get　out　of　this。〃

For　a　quartermaster　had　entered　the　wheelhouse；　and　even　while　we　had　been　speaking　the　pilot　had　taken　possession　of　the　bridge；　as　we　descended；　the　tender　left　us　with　flying　handkerchiefs　and　shrill　good…bys；　and　as　we　bowed　to　Miss　Werner　on　the　promenade　deck；　there　came　a　deep；　slow　throbbing　underfoot；　and　our　voyage　had　begun。

It　did　not　begin　pleasantly　between　Raffles　and　me。　　On　deck　he　had　overborne　my　stubborn　perplexity　by　dint　of　a　forced　though　forceful　joviality；　in　his　cabin　the　gloves　were　off。

〃You　idiot；〃　he　snarled；　〃you've　given　me　away　again！〃

〃How　have　I　given　you　away？〃

I　ignored　the　separate　insult　in　his　last　word。

〃How？　　I　should　have　thought　any　clod　could　see　that　I　meant　us　to　meet　by　chance！〃

〃After　taking　both　tickets　yourself？〃

〃They　knew　nothing　about　that　on　board；　besides；　I　hadn't　decided　when　I　took　the　tickets。〃

〃Then　you　should　have　let　me　know　when　you　did　decide。　　You　lay　your　plans；　and　never　say　a　word；　and　expect　me　to　tumble　to　them　by　light　of　nature。　　How　was　I　to　know　you　had　anything　on？〃

I　had　turned　the　tables　with　some　effect。　　Raffles　almost　hung　his　head。

〃The　fact　is；　Bunny；　I　didn't　mean　you　to　know。　Youyou've　grown　such　a　pious　rabbit　in　your　old　age！〃

My　nickname　and　his　tone　went　far　to　mollify　me；　other　things　went　farther；　but　I　had　much　to　forgive　him　still。

〃If　you　were　afraid　of　writing；〃　I　pursued；　〃it　was　your　business　to　give　me　the　tip　the　moment　I　set　foot　on　board。　　I　would　have　taken　it　all　right。　　I　am　not　so　virtuous　as　all　that。〃

Was　it　my　imagination；　or　did　Raffles　look　slightly　ashamed？　　If　so；　it　was　for　the　first　and　last　time　in　all　the　years　I　knew　him；　nor　can　I　swear　to　it　even　now。

〃That；〃　said　he；　〃was　the　very　thing　I　meant　to　doto　lie　in　wait　in　my　room　and　get　you　as　you　passed。　　But〃

〃You　were　better　engaged？〃

〃Say　otherwise。〃

〃The　charming　Miss　Werner？〃

〃She　is　quite　charming。〃

〃Most　Australian　girls　are；〃　said　I。

〃How　did　you　know　she　was　one？〃　he　cried。

〃I　heard　her　speak。〃

〃Brute！〃　said　Raffles；　laughing；　〃she　has　no　more　twang　than　you　have。　　Her　people　are　German；　she　has　been　to　school　in　Dresden；　and　is　on　her　way　out　alone。〃

〃Money？〃　I　inquired。

〃Confound　you！〃　he　said；　and；　though　he　was　laughing；　I　thought　it　was　a　point　at　which　the　subject　might　be　changed。

〃Well；〃　I　said；　〃it　wasn't　for　Miss　Werner　you　wanted　us　to　play　strangers；　was　it？　　You　have　some　deeper　game　than　that；　eh？〃

〃I　suppose　I　have。〃

〃Then　hadn't　you　better　tell　me　what　it　is？〃

Raffles　treated　me　to　the　old　cautious　scrutiny　that　I　knew　so　well；　the　very　familiarity　of　it；　after　all　these　months；　set　me　smiling　in　a　way　that　might　have　reassured　him；　for　dimly　already　I　divined　his　enterprise。

〃It　won't　send　you　off　in　the　pilot's　boat；　Bunny？〃

〃Not　quite。〃

〃Thenyou　remember　the　pearl　you　wrote　the〃

I　did　not　wait　for　him　to　finish　his　sentence。

〃You've　got　it！〃　I　cried；　my　face　on　fire；　for　I　caught　sight　of　it　that　moment　in　the　stateroom　mirror。

