the cruise of the jasper b.-第32章

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Cleggett！　　But　this　box；　now〃



The　great　detective　interrupted　himself　to　laugh　again；　a　trifle

complacently；　Cleggett　thought。



〃I　will　not　mystify　you；　Mr。　Cleggett；　about　the　box。　

Mystification　is　one　of　the　tricks　of　the　older　schools　of

detection。　　I　never　practice　it；　Mr。　Cleggett。　　With　me；　the

detection　of　crime　is　a　businessyes；　a　business。　　I　will　tell

you　presently　how　the　box　came　into　my　possession。〃



〃It　IS　in　your　possession？〃　　Cleggett　felt　a　dull　pang　of　the

heart。　　If　the　box　of　Reginal　Maltravers　were　in　the　hands　of

Logan　Black　he　could　at　least　trade　the　other　oblong　box　to　Loge

for　it；　and　thus　save　Lady　Agatha。　　But　in　the　possession　of

Wilton　Barnstable；　the　great　detective！　　Cleggett　pulled

himself　together；　he　thought　rapidly；　he　recognized　that　the

situation　called；　above　all　things　else；　for　diplomacy　and

adroitness。　　He　went　on；　nonchalantly：



〃I　suppose　you　are　aware　of　the　contents　of　the　box？〃



The　other　laughed　again　as　if　Cleggett　had　made　an　excellent

jest；　there　was　something　urbane　and　benign　in　his　manner；　it

appeared　as　if　he　regarded　the　contents　of　the　box　of　Reginald

Maltravers　as　anything　but　serious；　his　tone　puzzled　Cleggett。



〃Suppose　I　bring　the　box　on　board　the　Jasper　B。；〃　suggested　the

great　detective。　　〃It　interests　me；　that　box。　　I　have　no　doubt　it

has　its　story。　　And　perhaps；　while　you　are　telling　me　some　things

about　it；　I　may　be　able　to　give　you　some　information　in　turn。〃



There　was　no　mistaking　the　fact　that　the　man；　whether　genuinely

friendly　or　no；　wished　to　appear　so。



〃Have　it　brought　into　my　cabin；〃　said　Cleggett；　〃and　we　will

discuss　it。〃



A　few　minutes　later　Wilton　Barnstable；　Cleggett；　Lady　Agatha；

Miss　Pringle；　and　two　of　Wilton　Barnstable's　men　sat　in　the　cabin

of　the　Jasper　B。；　with　the　two　oblong　boxes　before　themthe　one

which　had　contained　Loge's　incriminating　diary；　and　the　one　which

had　caused　Lady　Agatha　so　much　trouble。



In　the　light　of　the　cabin　the　three　detectives　were　revealed　as

startlingly　alike。　　Barton　Ward　and　Watson　Bard；　Barnstable's　two

assistants；　might；　indeed；　almost　have　been　taken　for　Barnstable

himself；　at　a　casual　glance。　　In　height；　in　bulk；　in　dress；　in

facial　expression；　they　seemed　Wilton　Barnstable　all　over　again。　

But；　looking　intently　at　the　three　men；　Cleggett　began　to

perceive　a　difference　between　the　real　Wilton　Barnstable　and　his

two　counterfeits。　It　was　the　difference　between　the　face　which　is

informed　of　genius；　and　the　countenance　which　is　indicative　of

mere　talent。



〃Mr。　Cleggett；〃　began　Wilton　Barnstable；　〃as　I　said　before；　I

will　make　no　attempt　to　mystify　you。　I　was　a　witness　to　the

attack　upon　your　vessel。　Mr。　Ward；　Mr。　Bard；　and　myself；　in　fact；

had　determined　to　assist　you；　had　we　seen　that　the　combat　was

going　against　you。　　We　lay；　during　the　struggle；　in　the　lee　of

youryourer；　schooner！in　the　lee　of　your　schooner；　armed；

and　ready　to　bear　a　hand。　　We　have　our　own　little　matter　to

settle　with　Logan　Black。　　Why　Logan　Black　should　desire

possession　of　this　particular　box；　I　am　unable　to　state。　

Nevertheless；　at　the　moment　when　he　was　leading　his　assault　upon

your　starboard　bow；　two　of　his　men；　who　had　made　a　detour　to　the

stern　of　your　vessel；　had　clambered　stealthily　aboard；　and　were

quietly　pushing　the　box　over　the　side　into　the　canal。　　They　let

themselves　down　into　the　water；　and　swam　towards　the　mouth　of　the

canal；　pushing　it　ahead　of　them。　　We　followed　in　our　rowboat；　Mr。

Ward；　Mr。　Bard；　and　myself；　at　a　discreet　distance。　　We　let　them

push　the　box　as　far　south　as　the　Annabel　Lee。　　And　then〃



He　paused　a　moment；　and　smiled　reminiscently。　　Barton　Ward　and

Watson　Bard　also　smiled　reminiscently；　and　the　three　detectives

exchanged　crafty　glances。



〃Then；　to　be　brief；　we　took　the　box　away　from　them。　　They　were　so

ill…advised　as　to　struggle。　They　are　in　irons；　now；　on　board　the

