pgw.piccadillyjim-第34节

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k。〃
　〃I　shouldn't　be　nervous；〃　said　Jimmy　encouragingly。　〃I　don't　see　how　things　could　be　going　better。〃
　〃That's　what　makes　me　nervous。　Our　luck　is　too　good　to　last。　We　are　taking　such　risks。　It　would　have　been　bad　enough　without　Skinner　and　Lord　Wisbeach。　At　any　moment　you　may　make　some　fatal　slip。　Thank　goodness；　aunt　Nesta's　suspicions　have　been　squashed　for　the　time　being　now　that　Skinner　and　Lord　Wisbeach　have　accepted　you　as　genuine。　But　then　you　have　only　seen　them　for　a　few　minutes。　When　they　have　been　with　you　a　little　longer；　they　may　get　suspicious　themselves。　I　can't　imagine　how　you　managed　to　keep　it　up　with　Lord　Wisbeach。　I　should　have　thought　he　would　be　certain　to　say　something　about　the　time　when　you　were　supposed　to　be　friends　in　London。　We　simply　mustn't　strain　our　luck。　I　want　you　to　go　straight　to　aunt　Nesta　now　and　ask　her　to　let　Jerry　e　back。〃
　〃You　still　refuse　to　let　me　take　Jerry's　place？〃
　〃Of　course　I　do。　You'll　find　aunt　Nesta　upstairs。〃
　〃Very　well。　But　suppose　I　can't　persuade　her　to　forgive　Jerry？〃
　〃I　think　she　is　certain　to　do　anything　you　ask。　You　saw　how　friendly　she　was　to　you　at　lunch。　I　don't　see　how　anything　can　have　happened　since　lunch　to　change　her。〃
　〃Very　well。　I'll　go　to　her　now。〃
　〃And　when　you　have　seen　her；　go　to　the　library　and　wait　for　me。　It's　the　second　room　along　the　passage　outside　here。　I　have　promised　to　drive　Lord　Wisbeach　down　to　his　hotel　in　my　car。　I　met　him　outside　just　now　and　he　tells　me　aunt　Nesta　has　invited　him　to　stay　here；　so　he　wants　to　go　and　get　his　things　ready。　I　shan't　be　twenty　minutes。　I　shall　e　straight　back。〃
　Jimmy　found　himself　vaguely　disquieted　by　this　piece　of　information。
　〃Lord　Wisbeach　is　ing　to　stay　here？〃
　〃Yes。　Why？〃
　〃Oh；　nothing。　Well；　I'll　go　and　see　Mrs。　Pett。〃
　No　traces　of　the　disturbance　which　had　temporarily　ruffled　the　peace　of　the　drawing…room　were　to　be　observed　when　Jimmy　reached　it。　The　receiver　of　the　telephone　was　back　on　its　hook；　Mrs。　Pett　back　in　her　chair；　the　dog　Aida　back　in　her　basket。　Mrs。　Pett；　her　mind　at　ease　now　that　she　had　taken　the　step　of　summoning　Mr。　Sturgis；　was　reading　a　book；　one　of　her　own；　and　was　absorbed　in　it。　The　dog　Aida　slumbered　noisily。
　The　sight　of　Jimmy；　however；　roused　Mrs。　Pett　from　her　literary　calm。　To　her　eye；　after　what　Lord　Wisbeach　had　revealed　there　was　something　sinister　in　the　very　way　in　which　he　walked　into　the　room。　He　made　her　flesh　creep。　In　〃A　Society　Thug〃　（Mobbs　and　Stifien；　1。35　net；　all　rights　of　translation　reserved；　including　the　Scandinavian）　she　had　portrayed　just　such　a　mansmooth；　specious；　and　formidable。　Instinctively；　as　she　watched　Jimmy；　her　mind　went　back　to　the　perfectly　rotten　behaviour　of　her　own　Marsden　Tuke　（it　was　only　in　the　last　chapter；　but　one　that　they　managed　to　foil　his　outrageous　machinations）；　and　it　seemed　to　her　that　here　was　Tuke　in　the　flesh。　She　had　pictured　him；　she　remembered；　as　a　man　of　agreeable　exterior；　the　better　calculated　to　deceive　and　undo　the　virtuous；　and　the　fact　that　Jimmy　was　a　presentable…looking　young　man　only　made　him　appear　viler　in　her　eyes。　In　a　word；　she　could　hardly　have　been　in　less　suitable　frame　of　mind　to　receive　graciously　any　kind　of　a　request　from　him。　She　would　have　suspected　ulterior　motives　if　he　had　asked　her　the　time。
