a thief in the night-第14章

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


hat　it　was　I　who　gave　them　your　name。　　I　told　them　you　were　a　far　keener　criminologist　than　myself。　　I　am　delighted　to　hear　they　have　taken　my　hint；　and　that　we　are　to　meet　at　their　gruesome　board。〃

〃If　I　accept；〃　said　I；　with　the　austerity　he　deserved。

〃If　you　don't；〃　rejoined　Raffles；　〃you　will　miss　some　sport　after　both　our　hearts。　　Think　of　it；　Bunny！　　These　fellows　meet　to　wallow　in　all。　the　latest　crimes；　we　wallow　with　them　as　though　we　knew　more　about　it　than　themselves。　　Perhaps　we　don't；　for　few　criminologists　have　a　soul　above　murder；　and　I　quite　expect　to　have　the　privilege　of　lifting　the　discussion　into　our　own　higher　walk。　　They　shall　give　their　morbid　minds　to　the　fine　art　of　burgling；　for　a　change；　and　while　we're　about　it；　Bunny；　we　may　as　well　extract　their　opinion　of　our　noble　selves。　　As　authors；　as　collaborators；　we　will　sit　with　the　flower　of　our　critics；　and　find　our　own　level　in　the　expert　eye。　It　will　be　a　piquant　experience；　if　not　an　invaluable　one；　if　we　are　sailing　too　near　the　wind；　we　are　sure　to　hear　about　it；　and　can　trim　our　yards　accordingly。　　Moreover；　we　shall　get　a　very　good　dinner　into　the　bargain；　or　our　noble　host　will　belie　a　European　reputation。〃

〃Do　you　know　him？〃　I　asked。

〃We　have　a　pavilion　acquaintance；　when　it　suits　my　lord；〃　replied　Raffles；　chuckling。　　〃But　I　know　all。　about　him。　　He　was　president　one　year　of　the　M。C。C。；　and　we　never　had　a　better。　　He　knows　the　game；　though　I　believe　he　never　played　cricket　in　his　life。　　But　then　he　knows　most　things；　and　has　never　done　any　of　them。　　He　has　never　even　married；　and　never　opened　his　lips　in　the　House　of　Lords。　Yet　they　say　there　is　no　better　brain　in　the　August　assembly；　and　he　certainly　made　us　a　wonderful　speech　last　time　the　Australians　were　over。　　He　has　read　everything　and　（to　his　credit　in　these　days）　never　written　a　line。　　All。　round　he　is　a　whale　for　theory　and　a　sprat　for　practice　…　but　he　looks　quite　capable　of　both　at　crime！〃

I　now　longed　to　behold　this　remarkable　peer；　in　the　flesh；　and　with　the　greater　curiosity　since　another　of　the　things　which　he　evidently　never　did　was　to　have　his　photograph　published　for　the　benefit　of　the　vulgar。　　I　told　Raffles　that　I　would　dine　with　him　at　Lord　Thornaby's；　and　he　nodded　as　though　I　had　not　hesitated　for　a　moment。　I　see　now　how　deftly　he　had　disposed　of　my　reluctance。　　No　doubt　he　had　thought　it　all。　out　before：　his　little　speeches　look　sufficiently　premeditated　as　I　set　them　down　at　the　dictates　of　an　excellent　memory。　　Let　it；　however；　be　borne　in　mind　that　Raffles　did　not　talk　exactly　like　a　Raffles　book：　he　said　the　things；　but　he　did　not　say　them　in　so　many　consecutive　breaths。　　They　were　punctuated　by　puffs　from　his　eternal　cigarette；　and　the　punctuation　was　often　in　the　nature　of　a　line　of　asterisks；　while　he　took　a　silent　turn　up　and　down　his　room。　　Nor　was　he　ever　more　deliberate　than　when　he　seemed　most　nonchalant　and　spontaneous。　　I　came　to　see　it　in　the　end。　　But　these　were　early　days；　in　which　he　was　more　plausible　to　me　than　I　can　hope　to　render　him　to　another　human　being。

And　I　saw　a　good　deal　of　Raffles　just　then；　it　was；　in　fact；　the　one　period　at　which　I　can　remember　his　coming　round　to　see　me　more　frequently　than　I　went　round　to　him。　　Of　course　he　would　come　at　his　own　odd　hours；　often　just　as　one　was　dressing　to　go　out　and　dine；　and　I　can　even　remember　finding　him　there　when　I　returned；　for　I　had　long　since　given　him　a　key　of　the　flat。　　It　was　the　inhospitable　month　of　February；　and　I　can　recall　more　than　one　cosy　evening　when　we　discussed　anything　and　everything　but　our　own　malpractices；　indeed；　there　were　none　to　discuss　just　then。　　Raffles；　on　the　contrary；　was　showing　himself　with　some　industry　in　the　most　respectable　society；　and　by　his　advice　I　used　the　club　more　than　ever。

〃There　is　nothing　like　it　at　this　time　of　year；〃　said　he。　　〃In　the　summer　I　have　my　cricket　to　provide　me　with　decent　employment　in　the　sight　of　men。　　Keep　yourself　before　the　public　from　morning　to　night；　and　they'll　never　think　of　you　in　the　still　small　hours。〃

