the club of queer trades-第18章

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〃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；　curtly　but　respectfully；　〃was　present　at　the　affair　in　Copper　Street　last　night；　and　drew　my　attention　very　strongly　to　a　particular　man。〃

Rupert　half　rose　from　his　chair；　with　eyes　like　diamonds；　but　the　constable　went　on　calmly；　referring　to　a　paper。

〃A　young　man　with　grey　hair。　Had　light　grey　clothes；　very　good；　but　torn　in　the　struggle。　Gave　his　name　as　Drummond　Keith。〃

〃This　is　amusing；〃　said　Basil；　laughing。　〃I　was　in　the　very　act　of　clearing　that　poor　officer's　character　of　rather　fanciful　aspersions。　What　about　him？〃

〃Well；　sir；〃　said　the　constable；　〃I　took　all　the　men's　addresses　and　had　them　all　watched。　It　wasn't　serious　enough　to　do　more　than　that。　All　the　other　addresses　are　all　right。　But　this　man　Keith　gave　a　false　address。　The　place　doesn't　exist。〃

The　breakfast　table　was　nearly　flung　over　as　Rupert　sprang　up；　slapping　both　his　thighs。

〃Well；　by　all　that's　good；〃　he　cried。　〃This　is　a　sign　from　heaven。〃

〃It's　certainly　very　extraordinary；〃　said　Basil　quietly；　with　knitted　brows。　〃It's　odd　the　fellow　should　have　given　a　false　address；　considering　he　was　perfectly　innocent　in　the〃

〃Oh；　you　jolly　old　early　Christian　duffer；〃　cried　Rupert；　in　a　sort　of　rapture；　〃I　don't　wonder　you　couldn't　be　a　judge。　You　think　every　one　as　good　as　yourself。　Isn't　the　thing　plain　enough　now？　A　doubtful　acquaintance；　rowdy　stories；　a　most　suspicious　conversation；　mean　streets；　a　concealed　knife；　a　man　nearly　killed；　and；　finally；　a　false　address。　That's　what　we　call　glaring　goodness。〃

〃It's　certainly　very　extraordinary；〃　repeated　Basil。　And　he　strolled　moodily　about　the　room。　Then　he　said：　〃You　are　quite　sure；　constable；　that　there's　no　mistake？　You　got　the　address　right；　and　the　police　have　really　gone　to　it　and　found　it　was　a　fraud？〃

〃It　was　very　simple；　sir；〃　said　the　policeman；　chuckling。　〃The　place　he　named　was　a　well…known　common　quite　near　London；　and　our　people　were　down　there　this　morning　before　any　of　you　were　awake。　And　there's　no　such　house。　In　fact；　there　are　hardly　any　houses　at　all。　Though　it　is　so　near　London；　it's　a　blank　moor　with　hardly　five　trees　on　it；　to　say　nothing　of　Christians。　Oh；　no；　sir；　the　address　was　a　fraud　right　enough。　He　was　a　clever　rascal；　and　chose　one　of　those　scraps　of　lost　England　that　people　know　nothing　about。　Nobody　could　say　off…hand　that　there　was　not　a　particular　house　dropped　somewhere　about　the　heath。　But　as　a　fact；　there　isn't。〃

Basil's　face　during　this　sensible　speech　had　been　growing　darker　and　darker　with　a　sort　of　desperate　sagacity。　He　was　cornered　almost　for　the　first　time　since　I　had　known　him；　and　to　tell　the　truth　I　rather　wondered　at　the　almost　childish　obstinacy　which　kept　him　so　close　to　his　original　prejudice　in　favour　of　the　wildly　questionable　lieutenant。　At　length　he　said：

〃You　really　searched　the　common？　And　the　address　was　really　not　known　in　the　districtby　the　way；　what　was　the　address？〃

The　constable　selected　one　of　his　slips　of　paper　and　consulted　it；　but　before　he　could　speak　Rupert　Grant；　who　was　leaning　in　the　window　in　a　perfect　posture　of　the　quiet　and　triumphant　detective；　struck　in　with　the　sharp　and　suave　voice　he　loved　so　much　to　use。

〃Why；　I　can　tell　you　that；　Basil；〃　he　said　graciously　as　he　idly　plucked　leaves　from　a　plant　in　the　window。　〃I　took　the　precaution　to　get　this　man's　address　from　the　constable　last　night。〃

〃And　what　was　it？〃　asked　his　brother　gruffly。

〃The　constable　will　correct　me　if　I　am　wrong；〃　said　Rupert；　looking　sweetly　at　the　ceiling。　〃It　was：　The　Elms；　Buxton　Common；　near　Purley；　Surrey。〃

〃Right；　sir；〃　said　the　policeman；　laughing　and　folding　up　his　papers。

There　was　a　silence；　and　the　blue　eyes　of　Basil　looked　blindly　for　a　few　seconds　into　the　void。　Then　his　head　fell　back　in　his　chair　so　suddenly　that　I　started　up；　thinking　him　ill。　But　before　I　could　move　further　his　lips　had　flown　apart　（I　can　use　no　other　phrase）　and　a　peal　of　gigantic　laughter　struck　and　shook　the　ceiling　laughter　that　shook　the　laughter；　laughter　redoubled；　laughter　incurable；　laughter　that　could　not　stop。

