a thief in the night-第21节

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ular　man　down　there；　Nasmyth！〃

I　never　saw　a　nobler　embarrassment　than　that　of　this　awkward；　ungainly；　cantankerous　man：　all。　his　angles　seemed　to　have　been　smoothed　away：　there　was　something　quite　human　in　the　flushed；　undecided；　wistful　face。　　　　〃I　never　was　popular　in　my　life；〃　he　said。　　〃I　don't　want　to　buy　my　popularity　now。　　To　be　perfectly　candid　with　you；　Raffles　…　〃

〃Don't！　　I　can't　stop　to　hear。　　They're　ringing　the　bell。　　But　you　shouldn't　have　been　angry　with　me　for　saying　you　were　a　generous　good　chap；　Nasmyth；　when　you　were　one　all。　the　time。　　Good…by；　old　fellow！〃

But　Nasmyth　detained　us　a　second　more。　　His　hesitation　was　at　an　end。　　There　was　a　sudden　new　light　in　his　face。

〃Was　I？〃　he　cried。　　〃Then　I'll　make　it　two　hundred；　and　damn　the　odds！〃

Raffles　was　a　thoughtful　man　as　we　went　to　our　seats。　　He　saw　nobody；　would　acknowledge　no　remark。　　Neither　did　he　attend　to　the　cricket　for　the　first　half…hour　after　lunch；　instead；　he　eventually　invited　me　to　come　for　a　stroll　on　the　practice　ground；　where；　however；　we　found　two　chairs　aloof　from　the　fascinating　throng。

〃I　am　not　often　sorry；　Bunny；　as　you　know；〃　he　began。　　〃But　I　have　been　sorry　since　the　interval。　　I've　been　sorry　for　poor　old　Nipper　Nasmyth。　　Did　you　see　the　idea　of　being　popular　dawn　upon　him　for　the　first　time　in　his　life？〃

〃I　did；　but　you　had　nothing　to　do　with　that；　my　dear　man。〃

Raffles　shook　his　head　over　me　as　our　eyes　met。　　〃I　had　everything　to　do　with　it。　　I　tried　to　make　him　tell　the　meanest　lie。　　I　made　sure　he　would；　and　for　that　matter　he　nearly　did。　　Then；　at　the　last　moment；　he　saw　how　to　hedge　things　with　his　conscience。　　And　his　second　hundred　will　be　a　real　gift。〃

〃You　mean　under　his　own　name　…　〃

〃And　with　his　own　free…will。　　My　good　Bunny；　is　it　possible　you　don't　know　what　I　did　with　the　hundred　we　drew　from　that　bank！〃

〃I　knew　what　you　were　going　to　do　with　it；〃　said　I。　　〃I　didn't　know　you　had　actually　got　further　than　the　twenty…five　you　told　me　you　were　sending　as　your　own　contribution。〃

Raffles　rose　abruptly　from　his　chair。

〃And　you　actually　thought　that　came　out　of　his　money？〃

〃Naturally。〃

〃In　my　name？〃

〃I　thought　so。〃

Raffles　stared　at　me　inscrutably　for　some　moments；　and　for　some　more　at　the　great　white　numbers　over　the　grand…stand。

〃We　may　as　well　have　another　look　at　the　cricket；〃　said　he。　　〃It's　difficult　to　see　the　board　from　here；　but　I　believe　there's　another　man　out。〃




A　Bad　Night


There　was　to　be　a　certain　little　wedding　in　which　Raffles　and　I　took　a　surreptitious　interest。　　The　bride…elect　was　living　in　some　retirement；　with　a　recently　widowed　mother　and　an　asthmatical　brother；　in　a　mellow　hermitage　on　the　banks　of　the　Mole。　　The　bridegroom　was　a　prosperous　son　of　the　same　suburban　soil　which　had　nourished　both　families　for　generations。　　The　wedding　presents　were　so　numerous　as　to　fill　several　rooms　at　the　pretty　retreat　upon　the　Mole；　and　of　an　intrinsic　value　calling　for　a　special　transaction　with　the　Burglary　Insurance　Company　in　Cheapside。　　I　cannot　say　how　Raffles　obtained　all。　this　information。　　I　only　know　that　it　proved　correct　in　each　particular。　　I　was　not　indeed　deeply　interested　before　the　event；　since　Raffles　assured　me　that　it　was　〃a　one…man　job；〃　and　naturally　intended　to　be　the　one　man　himself。　It　was　only　at　the　eleventh　hour　that　our　positions　were　inverted　by　the　wholly　unexpected　selection　of　Raffles　for　the　English　team　in　the　Second　Test　Match。

In　a　flash　I　saw　the　chance　of　my　criminal　career。　　It　was　some　years　since　Raffles　had　served　his　country　in　these　encounters；　he　had　never　thought　to　be　called　upon　again；　and　his　gratification　was　only　less　than　his　embarrassment。　　The　match　was　at　Old　Trafford；　on　the　third　Thursday；　Friday；　and　Saturday　in　July；　the　other　affair　had　been　all。　arranged　for　the　Thursday　night；　the　night　of　the　wedding　at　East　Molesey。　　It　was　for　Raffles　to　choose　between　the　two　excitements；　and　for　once　I　helped　him　to　make　up　his　mind。　　I　duly　pointed　out　to　him　that　in　Surrey；　at　all。　events；　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