the woman in the alcove-第35节

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er　damnable　awkwardness　has　put　my　head　in　a　noose。　But　do　not　think　to　hold　it　there。　I　did　not　risk　this　interview　without　precautions；　I　assure　you；　and　when　I　leave　this　hotel　it　will　be　as　a　free　man。〃

With　one　of　his　rapid　changes；　wonderful　and　inexplicable　to　me　at　the　moment；　he　turned　toward　me　with　a　bow；　saying　courteously　enough：

〃We　will　excuse　the　young　lady。〃

Next　moment　the　barrel　of　a　pistol　gleamed　in　his　hand。

The　moment　was　critical。　Mr。　Grey　stood　directly　in　the　line　of　fire；　and　the　audacious　man　who　thus　held　him　at　his　mercy　was　scarcely　a　foot　from　the　door　leading　into　the　hall。　Marking　the　desperation　of　his　look　and　the　steadiness　of　his　finger　on　the　trigger；　I　expected　to　see　Mr。　Grey　recoil　and　the　man　escape。　But　Mr。　Grey　held　his　own；　though　he　made　no　move；　and　did　not　venture　to　speak。　Nerved　by　his　courage；　I　summoned　up　all　my　own。　This　man　must　not　escape；　nor　must　Mr。　Grey　suffer。　The　pistol　directed　against　him　must　be　diverted　to　myself。　Such　amends　were　due　one　whose　good　name　I　had　so　deeply　if　secretly　insulted。　I　had　but　to　scream；　to　call　out　for　the　inspector；　but　a　remembrance　of　the　necessity　we　were　now　under　of　preserving　our　secret；　of　keeping　from　Mr。　Grey　the　fact　that　he　had　been　under　surveillance；　was　even　at　that　moment　surrounded　by　the　police；　deterred　me；　and　I　threw　myself　toward　the　bell　instead；　crying　out　that　I　would　raise　the　house　if　he　moved；　and　laid　my　finger　on　the　button。

The　pistol　swerved　my　way。　The　face　above　it　smiled。　I　watched　that　smile。　Before　it　broadened　to　its　full　extent；　I　pressed　the　button。

Fairbrother　stared；　dropped　his　pistol；　and　burst　forth　with　these　two　words：

〃Brave　girl！〃

The　tone　I　can　never　convey。

Then　he　made　for　the　door。

As　he　laid　his　hand　on　the　knob；　he　called　back：

〃I　have　been　in　worse　straits　than　this！〃

But　he　never　had；　when　he　opened　the　door；　he　found　himself　face　to　face　with　the　inspector。



XXIII

THE　GREAT　MOGUL

Later；　it　was　all　explained。　Mr。　Grey；　looking　like　another　man；　came　into　the　room　where　I　was　endeavoring　to　soothe　his　startled　daughter　and　devour　in　secret　my　own　joy。　Taking　the　sweet　girl　in　his　arms；　he　said；　with　a　calm　ignoring　of　my　presence；　at　which　I　secretly　smiled：

〃This　is　the　happiest　moment　of　my　existence；　Helen。　I　feel　as　if　I　had　recovered　you　from　the　brink　of　the　grave。〃