Two　whole　minutes　afterwards　it　was　still　unended；　Basil　was　ill　with　laughter；　but　still　he　laughed。　The　rest　of　us　were　by　this　time　ill　almost　with　terror。

〃Excuse　me；〃　said　the　insane　creature；　getting　at　last　to　his　feet。　〃I　am　awfully　sorry。　It　is　horribly　rude。　And　stupid；　too。　And　also　unpractical；　because　we　have　not　much　time　to　lose　if　we're　to　get　down　to　that　place。　The　train　service　is　confoundedly　bad；　as　I　happen　to　know。　It's　quite　out　of　proportion　to　the　comparatively　small　distance。〃

〃Get　down　to　that　place？〃　I　repeated　blankly。　〃Get　down　to　what　place？〃

〃I　have　forgotten　its　name；〃　said　Basil　vaguely；　putting　his　hands　in　his　pockets　as　he　rose。　〃Something　Common　near　Purley。　Has　any　one　got　a　timetable？〃

〃You　don't　seriously　mean；〃　cried　Rupert；　who　had　been　staring　in　a　sort　of　confusion　of　emotions。　〃You　don't　mean　that　you　want　to　go　to　Buxton　Common；　do　you？　You　can't　mean　that！〃

〃Why　shouldn't　I　go　to　Buxton　Common？〃　asked　Basil；　smiling。

〃Why　should　you？〃　said　his　brother；　catching　hold　again　restlessly　of　the　plant　in　the　window　and　staring　at　the　speaker。

〃To　find　our　friend；　the　lieutenant；　of　course；〃　said　Basil　Grant。　〃I　thought　you　wanted　to　find　him？〃

Rupert　broke　a　branch　brutally　from　the　plant　and　flung　it　impatiently　on　the　floor。　〃And　in　order　to　find　him；〃　he　said；　〃you　suggest　the　admirable　expedient　of　going　to　the　only　place　on　the　habitable　earth　where　we　know　he　can't　be。〃

The　constable　and　I　could　not　avoid　breaking　into　a　kind　of　assenting　laugh；　and　Rupert；　who　had　family　eloquence；　was　encouraged　to　go　on　with　a　reiterated　gesture：

〃He　may　be　in　Buckingham　Palace；　he　may　be　sitting　astride　the　cross　of　St　Paul's；　he　may　be　in　jail　（which　I　think　most　likely）；　he　may　be　in　the　Great　Wheel；　he　may　be　in　my　pantry；　he　may　be　in　your　store　cupboard；　but　out　of　all　the　innumerable　points　of　space；　there　is　only　one　where　he　has　just　been　systematically　looked　for　and　where　we　know　that　he　is　not　to　be　foundand　that；　if　I　understand　you　rightly；　is　where　you　want　us　to　go。〃

〃Exactly；〃　said　Basil　calmly；　getting　into　his　great…coat；　〃I　thought　you　might　care　to　accompany　me。　If　not；　of　course；　make　yourselves　jolly　here　till　I　come　back。〃

It　is　our　nature　always　to　follow　vanishing　things　and　value　them　if　they　really　show　a　resolution　to　depart。　We　all　followed　Basil；　and　I　cannot　say　why；　except　that　he　was　a　vanishing　thing；　that　he　vanished　decisively　with　his　great…coat　and　his　stick。　Rupert　ran　after　him　with　a　considerable　flurry　of　rationality。

〃My　dear　chap；〃　he　cried；　〃do　you　really　mean　that　you　see　any　good　in　going　down　to　this　ridiculous　scrub；　where　there　is　nothing　but　beaten　tracks　and　a　few　twisted　trees；　simply　because　it　was　the　first　place　that　came　into　a　rowdy　lieutenant's　head　when　he　wanted　to　give　a　lying　reference　in　a　scrape？〃

〃Yes；〃　said　Basil；　taking　out　his　watch；　〃and；　what's　worse；　we've　lost　the　train。〃

He　paused　a　moment　and　then　added：　〃As　a　matter　of　fact；　I　think　we　may　just　as　well　go　down　later　in　the　day。　I　have　some　writing　to　do；　and　I　think　you　told　me；　Rupert；　that　you　thought　of　going　to　the　Dulwich　Gallery。　I　was　rather　too　impetuous。　Very　likely　he　wouldn't　be　in。　But　if　we　get　down　by　the　5。15；　which　gets　to　Purley　about　6；　I　expect　we　shall　just　catch　him。〃

〃Catch　him！〃　cried　his　brother；　in　a　kind　of　final　anger。　〃I　wish　we　could。　Where　the　deuce　shall　we　catch　him　now？〃

〃I　keep　forgetting　the　name　of　the　common；〃　said　Basil；　as　he　buttoned　up　his　coat。　〃The　Elmswhat　is　it？　Buxton　Common；　near　Purley。　That's　where　we　shall　find　him。〃

〃But　there　is　no　such　place；〃　groaned　Rupert；　but　he　followed　his　brother　downstairs。

We　all　followed　him。　We　snatched　our　hats　from　the　hat…stand　and　our　sticks　from　the　umbrella…stand；　and　why　we　followed　him　we　did　not　and　do　not　know。　But　we　always　followed　him；　whatever　was　the　meaning　of　the　fact；　whatever　was　the　nature　of　his　mas