malvina of brittany-第20节

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behaving　quite　correctly。　　Replying　to　his　salutation　with　a　cold
and　distant　bow；　she　rose；　and；　turning　to　Mr。　Parable；　observed
that　she　thought　it　was　perhaps　time　for　them　to　be　going。

The　gentleman；　who　had　taken　his　pipe　from　his　mouth；　saidagain　in
a　sarcastic　tonethat　he　thought　so　too；　and　offered　the　lady　his
arm。

〃I　don't　think　we　need　trouble　you；〃　said　Mr。　Parable；　and　stepped
between　them。

To　describe　what　followed　I；　being　a　lady；　am　hampered　for　words。　　I
remember　seeing　Mr。　Parable's　hat　go　up　into　the　air；　and　then　the
next　moment　the　florid　gentleman's　head　was　lying　on　my　counter
smothered　in　cigarettes。　　I　naturally　screamed　for　the　police；　but
the　crowd　was　dead　against　me；　and　it　was　only　after　what　I　believe
in　technical　language　would　be　termed　〃the　fourth　round〃　that　they
appeared　upon　the　scene。

The　last　I　saw　of　Mr。　Parable　he　was　shaking　a　young　constable　who
had　lost　his　helmet；　while　three　other　policemen　had　hold　of　him
from　behind。　　The　florid　gentleman's　hat　I　found　on　the　floor　of　my
kiosk　and　returned　to　him；　but　after　a　useless　attempt　to　get　it　on
his　head；　he　disappeared　with　it　in　his　hand。　　The　lady　was　nowhere
to　be　seen。


Miss　Jenks　thinks　she　would　know　her　again。　　She　was　wearing　a　hat
trimmed　with　black　chiffon　and　a　spray　of　poppies；　and　was　slightly
freckled。

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Superintendent　S。　Wade；　in　answer　to　questions　put　to　him　by　our
representative；　vouchsafed　the　following　replies：

Yes。　　I　was　in　charge　at　the　Vine　Street　Police　Station　on　the　night
of　Thursday；　the　twenty…seventh。

No。　　I　have　no　recollection　of　a　charge　of　any　description　being
preferred　against　any　gentleman　of　the　name　of　Parable。

Yes。　　A　gentleman　was　brought　in　about　ten　o'clock　charged　with
brawling　at　the　Earl's　Court　Exhibition　and　assaulting　a　constable
in　the　discharge　of　his　duty。

The　gentleman　gave　the　name　of　Mr。　Archibald　Quincey；　Harcourt
Buildings；　Temple。

No。　　The　gentleman　made　no　application　respecting　bail；　electing　to
pass　the　night　in　the　cells。　　A　certain　amount　of　discretion　is
permitted　to　us；　and　we　made　him　as　comfortable　as　possible。

Yes。　　A　lady。

No。　　About　a　gentleman　who　had　got　himself　into　trouble　at　the
Earl's　Court　Exhibition。　　She　mentioned　no　name。

I　showed　her　the　charge　sheet。　　She　thanked　me　and　went　away。

That　I　cannot　say。　　I　can　only　tell　you　that　at　nine…fifteen　on
Friday　morning　bail　was　tendered；　and；　after　inquiries；　accepted　in
the　person　of　Julius　Addison　Tupp；　of　the　Sunnybrook　Steam　Laundry；
Twickenham。

That　is　no　business　of　ours。

The　accused　who；　I　had　seen　to　it；　had　had　a　cup　of　tea　and　a　little
toast　at　seven…thirty；　left　in　company　with　Mr。　Tupp　soon　after　ten。


Superintendent　Wade　admitted　he　had　known　cases　where　accused
parties；　to　avoid　unpleasantness；　had　stated　their　names　to　be　other
than　their　own；　but　declined　to　discuss　the　matter　further。

Superintendent　Wade；　while　expressing　his　regret　that　he　had　no　more
time　to　bestow　upon　our　representative；　thought　it　highly　probable
that　he　would　know　the　lady　again　if　he　saw　her。

