five tales-第2章

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〃Come；　Larry！　　Pull　yourself　together；　and　drop　exaggeration。〃

〃It's　true；　I　tell　you；　I've　killed　a　man。〃

The　noisy　violence　of　that　outburst　acted　like　a　douche。　　What　was　the　fellow　aboutshouting　out　such　words！　　But　suddenly　Laurence　lifted　his　hands　and　wrung　them。　　The　gesture　was　so　utterly　painful　that　it　drew　a　quiver　from　Keith's　face。

〃Why　did　you　come　here；〃　he　said；　〃and　tell　me　this？〃

Larry's　face　was　really　unearthly　sometimes；　such　strange　gleams　passed　up　on　to　it！

〃Whom　else　should　I　tell？　　I　came　to　know　what　I'm　to　do；　Keith？　Give　myself　up；　or　what？〃

At　that　sudden　introduction　of　the　practical　Keith　felt　his　heart　twitch。　　Was　it　then　as　real　as　all　that？　　But　he　said；　very　quietly：

〃Just　tell　me　…How　did　it　come　about；　thisaffair？〃

That　question　linked　the　dark；　gruesome；　fantastic　nightmare　on　to　actuality。

〃When　did　it　happen？〃

〃Last　night。〃

In　Larry's　face　there　wasthere　had　always　beensomething　childishly　truthful。　　He　would　never　stand　a　chance　in　court！　　And　Keith　said：

〃How？　　Where？　　You'd　better　tell　me　quietly　from　the　beginning。　Drink　this　coffee；　it'll　clear　your　head。〃

Laurence　took　the　little　blue　cup　and　drained　it。

〃Yes；〃　he　said。　　〃It's　like　this；　Keith。　　There's　a　girl　I've　known　for　some　months　now〃

Women！　　And　Keith　said　between　his　teeth：　〃Well？〃

〃Her　father　was　a　Pole　who　died　over　here　when　she　was　sixteen；　and　left　her　all　alone。　　A　man　called　Walenn；　a　mongrel　American；　living　in　the　same　house；　married　her；　or　pretended　toshe's　very　pretty；　Keithhe　left　her　with　a　baby　six　months　old；　and　another　coming。　That　one　died；　and　she　did　nearly。　　Then　she　starved　till　another　fellow　took　her　on。　　She　lived　with　him　two　years；　then　Walenn　turned　up　again；　and　made　her　go　back　to　him。　　The　brute　used　to　beat　her　black　and　blue；　all　for　nothing。　　Then　he　left　her　again。　　When　I　met　her　she'd　lost　her　elder　child；　too；　and　was　taking　anybody　who　came　along。〃

He　suddenly　looked　up　into　Keith's　face。

〃But　I've　never　met　a　sweeter　woman；　nor　；a　truer；　that　I　swear。　Woman！　　She's　only　twenty　now！　　When　I　went　to　her　last　night；　that　brutethat　Walennhad　found　her　out　again；　and　when　he　came　for　me；　swaggering　and　bullyingLook！〃he　touched　a　dark　mark　on　his　forehead〃I　took　his　throat　in　my　hands；　and　when　I　let　go〃

〃Yes？〃

〃Dead。　　I　never　knew　till　afterwards　that　she　was　hanging　on　to　him　behind。〃

Again　he　made　that　gesture…wringing　his　hands。

In　a　hard　voice　Keith　said：

〃What　did　you　do　then？〃

〃We　sat　by　it　a　long　time。　　Then　I　carried　it　on　my　back　down　the　street；　round　a　corner　to　an　archway。〃

〃How　far？〃

〃About　fifty　yards。〃

〃Was　anyonedid　anyone　see？〃

〃No。〃

〃What　time？〃

〃Three。〃

〃And　then？〃

〃Went　back　to　her。〃

〃Whyin　Heaven's　name？〃

〃She　was　lonely　and　afraid；　so　was　I；　Keith。〃

〃Where　is　this　place？〃

〃Forty…two；　Borrow　Street；　Soho。〃

〃And　the　archway？〃

〃Corner　of　Glove　Lane。〃

〃Good　God！　　WhyI　saw　it　in　the　paper！〃

And　seizing　the　journal　that　lay　on　his　bureau；　Keith　read　again　that　paragraph：　〃The　body　of　a　man　was　found　this　morning　under　an　archway　in　Glove　Lane；　Soho。　　From　marks　about　the　throat　grave　suspicions　of　foul　play　are　entertained。　　The　body　had　apparently　been　robbed；　and　nothing　was　discovered　leading　to　identification。〃

It　was　real　earnest；　then。　　Murder！　　His　own　brother！　　He　faced　round　and　said：

〃You　saw　this　in　the　paper；　and　dreamed　it。　　Understandyou　dreamed　it！〃

The　wistful　answer　came：

〃If　only　I　had；　Keithif　only　I　had！〃

In　his　turn；　Keith　very　nearly　wrung　his　hands。

〃Did　you　take　anything　from　thebody？〃

〃This　dropped　while　we　were　struggling。〃；

It　was　an　empty　envelope　with　a　South　American　post…mark　addressed：　〃Patrick　Walenn；　Simon's　Hotel；　Farrier　Street；　London。〃　Again　with　that　twitching　in　his　heart；　Keith　said：

〃Put　it　in　the　fire。〃

Then　suddenly　he　stooped　to　pluck　it　out。　　By　that　commandhe　had　identified　himself　with　thisthis　But　he　did　not　pluck　it　out。　　It　blackened；　writhed；　and　vanished。　　And　once　more　he　said：

〃What　in　God's　name　made　you　come　here　and　tell　me？〃

〃You　know　about　these　things。　　I　didn't　mean　to　kill　him。　　I　love　the　girl。　　What　shall　I　do；　Keith？

