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第9章

the return of tarzan-第9章

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they risk their lives in the protection of the lives or

property of others。  They would do the same for you。  They are

very brave men; and they are deeply mortified that a single

unarmed man bested and beat them。



〃Make it easy for them to overlook what you did。

Unless I am gravely in error you are yourself a very

brave man; and brave men are proverbially magnanimous。〃



Further conversation was interrupted by the appearance

of the four policemen。  As their eyes fell on Tarzan;

surprise was writ large on each countenance。



〃My children;〃 said the official; 〃here is the gentleman

whom you met in the Rue Maule last evening。  He has come

voluntarily to give himself up。  I wish you to listen

attentively to Lieutenant D'Arnot; who will tell you a part

of the story of monsieur's life。  It may explain his attitude

toward you of last night。  Proceed; my dear lieutenant。〃



D'Arnot spoke to the policemen for half an hour。  He told

them something of Tarzan's wild jungle life。  He explained

the savage training that had taught him to battle like a

wild beast in self…preservation。  It became plain to them

that the man had been guided by instinct rather than reason in

his attack upon them。  He had not understood their intentions。

To him they had been little different from any of the various

forms of life he had been accustomed to in his native jungle;

where practically all were his enemies。



〃Your pride has been wounded;〃 said D'Arnot; in conclusion。

〃It is the fact that this man overcame you that hurts the most。

But you need feel no shame。  You would not make apologies

for defeat had you been penned in that small room with an

African lion; or with the great Gorilla of the jungles。



〃And yet you were battling with muscles that have time

and time again been pitted; and always victoriously; against

these terrors of the dark continent。  It is no disgrace to

fall beneath the superhuman strength of Tarzan of the Apes。〃



And then; as the men stood looking first at Tarzan and

then at their superior the ape…man did the one thing which

was needed to erase the last remnant of animosity which

they might have felt for him。  With outstretched hand he

advanced toward them。



〃I am sorry for the mistake I made;〃 he said simply。  〃Let

us be friends。〃  And that was the end of the whole matter;

except that Tarzan became a subject of much conversation

in the barracks of the police; and increased the number of

his friends by four brave men at least。



On their return to D'Arnot's apartments the lieutenant

found a letter awaiting him from an English friend; William

Cecil Clayton; Lord Greystoke。  The two had maintained a

correspondence since the birth of their friendship on that

ill…fated expedition in search of Jane Porter after her theft

by Terkoz; the bull ape。



〃They are to be married in London in about two months;〃

said D'Arnot; as he completed his perusal of the letter。

Tarzan did not need to be told who was meant by 〃they。〃

He made no reply; but he was very quiet and thoughtful

during the balance of the day。



That evening they attended the opera。  Tarzan's mind was

still occupied by his gloomy thoughts。  He paid little or no

attention to what was transpiring upon the stage。  Instead he

saw only the lovely vision of a beautiful American girl; and

heard naught but a sad; sweet voice acknowledging that his

love was returned。  And she was to marry another!



He shook himself to be rid of his unwelcome thoughts; and

at the same instant he felt eyes upon him。  With the instinct

that was his by virtue of training he looked up squarely

into the eyes that were looking at him; to find that they

were shining from the smiling face of Olga; Countess de

Coude。  As Tarzan returned her bow he was positive that

there was an invitation in her look; almost a plea。

The next intermission found him beside her in her box。



〃I have so much wished to see you;〃 she was saying。

〃It has troubled me not a little to think that after the

service you rendered to both my husband and myself no adequate

explanation was ever made you of what must have seemed

ingratitude on our part in not taking the necessary steps to

prevent a repetition of the attacks upon us by those two men。〃



〃You wrong me;〃 replied Tarzan。  〃My thoughts of you

have been only the most pleasant。  You must not feel that

any explanation is due me。  Have they annoyed you further?〃



〃They never cease;〃 she replied sadly。  〃I feel that I must

tell some one; and I do not know another who so deserves

an explanation as you。  You must permit me to do so。  It may

be of service to you; for I know Nikolas Rokoff quite well

enough to be positive that you have not seen the last of him。

He will find some means to be revenged upon you。  What I

wish to tell you may be of aid to you in combating any

scheme of revenge he may harbor。  I cannot tell you here; but

tomorrow I shall be at home to Monsieur Tarzan at five。〃



〃It will be an eternity until tomorrow at five;〃 he said; as

he bade her good night。

From a corner of the theater Rokoff and Paulvitch saw

Monsieur Tarzan in the box of the Countess de Coude; and

both men smiled。



At four…thirty the following afternoon a swarthy; bearded

man rang the bell at the servants' entrance of the palace of

the Count de Coude。  The footman who opened the door raised

his eyebrows in recognition as he saw who stood without。

A low conversation passed between the two。



At first the footman demurred from some proposition

that the bearded one made; but an instant later something

passed from the hand of the caller to the hand of the

servant。  Then the latter turned and led the visitor by a

roundabout way to a little curtained alcove off the apartment

in which the countess was wont to serve tea of an afternoon。



A half hour later Tarzan was ushered into the room;

and presently his hostess entered; smiling; and with

outstretched hands。



〃I am so glad that you came;〃 she said。



〃Nothing could have prevented;〃 he replied。



For a few moments they spoke of the opera; of the topics

that were then occupying the attention of Paris; of the

pleasure of renewing their brief acquaintance which had had

its inception under such odd circumstances; and this brought

them to the subject that was uppermost in the minds of both。



〃You must have wondered;〃 said the countess finally; 〃what

the object of Rokoff's persecution could be。  It is very simple。

The count is intrusted with many of the vital secrets of the

ministry of war。  He often has in his possession papers that

foreign powers would give a fortune to possesssecrets

of state that their agents would commit murder and

worse than murder to learn。



〃There is such a matter now in his possession that would

make the fame and fortune of any Russian who could

divulge it to his government。  Rokoff and Paulvitch are

Russian spies。  They will stop at nothing to procure this

information。  The affair on the linerI mean the matter of the

card gamewas for the purpose of blackmailing the knowledge

they seek from my husband。



〃Had he been convicted of cheating at cards; his career

would have been blighted。  He would have had to leave the

war department。  He would have been socially ostracized。

They intended to hold this club over himthe price of an

avowal on their part that the count was but the victim of the

plot of enemies who wished to besmirch his name was to have

been the papers they seek。



〃You thwarted them in this。  Then they concocted the

scheme whereby my reputation was to be the price; instead

of the count's。  When Paulvitch entered my cabin he explained

it to me。  If I would obtain the information for them

he promised to go no farther; otherwise Rokoff; who stood

without; was to notify the purser that I was entertaining a

man other than my husband behind the locked doors of my

cabin。  He was to 

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