Raffles　seemed　taken　aback。

〃Not　yet；〃　said　he；　〃but　I　mean　to　have　it　before　we　get　to　Naples。〃

〃Is　it　on　board？〃

〃Yes。〃

〃But　howwherewho's　got　it？〃

〃A　little　German　officer；　a　whipper…snapper　with　perpendicular　mustaches。〃

〃I　saw　him　in　the　smoke…room。〃

〃That's　the　chap；　he's　always　there。　　Herr　Captain　Wilhelm　von　Heumann；　if　you　look　in　the　list。　　Well；　he's　the　special　envoy　of　the　emperor；　and　he's　taking　the　pearl　out　with　him。〃

〃You　found　this　out　in　Bremen？〃

〃No；　in　Berlin；　from　a　newspaper　man　I　know　there。　　I'm　ashamed　to　tell　you；　Bunny；　that　I　went　there　on　purpose！〃

I　burst　out　laughing。

〃You　needn't　be　ashamed。　　You　are　doing　the　very　thing　I　was　rather　hoping　you　were　going　to　propose　the　other　day　on　the　river。〃

〃You　were　HOPING　it？〃　said　Raffles；　with　his　eyes　wide　open。　　Indeed；　it　was　his　turn　to　show　surprise；　and　mine　to　be　much　more　ashamed　than　I　felt。

〃Yes；〃　I　answered；　〃I　was　quite　keen　on　the　idea；　but　I　wasn't　going　to　propose　it。〃

〃Yet　you　would　have　listened　to　me　the　other　day？〃

Certainly　I　would；　and　I　told　him　so　without　reserve；　not　brazenly；　you　understand；　not　even　now　with　the　gusto　of　a　man　who　savors　such　an　adventure　for　its　own　sake；　but　doggedly；　defiantly；　through　my　teeth；　as　one　who　had　tried　to　live　honestly　and　failed。　　And；　while　I　was　about　it；　I　told　him　much　more。　　Eloquently　enough；　I　daresay；　I　gave　him　chapter　and　verse　of　my　hopeless　struggle；　my　inevitable　defeat；　for　hopeless　and　inevitable　they　were　to　a　man　with　my　record；　even　though　that　record　was　written　only　in　one's　own　soul。　　It　was　the　old　story　of　the　thief　trying　to　turn　honest　man；　the　thing　was　against　nature；　and　there　was　an　end　of　it。

Raffles　entirely　disagreed　with　me。　　He　shook　his　head　over　my　conventional　view。　　Human　nature　was　a　board　of　checkers；　why　not　reconcile　one's　self　to　alternate　black　and　white？　　Why　desire　to　be　all　one　thing　or　all　the　other；　like　our　forefathers　on　the　stage　or　in　the　old…fashioned　fiction？　　For　his　part；　he　enjoyed　himself　on　all　squares　of　the　board；　and　liked　the　light　the　better　for　the　shade。　　My　conclusion　he　considered　absurd。

〃But　you　err　in　good　company；　Bunny；　for　all　the　cheap　moralists　who　preach　the　same　twaddle：　old　Virgil　was　the　first　and　worst　offender　of　you　all。　　I　back　myself　to　climb　out　of　Avernus　any　day　I　like；　and　sooner　or　later　I　shall　climb　out　for　good。　　I　suppose　I　can't　very　well　turn　myself　into　a　Limited　Liability　Company。　　But　I　could　retire　and　settle　down　and　live　blamelessly　ever　after。　I'm　not　sure　that　it　couldn't　be　done　on　this　pearl　alone！〃

〃Then　you　don't　still　think　it　too　remarkable　to　sell？〃

〃We　might　take　a　fishery　and　haul　it　up　with　smaller　fry。　　It　would　come　after　months　of　ill　luck；　just　as　we　were　going　to　sell　the　schooner；　by　Jove；　it　would　be　the　talk　of　the　Pacific！〃

〃Well；　we've　got　to　get　it　first。　　Is　this　von　What's…his…name　a　formidable　cuss？〃

〃More　so　than　he　looks；　and　he　has　the　cheek　of　the　devil！〃

As　he　spoke　a　white　drill　skirt　fluttered　past　the　open　state…room　door；　and　I　caught　a　glimpse　of　an　upturned　moustache

beyond。

〃But　is　he　the　chap　we　have　to　deal　with？　　Won't　the　pearl　be　in　the　purser's　keeping？〃

Raffles　stood　at　the　door；　frowning　out　upon　the　Solent；　but　for　an　instant　he　turned　to　me　with　a　sniff。

〃My　good　fellow；　do　you　suppose　the　whole　ship's　company　knows　there's　a　gem　like　that　aboard？　　You　said　that　it　was　worth　a　hundred　thousa