〃Me？　Why；　I　have　never　been　so　ill　as　that。〃

〃I　know；　but　I　have　felt　as　if　you　were　doomed　ever　since　I　heard；　or　thought　I　heard；　in　this　city；　and　under　no　ordinary　circumstances；　the　peculiar　cry　which　haunts　our　house　on　the　eve　of　any　great　misfortune。　I　shall　not　apologize　for　my　fears；　you　know　that　I　have　good　cause　for　them；　but　to…day；　only　to…day；　I　have　heard　from　the　lips　of　the　most　arrant　knave　I　have　ever　known；　that　this　cry　sprang　from　himself　with　intent　to　deceive　me。　He　knew　my　weakness；　knew　the　cry；　he　was　in　Darlington　Manor　when　Cecilia　died；　and；　wishing　to　startle　me　into　dropping　something　which　I　held；　made　use　of　his　ventriloquial　powers　（he　had　been　a　mountebank　once；　poor　wretch！）　and　with　such　effect；　that　I　have　not　been　a　happy　man　since；　in　spite　of　your　daily　improvement　and　continued　promise　of　recovery。　But　I　am　happy　now；　relieved　and　joyful；　and　this　miserable　being；would　you　like　to　hear　his　story？　Are　you　strong　enough　for　anything　so　tragic？　He　is　a　thief　and　a　murderer；　but　he　has　feelings；　and　his　life　has　been　a　curious　one；　and　strangely　interwoven　with　ours。　Do　you　care　to　hear　about　it？　He　is　the　man　who　stole　our　diamond。〃

My　patient　uttered　a　little　cry。

〃Oh；　tell　me；〃　she　entreated；　excited；　but　not　unhealthfully；　while　I　was　in　an　anguish　of　curiosity　I　could　with　difficulty　conceal。

Mr。　Grey　turned　with　courtesy　toward　me　and　asked　if　a　few　family　details　would　bore　me。　I　smiled　and　assured　him　to　the　contrary。　At　which　he　settled　himself　in　the　chair　he　liked　best　and　began　a　tale　which　I　will　permit　myself　to　present　to　you　complete　and　from　other　points　of　view　than　his　own。

Some　five　years　before；　one　of　the　great　diamonds　of　the　world　was　offered　for　sale　in　an　Eastern　market。　Mr。　Grey；　who　stopped　at　no　expense　in　the　gratification　of　his　taste　in　this　direction；　immediately　sent　his　agent　to　Egypt　to　examine　this　stone。　If　the　agent　discovered　it　to　be　all　that　was　claimed　for　it；　and　within　the　reach　of　a　wealthy　commoner's　purse；　he　was　to　buy　it。　Upon　inspection；　it　was　found　to　be　all　that　was　claimed；　with　one　exception。　In　the　center　of　one　of　the　facets　was　a　flaw；　but；　as　this　was　considered　to　mark　the　diamond；　and　rather　add　to　than　detract　from　its　value　as　a　traditional　stone　with　many　historical　associations；　it　was　finally　purchased　by　Mr。　Grey　and　placed　among　his　treasures　in　his　manor…house　in　Kent。　Never　a　suspicious　man；　he　took　delight　in　exhibiting　this　acquisition　to　such　of　his　friends　and　acquaintances　as　were　likely　to　feel　any　interest　in　it；　and　it　was　not　an　uncommon　thing　for　him　to　allow　it　to　pass　from　hand　to　hand　while　he　pottered　over　his　other　treasures　and　displayed　this　and　that　to　such　as　had　no　eyes　for　the　diamond。

It　was　after　one　such　occasion　that　he　found；　on　taking　the　stone　in　his　hand　to　replace　it　in　the　safe　he　had　had　built　for　it　in　one　of　his　cabinets；　that　it　did　not　strike　his　eye　with　its　usual　force　and　brilliancy；　and；　on　examining　it　closely；　he　discovered　the　absence　of　the　telltale　flaw。　Struck　with　dismay；　he　submitted　it　to　a　still　more　rigid　inspection；　when　he　found　that　what　he　held　was　not　even　a　diamond；　but　a　worthless　bit　of　glass；　which　had　been　substituted　by　some　cunning　knave　for　his　invaluable　gem。

