a thief in the night-第24章

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nts；　I　was　quite　capable　of　taking　his　place。　　Nay；　more；　I　insisted　at　once　on　my　prescriptive　right　and　on　his　patriotic　obligation　in　the　matter。　　In　the　country's　name　and　in　my　own；　I　implored　him　to　give　it　and　me　a　chance；　and　for　once；　as　I　say；　my　arguments　prevailed。　　Raffles　sent　his　telegram　…　it　was　the　day　before　the　match。　　We　then　rushed　down　to　Esher；　and　over　every　inch　of　the　ground　by　that　characteristically　circuitous　route　which　he　enjoined　on　me　for　the　next　night。　　And　at　six　in　the　evening　I　was　receiving　the　last　of　my　many　instructions　through　a　window　of　the　restaurant　car。

〃Only　promise　me　not　to　take　a　revolver；〃　said　Raffles　in　a　whisper。　〃Here　are　my　keys；　there's　an　old　life…preserver　somewhere　in　the　bureau；　take　that；　if　you　like　…　though　what　you　take　I　rather　fear　you　are　the　chap　to　use！〃

〃Then　the　rope　be　round　my　own　neck！〃　I　whispered　back。　　〃Whatever　else　I　may　do；　Raffles；　I　shan't　give　you　away；　and　you'll　find　I　do　better　than　you　think；　and　am　worth　trusting　with　a　little　more　to　do；　or　I'll　know　the　reason　why！〃

And　I　meant　to　know　it；　as　he　was　borne　out　of　Euston　with　raised　eyebrows；　and　I　turned　grimly　on　my　heel。　　I　saw　his　fears　for　me；　and　nothing　could　have　made　me　more　fearless　for　myself。　　Raffles　had　been　wrong　about　me　all。　these　years；　now　was　my　chance　to　set　him　right。　　It　was　galling　to　feel　that　he　had　no　confidence　in　my　coolness　or　my　nerve；　when　neither　had　ever　failed　him　at　a　pinch。　I　had　been　loyal　to　him　through　rough　and　smooth。　　In　many　an　ugly　corner　I　had　stood　as　firm　as　Raffles　himself。　　I　was　his　right　hand；　and　yet　he　never　hesitated　to　make　me　his　catspaw。　　This　time；　at　all。　events；　I　should　be　neither　one　nor　the　other；　this　time　I　was　the　understudy　playing　lead　at　last；　and　I　wish　I　could　think　that　Raffles　ever　realized　with　what　gusto　I　threw　myself　into　his　part。

Thus　I　was　first　out　of　a　crowded　theatre　train　at　Esher　next　night；　and　first　down　the　stairs　into　the　open　air。　　The　night　was　close　and　cloudy；　and　the　road　to　Hampton　Court；　even　now　that　the　suburban　builder　has　marked　much　of　it　for　his　own；　is　one　of　the　darkest　I　know。　　The　first　mile　is　still　a　narrow　avenue；　a　mere　tunnel　of　leaves　at　midsummer；　but　at　that　time　there　was　not　a　lighted　pane　or　cranny　by　the　way。　　Naturally；　it　was　in　this　blind　reach　that　I　fancied　I　was　being　followed。　　I　stopped　in　my　stride；　so　did　the　steps　I　made　sure　I　had　heard　not　far　behind；　and　when　I　went　on；　they　followed　suit。　　I　dried　my　forehead　as　I　walked；　but　soon　brought　myself　to　repeat　the　experiment　when　an　exact　repetition　of　the　result　went　to　convince　me　that　it　had　been　my　own　echo　all。　the　time。　　And　since　I　lost　it　on　getting　quit　of　the　avenue；　and　coming　out　upon　the　straight　and　open　road；　I　was　not　long　in　recovering　from　my　scare。　　But　now　I　could　see　my　way；　and　found　the　rest　of　it　without　mishap；　though　not　without　another　semblance　of　adventure。　Over　the　bridge　across　the　Mole；　when　about　to　turn　to　the　left；　I　marched　straight　upon　a　policeman　in　rubber　soles。　　I　had　to　call　him　〃officer〃　as　I　passed；　and　to　pass　my　turning　by　a　couple　of　hundred　yards；　before　venturing　back　another　way。

At　last　I　had　crept　through　a　garden　gate；　and　round　by　black　windows　to　a　black　lawn　drenched　with　dew。　　It　had　been　a　heating　walk；　and　I　was　glad　to　blunder　on　a　garden　seat；　most　considerately　placed　under　a　cedar　which　added　its　own　darkness　to　that　of　the　night。　　Here　I　rested　a　few　minutes；　putting　up　my　feet　to　keep　them　dry；　untying　my　shoes　to　save　time；　and　generally　facing　the　task　before　me　with　a　coolness　which　I　strove　to　make　worthy　of　my　absent　chief。　　But　mine　was　a　self…conscious　quality；　as　far　removed　from　the　original　as　any　other　deliberate　imitation　of　genius。　　I　actually　struck　a　match　on　my　trousers；　and　lit　one　of　the　shorter　Sullivans。　　Raffles　himself　would　not　have　done　such　a　thing　at　such　a　moment。　　But　I　wished　to　tell　him　that　I　had　done　it；　and　in　truth　I　was　not　more　than　pleasurably　afraid；　I　had　rather　that　impersonal　curiosity　as　to　the　issue　which　has　been　the　saving　of　me　in　still　more　precarious　situations。　　I　even　grew　impatient　for　the　fray；　and　could　not　after　all　sit　still　as　long　as　I　had　intended。　　So　it　happened　that　I　was　finishing　my　cigarette　on　the　edge　of　the　wet　lawn；　and　about　to　slip　off　my　shoes　before　stepping　across　the　gravel　to　the　conservatory　door；　when　a　most　singular　sound　arrested　me　in　the　act。　　It　was　a　muffled　gasping　somewhere　overhead。　　I　stood　like　stone；　and　my　listening　attitude　must　have　been　visible　against　the　milky　sheen　of　the　lawn；　for　a　labored　voice　hailed　me　sternly　from　a　window。

