the drums of jeopardy-第39章

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twist。　　As　it　stood　now；　he　would　be　picking　Hawksley's　pocket；　and
he　wasn't　rogue　enough　for　that。　　Hang　the　luck！

Emeralds；　rubies；　sapphires；　pearls；　and　diamonds！　　No　doubt　many　of
them　with　histories　…　in　a　bag　hung　to　his　neck　…　and　all　these
thousands　of　miles！　　Not　since　the　advent　of　the　Gaekwar　of　Baroda
into　San　Francisco；　in　1910；　had　so　many　fine　stones　passed　through
that　port　of　entry。

But　why　hadn't　Hawksley　inquired　about　them？　　Stoic　indifference？
A　good　loser？　　How　had　he　got　through　the　customs　without　a　lot　of
publicity？　　The　Russian　consul　of　the　old　regime　probably；　and　an
appraiser　who　was　a　good　sport。　　To　have　come　safely　to　his
destination；　and　then　to　have　lost　out！　　The　magnificent　careless
generosity　of　putting　the　wallet　behind　Kitty's　flatirons；　to　be
hers　if　he　didn't　pull　through！　　Why；　this　fiddling　derelict　was
a　man！　　Stood　up　and　fought　Karlov　with　his　bare　fists；　wasn't
ashamed　to　weep　over　his　mother's　photograph；　and　fiddled　like
Heifetz。　　All　right。　　This　Johnny　Two…Hawks；　as　Kitty　persisted　in
calling　him；　was　going　to　reach　his　Montana　ranch。　　His　friend　Cutty
would　take　it　upon　himself　to　see　to　that。

It　struck　him　that　after　all　he　would　have　to　play　the　game　as　he
had　planned　it。　　Those　gems　falling　into　the　hands　of　the　Federal
agents　would　surely　bring　to　light　Hawksley's　identity；　and　Hawksley
should　have　his　chance。

Cutty　then　came　upon　the　will。　　Somehow　the　pathos　of　it　went　deep
into　his　heart。　　The　poor　devil！　…　a　will　that　hadn't　been　witnessed；
the　handwriting　the　same　as　that　on　the　passport。　　If　he　had　fallen
into　the　hands　of　the　police　they　would　have　justifiably　locked　him
up　as　a　murder　suspect。　　Two…Hawks！　　It　was　a　small　world。　　He
returned　the　contents　to　the　wallet；　leaving　out　the　will；　however。
This　he　thrust　into　a　drawer。

〃Coffee？〃　said　Kitty　at　his　elbow。

〃Kitty？　　I'd　forgotten　you！　　I　thought　I　smelt　coffee。　　Just　what　I
wanted；　too；　only　I　hadn't　brains　enough　left　to　think　of　it。　　Smells
better　than　anything　Kuroki　makes。。。。　　Tastes　better；　too。　　You're
going　to　make　some　lucky　duffer　a　fine　wife。〃

〃Is　there　anything　you　can　tell　me；　Cutty？〃

〃A　whole　lot；　Kitty；　only　I'm　twenty　years　too　old。〃

〃I　mean　the　wallet。　　Who　is　he？〃

Cutty　drained　the　cup　slowly。　　A　good　coherent　lie；　to　appease
Kitty's　curiosity；　half　a　truth；　something　hard　to　nail。　　He　set
down　the　empty　cup；　building。　　By　the　time　he　had　filled　his　pipe
and　lit　it　he　was　ready。

Something　bored　up　through　the　subconscious；　however　…　a　query。　　Why
hadn't　he　told　her　the　plain　truth　at　the　start？　　Wasn't　on　account
of　the　drums。　　He　hadn't　kept　her　in　the　dark　because　of　the　drums。
He　could　have　trusted　her　with　that　part　of　it　…　his　tentative
piracy。　　That　to　divulge　Hawksley's　identity　would　be　a　menace　to
her　peace　of　mind　now　appeared　ridiculous；　and　yet　he　had　worked
forward　from　this　assumption。　　No　answer　to　the　query。　　Generally
he　thought　clearly　enough；　but　somewhere　along　this　route　he　had
made　a　muddle　of　things　and　couldn't　find　the　spot。　　The　only　point
clearly　defined　was　that　he　should　wish　to　keep　her　out　of　the
affair　because　there　were　elements　of　positive　danger。　　But　somewhere
inside　of　him　was　a　question　asking　for　recognition；　and　it　eluded
him。　　Nothing　could　be　solved　until　this　question　got　out　of　the　fog。
Even　now　he　might　risk　the　whole　truth；　but　the　lie　he　had　woven
appeared　too　good　to　waste。

Human　frailty。　　The　most　accomplished　human　being　is　the　finished
liar。　　Never　to　forget　a　detail；　to　remember　step　by　step　the
windings；　over　a　ticklish　road。　　And　Cutty；　for　all　his　wide
newspaper　experience；　was　a　poor　liar　because　he　had　been　brought
up　on　facts。　　Perhaps　his　lie　might　have　passed　had　he　not　been　so
fagged。　　The　physical　labours　of　the　night　had　dulled　his
perceptions。

〃Ab；　but　that　tastes　good！〃　…　as　he　blew　forth　a　wavering　ring　of
smoke。

〃It　ought　to　have　at　least　one　merit；〃　replied　Kitty；　wrinkling　her
nose。　　What　a　fine　profile　Cutty　had！　　〃Now；　who　and　what　is　he？
I'm　dying　to　know。〃