Our　behavior；　in　fine；　had　so　long　been　irreproachable　that　I　rose　without　misgiving　on　the　morning　of　Lord　Thornaby's　dinner　to　the　other　Criminologists　and　guests。　　My　chief　anxiety　was　to　arrive　under　the　aegis　of　my　brilliant　friend；　and　I　had　begged　him　to　pick　me　up　on　his　way；　but　at　five　minutes　to　the　appointed　hour　there　was　no　sign　of　Raffles　or　his　cab。　　We　were　bidden　at　a　quarter　to　eight　for　eight　o'clock；　so　after　all。　I　had　to　hurry　off　alone。

Fortunately；　Thornaby　House　is　almost　at　the　end　of　my　street　that　was；　and　it　seemed　to　me　another　fortunate　circumstance　that　the　house　stood　back；　as　it　did　and　does；　in　its　own　August　courtyard；　for；　as　I　was　about　to　knock；　a　hansom　came　twinkling　in　behind　me；　and　I　drew　back；　hoping　it　was　Raffles　at　the　last　moment。　　It　was　not；　and　I　knew　it　in　time　to　melt　from　the　porch；　and　wait　yet　another　minute　in　the　shadows；　since　others　were　as　late　as　I。　　And　out　jumped　these　others；　chattering　in　stage　whispers　as　they　paid　their　cab。

〃Thornaby　has　a　bet　about　it　with　Freddy　Vereker；　who　can't　come；　I　hear。　　Of　course；　it　won　t　be　lost　or　won　to…night。　　But　the　dear　man　thinks　he's　been　invited　as　a　cricketer！〃

〃I　don't　believe　he's　the　other　thing；〃　said　a　voice　as　brusque　as　the　first　was　bland。　　〃I　believe　it's　all。　bunkum。　　I　wish　I　didn't；　but　I　do！〃

〃I　think　you'll　find　it's　more　than　that；〃　rejoined　the　other；　as　the　doors　opened　and　swallowed　the　pair。

I　flung　out　limp　hands　and　smote　the　air。　　Raffles　bidden　to　what　he　had　well　called　this　〃gruesome　board；〃　not　as　a　cricketer　but；　clearly；　as　a　suspected　criminal！　　Raffles　wrong　all。　the　time；　and　I　right　for　once　in　my　original　apprehension！　　And　still　no　Raffles　in　sight　…　no　Raffles　to　warn　…　no　Raffles；　and　the　clocks　striking　eight！

Well　may　I　shirk　the　psychology　of　such　a　moment；　for　my　belief　is　that　the　striking　clocks　struck　out　all。　power　of　thought　and　feeling；　and　that　I　played　my　poor　part　the　better　for　that　blessed　surcease　of　intellectual　sensation。　　On　the　other　hand；　I　was　never　more　alive　to　the　purely　objective　impressions　of　any　hour　of　my　existence；　and　of　them　the　memory　is　startling　to　this　day。　　I　hear　my　mad　knock　at　the　double　doors；　they　fly　open　in　the　middle；　and　it　is　like　some　sumptuous　and　solemn　rite。　　A　long　slice　of　silken…legged　lackey　is　seen　on　either　hand；　a　very　prelate　of　a　butler　bows　a　benediction　from　the　sanctuary　steps。　　I　breathe　more　freely　when　I　reach　a　book…lined　library　where　a　mere　handful　of　men　do　not　overflow　the　Persian　rug　before　the　fire。　　One　of　them　is　Raffles；　who　is　talking　to　a　large　man　with　the　brow　of　a　demi…god　and　the　eyes　and　jowl　of　a　degenerate　bulldog。　　And　this　is　our　noble　host。

Lord　Thornaby　stared　at　me　with　inscrutable　stolidity　as　we　shook　hands；　and　at　once　handed　me　over　to　a　tall；　ungainly　man　whom　he　addressed　as　Ernest；　but　whose　surname　I　never　learned。　　Ernest　in　turn　introduced　me；　with　a　shy　and　clumsy　courtesy；　to　the　two　remaining　guests。　　They　were　the　pair　who　had　driven　up　in　the　hansom；　one　turned　out　to　be　Kingsmill；　Q。C。；　the　other　I　knew　at　a　glance　from　his　photographs　as　Parrington；　the　backwoods　novelist。　They　were　admirable　foils　to　each　other；　the　barrister　being　plump　and　dapper；　with　a　Napoleonic　cast　of　countenance；　and　the　author　one　of　the　shaggiest　dogs　I　have　ever　seen　in　evening…clothes。　Neither　took　much　stock　of　me；　but　both　had　an　eye　on　Raffles　as　I　exchanged　a　few　words　with　each　in　turn。　　Dinner；　however；　was　immediately　announced；　and　the　six　of　us　had　soon　taken　our　places　round　a　brilliant　little　table　stranded　in　a　great　dark　room。

I　had　not　been　prepared　for　so　small　a　party；　and　at　first　I　felt　relieved。　　If　the　worst　came　to　the　worst；　I　was　fool　enough　to　say　in　my　heart；　they　were　but　two　to　one。　　But　I　was　soon　sighing　for　that　safety　which　the　adage　associates　with　numbers。　　We　were　far　too　few　for　the　confidential　duologue　with　one's　neighbor　in　which　I；　at　least；　would　have　taken　refuge　from　the　perils　of　a　general　conversation。　　And　the　general　conversation　soon　resolved　itself　into　an　attack；　so　subtly　concerted　and　so　artistically　deli