the cruise of the jasper b.-第30章

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They　were　shackled　wrist　to　wrist　now。　　To　the　left　leg　of　one　of

them　was　attached　a　heavy　ball。　A　similar　ball　was　attached　to

the　right　leg　of　the　other。　　They　had　picked　these　balls　up　and

were　struggling　along　under　their　weight　at　a　gait　which　was　more

like　a　staggering　walk　than　a　trot。



They　were　pursued　by　the　man　whom　Cleggett　had　seen　attempt　to

escape　from　Morris's。　　This　man　still　wore　his　suit　of　baby　blue

pajamas。



He　wore　nothing　else。　　He　was　stiff。　　He　moved　as　if　the　ground

hurt　his　bare　feet。



He　especially　favored；　as　Cleggett　noticed；　the　foot　on　which

there　was　a　bunion。　　He　was　lame。　　He　crept　rather　than　ran。　　But

he　seemed　bitterly　intent　upon　reaching　the　two　men　in　irons　who

labored　along　twenty　or　thirty　feet　ahead　of　him。　　And　they；　on

their　part；　casting　now　and　then　backward　glances　over　their

shoulders　at　their　pursuer。



Cleggett　divined　that　the　men　in　irons　had　escaped　from　the

Annabel　Lee；　and　that　the　man　in　the　baby　blue　pajamas　was　loose

from　Morris's。　　But　why　the　man　in　the　pajamas　pursued　and　the

others　fled　he　could　not　guess。



They　passed　within　fifty　yards　of　the　Jasper　B。　　But　the　men　in

irons　were　so　intent　upon　their　own　troubles；　and　the　pursuer　was

so　keen　on　vengeance；　that　none　of　them　noticed　the　vessel。　　As

they　limped　along；　splashing　through　the　pools　the　rain　had　left；

the　pursuer　would　occasionally　pause　to　fling　stones　and　sticks

and　even　cakes　of　mud　at　the　fugitives；　who　were　whimpering　as

they　tottered　forward。



The　man　in　the　baby　blue　pajamas　was　cursing　in　a　high…pitched；

nasal；　querulous　voice。　　Cleggett　noticed　with　astonishment　that

a　single…barreled　eyeglass　was　screwed　into　one　of　his　eyes。　

Occasionally　it　dropped　to　the　ground；　and　he　would　stop　and

fumble　for　it　and　wipe　it　on　his　wet　sleeve　and　replace　it。　　Had

it　not　been　for　these　stops　he　would　have　overtaken　the　men　in

irons。



〃Clement！〃　Lady　Agatha　laid　her　hand　upon　his　arm。　　〃Miss　Pringle

wants　to　see　you　in　the　cabin。〃



〃Wellimposter！〃　laughed　Cleggett。　　〃Is　she　able　to　talk　to　you

yet？　　And　what　on　earth　did　she　mean　by　her　plum　preserves？〃



〃That　is　what　she　wants　to　tell；　evidently；〃　said　Lady　Agatha。　

And　she　went　aft　with　him。



Miss　Pringle；　who　had　been　rubbed　dry　by　Lady　Agatha；　and　was　now

dressed　in　some　articles　of　that　lady's　clothing；　which　were　much

too　large　for　her；　sat　on　the　edge　of　the　bed　in　Lady　Agatha's

stateroom　and　awaited　them。　　Her　appearance　was　scarcely

conventional；　and　she　seemed　to　feel　it；　nevertheless；　she　had　a

duty　to　perform；　and　her　innate　propriety　still　triumphed　over

her　situation　and　habiliments。



〃Mr。　Cleggett；〃　she　said；　pointing　to　the　box　which　contained　the

evidence　against　Logan　Black；　which　was　exactly　similar　to　the

box　of　Reginald　Maltravers；　and　which　had　been　placed　in　this

inner　room　for　safe…keeping；　〃what　does　that　box　contain？〃



Cleggett　was　startled。　　He　and　Lady　Agatha　exchanged　glances。



〃What　do　you　think　it　contains？〃　he　asked。



〃That　box；〃　she　said；　〃was　shipped　to　me　from　Flatbush；　and　was

claimed　in　my　namein　the　name　of　Genevieve　Pringleat　the

freight　depot　at　Newark；　New　Jersey；　by　this　lady　here。　　Deny　it

if　you　can！〃



〃I　do　deny　it；　Miss　Pringle；〃　said　Lady　Agatha；　accompanying　her

words　with　a　winsome　smile。　　But　Miss　Pringle　was　not　to　be　won

over　so　easily　as　all　that；　she　met　the　smile　with　a　look　of

steady　reprobation。　　And　then　she　turned　to　Cleggett　again。



〃Mr。　Cleggett；〃　she　said；　〃my　birthday　occurred　a　few　days　ago。　

It　wasI　have　nothing　to　conceal；　Mr。　Cleggettit　was　my

forty…ninth　birthday。　　Every　year；　for　many　years　past；　a　niece

of　mine　who　lives　in　Flatbush　sends　me　on　my　birthday　a　box　of

plum　preserves。



〃These　preserves　have　for　me；　Mr。　Cleggett；　a　value　that　they

would　not　possess　for　anyone　else；　a　value　far　above　their

intrinsic　or；　as　one　might　say；　culinary　value。　　They　have　a

