the club of queer trades-第15章

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etext；　people　whom　they　want　out　of　the　way　for　a　few　hours。　And　Captain　Fraser〃　and　with　that　he　hesitated　and　smiled。

Basil　smiled　also。　He　intervened。

〃The　fact　is　that　Captain　Fraser；　who　is　one　of　my　best　friends；　wanted　us　both　out　of　the　way　very　much。　He　is　sailing　tonight　for　East　Africa；　and　the　lady　with　whom　we　were　all　to　have　dined　is　erwhat　is　I　believe　described　as　‘the　romance　of　his　life'。　He　wanted　that　two　hours　with　her；　and　employed　these　two　reverend　gentlemen　to　detain　us　at　our　houses　so　as　to　let　him　have　the　field　to　himself。〃

〃And　of　course；〃　said　the　late　Mr　Shorter　apologetically　to　me；　〃as　I　had　to　keep　a　gentleman　at　home　from　keeping　an　appointment　with　a　lady；　I　had　to　come　with　something　rather　hot　and　strongrather　urgent。　It　wouldn't　have　done　to　be　tame。〃

〃Oh；〃　I　said；　〃I　acquit　you　of　tameness。〃

〃Thank　you；　sir；〃　said　the　man　respectfully；　〃always　very　grateful　for　any　recommendation；　sir。〃

The　other　man　idly　pushed　back　his　artificial　bald　head；　revealing　close　red　hair；　and　spoke　dreamily；　perhaps　under　the　influence　of　Basil's　admirable　Burgundy。

〃It's　wonderful　how　common　it's　getting；　gentlemen。　Our　office　is　busy　from　morning　till　night。　I've　no　doubt　you've　often　knocked　up　against　us　before。　You　just　take　notice。　When　an　old　bachelor　goes　on　boring　you　with　hunting　stories；　when　you're　burning　to　be　introduced　to　somebody；　he's　from　our　bureau。　When　a　lady　calls　on　parish　work　and　stops　hours；　just　when　you　wanted　to　go　to　the　Robinsons'；　she's　from　our　bureau。　The　Robinson　hand；　sir；　may　be　darkly　seen。〃

〃There　is　one　thing　I　don't　understand；〃　I　said。　〃Why　you　are　both　vicars。〃

A　shade　crossed　the　brow　of　the　temporary　incumbent　of　Chuntsey；　in　Essex。

〃That　may　have　been　a　mistake；　sir；〃　he　said。　〃But　it　was　not　our　fault。　It　was　all　the　munificence　of　Captain　Fraser。　He　requested　that　the　highest　price　and　talent　on　our　tariff　should　be　employed　to　detain　you　gentlemen。　Now　the　highest　payment　in　our　office　goes　to　those　who　impersonate　vicars；　as　being　the　most　respectable　and　more　of　a　strain。　We　are　paid　five　guineas　a　visit。　We　have　had　the　good　fortune　to　satisfy　the　firm　with　our　work；　and　we　are　now　permanently　vicars。　Before　that　we　had　two　years　as　colonels；　the　next　in　our　scale。　Colonels　are　four　guineas。〃



Chapter　4

The　Singular　Speculation　of　the　House…Agent

Lieutenant　Drummond　Keith　was　a　man　about　whom　conversation　always　burst　like　a　thunderstorm　the　moment　he　left　the　room。　This　arose　from　many　separate　touches　about　him。　He　was　a　light；　loose　person；　who　wore　light；　loose　clothes；　generally　white；　as　if　he　were　in　the　tropics；　he　was　lean　and　graceful；　like　a　panther；　and　he　had　restless　black　eyes。

He　was　very　impecunious。　He　had　one　of　the　habits　of　the　poor；　in　a　degree　so　exaggerated　as　immeasurably　to　eclipse　the　most　miserable　of　the　unemployed；　I　mean　the　habit　of　continual　change　of　lodgings。　There　are　inland　tracts　of　London　where；　in　the　very　heart　of　artificial　civilization；　humanity　has　almost　become　nomadic　once　more。　But　in　that　restless　interior　there　was　no　ragged　tramp　so　restless　as　the　elegant　officer　in　the　loose　white　clothes。　He　had　shot　a　great　many　things　in　his　time；　to　judge　from　his　conversation；　from　partridges　to　elephants；　but　his　slangier　acquaintances　were　of　opinion　that　〃the　moon〃　had　been　not　unfrequently　amid　the　victims　of　his　victorious　rifle。　The　phrase　is　a　fine　one；　and　suggests　a　mystic；　elvish；　nocturnal　hunting。

He　carried　from　house　to　house　and　from　parish　to　parish　a　kit　which　consisted　practically　of　five　articles。　Two　odd…looking；　large…bladed　spears；　tied　together；　the　weapons；　I　suppose；　of　some　savage　tribe；　a　green　umbrella；　a　huge　and　tattered　copy　of　the　Pickwick　Papers；　a　big　game　rifle；　and　a　large　sealed　jar　of　some　unholy　Oriental　wine。　These　always　went　into　every　new　lodging；　even　for　one　night；　and　they　went　in　quite　undisguised；　tied　up　in　wisps　of　string　or　straw；　to　the　delight　of　the　poetic　gutter　boys　in　the　little　grey　streets。