Without　professing　to　be　a　judge　of　such　matters；　Superintendent
Wade　thinks　she　might　be　described　as　a　highly　intelligent　young
woman；　and　of　exceptionally　prepossessing　appearance。

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From　Mr。　Julius　Tupp；　of　the　Sunnybrook　Steam　Laundry；　Twickenham；
upon　whom　our　representative　next　called；　we　have　been　unable　to
obtain　much　assistance；　Mr。　Tupp　replying　to　all　questions　put　to
him　by　the　one　formula；　〃Not　talking。〃

Fortunately；　our　representative；　on　his　way　out　through　the　drying
ground；　was　able　to　obtain　a　brief　interview　with　Mrs。　Tupp。

Mrs。　Tupp　remembers　admitting　a　young　lady　to　the　house　on　the
morning　of　Friday；　the　twenty…eighth；　when　she　opened　the　door　to
take　in　the　milk。　　The　lady；　Mrs。　Tupp　remembers；　spoke　in　a　husky
voice；　the　result；　as　the　young　lady　explained　with　a　pleasant
laugh；　of　having　passed　the　night　wandering　about　Ham　Common；　she
having　been　misdirected　the　previous　evening　by　a　fool　of　a　railway
porter；　and　not　wishing　to　disturb　the　neighbourhood　by　waking
people　up　at　two　o'clock　in　the　morning；　which；　in　Mrs。　Tupp's
opinion；　was　sensible　of　her。

Mrs。　Tupp　describes　the　young　lady　as　of　agreeable　manners；　but
looking；　naturally；　a　bit　washed　out。　　The　lady　asked　for　Mr。　Tupp；
explaining　that　a　friend　of　his　was　in　trouble；　which　did　not　in　the
least　surprise　Mrs。　Tupp；　she　herself　not　holding　with　Socialists
and　such　like。　　Mr。　Tupp；　on　being　informed；　dressed　hastily　and
went　downstairs；　and　he　and　the　young　lady　left　the　house　together。
Mr。　Tupp；　on　being　questioned　as　to　the　name　of　his　friend；　had
called　up　that　it　was　no　one　Mrs。　Tupp　would　know；　a　Mr。　Quinceit
may　have　been　Quincey。

Mrs。　Tupp　is　aware　that　Mr。　Parable　is　also　a　Socialist；　and　is
acquainted　with　the　saying　about　thieves　hanging　together。　　But　has
worked　for　Mr。　Parable　for　years　and　has　always　found　him　a　most
satisfactory　client；　and；　Mr。　Tupp　appearing　at　this　point；　our
representative　thanked　Mrs。　Tupp　for　her　information　and　took　his
departure。

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Mr。　Horatius　Condor；　Junior；　who　consented　to　partake　of　luncheon　in
company　with　our　representative　at　the　Holborn　Restaurant；　was　at
first　disinclined　to　be　of　much　assistance；　but　eventually　supplied
our　representative　with　the　following　information：

My　relationship　to　Mr。　Archibald　Quincey；　Harcourt　Buildings；
Temple；　is　perhaps　a　little　difficult　to　define。

How　he　himself　regards　me　I　am　never　quite　sure。　　There　will　be　days
together　when　we　will　be　quite　friendly　like；　and　at　other　times　he
will　be　that　offhanded　and　peremptory　you　might　think　I　was　his
blooming　office　boy。

On　Friday　morning；　the　twenty…eighth；　I　didn't　get　to　Harcourt
Buildings　at　the　usual　time；　knowing　that　Mr。　Quincey　would　not　be
there　himself；　he　having　arranged　to　interview　Mr。　Parable　for　the
Daily　Chronicle　at　ten　o'clock。　　I　allowed　him　half　an　hour；　to　be
quite　safe；　and　he　came　in　at　a　quarter　past　eleven。

He　took　no　notice　of　me。　　For　about　ten　minutesit　may　have　been
lesshe　walked　up　and　down　the　room；　cursing　and　swearing　and
kicking　the　furniture　about。　　He　landed　an　occasional　walnut　table
in　the　middle　of　my　shins；　upon　which　I　took　the　opportunity　of
wishing　him　〃Good　morning；〃　and　he　sort　of　woke　up；　as　you　might
say。

