the queen of hearts-第58章

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


course；　go　to　it。　In　the　meantime；　I　shall　want　the　immediate
assistance　of　two　competent　persons　（supposing　the　rascals
separate　after　their　meeting）　to　follow　the　two　minor　criminals。
It　is　only　fair　to　add　that；　if　the　rogues　all　retire　together；　I
shall　probably　keep　my　subordinates　in　reserve。　Being　naturally
ambitious；　I　desire；　if　possible；　to　have　the　whole　credit　of
discovering　this　robbery　to　myself。

8th　July。

I　have　to　acknowledge；　with　thanks；　the　speedy　arrival　of　my　two
subordinatesmen　of　very　average　abilities；　I　am　afraid；　but；
fortunately；　I　shall　always　be　on　the　spot　to　direct　them。

My　first　business　this　morning　was　necessarily　to　prevent
possible　mistakes　by　accounting　to　Mr。　and　Mrs。　Yatman　for　the
presence　of　two　strangers　on　the　scene。　Mr。　Yatman　（between
ourselves；　a　poor；　feeble　man）　only　shook　his　head　and　groaned。
Mrs。　Yatman　（that　superior　woman）　favored　me　with　a　charming　look
of　intelligence。

〃Oh；　Mr。　Sharpin！〃　she　said；　〃I　am　so　sorry　to　see　those　two　men！
Your　sending　for　their　assistance　looks　as　if　you　were　beginning
to　be　doubtful　of　success。〃

I　privately　winked　at　her　（she　is　very　good　in　allowing　me　to　do
so　without　taking　offense）；　and　told　her；　in　my　facetious　way；
that　she　labored　under　a　slight　mistake。

〃It　is　because　I　am　sure　of　success；　ma'am；　that　I　send　for　them。
I　am　determined　to　recover　the　money；　not　for　my　own　sake　only；
but　for　Mr。　Yatman's　sakeand　for　yours。〃

I　laid　a　considerable　amount　of　stress　on　those　last　three　words。
She　said：　〃Oh；　Mr。　Sharpin！〃　again；　and　blushed　of　a　heavenly
red；　and　looked　down　at　her　work。　I　could　go　to　the　world's　end
with　that　woman　if　Mr。　Yatman　would　only　die。

I　sent　off　the　two　subordinates　to　wait　until　I　wanted　them　at
the　Avenue　Road　gate　of　the　Regent's　Park。　Half…an…hour　afterward
I　was　following　the　same　direction　myself　at　the　heels　of　Mr。
Jay。

The　two　confederates　were　punctual　to　the　appointed　time。　I　blush
to　record　it；　but　it　is　nevertheless　necessary　to　state　that　the
third　roguethe　nameless　desperado　of　my　report；　or；　if　you
prefer　it；　the　mysterious　〃somebody　else〃　of　the　conversation
between　the　two　brothersisa　woman！　and；　what　is　worse；　a
young　woman！　and；　what　is　more　lamentable　still；　a　nice…looking
woman！　I　have　long　resisted　a　growing　conviction　that；　wherever
there　is　mischief　in　this　world；　an　individual　of　the　fair　sex　is
inevitably　certain　to　be　mixed　up　in　it。　After　the　experience　of
this　morning；　I　can　struggle　against　that　sad　conclusion　no
longer。　I　give　up　the　sexexcepting　Mrs。　Yatman；　I　give　up　the
sex。

The　man　named　〃Jack〃　offered　the　woman　his　arm。　Mr。　Jay　placed
himself　on　the　other　side　of　her。　The　three　then　walked　away
slowly　among　the　trees。　I　followed　them　at　a　respectful　distance。
My　two　subordinates；　at　a　respectful　distance；　also；　followed　me。

It　was；　I　deeply　regret　to　say；　impossible　to　get　near　enough　to
them　to　overhear　their　conversation　without　running　too　great　a
risk　of　being　discovered。　I　could　only　infer　from　their　gestures
and　actions　that　they　were　all　three　talking　with　extraordinary
earnestness　on　some　subject　which　deeply　interested　them。　After
having　been　engaged　in　this　way　a　full　quarter　of　an　hour；　they
suddenly　turned　round　to　retrace　their　steps。　My　presence　of　mind
did　not　forsake　me　in　this　emergency。　I　signed　to　the　two
subordinates　to　walk　on　carelessly　and　pass　them；　while　I　myself
slipped　dexterously　behind　a　tree。　As　they　came　by　me；　I　heard
〃Jack〃　address　these　words　to　Mr。　Jay：

〃Let　us　say　half…past　ten　to…morrow　morning。　And　mind　you　come　in
a　cab。　We　had　better　not　risk　taking　one　in　this　neighborhood。〃

Mr。　Jay　made　some　brief　reply　which　I　could　not　overhear。　They
walked　back　to　the　place　at　which　they　had　met；　shaking　hands
there　with　an　audacious　cordiality　which　it　quite　sickened　me　to
see。　They　then　separated。　I　followed　Mr。　Jay。　My　subordinates
paid　the　same　delicate　attention　to　the　other　two。

