the drums of jeopardy-第47章
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of brass cut in the shape of a bell。 The clear； whirring vibrations
filled the room。 Long before these spent themselves Kuroki appeared
on the threshold。 He bobbed。
〃Kuroki； Miss Conover is dining here with me to…night。 Seven
o'clock sharp。 The best you have in the larder。〃
〃Yes； sair。 You are going out； sair？〃
〃For a bit of fresh air。〃
〃And I am going with him； Kuroki；〃 said Kitty。 Kuroki bobbed again。
〃Dinner at seven； sair。〃 Another bob； and he returned to the
kitchen； smiling。 The girl was free to come and go； of course； but
the ancient enemy of Nippon would not pass the elevator door。 Let
him find that out for himself。
When the elevator arrived the boy did not open the door。 He noted
the derby on Hawksley's head。
〃I can take you down； Miss Conover； but I cannot take Mr。 Hawksley。
When the boss gives me an order I obey it … if I possibly can。 On
the day the boss tells me you can go strolling； I'll give you the
key to the city。 Until then； nix！ No use arguing； Mr。 Hawksley。〃
〃I shan't argue；〃 replied Hawksley； meekly。 〃I am really a prisoner；
then？〃
〃For your own good； sir。 Do you wish to go down； Miss Conover？〃
〃No。〃
The boy swung the lever； and the car dropped from sight。
〃I'm sorry；〃 said Kitty。
Hawksley smiled and laid a finger on his lips。 〃I wanted to know；〃
he whispered。 〃There's another way down from this Matterhorn。 Come
with me。 Off the living room is a storeroom。 I found the key in
the lock the other day and investigated。 I still have the key。 Now；
then； there's a door that gives to the main loft。 At the other end
is the stairhead。 There is a door at the foot of the first flight
down。 We can jolly well leave this way； but we shall have to return
by the lift。 That bally young ruffian can't refuse to carry us up；
y' know！〃
Kitty laughed。 〃This is going to be fun！〃
〃Rather！〃
They groped their way through the dim loft … for it was growing dark
outside … and made the stairhead。 The door to the seventeenth floor
opened； and they stepped forth into the lighted hallway。
〃Now what？〃 asked Kitty； bubbling。
〃The floor below； and one of the other lifts； what？〃 Twenty minutes
later the two of them； arm in arm； turned into Broadway。
〃This； sir；〃 began Kitty with a gesture； 〃is Broadway … America's
backyard in the daytime and Ali Baba's cave at night。 The way of
the gilded youth； the funnel for papa's money； the chorus lady； the
starting point of the high cost of living。 We New Yorkers despise
it because we can't afford it。〃
〃The lights！〃 gasped Hawksley。
〃Wreckers' lights。 Behold！ Yonder is a highly nutritious whisky
blinking its bloomin' farewell。 Do you chew gum？ Even if you
don't； in a few minutes I'll give you a cud for thought。 Chewing
gum was invented by a man with a talkative wife。 He missed the
physiological point； however； that a body can chew and talk at the
same time。 Come on！〃
They went on uptown； Hawksley highly amused； exhilarated； but
frequently puzzled。 The pungent irony of her observations conveyed
to him that under this gayety was a current of extreme bitterness。
〃I say； are all American girls like you？〃
〃Heavens； no！ Why？〃
〃Because I never met one like you before。 Rather stilted … on their
good behaviour； I fancy。〃
〃And I interest you because I'm not on my good behaviour？〃 Kitty
whipped back。
〃Because you are as God made you … without camouflage。〃
〃The poor innocent young man！ I'm nothing but camouflage to…night。
Why are you risking your life in the street？ Why am I sharing
that risk？ Because we both feel bound and are blindly trying
to break through。 What do you know about me？ Nothing。 What do
I know about you？ Nothing。 But what do we care？ Come on； come on！〃
Tumpitum … tump！ tumpitum … tump！ drummed the Elevated。 Kitty
laughed。 The tocsin！ Always something happened when she heard it。
〃Pearls！〃 she cried； dragging him toward a jeweller's window。
〃No！〃 he said； holding back。 〃I hate … jewels！ How I hate them！〃
He broke away from her and hurried on。
