the club of queer trades-第17章

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banged　between　us　and　the　street。

Rupert　Grant　seemed　to　take　a　little　time　to　collect　himself；　but　he　spoke　before　the　echoes　of　the　door　died　away。

〃Your　client；　Lieutenant　Keith；　appears　somewhat　excited；〃　he　said。　〃What　is　the　matter　with　him？　Is　he　unwell？〃

〃Oh；　I　should　think　not；〃　said　Mr　Montmorency；　in　some　confusion。　〃The　negotiations　have　been　somewhat　difficultthe　house　is　rather〃

〃Green；〃　said　Rupert　calmly。　〃That　appears　to　be　a　very　important　point。　It　must　be　rather　green。　May　I　ask　you；　Mr　Montmorency；　before　I　rejoin　my　companion　outside；　whether；　in　your　business；　it　is　usual　to　ask　for　houses　by　their　colour？　Do　clients　write　to　a　house…agent　asking　for　a　pink　house　or　a　blue　house？　Or；　to　take　another　instance；　for　a　green　house？〃

〃Only；〃　said　Montmorency；　trembling；　〃only　to　be　inconspicuous。〃

Rupert　had　his　ruthless　smile。　〃Can　you　tell　me　any　place　on　earth　in　which　a　green　house　would　be　inconspicuous？〃

The　house…agent　was　fidgeting　nervously　in　his　pocket。　Slowly　drawing　out　a　couple　of　lizards　and　leaving　them　to　run　on　the　counter；　he　said：

〃No；　I　can't。〃

〃You　can't　suggest　an　explanation？〃

〃No；〃　said　Mr　Montmorency；　rising　slowly　and　yet　in　such　a　way　as　to　suggest　a　sudden　situation；　〃I　can't。　And　may　I；　as　a　busy　man；　be　excused　if　I　ask　you；　gentlemen；　if　you　have　any　demand　to　make　of　me　in　connection　with　my　business。　What　kind　of　house　would　you　desire　me　to　get　for　you；　sir？〃

He　opened　his　blank　blue　eyes　on　Rupert；　who　seemed　for　the　second　staggered。　Then　he　recovered　himself　with　perfect　common　sense　and　answered：

〃I　am　sorry；　Mr　Montmorency。　The　fascination　of　your　remarks　has　unduly　delayed　us　from　joining　our　friend　outside。　Pray　excuse　my　apparent　impertinence。〃

〃Not　at　all；　sir；〃　said　the　house…agent；　taking　a　South　American　spider　idly　from　his　waistcoat　pocket　and　letting　it　climb　up　the　slope　of　his　desk。　〃Not　at　all；　sir。　I　hope　you　will　favour　me　again。〃

Rupert　Grant　dashed　out　of　the　office　in　a　gust　of　anger；　anxious　to　face　Lieutenant　Keith。　He　was　gone。　The　dull；　starlit　street　was　deserted。

〃What　do　you　say　now？〃　cried　Rupert　to　his　brother。　His　brother　said　nothing　now。

We　all　three　strode　down　the　street　in　silence；　Rupert　feverish；　myself　dazed；　Basil；　to　all　appearance；　merely　dull。　We　walked　through　grey　street　after　grey　street；　turning　corners；　traversing　squares；　scarcely　meeting　anyone；　except　occasional　drunken　knots　of　two　or　three。

In　one　small　street；　however；　the　knots　of　two　or　three　began　abruptly　to　thicken　into　knots　of　five　or　six　and　then　into　great　groups　and　then　into　a　crowd。　The　crowd　was　stirring　very　slightly。　But　anyone　with　a　knowledge　of　the　eternal　populace　knows　that　if　the　outside　rim　of　a　crowd　stirs　ever　so　slightly　it　means　that　there　is　madness　in　the　heart　and　core　of　the　mob。　It　soon　became　evident　that　something　really　important　had　happened　in　the　centre　of　this　excitement。　We　wormed　our　way　to　the　front；　with　the　cunning　which　is　known　only　to　cockneys；　and　once　there　we　soon　learned　the　nature　of　the　difficulty。　There　had　been　a　brawl　concerned　with　some　six　men；　and　one　of　them　lay　almost　dead　on　the　stones　of　the　street。　Of　the　other　four；　all　interesting　matters　were；　as　far　as　we　were　concerned；　swallowed　up　in　one　stupendous　fact。　One　of　the　four　survivors　of　the　brutal　and　perhaps　fatal　scuffle　was　the　immaculate　Lieutenant　Keith；　his　clothes　torn　to　ribbons；　his　eyes　blazing；　blood　on　his　knuckles。　One　other　thing；　however；　pointed　at　him　in　a　worse　manner。　A　short　sword；　or　very　long　knife；　had　been　drawn　out　of　his　elegant　walking…stick；　and　lay　in　front　of　him　upon　the　stones。　It　did　not；　however；　appear　to　be　bloody。

The　police　had　already　pushed　into　the　centre　with　their　ponderous　omnipotence；　and　even　as　they　did　so；　Rupert　Grant　sprang　forward　with　his　incontrollable　and　intolerable　secret。

〃That　is　the　man；　constable；〃　he　shouted；　pointing　at　the　battered　lieutenant。　〃He　is　a　suspicious　character。　He　did　the　murder。〃