〃How　did　the　interview　go　off？〃　I　says。　　〃Got　anything　interesting？〃

〃Yes；〃　he　says；　〃quite　interesting。　　Oh；　yes；　decidedly
interesting。〃

He　was　holding　himself　in；　if　you　understand；　speaking　with　horrible
slowness　and　deliberation。

〃D'you　know　where　he　was　last　night？〃　he　asks　me。

〃Yes；〃　I　says；　〃Caxton　Hall；　wasn't　it？meeting　to　demand　the
release　of　Miss　Clebb。〃

He　leans　across　the　table　till　his　face　was　within　a　few　inches　of
mine。

〃Guess　again；〃　he　says。

I　wasn't　doing　any　guessing。　　He　had　hurt　me　with　the　walnut　table；
and　I　was　feeling　a　bit　short…tempered。

〃Oh！　don't　make　a　game　of　it；〃　I　says。　　〃It's　too　early　in　the
morning。〃

〃At　the　Earl's　Court　Exhibition；〃　he　says；　〃dancing　the　tango　with　a
lady　that　he　picked　up　in　St。　James's　Park。〃

〃Well；〃　I　says；　〃why　not？　　He　don't　often　get　much　fun。〃　　I　thought
it　best　to　treat　it　lightly。

He　takes　no　notice　of　my　observation。

〃A　rival　comes　upon　the　scene；〃　he　continues〃a　fatheaded　ass；
according　to　my　informationand　they　have　a　stand…up　fight。　　He
gets　run　in　and　spends　the　night　in　a　Vine　Street　police　cell。〃

I　suppose　I　was　grinning　without　knowing　it。

〃Funny；　ain't　it？〃　he　says。

〃Well；〃　I　says；　〃it　has　its　humorous　side；　hasn't　it？　　What'll　he
get？〃

〃I　am　not　worrying　about　what　HE　is　going　to　get；〃　he　answers　back。
〃I　am　worrying　about　what　_I_　am　going　to　get。〃

I　thought　he　had　gone　dotty。

〃What's　it　got　to　do　with　you？〃　I　says。

〃If　old　Wotherspoon　is　in　a　good　humour；〃　he　continues；　〃and　the
constable's　head　has　gone　down　a　bit　between　now　and　Wednesday；　I
may　get　off　with　forty　shillings　and　a　public　reprimand。

〃On　the　other　hand；〃　he　goes　onhe　was　working　himself　into　a　sort
of　fit〃if　the　constable's　head　goes　on　swelling；　and　old
Wotherspoon's　liver　gets　worse；　I've　got　to　be　prepared　for　a　month
without　the　option。　　That　is；　if　I　am　fool　enough〃

He　had　left　both　the　doors　open；　which　in　the　daytime　we　generally
do；　our　chambers　being　at　the　top。　　Miss　Dortonthat's　Mr。
Parable's　secretarybarges　into　the　room。　　She　didn't　seem　to
notice　me。　　She　staggers　to　a　chair　and　bursts　into　tears。

〃He's　gone；〃　she　says；　〃he's　taken　cook　with　him　and　gone。〃

〃Gone！〃　says　the　guv'nor。　　〃Where's　he　gone？〃

〃To　Fingest；〃　she　says　through　her　sobs〃to　the　cottage。　　Miss
Bulstrode　came　in　just　after　you　had　left；〃　she　says。　　〃He　wants　to
get　away　from　everyone　and　have　a　few　days'　quiet。　　And　then　he　is
coming　back；　and　he　is　going　to　do　it　himself。〃

〃Do　what？〃　says　the　guv'nor；　irritable　like。

〃Fourteen　days；〃　she　wails。　　〃It'll　kill　him。〃

〃But　the　case　doesn't　come　on　till　Wednesday；〃　says　the　guv'nor。
〃How　do　you　know　it's　going　to　b