〃An　odd　story；　probably　hundreds　like　it。　　You　see；　the　Bolsheviki
have　driven　out　of　the　country　or　killed　all　the　nobles　and
bourgeoisie。　　Some　of　them　have　escaped　…　into　China；　Sweden；　India；
wherever　they　could　find　an　open　route。　　To　his　story　there　are　many
loose　ends；　and　Hawksley　is　not　the　talking　kind。　　You　mustn't　repeat
what　I　tell　you。　　Hawksley；　with　all　that　money　and　a　forged　English
passport；　would　have　a　good　deal　of　trouble　explaining　if　he　ran
afoul　the　police。　　There　is　no　real　proof　that　the　money　is　his　or
Gregor's。　　As　a　matter　of　fact；　it　is　Gregor's；　and　Hawksley　was
bringing　it　to　him。　　Hawksley　is　Gregor's　protege。〃

Kitty　nodded。　　This　dovetailed　with　what　Johnny　Two…Hawks　had　told
her　that　night。

〃How　the　two　came　together　originally　I　don't　know。　　Gregor　was　in
his　younger　days　a　great　violinist；　but　unknown　to　the　American
public。　　Early　in　his　career　he　speculated　with　his　concert　earnings
and　turned　a　pot　of　money。　　He　dropped　the　professional　career　for
that　of　a　country　gentleman。　　He　had　a　handsome　estate；　and　lived
sensibly。　　He　sent　Hawksley　to　England　to　school　and　spent　a　good
deal　of　time　there　with　him；　teaching　him　how　to　play　the　fiddle；
for　which　it　seems　Hawksley　had　a　natural　bent。　　He　had　to　Anglicize
his　name；　for　Two…Hawks　would　have　made　people　laugh。　　To　be　a
gentleman；　Kitty；　one　does　not　have　to　be　a　prince　or　a　grand　duke。
Gregor　was　a　polished　gentleman；　and　he　turned　Hawksley　into　one。〃

Again　Kitty　nodded；　her　eyes　sparkling。

〃The　Russ　…　the　educated　Russ　…　is　a　queer　biscuit。　　Got　to　have　a
finger　in　some　political　pie；　and　political　pies　in　Russia　before
the　war　were　lese…majesty。　　The　result　…　Gregor　got　in　wrong　with
his　secret　society　and　the　political　police　and　was　forced　to　fly
to　save　his　life。　　But　before　he　fled　he　had　all　his　convertible
funds　transferred。　　Only　his　estate　was　confiscated。　　Hawksley　was
in　London　when　the　war　broke　out。　　There　was　a　lot　of　red　tape；
naturally；　regarding　the　funds。　　I　shan't　bother　you　with　that；
Hawksley；　hoping　to　better　his　protector's　future；　returned　to
Russia　and　joined　his　regiment　and　fought　until　the　Czar　abdicated。
Foretasting　the　trend　of　events；　he　tried　to　get　back　to　England；
but　that　was　impossible。　　He　was　permitted　to　retire　to　the　Gregor
estate；　where　he　remained　until　the　uprising　of　the　Bolsheviki。
Then　he　started　across　the　world　to　join　Gregor。〃

〃That　was　brave。〃

〃It　certainly　was。　　I　imagine　that　Hawksley's　journey　has　that　of
Ulysses　laid　away　on　the　shelf。　　Karlov　was　the　head　of　the
society　which　had　voted　Gregor's　death。　　So　he　had　agents　watching
Hawksley。　　And　Karlov　himself　undertook　the　chase　across　Russia；
China；　and　the　Pacific。〃

〃I'm　glad　I　gave　him　something　to　eat。　　But　Gregor；　a　valet　in　a
hotel；　with　all　that　money！〃

〃The　red　tape。〃

〃What　a　dizzy　world　we　live　in；　Cutty！〃

〃Dizzy　is　the　word。〃　Cutty　sighed。　　His　yarn　had　passed　a　very　shrewd
censor。　　〃Karlov　feels　it　his　duty　to　kill　off　all　his　countryman
who　do　not　agree　with　his　theories。　　He　wanted　these　funds　here；　but
Hawksley　was　too　clever　for　him。　　Remember；　now；　not　a　word　of　this
to　Hawksley。　　I　tell　you　this　in　confidence。〃

〃I　promise。〃

〃You'll　have　to　spend　the　night　here。　　It's　round　four；　and　the　power
has　been　shut　off。　　There's　the　stairs；　but　it　would　be　dawn　before
you　reach　the　street。〃

〃Who　cares？〃

〃I　do。　　I　don't　believe　you're　in　a　good　mood　to　send　back　to　that
garlicky　warren。　　I　wish　to　the　Lord　you'd　leave　it！〃

〃It's　difficult　to　find　anything　desirable　within　my　means。　　Rents
are　terrifying。　　I'll　sleep　on　the　divan。　　A　rug　or　a　blanket。　　I'm
a　silly　fool；　I　suppose。〃

〃You　can　have　a　guest　room。〃

〃I'd　rather　the　divan；　less　scandalous。　　Cutty；　I　forgot。　　He　played
for　me。〃

〃What？　　He　did？〃

〃I　had　to　run　out　of　the　room　because　some　things　he　said　choked　me
up。　　Didn't　care　whether　he　died　or　not。　　He　was　even　lonelier　than
I。　　I　lay　down　on　the　divan；　and　then　I　heard　music。　　Funny；　but
somehow　I　fancied　he　was　calling　me　back；　and　I　had　to　hang　on　to
the