〃Who　on　earth　are　you？〃　it　wheezed。

〃A　detective　officer；〃　I　replied；　〃sent　down　by　the　Burglary　Insurance　Company。〃

Not　a　moment　had　I　paused　for　my　precious　fable。　　It　had　all。　been　prepared　for　me　by　Raffles；　in　case　of　need。　　I　was　merely　repeating　a　lesson　in　which　I　had　been　closely　schooled。　　But　at　the　window　there　was　pause　enough；　filled　only　by　the　uncanny　wheezing　of　the　man　I　could　not　see。

〃I　don't　see　why　they　should　have　sent　you　down；〃　he　said　at　length。　〃We　are　being　quite　well　looked　after　by　the　local　police；　they're　giving　us　a　special　call　every　hour。〃

〃I　know　that；　Mr。　Medlicott；〃　I　rejoined　on　my　own　account。　　〃I　met　one　of　them　at　the　corner　just　now；　and　we　passed　the　time　of　night。〃

My　heart　was　knocking　me　to　bits。　　I　had　started　for　myself　at　last。

〃Did　you　get　my　name　from　him？〃　pursued　my　questioner；　in　a　suspicious　wheeze。

〃No；　they　gave　me　that　before　I　started；〃　I　replied。　　〃But　I'm　sorry　you　saw　me；　sir；　it's　a　mere　matter　of　routine；　and　not　intended　to　annoy　anybody。　　I　propose　to　keep　a　watch　on　the　place　all。　night；　but　I　own　it　wasn't　necessary　to　trespass　as　I've　done。　　I'll　take　myself　off　the　actual　premises；　if　you　prefer　it。〃

This　again　was　all。　my　own；　and　it　met　with　a　success　that　might　have　given　me　confidence。

〃Not　a　bit　of　it；〃　replied　young　Medlicott；　with　a　grim　geniality。　〃I've　just　woke　up　with　the　devil　of　an　attack　of　asthma；　and　may　have　to　sit　up　in　my　chair　till　morning。　　You'd　better　come　up　and　see　me　through；　and　kill　two　birds　while　you're　about　it。　　Stay　where　you　are；　and　I'll　come　down　and　let　you　in。〃

Here　was　a　dilemma　which　Raffles　himself　had　not　foreseen！　　Outside；　in　the　dark；　my　audacious　part　was　not　hard　to　play；　but　to　carry　the　improvisation　in…doors　was　to　double　at　once　the　difficulty　and　the　risk。　　It　was　true　that　I　had　purposely　come　down　in　a　true　detective's　overcoat　and　bowler；　but　my　personal　appearance　was　hardly　of　the　detective　type。　　On　the　other　hand　as　the　soi…disant　guardian　of　the　gifts　one　might　only　excite　suspicion　by　refusing　to　enter　the　house　where　they　were。　　Nor　could　I　forget　that　it　was　my　purpose　to　effect　such　entry　first　or　last。　　That　was　the　casting　consideration。　　I　decided　to　take　my　dilemma　by　the　horns。

There　had　been　a　scraping　of　matches　in　the　room　over　the　conservatory；　the　open　window　had　shown　for　a　moment；　like　an　empty　picture…frame；　a　gigantic　shadow　wavering　on　the　ceiling；　and　in　the　next　half…minute　I　remembered　to　tie　my　shoes。　　But　the　light　was　slow　to　reappear　through　the　leaded　glasses　of　an　outer　door　farther　along　the　path。　　And　when　the　door　opened；　it　was　a　figure　of　woe　that　stood　within　and　held　an　unsteady　candle　between　our　faces。

I　have　seen　old　men　look　half　their　age；　and　young　men　look　double　theirs；　but　never　before　or　since　have　I　seen　a　beardless　boy　bent　into　a　man　of　eighty；　gasping　for　every　breath；　shaken　by　every　gasp；　swaying；　tottering；　and　choking；　as　if　about　to　die　upon　his　feet。　　Yet　with　it　all。；　young　Medlicott　overhauled　me　shrewdly；　and　it　was　several　moments　before　he　would　let　me　take　the　candle　from　him。

〃I　shouldn't　have　come　down　…　made　me　worse；〃　he　began　whispering　in　spurts。　　〃Worse　still　going　up　again。　　You　must　give　me　an　arm。　You　will　come　up？　　That's　right！　　Not　as　bad　as　I　look；　you　know。　Got　some　good　whiskey；　too。　　Presents　are　all。　right；　but　if　they　aren't　you'll　hear　of　it　in…doors　sooner　than　out。　　Now　I'm　ready　　…　thanks！　　Mustn't　make　more　noise　than　we　can　help　…　wake　my　mother。〃

It　must　have　ta