For　the　moment　his　humiliation　almost　equaled　his　sense　of　loss；　he　had　been　so　often　warned　of　the　danger　he　ran　in　letting　so　priceless　an　object　pass　around　under　all　eyes　but　his　own。　His　wife　and　friends　had　prophesied　some　such　loss　as　this；　not　once；　but　many　times；　and　he　had　always　laughed　at　their　fears；　saying　that　he　knew　his　friends；　and　there　was　not　a　scamp　amongst　them。　But　now　he　saw　it　proved　that　even　the　intuition　of　a　man　well…versed　in　human　nature　is　not　always　infallible；　and；　ashamed　of　his　past　laxness　and　more　ashamed　yet　of　the　doubts　which　this　experience　called　up　in　regard　to　all　his　friends；　he　shut　up　the　false　stone　with　his　usual　care　and　buried　his　loss　in　his　own　bosom；　till　he　could　sift　his　impressions　and　recall　with　some　degree　of　probability　the　circumstances　under　which　this　exchange　could　have　been　made。

It　had　not　been　made　that　evening。　Of　this　he　was　positive。　The　only　persons　present　on　this　occasion　were　friends　of　such　standing　and　repute　that　suspicion　in　their　regard　was　simply　monstrous。　when　and　to　whom；　then；　had　he　shown　the　diamond　last？　Alas；　it　had　been　a　long　month　since　be　had　shown　the　jewel。　Cecilia；　his　youngest　daughter；　had　died　in　the　interim；　therefore　his　mind　had　not　been　on　jewels。　A　month！　time　for　his　precious　diamond　to　have　been　carried　back　to　the　East！　Time　for　it　to　have　been　recut！　Surely　it　was　lost　to　him　for　ever；　unless　he　could　immediately　locate　the　person　who　had　robbed　him　of　it。

But　this　promised　difficulties。　He　could　not　remember　just　what　persons　he　had　entertained　on　that　especial　day　in　his　little　hall　of　cabinets；　and；　when　he　did　succeed　in　getting　a　list　of　them　from　his　butler；　he　was　by　no　means　sure　that　it　included　the　full　number　of　his　guests。　His　own　memory　was　execrable；　and；　in　short；　he　had　but　few　facts　to　offer　to　the　discreet　agent　sent　up　from　Scotland　Yard　one　morning　to　hear　his　complaint　and　act　secretly　in　his　interests。　He　could　give　him　carte　blanche　to　carry　on　his　inquiries　in　the　diamond　market；　but　little　else。　And　while　this　seemed　to　satisfy　the　agent；　it　did　not　lead　to　any　gratifying　result　to　himself；　and　he　had　thoroughly　made　up　his　mind　to　swallow　his　loss　and　say　nothing　about　it；　when　one　day　a　young　cousin　of　his；　living　in　great　style　in　an　adjoining　county；　informed　him　that　in　some　mysterious　way　he　had　lost　from　his　collection　of　arms　a　unique　and　highly…prized　stiletto　of　Italian　workmanship。

Startled　by　this　coincidence；　Mr。　Grey　ventured　upon　a　question　or　two；　which　led　to　his　cousin's　confiding　to　him　the　fact　that　this　article　had　disappeared　after　a　large　supper　given　by　him　to　a　number　of　friends　and　gentlemen　from　London。　This　piece　of　knowledge；　still　further　coinciding　with　his　own　experience；　caused　Mr。　Grey　to　ask　for　a　list　of　his　guests；　in　the　hope　of　finding　among　them　one　who　had　been　in　his　own　house。

His　cousin；　quite　unsuspicious　of　the　motives　underlying　this　request；　hastened　to　write　out　this　list；　and　together　they　pored　over　the　names；　crossing　out　such　as　were　absolutely　above　suspicion。　When　they　had　reached　the　end　of　the　list；　but　two　names　remained　uncrossed。　One　was　that　of　a　rattle…pated　youth　who　had　come　in　the　wake　of　a　highly　reputed　connection　of　theirs；　and　the　other　that　of　an　American　tourist　who　gave　all　the　evidences　of　great　wealth　and　had　presented　letters　to　leading　men　in　London　which　had　insured　him　attentions　not　usually　accorded　to　foreigners。　This　man's　name　was　Fairbrother；　and；　the　moment　Mr。　Grey　heard　it；　he　recalled　the　fac