sentimental　value　as　well。　　I　was　born　in　Flatbush；　and　lived

there；　during　my　youth；　on　my　father's　estate。　　The　city　has

since　grown　around　the　old　place；　which　my　niece　now　owns；　but

the　plum　trees　stand　as　they　have　stood　for　more　than　fifty

years。　　It　was　beneath　these　plum　trees。　。　。　。〃



Miss　Pringle　suddenly　broke　off；　her　face　twitched；　she　felt　for

a　handkerchief；　and　found　none；　she　wiped　her　eyes　on　her　sleeve。



In　another　person　this　action　might　have　appeared　somewhat

careless；　but　Miss　Pringle；　by　the　force　of　her　character；

managed　to　invest　it　with　propriety　and　dignity；　looking　at　her；

one　felt　that　to　wipe　one's　eyes　on　one's　sleeve　was　quite　proper

when　done　by　the　proper　person。



〃I　will　conceal　nothing；　Mr。　Cleggett。　　It　was　under　these　plum

trees　that　I　once　received　an　offer　of　marriage　from　a　worthy

young　man。　　It　was　from　one　of　these　plum　trees　that　he　later

fell；　injuring　himself　so　that　he　died。　　You　can　understand　what

these　plum　trees　mean　to　me；　perhaps？〃



Lady　Agatha　impulsively　sat　down　beside　the　elder　woman　and　put

her　arm　about　her。　　But　Miss　Pringle　stiffly　moved　away。　　After　a

moment　she　continued：



〃The　preserved　plums；　as　I　have　said；　are　sent　me　every　year　on

my　birthday。　　This　year；　when　I　received　from　my　niece　a

notification　that　they　had　been　shipped；　I　called　for　the　box

personally　at　the　freight　office。



〃What　was　my　astonishment　to　learn　that　the　box　had　been　claimed

in　my　name；　not　a　quarter　of　an　hour　before；　and　taken　away。



〃I　obtained　a　description　of　the　person　who　had　represented

herself　as　Miss　Genevieve　Pringle；　and　of　the　vehicle　in　which

she　had　carried　off　my　box。　　And　I　followed　her。　　The　paltriness

of　the　theft　revolted　me；　Mr。　Cleggett；　and　I　determined　to　bring

this　person　to　justice。



〃The　fugitive；　with　my　plum　preserves　in　her　possession；　had

left；　goodness　knows；　a　broad　enough　trail。　　I　found　but　little

difficulty　in　following　in　my　family　carriage。　　In　fact；　Mr。

Cleggett；　I　discovered　the　very　chauffeur　who　had　deposited　her

here　with　the　box。　　Inquiries　in　Fairport　gave　me　your　name　as

the　owner　of　this　lighter。〃



〃Lighter！〃　interrupted　Cleggett。　　〃The　Jasper　B。；　madam；　is　not

a　lighter。〃



〃I　beg　your　pardon；〃　said　Miss　Pringle。　　〃But　what　sort　of　vessel

is　it　then？〃



〃The　Jasper　B。；〃　said　Cleggett；　with　a　touch　of　　asperity；　〃is　a

schooner；　madam。〃



　〃I　intended　no　offense；　Mr。　Cleggett。　　I　am　quite　willing　to

believe　that　the　vessel　is　a　schooner；　since　you　say　that　it　is。　

I　am　not　informed　concerning　nautical　affairs。　　But；　to

concludeI　discovered　from　the　chauffeur　that　this　lady；　calling

herself　Lady　Agatha　Fairhaven；　had　been　deposited　here；　with　my

box。　　I　learned　yesterday；　after　inquiries　in　Fairport；　that　you

were　the　owner　of　this　vessel。　The　real　estate　person　from　whom

you　purchased　it　assured　me　that　you　were　financially

responsible。　　I　came　to　expose　this　imposter　and　to　recover　my

box。　　On　my　way　hither　I　was　caught　in　the　storm。　　The　runaway

occurred；　and　you　know　the　rest。〃



Miss　Pringle；　during　this　recital；　had　not　deigned　to　favor　Lady

Agatha　with　a　look。　　Lady　Agatha；　on　her　part；　after　the　rebuff

which　she　had　received；　had　sat　in　smiling　silence。



〃Miss　Pringle；〃　she　said；　pleasantly　but　seriously；　when　the

other　woman　had　finished；　〃first　I　must　convince　you　that　this

box　does　not　contain　your　plum　preserves；　and　then　I　will　tell

you　my　story。〃



With　Cleggett's　assistance　Lady　Agatha　removed　the　cover　from　the

oblong　box；　and　showed　her　its　contents。



〃That　explains　nothing；〃　said　Miss　Pringle；　dryly。　　〃Of　course

you　would　remove　the　plum　preserves　to　a　place　of　safety。〃



〃Miss　Pringle；〃　said　Lady　Agatha；　〃I　will　tell　you　everything。　　I

DID　claim　a　box　in　your　name　at　the　railway　goods　station　in

Newarkand　if　there　had　been　nothing　in　it　but　plum　preserves；

how　happy　I　should　be！　　I　beg　of　you；　Miss　Pringle；　to　give　me

your　attention。