the drums of jeopardy-第16章

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〃And　ring　three　tunes　when　you　return；〃　advised　Cutty。

〃All　right。　　Did　they　try　to　strangle　him　or　did　he　have　something
round　his　neck？〃

〃Hanged　if　I　know。〃

〃All　out　of　the　room　now。　　I　want　it　dark。　　Just　as　soon　as　the
nurse　arrives　I'll　return。　　Three　rings。〃　　Harrison　left　the
apartment。

Cutty　spent　a　few　minutes　at　the　telephone；　then　he　joined　Kitty
in　the　living　room。

〃Kitty；　what　was　the　stranger　like？〃
　
〃Like　a　gorilla。　　He　spoke　English　as　if　he　had　a　cold。〃

Cutty　scowled　into　space。　　〃Have　a　scar　over　an　eyebrow？〃

〃Good　gracious；　I　couldn't　tell！　　Both　his　eyes　were　black　and　his
nose　banged　dreadfully。　　Johnny　Two…Hawks　probably　did　it。〃

〃Bully　for　Two…Hawks！　　Kitty；　you're　a　marvel。　　Not　a　flivver　from
the　start。　　And　those　slate…blue　eyes　of　yours　don't　miss　many
things。〃

〃Listen！〃　she　interrupted；　taking　hold　of　his　sleeve。　　〃Hear　it？〃

〃Only　the　Elevated。〃

〃Tumpitum…tump！　　Tumpitum…tump！　　Cutty；　you　hypnotized　me　this
afternoon　with　your　horrid　drums。〃

〃The　emeralds？〃　He　managed　to　repress　the　start。

〃I　don't　know　what　it　is；　drums；　anyhow。　　Maybe　it　is　the　emeralds。
Something　has　been　happening　ever　since　you　told　me　about　them　…　the
misery　and　evil　that　follow　their　wake。〃

〃But　the　story　goes　that　women　are　immune；　Kitty。〃

〃Nonsense！　　No　woman　is　immune　where　a　wonderful　gem　is　concerned。
And　yet　I've　common　sense　and　humour。〃

〃And　a　lot　more　besides；　Kitty。　　You're　a　raving；　howling　little
beauty；　and　how　you've　remained　out　of　captivity　this　long　is　a
puzzler　to　me。　　Haven't　you　got　a　beau　somewhere？〃

〃No；　Cutty。　　Perhaps　I'm　one　of　those　who　are　quite　willing　to　wait
patiently。　　If　the　one　I　want　doesn't　come　…　why；　I'll　be　a　jolly；
philosophical　old　maid。　　No　seconds　or　culls　for　me；　as　the　magazine
editor　says。〃

〃Exactly　what　do　you　want？〃　　Cutty　was　keenly　curious；　for　some
reason　he　could　not　define。　　He　did　not　care　for　diamonds　as　stones；
but　he　admired　any　personality　that　flashed　differently　from　each
new　angle　exposed。

〃Oh；　a　man；　among　other　things。　　I　don't　mean　one　of　those　godlike
chromos　in　the　frontispiece　of　popular　novels。　　He　hasn't　got　to　be
handsome。　　But　he　must　be　able　to　laugh　when　he's　happy；　when　he's
hurt。　　I　must　be　his　business　in　life。　　He　must　know　a　lot　about
things　I　know。　　I　want　a　comrade　who　will　come　to　me　when　he　has　a
joke　or　an　ache。　　A　gay　man　and　whimsical。　　The　law　can　make　any
man　a　husband；　but　only　God　can　make　a　good　comrade。〃

〃Kitty；〃　said　Cutty；　his　fine　eyes　sparkling；　〃I　shan't　have　to
watch　over　you　so　much　as　I　thought。　　On　the　other　hand；　you　have
described　me　to　a　dot。〃

〃Quite　possibly。　　Vanity　has　its　uses。　　It　keeps　us　in　contact　with
bathtubs　and　nice　clothes。　　I　imagine　that　you　would　make　both
husband　and　comrade；　or　you　would　have；　twenty　years　ago〃　…　without
intentional　cruelty。　　Wasn't　Cutty　fifty…two？

〃Kitty；　you've　touched　a　vital　point。　　It　took　those　twenty　years
to　make　me　companionable。　　Experience　is　something　we　must　buy；　it
isn't　left　in　somebody's　will。　　Let　us　say　that　I　possess　all　the
necessary　attributes　save　one。〃

〃And　what　is　that？〃

〃Youth；　Kitty。　　And　take　the　word　of　a　senile　old　dotard；　your　young
man；　when　you　find　him；　will　lack　many　of　the　attributes　you　require。
On　the　other　hand；　there　is　always　the　possibility　that　these　will
develop　as　you　jog　along。　　The　terrible　pity　of　youth　is　that　it　has
the　habit　of　conferring　these　attributes　rather　than　finding　them。
You　put　garlands　on　the　heads　of　snow　images；　and　the　first　glare　of
sunshine　…　pouf！〃

〃Cutty；　I'm　beginning　to　like　you　immensely〃　…　smiling。　　〃Perhaps
women　ought　to　have　two　husbands　…　one　young　and　handsome　and　the
other　old　and　wise　like　yourself。〃