Instead　of　taking　me　back　to　Rutherford　Street；　Mr。　Jay　led　me　to
the　Strand。　He　stopped　at　a　dingy；　disreputable…looking　house；
which；　according　to　the　inscription　over　the　door；　was　a
newspaper　office；　but　which；　in　my　judgment；　had　all　the　external
appearance　of　a　place　devoted　to　the　reception　of　stolen　goods。

After　remaining　inside　for　a　few　minutes；　he　came　out　whistling；
with　his　finger　and　thumb　in　his　waistcoat　pocket。　Some　men　would
now　have　arrested　him　on　the　spot。　I　remembered　the　necessity　of
catching　the　two　confederates；　and　the　importance　of　not
interfering　with　the　appointment　that　had　been　made　for　the　next
morning。　Such　coolness　as　this；　under　trying　circumstances；　is
rarely　to　be　found；　I　should　imagine；　in　a　young　beginner；　whose
reputation　as　a　detective　policeman　is　still　to　make。

From　the　house　of　suspicious　appearance　Mr。　Jay　betook　himself　to
a　cigar…divan；　and　read　the　magazines　over　a　cheroot。　From　the
divan　he　strolled　to　the　tavern　and　had　his　chops。　I　strolled　to
the　tavern　and　had　my　chops。　When　he　had　done　he　went　back　to　his
lodging。　When　I　had　done　I　went　back　to　mine。　He　was　overcome
with　drowsiness　early　in　the　evening；　and　went　to　bed。　As　soon　as
I　heard　him　snoring；　I　was　overcome　with　drowsiness　and　went　to
bed　also。

Early　in　the　morning　my　two　subordinates　came　to　make　their
report。

They　had　seen　the　man　named　〃Jack〃　leave　the　woman　at　the　gate　of
an　apparently　respectable　villa　residence　not　far　from　the
Regent's　Park。　Left　to　himself；　he　took　a　turning　to　the　right；
which　led　to　a　sort　of　suburban　street；　principally　inhabited　by
shopkeepers。　He　stopped　at　the　private　door　of　one　of　the　houses；
and　let　himself　in　with　his　own　keylooking　about　him　as　he
opened　the　door；　and　staring　suspiciously　at　my　men　as　they
lounged　along　on　the　opposite　side　of　the　way。　These　were　all　the
particulars　which　the　subordinates　had　to　communicate。　I　kept
them　in　my　room　to　attend　on　me；　if　needful；　and　mounted　to　my
peep…hole　to　have　a　look　at　Mr。　Jay。

He　was　occupied　in　dressing　himself；　and　was　taking　extraordinary
pains　to　destroy　all　traces　of　the　natural　slovenliness　of　his
appearance。　This　was　precisely　what　I　expected。　A　vagabond　like
Mr。　Jay　knows　the　importance　of　giving　himself　a　respectable　look
when　he　is　going　to　run　the　risk　of　changing　a　stolen　bank…note。
At　five　minutes　past　ten　o'clock　he　had　given　the　last　brush　to
his　shabby　hat　and　the　last　scouring　with　bread…crumb　to　his
dirty　gloves。　At　ten　minutes　past　ten　he　was　in　the　street；　on
his　way　to　the　nearest　cab…stand；　and　I　and　my　subordinates　were
close　on　his　heels。

He　took　a　cab　and　we　took　a　cab。　I　had　not　overheard　them　appoint
a　place　of　meeting　when　following　them　in　the　Park　on　the
previous　day；　but　I　soon　found　that　we　were　proceeding　in　the　old
direction　of　the　Avenue　Road　gate。　The　cab　in　which　Mr。　Jay　was
riding　turned　into　the　Park　slowly。　We　stopped　outside；　to　avoid
exciting　suspicion。　I　got　out　to　follow　the　cab　on　foot。　Just　as
I　did　so；　I　saw　it　stop；　and　detected　the　two　confederates
approaching　it　from　among　the　trees。　They　got　in；　and　the　cab　was
turned　about　directly。　I　ran　back　to　my　own　cab　and　told　the
driver　to　let　them　pass　him；　and　then　to　follow　as　before。

The　man　obeyed　my　directions；　but　so　clumsily　as　to　excite　their
suspicions。　We　had　been　driving　after　them　about　three　minutes
（returning　along　the　road　by　which　we　had　advanced）　when　I　looked
out　of　the　window　to　see　how　far　they　might　be　ahead　of　us。　As　I
did　this；　I　saw　two　hats　popped　out　of　the　windows　of　their　cab；
and　two　faces　looking　back　at　me。　I　sank　into　my　place　in　a　cold
sweat；　the　expression　is　coarse；　but　no　other　form　of　words　can
describe　my　condition　at　that　trying　moment。

〃We　are　found　out！〃　I　said；　faintly；　to　my　two　subordinates。　They
stared　at　me　in　astonishment。　My　feelings　changed　instantly　from
the　depth　of　despair　to　the　height　of　indignation。

〃It　is　the　cabman's　fault。　Get　out；　one　of　you；〃　I　said；　with
dignity〃get　out；　and　punch　his　head。〃

Instead　of　following　my　directions　（I　should　wish　this　act　of
disobedience　to　be　reported　at　headquarters）　they　both　looked　out
of　the　window。　Before　I　could