the cruise of the jasper b.-第31章

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

your　attention。〃



And　Lady　Agatha　began　to　relate　to　Miss　Pringle　the　same　story

which　she　had　told　to　Cleggett。　　At　the　first　word　indicative　of

the　fact　the　Lady　Agatha　had　suffered　for　the　cause　of　votes　for

women；　a　change　took　place　in　the　expression　of　Miss　Pringle's

countenance。　　Cleggett　thought　she　was　about　to　speak。　　But　she

did　not。　　Nevertheless；　although　she　listened　intently；　some　of

her　rigidity　had　gone。　　When　Lady　Agatha　had　finished　Miss

Pringle　said：



〃I　suppose　that　you　can　prove　that　you　are　really　Lady　Agatha

Fairhaven？〃



For　answer　Lady　Agatha　went　to　one　of　her　trunks　and　opened　it。　

She　drew　therefrom　a　letter；　and　passed　it　over　without　a　word。



As　Miss　Pringle　read　it；　her　face　lighted　up。　　She　did　not　lose

her　primness；　but　her　suspicion　seemed　altogether　to　depart。



〃A　letter　from　Emmeline　Pankhurst！〃　she　said；　in　a　hushed　voice；

handling　the　missive　as　if　it　were　a　sacred　relic。　　〃Can　you　ever

forgive　me？〃



〃There　is　nothing　to　forgive；〃　beamed　Lady　Agatha。　　〃I　am　willing

to　admit；　now　that　you　understand　me；　that　the　thing　looked　a　bit

suspicious；　on　the　face　of　it。〃



〃You　have　suffered　for　the　cause；〃　said　Miss　Pringle。　　〃I　have

suffered　for　it；　too！〃　　And；　with　a　certain　shyness；　she　patted

Lady　Agatha　on　the　arm。　　But　the　next　moment　she　said：



〃But　what　IS　in　the　box　you　brought　here　then；　Lady　Agatha？　　Two

boxes　were　shipped　to　Newark；　addressed　to　me。　　Which　one　did　you

get？　　What　is　really　in　the　one　you　have　been　carrying　around？　

My　plum　preserves；　or〃



She　shuddered　and　left　the　sentence　unfinished。



〃Let　us　open　it；〃　said　Cleggett。



〃No！　No！〃　cried　Lady　Agatha。　　〃Clement；　no！　I　could　not　bear　to

have　it　opened。〃



Miss　Pringle　rose。　　It　was　evident　that　a　bit　of　her　earlier

suspicion　had　returned。



〃After　all；〃　said　Miss　Pringle；　indicating　the　letter　again；　〃how

do　I　know　that〃



〃That　it　is　not　a　forgery？〃　said　Lady　Agatha。　〃I　see。〃　　She　mused

a　moment；　and　then　said；　with　a　sigh；　〃Well；　then；　let　us　open

the　box！〃



〃I　think　it　best；　　Agatha；〃　said　Cleggett。　　〃I　shall　have　it

brought　down。〃



But　even　as　he　turned　upon　his　heel　to　go　on　deck　and　give　the

order；　Dr。　Farnsworth　and　the　Rev。　Simeon　Calthrop　ran　excitedly

down　the　cabin　companionway。



〃The　box　of　Reginald　Maltravers；〃　cried　the　Doctor；　who　was　in

Cleggett's　confidence；　〃is　gone！〃





CHAPTER　XIX



TWO　GREAT　MEN　MEET



〃Gone！〃　Lady　Agatha；　who　had　emerged　from　her　stateroom；　turned

pale　and　caught　at　her　heart。



They　rushed　on　deck。　　The　young　Doctor　was　right；　the　box；　which

had　stood　on　the　larboard　side　of　the　cabin；　had　disappeared。



〃It　might　have　been　blown　into　the　canal　during　the　storm；〃

suggested　the　Rev。　Mr。　Calthrop。　　All　of　the　crew　of　the　Jasper

B。　knew　Lady　Agatha's　　story；　and　were　aware　of　the　importance　of

the　box。



〃It　was　on　the　lee　side　of　the　cabin；〃　objected　Dr。　Farnsworth；

〃and　while　it　might　have　been　blown　flat　to　the　deck；　in　spite　of

its　protected　position；　it　would　scarcely　have　been　picked　up　by

the　wind　again　and　wafted　over　the　port　bulwarks。〃



〃If　you　was　to　ask　me；〃　said　Cap'n　Abernethy；　who　had　joined　in

the　discussion；　〃I'd　give　it　as　MY　opinion　it's　a　good　riddance

of　bad　rubbish。〃



〃Rubbish？〃　said　Miss　Pringle。　　〃Rubbish；　indeed！　　I　am　confident

that　that　box　contained　my　plum　preserves！〃



〃It　has　been　stolen！〃　cried　Cleggett；　with　conviction。　　〃Fool

that　I　was；　not　to　have　taken　it　into　the　cabin！〃



〃But；　if　you　had；　you　know；〃　said　Lady　Agatha；　〃one　would

scarcely　have　cared　to　stay　in　there　with　it。〃



〃Loge　has　outgeneraled　me；〃　murmured　Cleggett；　well…nigh　frantic

with　self…reproach。　　〃While　he　made　the　attack　in　front；　he　sent

some　of　his　men　to　the　rear　of　the　vessel　and　it　was　quietly　made

off　with　while　we　were　fighting。〃　　Had　the　disappearance　of　the

