the woman in the alcove-第36节

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　foreigners。　This　man's　name　was　Fairbrother；　and；　the　moment　Mr。　Grey　heard　it；　he　recalled　the　fact　that　an　American　with　a　peculiar　name；　but　with　a　reputation　for　wealth；　had　been　among　his　guests　on　the　suspected　evening。

Hiding　the　effect　produced　upon　him　by　this　discovery；　he　placed　his　finger　on　this　name　and　begged　his　cousin　to　look　up　its　owner's　antecedents　and　present　reputation　in　America；　but；　not　content　with　this；　he　sent　his　own　agent　over　to　New　York　whither；　as　he　soon　learned；　this　gentleman　had　returned。　The　result　was　an　apparent　vindication　of　the　suspected　American。　He　was　found　to　be　a　well…known　citizen　of　the　great　metropolis；　moving　in　the　highest　circles　and　with　a　reputation　for　wealth　won　by　an　extraordinary　business　instinct。

To　be　sure；　he　had　not　always　enjoyed　these　distinctions。　Like　many　another　self…made　man；　he　had　risen　from　a　menial　position　in　a　Western　mining　camp；　to　be　the　owner　of　a　mine　himself；　and　so　up　through　the　various　gradations　of　a　successful　life　to　a　position　among　the　foremost　business　men　of　New　York。　In　all　these　changes　he　had　maintained　a　name　for　honest；　if　not　generous；　dealing。　He　lived　in　great　style；　had　married　and　was　known　to　have　but　one　extravagant　fancy。　This　was　for　the　unique　and　curious　in　art；a　taste　which；　if　report　spoke　true；　cost　him　many　thousands　each　year。

This　last　was　the　only　clause　in　the　report　which　pointed　in　any　way　toward　this　man　being　the　possible　abstractor　of　the　Great　Mogul；　as　Mr。　Grey's　famous　diamond　was　called；　and　the　latter　was　too　just　a　man　and　too　much　of　a　fancier　in　this　line　himself　to　let　a　fact　of　this　kind　weigh　against　the　favorable　nature　of　the　rest。　So　he　recalled　his　agent；　double…locked　his　cabinets　and　continued　to　confine　his　display　of　valuables　to　articles　which　did　not　suggest　jewels。　Thus　three　years　passed；　when　one　day　he　heard　mention　made　of　a　wonderful　diamond　which　had　been　seen　in　New　York。　From　its　description　he　gathered　that　it　must　be　the　one　surreptitiously　abstracted　from　his　cabinet；　and　when；　after　some　careful　inquiries；　he　learned　that　the　name　of　its　possessor　was　Fairbrother；　he　awoke　to　his　old　suspicions　and　determined　to　probe　this　matter　to　the　bottom。　But　secretly。　He　still　had　too　much　consideration　to　attack　a　man　in　high　position　without　full　proof。

Knowing　of　no　one　he　could　trust　with　so　delicate　an　inquiry　as　this　had　now　become；　he　decided　to　undertake　it　himself；　and　for　this　purpose　embraced　the　first　opportunity　to　cross　the　water。　He　took　his　daughter　with　him　because　he　had　resolved　never　to　let　his　one　remaining　child　out　of　his　sight。　But　she　knew　nothing　of　his　plans　or　reason　for　travel。　No　one　did。　Indeed；　only　his　lawyer　and　the　police　were　aware　of　the　loss　of　his　diamond。

His　first　surprise　on　landing　was　to　learn　that　Mr。　Fairbrother；　of　whose　marriage　he　had　heard；　had　quarreled　with　his　wife　and　that；　in　the　separation　which　had　occurred；　the　diamond　had　fallen　to　her　share　and　was　consequently　in　her　possession　at　the　present　moment。

This　changed　matters；　and　Mr。　Grey's　only　thought　now　was　to　surprise　her　with　the　diamond　on　her　person　and　by　one　glance　assure　himself　that　it　was　indeed　the　Great　Mogul。　Since　Mrs。　Fairbrother　was　reported　to　be　a　beautiful　woman　and　a　great　society　belle；　he　saw　no　reason　why　he　should　not　meet　her　publicly；　and　that　very　soon。　He　therefore　accepted　invitations　and　attended　theaters　and　balls；　though　his　daughter　had　suffered　from　her　voyage　and　was　not　able　to　accompany　him。　But　alas！　he　soon　learned　that　Mrs。　Fairbrother　was　never　seen　with　her　diamond　and；　one　evening　after　an　introduction　at　the　opera；　that　she　never　talked　about　it。　So　there　he　was；　balked　on　the　very　threshold　of　his　enterprise；　and；　recognizing　the　fact；　was　preparing　to　take　his　now　seriously　ailing　daughter　south；　when　he　received　an　invitation　to　a　ball　of　such　a　select　character　that　he　decided　to　remain　for　it；　in　the　hope　that　Mrs。　Fairbrother　would　be　tempted　to　put　on　all　her　splendor　for　so　magnificent　a　function　and　thus　gratify　him　with　a　sight　of　his　own　diamond。　During　the　days　that　intervened　he　saw　her　several　times　and　very　soon　decided　that；　in　spite　of　her　reticence　in　regard　to　this　gem；　she　was　not　sufficiently　in　her　husband's　confidence　to　know　the　secret　of　its　real　ownership。　This　encouraged　him　to　attempt　piquing　her　into　wearing　the　diamond　on　this　occasion。　He　talked　of　precious　stones　and　finally　of　his　own；　declaring　that　he　had　a　connoisseur's　eye　for　a　fine　diamond；　but　had　seen　none　as　yet　in　America　to　compete　with　a　specimen　or　two　he　had　in　his　own　cabinets。　Her　eye　flashed　at　this　and；　though　she　said　nothing；　he　felt　sure　that　her　presence　at　Mr。　Ramsdell's　house　would　be　enlivened　by　her　great　jewel。