〃There's　been　no　murder　done；　sir；〃　said　the　policeman；　with　his　automatic　civility。　〃The　poor　man's　only　hurt。　I　shall　only　be　able　to　take　the　names　and　addresses　of　the　men　in　the　scuffle　and　have　a　good　eye　kept　on　them。〃

〃Have　a　good　eye　kept　on　that　one；〃　said　Rupert；　pale　to　the　lips；　and　pointing　to　the　ragged　Keith。

〃All　right；　sir；〃　said　the　policeman　unemotionally；　and　went　the　round　of　the　people　present；　collecting　the　addresses。　When　he　had　completed　his　task　the　dusk　had　fallen　and　most　of　the　people　not　immediately　connected　with　the　examination　had　gone　away。　He　still　found；　however；　one　eager…faced　stranger　lingering　on　the　outskirts　of　the　affair。　It　was　Rupert　Grant。

〃Constable；〃　he　said；　〃I　have　a　very　particular　reason　for　asking　you　a　question。　Would　you　mind　telling　me　whether　that　military　fellow　who　dropped　his　sword…stick　in　the　row　gave　you　an　address　or　not？〃

〃Yes；　sir；〃　said　the　policeman；　after　a　reflective　pause；　〃yes；　he　gave　me　his　address。〃

〃My　name　is　Rupert　Grant；〃　said　that　individual；　with　some　pomp。　〃I　have　assisted　the　police　on　more　than　one　occasion。　I　wonder　whether　you　would　tell　me；　as　a　special　favour；　what　address？〃

The　constable　looked　at　him。

〃Yes；〃　he　said　slowly；　〃if　you　like。　His　address　is：　The　Elms；　Buxton　Common；　near　Purley；　Surrey。〃

〃Thank　you；〃　said　Rupert；　and　ran　home　through　the　gathering　night　as　fast　as　his　legs　could　carry　him；　repeating　the　address　to　himself。

Rupert　Grant　generally　came　down　late　in　a　rather　lordly　way　to　breakfast；　he　contrived；　I　don't　know　how；　to　achieve　always　the　attitude　of　the　indulged　younger　brother。　Next　morning；　however；　when　Basil　and　I　came　down　we　found　him　ready　and　restless。

〃Well；〃　he　said　sharply　to　his　brother　almost　before　we　sat　down　to　the　meal。　〃What　do　you　think　of　your　Drummond　Keith　now？〃

〃What　do　I　think　of　him？〃　inquired　Basil　slowly。　〃I　don't　think　anything　of　him。〃

〃I'm　glad　to　hear　it；〃　said　Rupert；　buttering　his　toast　with　an　energy　that　was　somewhat　exultant。　〃I　thought　you'd　come　round　to　my　view；　but　I　own　I　was　startled　at　your　not　seeing　it　from　the　beginning。　The　man　is　a　translucent　liar　and　knave。〃

〃I　think；〃　said　Basil；　in　the　same　heavy　monotone　as　before；　〃that　I　did　not　make　myself　clear。　When　I　said　that　I　thought　nothing　of　him　I　meant　grammatically　what　I　said。　I　meant　that　I　did　not　think　about　him；　that　he　did　not　occupy　my　mind。　You；　however；　seem　to　me　to　think　a　lot　of　him；　since　you　think　him　a　knave。　I　should　say　he　was　glaringly　good　myself。〃

〃I　sometimes　think　you　talk　paradox　for　its　own　sake；〃　said　Rupert；　breaking　an　egg　with　unnecessary　sharpness。　〃What　the　deuce　is　the　sense　of　it？　Here's　a　man　whose　original　position　was；　by　our　common　agreement；　dubious。　He's　a　wanderer；　a　teller　of　tall　tales；　a　man　who　doesn't　conceal　his　acquaintance　with　all　the　blackest　and　bloodiest　scenes　on　earth。　We　take　the　trouble　to　follow　him　to　one　of　his　appointments；　and　if　ever　two　human　beings　were　plotting　together　and　lying　to　every　one　else；　he　and　that　impossible　house…agent　were　doing　it。　We　followed　him　home；　and　the　very　same　night　he　is　in　the　thick　of　a　fatal；　or　nearly　fatal；　brawl；　in　which　he　is　the　only　man　armed。　Really；　if　this　is　being　glaringly　good；　I　must　confess　that　the　glare　does　not　dazzle　me。〃

Basil　was　quite　unmoved。　〃I　admit　his　moral　goodness　is　of　a　certain　kind；　a　quaint；　perhaps　a　casual　kind。　He　is　very　fond　of　change　and　experiment。　But　all　the　points　you　so　ingeniously　make　against　him　are　mere　coincidence　or　special　pleading。　It's　true　he　didn't　want　to　talk　about　his　house　business　in　front　of　us。　No　man　would。　It's　true　that　he　carries　a　sword…stick。　Any　man　might。　It's　true　he　drew　it　in　the　shock　of　a　street　fight。　Any　man　would。　But　there's　nothing　really　dubious　in　all　this。　There's　nothing　to　confirm〃

As　he　spoke　a　knock　came　at　the　door。

〃If　you　please；　sir；〃　said　the　landlady；　with　an　alarmed　air；　〃there's　a　policeman　wants　to　see　you。〃

〃Show　him　in；〃　said　Basil；　amid　the　blank　silence。

The　heavy；　handsome　constable　who　appeared　at　the　door　spoke　almost　as　soon　as　he　appeared　there。

〃I　think　one　of　you　gentlemen；〃　he　said；