I　had　forgotten　to　mention　that　he　always　carried　also　his　old　regimental　sword。　But　this　raised　another　odd　question　about　him。　Slim　and　active　as　he　was；　he　was　no　longer　very　young。　His　hair；　indeed；　was　quite　grey；　though　his　rather　wild　almost　Italian　moustache　retained　its　blackness；　and　his　face　was　careworn　under　its　almost　Italian　gaiety。　To　find　a　middle…aged　man　who　has　left　the　Army　at　the　primitive　rank　of　lieutenant　is　unusual　and　not　necessarily　encouraging。　With　the　more　cautious　and　solid　this　fact；　like　his　endless　flitting；　did　the　mysterious　gentleman　no　good。

Lastly；　he　was　a　man　who　told　the　kind　of　adventures　which　win　a　man　admiration；　but　not　respect。　They　came　out　of　queer　places；　where　a　good　man　would　scarcely　find　himself；　out　of　opium　dens　and　gambling　hells；　they　had　the　heat　of　the　thieves'　kitchens　or　smelled　of　a　strange　smoke　from　cannibal　incantations。　These　are　the　kind　of　stories　which　discredit　a　person　almost　equally　whether　they　are　believed　or　no。　If　Keith's　tales　were　false　he　was　a　liar；　if　they　were　true　he　had　had；　at　any　rate；　every　opportunity　of　being　a　scamp。

He　had　just　left　the　room　in　which　I　sat　with　Basil　Grant　and　his　brother　Rupert；　the　voluble　amateur　detective。　And　as　I　say　was　invariably　the　case；　we　were　all　talking　about　him。　Rupert　Grant　was　a　clever　young　fellow；　but　he　had　that　tendency　which　youth　and　cleverness；　when　sharply　combined；　so　often　produce；　a　somewhat　extravagant　scepticism。　He　saw　doubt　and　guilt　everywhere；　and　it　was　meat　and　drink　to　him。　I　had　often　got　irritated　with　this　boyish　incredulity　of　his；　but　on　this　particular　occasion　I　am　bound　to　say　that　I　thought　him　so　obviously　right　that　I　was　astounded　at　Basil's　opposing　him；　however　banteringly。

I　could　swallow　a　good　deal；　being　naturally　of　a　simple　turn；　but　I　could　not　swallow　Lieutenant　Keith's　autobiography。

〃You　don't　seriously　mean；　Basil；〃　I　said；　〃that　you　think　that　that　fellow　really　did　go　as　a　stowaway　with　Nansen　and　pretend　to　be　the　Mad　Mullah　and〃

〃He　has　one　fault；〃　said　Basil　thoughtfully；　〃or　virtue；　as　you　may　happen　to　regard　it。　He　tells　the　truth　in　too　exact　and　bald　a　style；　he　is　too　veracious。〃

〃Oh！　if　you　are　going　to　be　paradoxical；〃　said　Rupert　contemptuously；　〃be　a　bit　funnier　than　that。　Say；　for　instance；　that　he　has　lived　all　his　life　in　one　ancestral　manor。〃

〃No；　he's　extremely　fond　of　change　of　scene；〃　replied　Basil　dispassionately；　〃and　of　living　in　odd　places。　That　doesn't　prevent　his　chief　trait　being　verbal　exactitude。　What　you　people　don't　understand　is　that　telling　a　thing　crudely　and　coarsely　as　it　happened　makes　it　sound　frightfully　strange。　The　sort　of　things　Keith　recounts　are　not　the　sort　of　things　that　a　man　would　make　up　to　cover　himself　with　honour；　they　are　too　absurd。　But　they　are　the　sort　of　things　that　a　man　would　do　if　he　were　sufficiently　filled　with　the　soul　of　skylarking。〃

〃So　far　from　paradox；〃　said　his　brother；　with　something　rather　like　a　sneer；　〃you　seem　to　be　going　in　for　journalese　proverbs。　Do　you　believe　that　truth　is　stranger　than　fiction？〃

〃Truth　must　of　necessity　be　stranger　than　fiction；〃　said　Basil　placidly。　〃For　fiction　is　the　creation　of　the　human　mind；　and　therefore　is　congenial　to　it。〃

〃Well；　your　lieutenant's　truth　is　stranger；　if　it　is　truth；　than　anything　I　ever　heard　of；〃　said　Rupert；　relapsing　into　flippancy。　〃Do　you；　on　your　soul；　believe　in　all　that　about　the　shark　and　the　camera？〃

〃I　believe　Keith's　words；〃　answered　the　other。　〃He　is　an　honest　man。〃

〃I　should　like　to　question　a　regiment　of　his　landladies；〃　said　Rupert　cynically。

〃I　must　say；　I　think　you　can　hardly　regard　him　as　unimpeachable　merely　in　himself；〃　I　said　mildly；　〃his　mode　of　life〃

Before　I　could　complete　the　sentence　the　door　was　flung　open　and　Drummond　Keith　appeared　again　on　the　threshold；　his　white　Panama　on　his　head。

〃I　say；　Grant；〃　he　said；　knocking　off　his　cigarette　ash　against　the　door；　〃I've　got　no　money　in　the　world　till　next　April。　Could　you　lend　me　a　hundred　pounds？　There's　a　good　chap。〃

Rupert　and　I　looked　at　each　other　in　an　ironical　silence。　Basil；　who　was　sitting　by　his　desk；　swung