the cruise of the jasper b.-第44章

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on　the　memorial　skylight。　The　glass　is　by　Tiffany。



Dopey　Eddie　and　Izzy　the　Cat；　still　followed　by　Reginald

Maltravers；　made　their　way　to　Brooklyn；　where　all　three　were

arrested　and　lodged　in　the　observation　ward　of　the　Kings　County

Hospital　on　the　suspicion　that　they　were　insane。　　The　two　gunmen

were　able　to　get　free　through　political　influence；　but　Maltravers

was　sent　to　England。　　He　was　maintained　for　some　time　in　a

private　institution　through　the　generosity　of　the　Cleggetts；　but

finally　went　on　a　hunger　strike　and　died。



Wilton　Barnstable　smiles　and　prospers。　　He　gained　great

additional　fame　for　his　clever　work　in　the　Case　of　Logan　Black。



Cleggett；　in　1925；　was　the　father　of　four　boys　named　D'Artagnan；

Athos；　Porthos；　and　Aramis　Cleggett；　and　the　owner　of　the

Claiborne　estates。



He　is　now　immensely　wealthy。　　It　never　would　have　occurred　to

him；　perhaps；　to　attempt　to　increase　his　modest　fortune　of

500；000　by　speculating　on　the　Stock　Exchange；　had　it　not　been

for　a　fortunate　meeting　with　a　barber　in　Nassau　Street。



This　barber；　whose　Christian　name　was　Walter；　was；　indeed；　a　mine

of　suggestion　and　information　of　all　sorts。　　And　being　a

good…natured　fellow；　who　wished　the　world　well；　Walter　delighted

to　impart　his　original　ideas　and　the　fruits　of　his　observation　to

his　patrons　while　shaving　them。　　Some　of　these　received　his

remarks　coldly；　it　is　true；　but　Walter　was　so　charged　with　a

sense　of　friendliness　towards　all　mankind　that　he　was　never

daunted　for　long　by　a　rebuff。



His　interests　were　wide　and　varied；　Walter　found　no　difficulty　in

talking　pleasantly　upon　any　subject；　he　could　touch　it　lightly；

or　deal　with　it　in　a　more　serious　vein；　as　the　mood　of　his

customer　seemed　to　require；　and　he　had　the　art　of　making　deft　and

rapid　transitions　from　topic　to　topic。　　But　there　were　two　things

in　particular　concerning　which　Walter　had　thought　deeply：

racehorses　and　the　stock　market。



It　was　the　settled　grief　of　Walter's　life　that　he　had　never　been

able　to　persuade　any　person　with　money　to　take　his　advice

concerning　the　races；　or　follow　any　of　the　dazzling　stock　market

campaigns　which　he　was　forever　outlining。



〃They　listen　to　me；〃　said　Walter；　a　little　wistfully；　but　with　a

brave　smile；　〃or　else　they　do　not　listenbut　no　one　has　ever　yet

taken　my　advice！　Do　you　wet　your　hair　when　you　part　it；　sir？〃



〃What；〃　said　Cleggett；　carefully　concealing　from　Walter　the　fact

that　he　spoke　of　himself；　〃would　　be　your　advice　to　a　man　with

100；000　who　wished　to　double　it　in　a　few　weeks？〃



〃Double　it！〃　cried　Walter。　　〃Why；　I　could　show　such　a　person　how

to　multiply　it　by　ten　inside　of　two　months。〃　　And　he　rapidly

outlined　to　Cleggett　a　scheme　so　audacious　and　so　brilliant　that

it　fairly　took　our　hero's　breath　away。　　Moreover；　it　stood　the

test　of　reflection；　it　was　sound。　　Not　to　descend　to　the　sordid

details；　in　three　weeks　Cleggett　found　himself　possessed　of　a

million　dollars'　gain。　　Half　of　this　he　gave　to　the　excellent

Walter；　and　in　three　months　ran　the　other　half　million　up　to

twenty　millions。



Then　he　withdrew　permanently　from　business；　as　Lady　Agatha

complained　that　it　took　too　much　of　his　time；　moreover；　he　shrank

from　notoriety；　which　his　stock　market　operations　were　beginning

to　bring　upon　him。



Giuseppe　Jones；　who　recovered　of　his　wounds；　forswore　anarchy　and

became　a　newspaper　reporter；　and　grew　to　be　a　fast　friend　of

Cleggett；　who　discovered　that　he　was　a　lad　of　parts。　　Cleggett

eventually　made　him　president　of　a　college　of　journalism　which　he

founded。　　While　he　was　establishing　the　institution　the　man

Wharton；　his　old　managing　editor；　broken；　shattered；　out　of　work；

and　a　hopeless　drunkard；　came　to　him　and　begged　for　a　position。　

The　man　had　sunk　so　low　that　he　was　repeatedly　arrested　for

pretending　to　be　blind　on　the　street　corners；　and　had　debauched

an　innocent　dog　to　assist　in　this　deception。　　Cleggett　forgave