box　concerned　himself　alone　Cleggett's　sense　of　disaster　might

have　been　less　poignant。　　But　the　thought　that　his　own

carelessness　had　enabled　the　enemy　to　get　possession　of　a　thing

likely　to　involve　Lady　Agatha　in　further　trouble　was　nearly

insupportable。　　He　gritted　his　teeth　and　clenched　his　hands　in

impotent　rage。



〃No　doubt　Loge　caught　sight　of　it　during　the　early　part　of　the

skirmish；　by　a　flash　of　lightning；〃　said　Dr。　Farnsworth；　〃and

acted　as　you　suggest；　Mr。　Cleggett。　　But　does　he　believe　it　to　be

the　box　which　contains　the　evidence　against　him？　　Or　can　he；　by

any　chance；　be　aware　of　its　real　contents？〃



〃No　matter　which；〃　groaned　Cleggett；　〃no　matter　which！　　For　when

he　opens　it；　he　will　learn　what　is　in　it。　　Don't　you　see　that　he

has　us　now？　　If　he　offers　to　trade　it　back　to　us　for　the　other

oblong　box；　how　can　I　refuse？　　If　we　have　his　secret；　Loge　has

ours！〃



But　Dr。　Farnsworth　was　not　listening。　　He　had　suddenly　leaned

over　the　port　rail　and　was　staring　down　the　canal。　　The　others

followed　his　gaze。



The　house　boat　Annabel　Lee；　they　perceived；　had　got　under　weigh；

and　was　slowly　approaching　the　Jasper　B。　in　the　moonlight。　　They

watched　her　gradual　approach　in　silence。　　She　stopped　within　a

few　yards　of　the　Jasper　B。；　and　a　voice　which　Cleggett　recognized

as　that　of　Wilton　Barnstable；　the　great　detective；　sang　out：



〃Jasper　B。；　ahoy！〃



〃Aye；　aye！〃　shouted　Cleggett。



〃Is　Mr。　Cleggett　on　board？〃



〃He　is　speaking。〃



〃Mr。　Cleggett；　have　you　lost　anything　from　your　canal　boat？〃



Cleggett　did　not　answer；　and　for　a　moment　he　did　not　move。　　Then；

tightening　his　sword　belt；　and　cocking　his　hat　a　trifle；　he

climbed　over　the　starboard　rail　and　walked　along　the　bank　of　the

canal　a　few　yards　until　he　was　opposite　the　Annabel　Lee。　The

great　detective；　on　his　part；　also　stepped　ashore。　They　stood　and

faced　each　other　in　the　moonlight；　silently；　and　their　followers；

also　in　silence；　gathered　in　the　bows　of　the　respective　vessels

and　watched　them。



Finally；　Cleggett；　with　one　hand　on　his　hip；　and　standing　with

his　feet　wide　apart；　said　very　incisively：



〃Sir；　the　Jasper　B。　is　NOT　a　canal　boat。〃



〃Eh？〃　　Wilton　Barnstable　started　at　the　emphasis。

　　　　　　　　　

〃The　Jasper　B。；〃　pursued　Cleggett；　staring　steadily　at　Wilton

Barnstable；　〃is　a　schooner。〃



〃Ah！〃　said　the　other。　　〃Indeed？〃



〃A　schooner；〃　repeated　Cleggett；　〃indeed；　sir！　Indeed；　sir；　a

schooner！〃



There　was　another　silence；　in　which　neither　man　would　look　aside；

they　held　each　other　with　their　eyes；　the　nervous　strain

communicated　itself　to　the　crews　of　the　two　vessels。　　At　last；

however；　the　detective；　although　he　did　not　lower　his　gaze；　and

although　he　strove　to　give　his　new　attitude　an　effect　of　ease　and

jauntiness　by　twisting　the　end　of　his　mustache　as　he　spoke；　said

to　Cleggett：



〃A　schooner；　then；　Mr。　Cleggett；　a　schooner！　　No　offense；　I

hope？〃



〃None　at　all；〃　said　Cleggett；　heartily　enough；　now　that　the　point

had　been　established。　　And　the　tension　relaxed　on　both　ships。



〃You　have　lost　an　oblong　box；　Mr。　Cleggett。〃　The　great　detective

affirmed　it　rather　than　interrogated。



〃How　did　you　know　that？〃



The　other　laughed。　　〃We　know　a　great　many　thingsit　is　our

business　to　know　things；〃　he　said。　Then　he　dropped　his　voice　to　a

whisper；　and　said　rapidly；　〃Mr。　Cleggett；　do　you　know　who　I　am？〃

Before　Cleggett　could　reply　he　continued；　〃Brace　yourselfdo　not

make　an　outcry　when　I　tell　you　who　I　am。　　I　am　Wilton

Barnstable。〃



〃I　knew　you；〃　said　Cleggett。　　The　other　appeared　disappointed　for

a　moment。　　And　then　he　inquired　anxiously；　〃How　did　you　know　me？〃



〃Why；　from　your　pictures　in　the　magazines；〃　said　Cleggett。



The　detective　brightened　perceptibly。　　〃Ah；　yesthe　magazines！　

Yes；　yes；　indeed！　　publicity　is　unavoidable；　unavoidable；　Mr。

Cleggett！　　But　this　box；　now〃



The　great　detective　interrupted　himself　to　laugh　again；　a　trifle

complacent