Cutty　wished　he　were　alone　in　order　to　analyze　the　stab。　　Old！　　When
he　knew　that　mentally　and　physically　he　could　take　and　break　a　dozen
Two…Hawks。　　Old！　　He　had　never　thought　himself　that。　　Fifty…two
years；　they　had　piled　up　on　him　without　his　appreciation　of　the
fullness　of　the　score。　　And　yet　he　was　more　than　a　match　for　any
ordinary　man　of　thirty　in　sinew　and　brain；　and　no　man　met　the　new
morning　with　more　zest　than　he　himself　met　it。　　But　to　Kitty　he　was
old！　　Lavender　and　oak　leaves　were　being　draped　on　his　door　knob。
He　laughed。

〃Why　do　you　laugh？〃

〃Oh；　because　…　Hark！〃

The　two　of　them　ran　to　the　bedroom　door。

〃Olga！　　Olga！〃　　And　then　a　guttural　level　jumble　of　sounds。

Kitty's　quick　brain　reached　out　for　a　similitude　…　water　rushing
over　ragged　boulders。

〃Olga！〃　she　whispered。　　〃He　is　a　Russian！〃

〃There　are　Serbian　Olgas　and　Bulgarian　Olgas　and　Rumanian　Olgas。
Probably　his　sweetheart。〃

〃The　poor　thing！〃

〃Sounds　like　Russian；〃　added　Cutty；　his　conscience　pricking　him。
But　he　welcomed　that　〃Olga。〃　　It　would　naturally　put　a　damper　on
Kitty's　interest。　　〃There's　Harrison　with　the　nurse。

Quarter　of　an　hour　later　the　patient　was　taken　down　to　the　ambulance
and　conveyed　to　the　private　hospital。　　Cutty　had　no　way　of
ascertaining　whether　they　were　followed；　but　he　hoped　they　would　be。
The　knowledge　that　their　victim　was　in　a　near…by　hospital　would
naturally　serve　to　relax　the　enemy　vigilance　temporarily；　and　this
would　permit　safely　and　secretly　the　second　leg　of　the　journey　…　that
to　his　own　apartment。

He　decided　to　let　an　hour　go　past；　then　Two…Hawks　was　taken　through
the　building　to　the　rear　and　transferred　to　the　truck。　　Cutty　sat
with　the　driver　while　Captain　Harrison　and　the　nurse　rode　inside
with　the　patient。

On　the　way　Cutty　was　rather　disturbed　by　the　deep　impression　Kitty
Conover　had　made　upon　his　heart　and　mind。　　That　afternoon　he　had
looked　upon　her　with　fatherly　condescension；　as　the　pretty　daughter
of　the　two　he　had　loved　most。　　From　the　altitude　of　his　fifty…two
he　had　gazed　down　upon　her　twenty…four；　weighing　her　as　like　all
young　women　of　twenty…four　…　pleasure…loving　and　beau…hunting　and
fashion…scorched；　and　in　a　flash　she　had　revealed　the　formed　mind
of　a　woman　of　thirty。　　Altitude。　　He　had　forgotten　that　relative
to　altitudes　there　are　always　two　angles　of　vision　…　that　from　the
summit　and　that　from　the　green　valley　below。　　Kitty　saw　him　beyond
the　tree　line；　but　just　this　side　of　the　snows　…　and　matched　his
condescension　with　pity！　　He　chuckled。　　Doddering　old　ass；　what
did　it　matter　how　she　looked　at　him？

Beautiful　and　young　and　full　of　common　sense；　yet　dangerously
romantical。　　To　wait　for　the　man　she　wanted；　what　did　that　signify
but　romance？　　And　there　was　her　Irish　blood　to　consider。　　The
association　of　pretty　nurse　and　interesting　patient　always　afforded
excellent　background　for　sentimental　nonsense；　the　obligations　of
the　one　and　the　gratitude　of　the　other。　　Well；　he　had　nipped　that
in　the　bud。

And　why　hadn't　he　taken　this　Two…Hawks　person　…　how　easy　it　was　to
fall　into　Kitty's　way　of　naming　the　chap！　…　why　hadn't　he　taken　him
directly　to　the　Roosevelt？　　Why　all　this　pother　and　secrecy　over
a　total　stranger？　　Stefani　Gregor；　who　lived　opposite　Kitty　and　who
hadn't　prospered　particularly　since　the　day　he　had　exhibited　the
drums　of　jeopardy　…　he　was　the　reason。　　These　were　volcanic　days；
and　a　friend　of　Stefani　Gregor　…　who　played　the　violin　like
Paganini　…　might　well　be　worth　the　trouble　of　a　little　courtesy。
Then；　too；　there　was　that　mark　of　the　thong　…　a　charm；　a　military
identification　disk　or　something　of　value。　　Whatever　it　was；　the
rogues　had　got　it。　　Murder　and　loot。　　And　as　soon　as　he　returned
to　consciousness　the　young　fellow　would　be　making　inquiries。

Perhaps　Kitty's　point　of　view　regarding　a　certain　duffer　aged
fifty…two　was　nearer　the　truth　than　the　duffer　himself　realized。
Second　childhood！　　As　if　the　drums　of　jeopardy　would　ever　again
see　light；　after　that　tempest　of　fire　and　death　…　that　mud
volcano！

One　thing　was　certain　…　there　would　be　no　more　cat…napping。　　The
game　was　on　again。　　He　was　assured　of　that　side　of　it。

Green　stones；　the　sunlight　breaking　against　the　flaws　in　a　shower
of　golden　sparks；　green　as　the　pulp　of　a　Champagne　grape；　the　drums
of　jeopardy！　　Murder　and　loot；　he　could　understand。

Immediately　after　the　patient　was　put　to　bed　Cutty　c