She had to run after him。 Had she hesitated they might have become
separated。 Hated jewels？ No； no！ There should be no questions；
verbal or mental； this night。 She presently forced him to slow down。
〃Not so fast！ We must never become separated；〃 she warned。 〃Our
safety … such as it is … lies in being together。〃
〃I'm an ass。 Perhaps my head is ratty without my realizing it。 I
fancy I'm like a dog that's been kicked； I'm trying to run away
from the pain。 What's this tomb？〃
〃The Metropolitan Opera House。〃
As they were passing a thin； wailing sound came to the ears of both。
Seated with his back to the wall was a blind fiddler with a tin cup
strapped to a knee。 He was out of bounds； he had no right on
Broadway； but he possessed a singular advantage over the law。 He
could not be forced to move on without his guide … if he were
honestly blind。 Hundreds of people were passing； but the fiddler's
〃Last Rose of Summer〃 wasn't worth a cent。 His cup was empty。
〃The poor thing！〃 said Kitty。
〃Wait！〃 Hawksley approached the fiddler； exchanged a few words with
him； and the blind man surrendered his fiddle。
〃Give me your hat！〃 cried Kitty； delighted。
Carefully Hawksley pried loose his derby and handed it to Kitty。
No stab of pain； something to find that out。 He turned the
instrument； tucked it under his chin and began 〃Traumerei。〃 Kitty；
smiling； extended the hat。 Just the sort of interlude to make the
adventure memorable。 She knew this thoroughfare。 Shortly there
would be a crowd； and the fiddler's cup would overflow … that is；
if the police did not interfere too soon。
As for the owner of the wretched fiddle； he raised his head； his
mouth opened。 Up there； somewhere； a door to heaven had opened。
True to her expectations a crowd slowly gathered。 The beauty of
the girl and the dark； handsome face of the musician； his picturesque
bare head； were sufficient for these cynical passers…by。 They
understood。 Operatic celebrities； having a little fun on their own。
So quarters and dimes and nickels began to patter into Cutty's
ancient derby hat。 Broadway will always contribute generously toward
a novelty of this order。 Famous names were tossed about in
undertones。
Entered then the enemy of the proletariat。 Kitty； being a New
Yorker born； had had her weather eye roving。 The brass…buttoned
minion of the law was always around when a bit of innocent fun was
going on。 As the policeman reached the inner rim of the audience
the last notes of Handel's 〃Largo〃 were fading on the ear。
〃What's this？〃 demanded the policeman。
〃It's all over； sir；〃 answered Kitty； smiling。
〃Can't have this on Broadway； miss。 Obstruction。〃 He could not
speak gruffly in the face of such beauty … especially with a
Broadway crowd at his back。
〃It's all over。 Just let me put this money in the blind man's cup。〃
Kitty poured her coins into the receptacle。 At the same time
Hawksley laid the fiddle in the blind man's lap。 Then he turned to
Kitty and boomed a long Russian phrase at her。 Her quick wit caught
the intent。 〃You see； he doesn't understand that this cannot be
done in New York。 I couldn't explain。〃
〃All right； miss； but don't do it again。〃 The policeman grinned。
〃And please don't be harsh with the blind man。 Just tell him he
mustn't play on Broadway again。 Thank you！'
She linked her arm in Hawksley's； and they went on； and the crowd
dissolved； only the policeman and the blind man remained； the one
contemplating his duty and the other his vision of heaven。
〃What a lark！〃 exclaimed Hawksley。
〃Were you asking me for your hat？〃
〃I was telling the bobby to go to the devil！〃
They laughed like children。
〃March hares！〃 he said。
〃No。 April fools！ Good heavens； the time！ Twenty minutes to
seven。 Our dinner！〃
〃We'll take a taxi。。。。 Dash it！〃
〃What's wrong？〃
〃Not a bally copper in my pockets！〃
〃And I left my handbag on the sideboard！ We'll have to walk。 If
we hurry we can just about make it。〃
Meantime； there lay in wait for them … this pair of April fools … a
taxicab。 It stood snu