So　much　for　Mr。　Grey's　attitude　in　this　matter　up　to　the　night　of　the　ball。　It　is　interesting　enough；　but　that　of　Abner　Fairbrother　is　more　interesting　still　and　much　more　serious。

His　was　indeed　the　hand　which　had　abstracted　the　diamond　from　Mr。　Grey's　collection。　Under　ordinary　conditions　he　was　an　honest　man。　He　prized　his　good　name　and　would　not　willingly　risk　it；　but　he　had　little　real　conscience；　and　once　his　passions　were　aroused　nothing　short　of　the　object　desired　would　content　him。　At　once　forceful　and　subtle；　he　had　at　his　command　infinite　resources　which　his　wandering　and　eventful　life　had　heightened　almost　to　the　point　of　genius。　He　saw　this　stone；　and　at　once　felt　an　inordinate　desire　to　possess　it。　He　had　coveted　other　men's　treasures　before；　but　not　as　he　coveted　this。　What　had　been　longing　in　other　cases　was　mania　in　this。　There　was　a　woman　in　America　whom　he　loved。　She　was　beautiful　and　she　was　splendor…loving。　To　see　her　with　this　glory　on　her　breast　would　be　worth　almost　any　risk　which　his　imagination　could　picture　at　the　moment。　Before　the　diamond　had　left　his　hand　he　had　made　up　his　mind　to　have　it　for　his　own。　He　knew　that　it　could　not　be　bought；　so　he　set　about　obtaining　it　by　an　act　he　did　not　hesitate　to　acknowledge　to　himself　as　criminal。　But　he　did　not　act　without　precautions。　Having　a　keen　eye　and　a　proper　sense　or　size　and　color；　he　carried　away　from　his　first　view　of　it　a　true　image　of　the　stone；　and　when　he　was　next　admitted　to　Mr。　Grey's　cabinet　room　he　had　provided　the　means　for　deceiving　the　owner　whose　character　he　had　sounded。

He　might　have　failed　in　his　daring　attempt　if　he　had　not　been　favored　by　a　circumstance　no　one　could　have　foreseen。　A　daughter　of　the　house；　Cecilia　by　name；　lay　critically　ill　at　the　time；　and　Mr。　Grey's　attention　was　more　or　less　distracted。　Still　the　probabilities　are　that　he　would　have　noticed　something　amiss　with　the　stone　when　he　came　to　restore　it　to　its　place；　if；　just　as　he　took　it　in　his　hand；　there　had　not　risen　in　the　air　outside　a　weird　and　wailing　cry　which　at　once　seized　upon　the　imagination　of　the　dozen　gentlemen　present；　and　so　nearly　prostrated　their　host　that　he　thrust　the　box　he　held　unopened　into　the　safe　and　fell　upon　his　knees；　a　totally　unnerved　man；　crying：

〃The　banshee！　the　banshee！　My　daughter　will　die！〃

Another　hand　than　his　locked　the　safe　and　dropped　the　key　into　the　distracted　father's　pocket。

Thus　a　superhuman　daring　conjoined　with　a　special　intervention　of　fate　had　made　the　enterprise　a　successful　one；　and　Fairbrother；　believing　more　than　ever　in　his　star；　carried　this　invaluable　jewel　back　with　him　to　New　York。　The　stilettowell；　the　taking　of　that　was　a　folly；　for　which　he　had　never　ceased　to　blush。　He　had　not　stolen　it；　he　would　not　steal　so　inconsiderable　an　object。　He　had　merely　put　it　in　his　pocket　when　he　saw　it　forgotten；　passed　over；　given　to　him；　as　it　were。　That　the　risk；　contrary　to　that　involved　in　the　taking　of　the　diamond；　was　far　in　excess　of　the　gratification　obtained；　he　realized　almost　immediately；　but；　having　made　the　break；　and　acquired　the　curio；　he　spared　himself　all　further　thought　or　the　consequences；　and　presently　resumed　his　old　life　in　New　York；　none　the　worse；　to　all　appearances；　for　these　escapades　from　virtue　and　his　usual　course　of　fair　and　open　dealing。

But　he　was　soon　the　worse　from　jealousy　of　the　wife　which　his　new　possession　had　possibly　won　for　him。　She　had　answered　all　his　expectations　as　mistress　of　his　home　and　the　exponent　of　his　wealth；　and　for　a　year；　nay；　for　two；　he　had　been　perfectly　happy。　Indeed；　he　had　been　more　than　that；　he　had　been　triumphant；　especially　on　that　memorable　evening　when；　after　a　cautious　delay　of　months；　he　had　dared　to　pin　that　unapproachable　sparkler　to　her　breast　and　present　her　thus　bedecked　to　the　smart　sether　whom　his　talents；　and　especially　his　far…reaching　business　talents；　had　made　his　own。

Recalling　the　old　days　of　barter　and　sale　across　the　pine　counter　in　Colorado；　he　felt　that　his　star　rode　high；　and　for　a　time　was　satisfied　with　his　wife's　magnificence　and　the　prestige　she　gave　his　establishment。　But　pride　is　not　all；　even　to　a　man　of　his　daring　ambition。　Gradually　he　began　to　realize；　first；　that　she　was　indifferent　to　him；　next；　that　she　despised　him；　and；　lastly；　that　she　hated　him。　She　had　dozens　at　her　feet；　any　of　whom　was　more　agreeable　to　her　than　her　own　husband；　and；　though　he　could　not　put　his　finger　on