〃Simple！　　How　simple！　　To　ask　what　he　was　to　do！　　It　was　like　Larry！　And　he　said：

〃You　were　not　seen；　you　think？〃　　〃It's　a　dark　street。　　There　was　no　one　about。〃

〃When　did　you　leave　this　girl　the　second　time？〃

〃About　seven　o'clock。〃

〃Where　did　you　go？〃

〃To　my　rooms。〃

〃In　Fitzroy　Street？〃

〃Yes。〃

〃Did　anyone　see　you　come　in？〃

〃No。〃

〃What　have　you　done　since？〃

〃Sat　there。〃

〃Not　been　out？〃

〃No。〃

〃Not　seen　the　girl？〃

〃No。〃

〃You　don't　know；　then；　what　she's　done　since？〃

〃No。〃

〃Would　she　give　you　away？〃

〃Never。〃

〃Would　she　give　herself　awayhysteria？〃

〃No。〃

〃Who　knows　of　your　relations　with　her？〃

〃No　one。〃

〃No　one？〃

〃I　don't　know　who　should；　Keith。〃

〃Did　anyone　see　you　going　in　last　night；　when　you　first　went　to　her？〃

〃No。　　She　lives　on　the　ground　floor。　　I've　got　keys。〃

〃Give　them　to　me。　　What　else　have　you　that　connects　you　with　her？〃

〃Nothing。〃

〃In　your　rooms？〃

〃No。〃

〃No　photographs。　　No　letters？〃

〃No。〃

〃Be　careful。〃

〃Nothing。〃

〃No　one　saw　you　going　back　to　her　the　second　time？〃

〃No。〃

〃No　one　saw　you　leave　her　in　the　morning？〃

〃No。〃

〃You　were　fortunate。　　Sit　down　again；　man。　　I　must　think。〃

Think！　　Think　out　this　accursed　thingso　beyond　all　thought；　and　all　belief。　　But　he　could　not　think。　　Not　a　coherent　thought　would　come。　And　he　began　again：

〃Was　it　his　first　reappearance　with　her？〃

〃Yes。〃

〃She　told　you　so？〃

〃Yes。〃

〃How　did　he　find　out　where　she　was？〃

〃I　don't　know。〃

〃How　drunk　were　you？〃

〃I　was　not　drunk。〃

〃How　much　had　you　drunk？〃

〃About　two　bottles　of　claretnothing。〃

〃You　say　you　didn't　mean　to　kill　him？〃

〃No…God　knows！〃

〃That's　something。

What　made　you　choose　the　arch？〃

〃It　was　the　first　dark　place。〃

〃Did　his　face　look　as　if　he　had　been　strangled？〃

〃Don't！〃

〃Did　it？〃

〃Yes。〃

〃Very　disfigured？〃

〃Yes。〃

〃Did　you　look　to　see　if　his　clothes　were　marked？〃

〃No。〃

〃Why　not？〃

〃Why　not？　　My　God！　　If　you　had　done　it！〃

〃You　say　he　was　disfigured。　　Would　he　be　recognisable？〃

〃I　don't　know。〃

〃When　she　lived　with　him　lastwhere　was　that？〃

〃I　don't　know　for　certain。　　Pimlico；　I　think。〃

〃Not　Soho？〃

〃No。〃

〃How　long　has　she　been　at　the　Soho　place？〃

〃Nearly　a　year。〃

〃Always　the　same　rooms？〃

〃Yes。〃

〃Is　there　anyone　living　in　that　house　or　street　who　would　be　likely　to　know　her　as　his　wife？〃

〃I　don't　think　so。〃

〃What　was　he？〃

〃I　should　think　he　was　a　professional　'bully。'〃

〃I　see。　　Spending　most　of　his　time　abroad；　then？〃

〃Yes。〃

〃Do　you　know　if　he　was　known　to　the　police？〃

〃I　haven't　heard　of　it。〃

〃Now；　listen；　Larry。　　When　you　leave　here　go　straight　home；　and　don't　go　out　till　I　come　to　you；　to…morrow　morning。　　Promise　that！〃

〃I　promise。〃

〃I've　got　a　dinner　engagement。　　I'll　think　this　out。　　Don't　drink。　Don't　talk！　Pull　yourself　together。〃

〃Don't　keep　me　longer　than　you　can　help；　Keith！〃

That　white　face；　those　eyes；　that　shaking　hand！　　With　a　twinge　of　pity　in　the　midst　of　all　the　turbulence　of　his　revolt；　and　fear；　and　disgust　Keith　put　his　hand　on　his　brother's　shoulder；　and　said：

〃Courage！〃

And　suddenly　he　thought：　'My　God！　　Courage！　　I　shall　want　it　all　myself！'




II

Laurence　Darrant；　leaving　his　brother's　house　in　the　Adelphi；　walked　northwards；　rapidly；　slowly；　rapidly　again。　　For；　if　there　are　men　who　by　force　of　will　do　one　thing　only　at　a　time；　there　are　men　who　from　lack　of　will　do　now　one　thing；　now　another；　with　equal　intensity。　　To　such　natures；　to　be　gripped　by　the　Nemesis　which　attends　the　lack　of　self…control　is　no　reason　for　being　more　self…　controlled。　　Rather　does　it　foster　their　pet　feeling：　〃What　matter？　To…morrow　we　die！〃　　The　effort　of　will　required　to　go　to　Keith　had　relieved；　exhausted　and　exasperated　him。　　In　accordance　with　those　three　feelings　was　the　progress　of　his　walk。　　He　started　from　the　door　with　the　fixed　resolve　to　go　home　and　stay　there　quietly　ti