　Jimmy　did　not　know　this。　He　thought　that　she　eyed　him　a　trifle　frostily；　but　he　did　not　attribute　this　to　any　suspicion　of　him。　He　tried　to　ingratiate　himself　by　smiling　pleasantly。　He　could　not　have　made　a　worse　move。　Marsden　Tuke's　pleasant　smile　had　been　his　deadliest　weapon。　Under　its　influence　deluded　people　had　trusted　him　alone　with　their　jewellery　and　what　not。
　〃Aunt　Nesta；〃　said　Jimmy；　〃I　wonder　if　I　might　ask　you　a　personal　favour。〃
　Mrs。　Pett　shuddered　at　the　glibness　with　which　he　brought　out　the　familiar　name。　This　was　superTuke。　Marsden　himself；　scoundrel　as　he　was；　could　not　have　called　her　〃Aunt　Nesta〃　as　smoothly　as　that。
　〃Yes？〃　she　said　at　last。　She　found　it　difficult　to　speak。
　〃I　happened　to　meet　an　old　friend　of　mine　this　morning。　He　was　very　sorry　for　himself。　It　appears　thatfor　excellent　reasons；　of　courseyou　had　dismissed　him。　I　mean　Jerry　Mitchell。〃
　Mrs。　Pett　was　now　absolutely　appalled。　The　conspiracy　seemed　to　grow　more　plicated　every　moment。　Already　its　ramifications　embraced　this　man　before　her；　a　trusted　butler；　and　her　husband's　late　physical　instructor。　Who　could　say　where　it　would　end？　She　had　never　liked　Jerry　Mitchell；　but　she　had　never　suspected　him　of　being　a　conspirator。　Yet；　if　this　man　who　called　himself　Jimmy　Crocker　was　an　old　friend　of　his；　how　could　he　be　anything　else？
　〃Mitchell；〃　Jimmy　went　on；　unconscious　of　the　emotions　which　his　every　word　was　arousing　in　his　hearer's　bosom；　〃told　me　about　what　happened　yesterday。　He　is　very　depressed。　He　said　he　could　not　think　how　he　happened　to　behave　in　such　an　abominable　way。　He　entreated　me　to　put　in　a　word　for　him　with　you。　He　begged　me　to　tell　you　how　he　regretted　the　brutal　assault；　and　asked　me　to　mention　the　fact　that　his　record　had　hitherto　been　blameless。〃　Jimmy　paused。　He　was　getting　no　encouragement；　and　seemed　to　be　making　no　impression　whatever。　Mrs。　Pett　was　sitting　bolt　upright　in　her　chair　in　a　stiffly　defensive　sort　of　way。　She　had　the　appearance　of　being　absolutely　untouched　by　his　eloquence。　〃In　fact；〃　he　concluded　lamely；　〃he　is　very　sorry。〃
　There　was　silence　for　a　moment。
　〃How　do　you　e　to　know　Mitchell？〃　asked　Mrs。　Pett。
　〃We　knew　each　other　when　I　was　over　here　working　on　the　Chronicle。　I　saw　him　fight　once　or　twice。　He　is　an　excellent　fellow；　and　used　to　have　a　right　swing　that　was　a　pippinI　should　say　extremely　excellent。　Brought　it　up　from　the　floor；　you　know。〃
　〃I　strongly　object　to　prize…fighters；〃　said　Mrs。　Pett；　〃and　I　was　opposed　to　Mitchell　ing　into　the　house　from　the　first。〃
　〃You　wouldn't　let　him　e　back；　I　suppose？〃　queried　Jimmy　tentatively。
　〃I　would　not。　I　would　not　dream　of　such　a　thing。〃
　〃He's　full　of　remorse；　you　know。〃
　〃If　he　has　a　spark　of　humanity；　I　have　no　doubt　of　it。〃