Annabel　Lee。



〃But　what　I　cannot　understand；　Mr。　Cleggett；　is　why　these　men

should　risk　so　much　to　make　off　with　an　empty　box。〃



〃An　empty　box！〃　cried　Cleggett。



〃Empty！〃　echoed　Lady　Agatha　and　Miss　Pringle；　in　concert。



The　detective　wrenched　the　cover　from　the　box　of　Reginald

Maltravers。



〃Practically　empty；　at　any　rate；〃　he　said。



And；　indeed；　except　for　a　few　wads　of　wet　excelsior；　there　was

nothing　in　the　box　of　Reginald　Maltravers。



〃Where；　then；〃　cried　Lady　Agatha；　〃is　Reginald　Maltravers？〃



〃Where；　indeed；〃　said　Wilton　Barnstable；　〃is　Reginald

Maltravers？〃



〃Where；　then；〃　cried　Miss　Pringle；　〃are　my　plum　preserves？〃



〃Where；　indeed？〃　repeated　Wilton　Barnstable。　And　Barton　Ward　and

Watson　Bard；　although　they　did　not　speak　aloud；　stroked　their

mustaches　and　their　lips　formed　the　ejaculation；　〃Where；　indeed？〃



〃We　will　tell　you　everything；〃　said　Cleggett。　　And　beginning　with

his　purchase　of　the　Jasper　B。　he　recounted　rapidly；　but　with

sufficient　detail；　all　the　facts　with　which　the　reader　is　already

familiar；　weaving　into　his　story　the　tale　of　Lady　Agatha　and　the

adventures　of　Miss　Pringle。　　Wilton　Barnstable　listened

attentively。　　So　did　Barton　Ward　and　Watson　Bard。　　The　benign

smile　which　was　so　characteristic　of　Wilton　Barnstable　never　left

the　three　faces；　but　it　was　evident　to　Cleggett　that　these

trained　intelligences　grasped　and　weighed　and　ticketed　every

detail。



While　Cleggett　narrates；　and　Wilton　Barnstable　and　his　men

listen；　a　word　to　the　reader　concerning　this　great　detective。





CHAPTER　XX



THE　PSYCHOLOGICAL　DETECTIVE



Wilton　Barnstable　was　the　inventor　of　a　new　school　of　detection

of　crime。　　The　system　came　in　with　him；　and　it　may　go　out　with

him　for　lack　of　a　man　of　his　genius　to　perpetuate　it。　　He

insisted　that　there　was　nothing　spectacular　or　romantic　in　the

pursuit　of　the　criminal；　or；　at　least；　that　there　should　be

nothing　of　the　sort。　　And　he　was　especially　disgusted　when　anyone

referred　to　him　as　〃a　second　Sherlock　Holmes。〃



〃I　am　only　a　plain　business　man；〃　he　would　insist；　urbanely；　with

a　wave　of　his　hand。　　〃I　have　merely　brought　order；　method；

system；　business　principles；　logic；　to　the　detection　of　crime。　　I

know　nothing　of　romance。　　Romance　is　usually　all　nonsense　in　my

estimation。　　The　real　detective；　who　gets　results　in　real　life；

is　NOT　a　Sherlock　Holmes。〃



The　enemies　of　Wilton　Barnstable　sometimes　said　of　him　that　he

was　jealous　of　Sherlock　Holmes。　　When　this　was　reported　to

Barnstable　he　invariably　remarked：　　〃How　preposterous！　The　idea

of　a　man　being　envious　of　a　literary　creation！〃



Perhaps　his　denial　of　the　existence　of　romance　was　merely　one　of

those　poses　which　geniuses　so　often　permit　themselves。　　Perhaps

he　saw　it　and　was　thrilled　with　it　even　while　he　denied　it。　　At

any　rate；　he　lived　in　the　midst　of　it。　　The　realism　which　was　his

metier　was　that　sort　of　realism　into　which　are　woven　facts　and

incidents　of　the　most　bizarre　and　startling　nature。



And；　certainly；　behind　the　light　blue　eyes　that　could　look　with

such　apparent　ingenuousness　out　of　his　plump；　bland　face　there

was　the　subtle　mind　of　a　psychologist。　　Barnstable；　true　to　his

attitude　of　the　plain　business　man；　would　have　been　the　first　to

ridicule　the　idea　publicly　if　anyone　had　dubbed　him　〃the

psychological　detective。〃　　That；　to　his　mind；　would　have　savored

of　charlatanism。　　He　would　have　said：　　〃I　am　nothing　so　strange

and　mystifying　as　thatI　am　a　plain　business　man。〃　　But　in

reality　there　was　no　new　discovery　of　the　investigating

psychologists　of　which　he　did　not　avail　himself　at　once。　　His

ability　to　clothe　himself　with　the　thoughts　of　the　criminal　as　an

actor　clothes　himself　with　a　role；　was　marvelous；　he　knew　the

criminal　soul。　　That　is　to　say；　he　knew　the　human　soul。　　He

refused　to　see　anything　extraordinary　in　this。　　〃It　is　only　my

business　to　know　such　things；〃　he　would　say。　　〃We　know　many

things。　　It　is　our　business　to　know　them。　　There　is　no　mir