the drums of jeopardy-第43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！
Cutty smiled。 〃When I tackle anything I like to carry it through。
I want to put you on your train。〃
〃To be reasonably sure that I shan't come back？〃
〃Precisely〃 … but without smiling。 With a vague yet inclusive nod
Cutty hurried off。
〃It is because he is such a thorough sportsman。 Mr。 Hawksley；〃 Kitty
explained。 〃Having accepted certain obligations he cannot abrogate
them off。 hand。〃
〃Did I bother you last night？ I mean； did my fiddling？〃
〃Mercy； no！ From the hurdy…gurdy of my childhood； down to Kubelik
and his successors； I have been more or less music…mad。 You play
… wonderfully！〃 Sudden； inexplicable shyness。
Hawksley smiled。 An hour or two with that old Amati。
〃I am only an unconventional amateur。 You should hear Stefani
Gregor when the mood is on。 He puts something into your soul that
makes you wish to go forth at once to do some fine； unselfish
act。〃
Stefani Gregor！ He thought of the clear white soul of the man who
had surrendered imperishable fame to stand between him and the curse
of his blood； who had for ten years stood between his mother and
the dissolute man whom irony had selected for the part of father。
Ten years of diplomacy； tact； patience。 Stefani Gregor！ There was
the blood； predatory and untamed； and there was the spirit which
the old musician had moulded。 He could not harm this girl。 Dead
or alive； Stefani Gregor would not permit it。
Hawksley rose slowly and without further speech walked to the
corridor door。 He leaned against the jamb for a moment； then went
on to his bedroom。
〃I'm afraid that breakfast was too much for him；〃 the nurse ventured。
〃An odd young man。〃
〃Very；〃 replied Kitty； rather absently。 She was trying to analyze
that flash of shyness。
Meantime； Cutty sat down before the telephone。 He wanted Kitty out
of town during his absence。 In her present excitable mood he was
afraid to trust her。 She might surrender to any mad impulse that
stirred her fancy。 So he called up Burlingame。 Kitty's chief； and
together they manufactured an assignment that was always a pleasant
recollection to Kitty。
Next； Cutty summoned Professor Billy Ryan to the wire； argued and
cajoled for ten minutes； and won his point。 He was always dealing
in futures … banking his favours here and there and drawing checks
against them when needed。
Then he tackled his men and issued orders suspending operations
temporarily。 He was asked what they should do in case Karlov came
out into the open。 He answered in such an event not to molest him
but to watch and take note of those with whom he associated。 There
were big things in the air； and only he himself had hold of all the
threads。 He relayed this information to the actual chief of the
local service； from whom he had borrowed his men。 There was no
protest。 Green spectacles。
Quarter to nine he and Kitty entered a subway car and found a corner
to themselves； while Karlov's agent was content with a strap in the
crowded end of the car。
Karlov for once had outthought Cutty。 He had withdrawn his watchers；
confident that after a day or so his unknown opponent would withdraw
his。 During the lull Karlov matured his plans； then resumed
operations； calculating that he would have some forty…odd hours'
leeway。
His agent was clever。 He had followed Kitty from Eightieth Street
to the Knickerbocker Hotel。 There he had lost her。 He had loitered
on the sidewalk until midnight； and was then convinced that the girl
had slipped by。 So he had returned to Eightieth Street； but as late
as five in the morning she had not returned。
This agent had followed the banker after his visit to Kitty。 He had
watched the banker's house； seen Cutty arrive and depart。 Taking a
chance shot in the dark； he had followed Cutty to the office
building； learned that Cutty was the owner and lived in the loft。
As Kitty had not returned home by five he proceeded to take a second
chance shot in the dark； stationing himself across the street from
the entrance to the office building； thereby solving the riddle
uppermost in Karlov's mind。 He had found the man in the dress suit。
〃Cutty； I'm sorry I was such a booby last night。 But it was the best
thing that could have happened。 The pentupness of it was simply
killing me。 I hadn't any one to come to but you … any one who would
understand。 I don't know of any man who has a better right to kiss
me。 I know。 You were just trying to buck me up。〃
Clitter…clatter！ Clitter…clatter！ Cutty stared hard at the cement
floor。 Marry her； settle a sum on her； and give her her freedom。
Molly's girl。 Give her a chance to play。 He turned。
〃Kitty； do you trust me？〃
〃Of all the foolish questions！〃 She pressed his arm。 〃Why shouldn't
I trust you？〃
〃Will you marry me？ Wait！ Let me make clear to you what I have in
mind。 I'm all alone。 I loved your mother。 It breaks my heart that
while I have everything in the way of luxuries you have nothing。 I
can't settle a sum on you … an income。 The world wouldn't
understand。 Your friends would be asking questions among themselves。
This telegram from Washington means but one thing： that in a few
weeks I shall be on my way to the East。 I shall be mighty unhappy
if I have to go leaving you in the rut。 This is my idea： marry me
an hour or so before the ship sails。 I will leave you a comfortable
income。 Lord knows how long I shall be gone。 Well； I won't write。
After a year you can regain your freedom on the grounds of desertion。
Simple as falling off a log。 It's the one logical way I can help
you。 Will you？〃
Station after station flashed by。 Kitty continued stare through the
window across the way。 by and by she turned her face toward him； her
eyes shining with tears。
〃Cutty； there is going to be a nice place in heaven for you some day。
I understand。 I believe Mother understands； too。 Am I selfish？ I
can't say No to you and I can't say Yes。 Yet I should be a liar if
I did not say that everything in me leaps toward the idea。 It is
both hateful and fascinating。 Common sense says Yes； and something
else in me says No。 I like dainty things； dainty surroundings。 I
want to travel； to see something of the world。 I once thought I had
creative genius； but I might as well face the fact that I haven't。
Only by accident will I ever earn more than I'm earning now。 In a
few years I'll grow old suddenly。 You know what the newspaper game
does to women。 The rush and hurry of it； the excitements； the
ceaseless change。 It is a furnace； and women shrivel up in it
quicker than men。〃
〃There won't be any nonsense； Kitty。 An hour before I go aboard my
ship。 I'll go back to the job the happiest of men。 Molly's girl
taken care of！ Just before your father died I promised him I'd keep
an eye on you。 I never forgot； but conditions made it impossible。
The apartment will be yours as long as you need it。 Kuroki； of
course； goes with me。 It's merely going by convention on the blind
side。 To leave you something in my will wouldn't serve at all；
I'm a tough old codger and may be marked down for a hale old ninety。
All I want is to make you happy and carefree。〃
〃Cutty； I'd like to curl up in some corner and cry； gratefully。 I
didn't know there were such men。 I just don't know what to do。 It
isn't as if you were asking me to be your wife。 And as you say； I
can't accept money。 There is a pride in me that rejects the whole
thing； but it may be the same fool pride that has cut away my
friends。 I ought to fall on your neck with joy： and here I am
trying to look round corners！ You are my father's friend； my
mother's； mine。 Why shouldn't I accept the proposition？ You are
alone； too。 You have a perfect right to do as you please with your
money； and I have an equally perfect right to accept your gifts。
We are all afraid of the world； aren't we？ That's probably at the
bottom of my doddering。 Cutty； what is love？〃 she broke off；
whimsically。
〃Looking into mirrors and hunting for specks；〃 he answered； readily。
〃I mean seriously。〃
〃So do I。 Before I went round to the stage entrance to take your
mother out to supper I used to preen an hour