him　the　slights　of　many　years　and　made　him　an　assistant　janitor

in　the　new　college　of　journalism。



The　post　is　a　sinecure；　and　well　within　even　the　man　Wharton's

powers。



Cap'n　Abernethy　travels　with　the　Cleggetts　a　great　deal；　under

the　hallucination；　which　they　humor；　that　he　is　of　service　to

them。　　The　children　are　very　fond　of　him。　　At　Claiborne　Castle

Cleggett　has　had　a　shallow　lake　constructed　for　him。　　There　the

Captain；　still　firm　in　the　belief　that　he　is　a　sailor；　loves　to

potter　about　with　catboats　and　rafts。



Dr。　Farnsworth　enjoys　a　lucrative　position　as　physician　to　the

Cleggett　family；　and　Kuroki　is　their　butler。



By　1925　the　prejudice　against　militants　had　abated　in　certain

exalted　circles　in　England；　and　Lady　Agatha　Cleggett　and　her

husband　were　much　at　court。



Cleggett；　hating　notoriety；　had　endeavored　to　conceal　the　story

of　his　adventures　along　the　dangerous　coasts　of　Long　Island；　but

concealment　was　impossible。　　After　the　death　of　the　old　Earl　of

Claiborne；　and　the　demise　of　Reginald　Maltravers；　and　Cleggett's

purchase　of　the　Claiborne　estate；　the　King　wished　Cleggett　to

take　the　title　of　Earl　of　Claiborne。



His　Majesty　sent　the　Premier　to　sound　Cleggett　upon　the　matter。



〃No；　no；〃　said　Cleggett　affably。　　〃I　couldn't　think　of　it。　　I　am

quite　democratic；　you　know。〃



The　second　time　the　King　sent　one　of　the　Royal　Dukes　to　see

Cleggett。　　They　were　at　a　house　party　in　Wales；　and　Cleggett　was

a　little　disturbed　that　this　business　affair　should　be　brought　up

at　a　gathering　so　distinctly　social　in　its　nature。　　He　was　too

tactful　to　let　it　be　seen；　but　secretly　he　felt　that　in

approaching　the　matter　in　that　fashion　the　Duke　had　erred　in

taste。



〃But　we　need　men　like　you　in　the　House　of　Lords；〃　pleaded　the

Duke。



〃I　cannot　think　of　it；〃　said　Cleggett。　　And　then；　not　wishing　to

hurt　the　Englishman's　feelings；　he　said　kindly：　　〃But　I　will

promise　you　this：　if　I　should　change　my　mind　and　decide　to　become

a　member　of　any　aristocracy　at　all；　it　will　be　the　English

aristocracy。〃



The　Duke　thanked　Cleggett　for　the　compliment；　and　Cleggett

thought　he　had　heard　the　end　of　it。



He　was；　therefore；　surprised；　a　few　weeks　later；　as　he　was

conversing　with　the　King　at　Buckingham　Palace；　when　His　Majesty

himself；　laying　his　hand　familiarly　on　Cleggett's　shoulder；

renewed　the　petition　in　person。　　It　is　hard　to　refuse　things

continually　without　seeming　unappreciative。　　In　fact；　Cleggett

felt　trapped；　if　the　truth　must　be　known；　he　was　a　little　angry。



〃Come；　come；　Cleggett；〃　said　the　King；　〃lay　aside　your　prejudices

and　oblige　me。　　After　all；　it　is　not　the　sort　of　thing　I　run

about　offering　to　every　American　in　London！〃



〃Your　Majesty；〃　said　Cleggett；　politely　but　with　a　note　of

firmness　and　finality　in　his　voice；　〃since　you　mention　the　word

American　you　force　me　to　speak　plainly。　　I　would　not　willingly

wound　your　sensibilities　in　any　particular；　butpardon　me　if　I

am　directyou　have　been　very　persistent。　　I　AM　an　American；　your

Majesty；　and　I　consider　the　honor　of　being　an　American　citizen

far　above　any　that　it　is　within　your　power　to　bestow。　　If　I　have

not　mentioned　this　before；　it　was　because　I　did　not　wish　to　hurt

you。　　I　hope　our　friendship　will　not　cease；　but　I　must　tell　you

flatly　that　I　desire　to　hear　no　more　of　this。　　You　will　oblige　me

by　not　mentioning　it　again；　Your　Majesty。〃



The　King　begged　Cleggett's　pardon　with　a　becoming　sincerity；　and

was　about　to　withdraw。　　Cleggett；　who　liked　him　immensely；　was

sudden　smitten　with　a　regret　that　it　had　been　so　impossible　to

oblige　him。



〃Your　Majesty；〃　he　cried　impulsively；　〃I　BEG　of　you　not　to　get

the　idea　that　there　is　anything　personal　in　this　refusal。〃



〃I　respect　principle；〃　said　the　King　gravely。　　But　he　WAS　hurt

and　could　not　help　showing　it；　and　he　was　a　little　stiff。



〃We　will　compromise；〃　said　Cleggett；　with　a　flash　of　inspiration。



〃I　will　let　you　have　my　second　son；　Athos　Cleggett。