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第43章

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are directly in his interests; perhaps in his pay: Dawson; for an 

example。'



'My own idea!' cried Romaine。  'And at least;' he added; as the 

first of the chaises drew up with a dash in front of the portico; 

'it is now too late。  Here he is。'



We stood listening; with a strange anxiety; to the various noises 

that awoke in the silent house: the sound of doors opening and 

closing; the sound of feet near at hand and farther off。  It was 

plain the arrival of my cousin was a matter of moment; almost of 

parade; to the household。  And suddenly; out of this confused and 

distant bustle; a rapid and light tread became distinguishable。  We 

heard it come upstairs; draw near along the corridor; pause at the 

door; and a stealthy and hasty rapping succeeded。



'Mr。 Anne … Mr。 Anne; sir!  Let me in!' said the voice of Rowley。



We admitted the lad; and locked the door again behind him。



'It's HIM; sir;' he panted。  'He've come。'



'You mean the Viscount?' said I。  'So we supposed。  But come; 

Rowley … out with the rest of it!  You have more to tell us; or 

your face belies you !'



'Mr。 Anne; I do;' he said。  'Mr。 Romaine; sir; you're a friend of 

his; ain't you?'



'Yes; George; I am a friend of his;' said Romaine; and; to my great 

surprise; laid his hand upon my shoulder。



'Well; it's this way;' said Rowley … 'Mr。 Powl have been at me!  

It's to play the spy!  I thought he was at it from the first!  From 

the first I see what he was after … coming round and round; and 

hinting things!  But to…night he outs with it plump!  I'm to let 

him hear all what you're to do beforehand; he says; and he gave me 

this for an arnest' … holding up half a guinea; 'and I took it; so 

I did!  Strike me sky…blue scarlet?' says he; adducing the words of 

the mock oath; and he looked askance at me as he did so。



I saw that he had forgotten himself; and that he knew it。  The 

expression of his eye changed almost in the passing of the glance 

from the significant to the appealing … from the look of an 

accomplice to that of a culprit; and from that moment he became the 

model of a well…drilled valet。



'Sky…blue scarlet?' repeated the lawyer。  'Is the fool delirious?'



'No;' said I; 'he is only reminding me of something。'



'Well … and I believe the fellow will be faithful;' said Romaine。  

'So you are a friend of Mr。 Anne's' too?' he added to Rowley。



'If you please; sir;' said Rowley。



''Tis something sudden;' observed Romaine; 'but it may be genuine 

enough。  I believe him to be honest。  He comes of honest people。  

Well; George Rowley; you might embrace some early opportunity to 

earn that half…guinea; by telling Mr。 Powl that your master will 

not leave here till noon to…morrow; if he go even then。  Tell him 

there are a hundred things to be done here; and a hundred more that 

can only be done properly at my office in Holborn。  Come to think 

of it … we had better see to that first of all;' he went on; 

unlocking the door。  'Get hold of Powl; and see。  And be quick 

back; and clear me up this mess。'



Mr。 Rowley was no sooner gone than the lawyer took a pinch of 

snuff; and regarded me with somewhat of a more genial expression。



'Sir;' said he; 'it is very fortunate for you that your face is so 

strong a letter of recommendation。  Here am I; a tough old 

practitioner; mixing myself up with your very distressing business; 

and here is this farmer's lad; who has the wit to take a bribe and 

the loyalty to come and tell you of it … all; I take it; on the 

strength of your appearance。  I wish I could imagine how it would 

impress a jury!' says he。



'And how it would affect the hangman; sir?' I asked



'ABSIT OMEN!' said Mr。 Romaine devoutly。



We were just so far in our talk; when I heard a sound that brought 

my heart into my mouth: the sound of some one slyly trying the 

handle of the door。  It had been preceded by no audible footstep。  

Since the departure of Rowley our wing of the house had been 

entirely silent。  And we had every right to suppose ourselves 

alone; and to conclude that the new…comer; whoever he might be; was 

come on a clandestine; if not a hostile; errand。



'Who is there?' asked Romaine。



'It's only me; sir;' said the soft voice of Dawson。  'It's the 

Viscount; sir。  He is very desirous to speak with you on business。'



'Tell him I shall come shortly; Dawson;' said the lawyer。  'I am at 

present engaged。'



'Thank you; sir!' said Dawson。



And we heard his feet draw off slowly along the corridor。



'Yes;' said Mr。 Romaine; speaking low; and maintaining the attitude 

of one intently listening; 'there is another foot。  I cannot be 

deceived!'



'I think there was indeed!' said I。  'And what troubles me … I am 

not sure that the other has gone entirely away。  By the time it got 

the length of the head of the stair the tread was plainly single。'



'Ahem … blockaded?' asked the lawyer。



'A siege EN REGLE!' I exclaimed。



'Let us come farther from the door;' said Romaine; 'and reconsider 

this damnable position。  Without doubt; Alain was this moment at 

the door。  He hoped to enter and get a view of you; as if by 

accident。  Baffled in this; has he stayed himself; or has he 

planted Dawson here by way of sentinel?'



'Himself; beyond a doubt;' said I。  'And yet to what end?  He 

cannot think to pass the night there!'



'If it were only possible to pay no heed!' said Mr。 Romaine。  'But 

this is the accursed drawback of your position。  We can do nothing 

openly。  I must smuggle you out of this room and out of this house 

like seizable goods; and how am I to set about it with a sentinel 

planted at your very door?'



'There is no good in being agitated;' said I。



'None at all;' he acquiesced。  'And; come to think of it; it is 

droll enough that I should have been that very moment commenting on 

your personal appearance; when your cousin came upon this mission。  

I was saying; if you remember; that your face was as good or better 

than a letter of recommendation。  I wonder if M。 Alain would be 

like the rest of us … I wonder what he would think of it?'



Mr。 Romaine was sitting in a chair by the fire with his back to the 

windows; and I was myself kneeling on the hearthrug and beginning 

mechanically to pick up the scattered bills; when a honeyed voice 

joined suddenly in our conversation。



'He thinks well of it; Mr。 Romaine。  He begs to join himself to 

that circle of admirers which you indicate to exist already。'









CHAPTER XIX … THE DEVIL AND ALL AT AMERSHAM PLACE





NEVER did two human creatures get to their feet with more alacrity 

than the lawyer and myself。  We had locked and barred the main 

gates of the citadel; but unhappily we had left open the bath…room 

sally…port; and here we found the voice of the hostile trumpets 

sounding from within; and all our defences taken in reverse。  I 

took but the time to whisper Mr。 Romaine in the ear: 'Here is 

another tableau for you!' at which he looked at me a moment with a 

kind of pathos; as who should say; 'Don't hit a man when he's 

down。'  Then I transferred my eyes to my enemy。



He had his hat on; a little on one side: it was a very tall hat; 

raked extremely; and had a narrow curling brim。  His hair was all 

curled out in masses like an Italian mountebank … a most 

unpardonable fashion。  He sported a huge tippeted overcoat of 

frieze; such as watchmen wear; only the inside was lined with 

costly furs; and he kept it half open to display the exquisite 

linen; the many…coloured waistcoat; and the profuse jewellery of 

watch…chains and brooches underneath。  The leg and the ankle were 

turned to a miracle。  It is out of the question that I should deny 

the resemblance altogether; since it has been remarked by so many 

different persons whom I cannot reasonably accuse of a conspiracy。  

As a matter of fact; I

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