　Jimmy　paused。　This　thing　was　not　ing　out　as　well　as　it　might　have　done。　He　feared　that　for　once　in　her　life　Ann　was　about　to　be　denied　something　on　which　she　had　set　her　heart。　The　reflection　that　this　would　be　extremely　good　for　her　peted　for　precedence　in　his　mind　with　the　reflection　that　she　would　probably　blame　him　for　the　failure；　which　would　be　unpleasant。
　〃He　is　very　fond　of　Ogden　really。〃
　〃H'm；〃　said　Mrs。　Pett。
　〃I　think　the　heat　must　have　made　him　irritable。　In　his　normal　state　he　would　not　strike　a　lamb。　I've　known　him　to　do　it。〃
　〃Do　what？〃
　〃Not　strike　lambs。〃
　〃Isch；〃　said　Mrs。　Pettthe　first　time　Jimmy　had　ever　heard　that　remarkable　monosyllable　proceed　from　human　lips。　He　took　itrightlyto　be　intended　to　convey　disapproval；　scepticism；　and　annoyance。　He　was　convinced　that　this　mission　was　going　to　be　one　of　his　failures。
　〃Then　I　may　tell　him；〃　he　said；　〃that　it's　all　right？〃
　〃That　what　is　all　right？〃
　〃That　he　may　e　back　here？〃
　〃Certainly　not。〃
　Mrs。　Pett　was　not　a　timid　woman；　but　she　could　not　restrain　a　shudder　as　she　watched　the　plot　unfold　before　her　eyes。　Her　gratitude　towards　Lord　Wisbeach　at　this　point　in　the　proceedings　almost　became　hero…worship。　If　it　had　not　been　for　him　and　his　revelations　concerning　this　man　before　her；　she　would　certainly　have　yielded　to　the　request　that　Jerry　Mitchell　be　allowed　to　return　to　the　house。　Much　as　she　disliked　Jerry；　she　had　been　feeling　so　triumphant　at　the　thought　of　Jimmy　Crocker　ing　to　her　in　spite　of　his　step…mother's　wishes　and　so　pleased　at　having　unexpectedly　got　her　own　way　that　she　could　have　denied　him　nothing　that　he　might　have　cared　to　ask。　But　now　it　was　as　if；　herself　unseen；　she　were　looking　on　at　a　gang　of　conspirators　hatching　some　plot。　She　was　in　the　strong　strategic　position　of　the　person　who　is　apparently　deceived；　but　who　in　reality　knows　all。
　For　a　moment　she　considered　the　question　of　admitting　Jerry　to　the　house。　Evidently　his　presence　was　necessary　to　the　consummation　of　the　plot；　whatever　it　might　be；　and　it　occurred　to　her　that　it　might　be　as　well；　on　the　principle　of　giving　the　schemers　enough　rope　to　hang　themselves　with；　to　let　him　e　back　and　play　his　part。　Then　she　reflected　that；　with　the　self…styled　Jimmy　Crocker　as　well　as　the　fraudulent　Skinner　in　the　house；　Lord　Wisbeach　and　the　detective　would　have　their　hands　quite　full　enough。　It　would　be　foolish　to　plicate　matters。　She　glanced　at　the　clock　on　the　mantelpiece。　Mr。　Sturgis　would　be　arriving　soon；　if　he　had　really　started　at　once　from　his　office；　as　he　had　promised。　She　drew　fort　from　the　imminence　of　his　ing。　It　would　be　pleasant　to　put　herself　in　the　hands　of　an　expert。
　Jimmy　had　paused；　mid…way　to　the　door；　and　was　standing　there　as　if　reluctant　to　accept　her　answer　to　his　plea。
　〃It　would　never　occur　again。　What　happened　yesterday；　I　mean。　You　need　not　be　afraid　of　that。〃
　〃I　am　not　afraid　of　that；〃　responded　Mrs。　Pett　tartly。
　〃If　you　had　seen　him　when　I　did〃
　〃When　did　you？　You　landed　from　the　boat　this　morning；　you　went　to　Mr。　Pett's　office；　and　then　came　straight　up　here　with　him。　I　am　interested　to　know　when　you　did　see　Mitchell？〃
　She　reg