the woman in the alcove-第39节

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Why　he　drew　it　forth　instead　of　leaving　it　in　her　breast　he　could　not　say。　Possibly　because　it　gave　him　his　moment　of　gloating　revenge。　When　in　another　instant；　her　hands　flew　up；　and　the　tray　tipped；　and　the　china　fell；　the　revulsion　came；　and　his　eyes　opened　to　two　facts：　the　instrument　of　death　was　still　in　his　grasp；　and　the　diamond；　on　whose　possession　he　counted；　was　gone　from　his　wife's　breast。

It　was　a　horrible　moment。　Voices　could　be　heard　approaching　the　alcove；laughing　voices　that　in　an　instant　would　take　on　the　note　of　horror。　And　the　music；ah！　how　low　it　had　sunk；　as　if　to　give　place　to　the　dying　murmur　he　now　heard　issuing　from　her　lips。　But　he　was　a　man　of　iron。　Thrusting　the　stiletto　into　the　first　place　that　offered；　he　drew　the　curtains　over　the　staring　windows；　then　slid　out　with　his　tray；　calm；　speckless　and　attentive　as　ever；　dead　to　thought；　dead　to　feeling；　but　aware；　quite　aware　in　the　secret　depths　of　his　being　that　something　besides　his　wife　had　been　killed　that　night；　and　that　sleep　and　peace　of　mind　and　all　pleasure　in　the　past　were　gone　for　ever。

It　was　not　he　I　saw　enter　the　alcove　and　come　out　with　news　of　the　crime。　He　left　this　role　to　one　whose　antecedents　could　better　bear　investigation。　His　part　was　to　play；　with　just　the　proper　display　of　horror　and　curiosity；　the　ordinary　menial　brought　face　to　face　with　a　crime　in　high　life。　He　could　do　this。　He　could　even　sustain　his　share　in　the　gossip；　and　for　this　purpose　kept　near　the　other　waiters。　The　absence　of　the　diamond　was　all　that　troubled　him。　That　brought　him　at　times　to　the　point　of　vertigo。　Had　Mr。　Grey　recognized　and　claimed　it？　If　so；　he；　Abner　Fairbrother；　must　remain　James　Wellgood；　the　waiter；　indefinitely。　This　would　require　more　belief　in　his　star　than　ever　he　had　had　yet。　But　as　the　moments　passed；　and　no　contradiction　was　given　to　the　universally…received　impression　that　the　same　hand　which　had　struck　the　blow　had　taken　the　diamond；　even　this　cause　of　anxiety　left　his　breast　and　he　faced　people　with　more　and　more　courage　till　the　moment　when　he　suddenly　heard　that　the　diamond　had　been　found　in　the　possession　of　a　man　perfectly　strange　to　him；　and　saw　the　inspector　pass　it　over　into　the　hands　of　Mr。　Grey。

Instantly　he　realized　that　the　crisis　of　his　fate　was　on　him。　If　Mr。　Grey　were　given　time　to　identify　this　stone；　he；　Abner　Fairbrother；　was　lost　and　the　diamond　as　well。　Could　he　prevent　this？　There　was　but　one　way；　and　that　way　he　took。　Making　use　of　his　ventriloquial　powershe　had　spent　a　year　on　the　public　stage　in　those　early　days；　playing　just　such　tricks　as　thesehe　raised　the　one　cry　which　he　knew　would　startle　Mr。　Grey　more　than　any　other　in　the　world；　and　when　the　diamond　fell　from　his　hand；　as　he　knew　it　would；　he　rushed　forward　and；　in　the　act　of　picking　it　up；　made　that　exchange　which　not　only　baffled　the　suspicions　of　the　statesman；　but　restored　to　him　the　diamond；　for　whose　possession　he　was　now　ready　to　barter　half　his　remaining　days。

Meanwhile　Mr。　Grey　had　had　his　own　anxieties。　During　this　whole　long　evening；　he　had　been　sustained　by　the　conviction　that　the　diamond　of　which　he　had　caught　but　one　passing　glimpse　was　the　Great　Mogul　of　his　once　famous　collection。　So　sure　was　he　of　this；　that　at　one　moment　he　found　himself　tempted　to　enter　the　alcove；　demand　a　closer　sight　of　the　diamond　and　settle　the　question　then　and　there。　He　even　went　so　far　as　to　take　in　his　hands　the　two　cups　of　coffee　which　should　serve　as　his　excuse　for　this　intrusion；　but　his　naturally　chivalrous　instincts　again　intervened；　and　he　set　the　cups　down　againthis　I　did　not　see　and　turned　his　steps　toward　the　library　with　the　intention　of　writing　her　a　note　instead。　But　though　he　found　paper　and　pen　to　hand；　he　could　find　no　words　for　so　daring　a　request；　and　he　came　back　into　the　hall；　only　to　hear　that　the　woman　he　had　contemplated　addressing　had　just　been　murdered　and　her　great　jewel　stolen。

The　shock　was　too　much；　and　as　there　was　no　leaving　the　house　then；　he　retreated　again　to　the　library　where　he　devoured　his　anxieties　in　silence　till　hope　revived　again　at　sight　of　the　diamond　in　the　inspector's　hand；　only　to　vanish　under　the　machinations　of　one　he　did　not　even　recognize　when　he　took　the　false　jewel　from　his　hand。

The　American　had　outwitted　the　Englishman　and　the　triumph　of　evil　was　complete。

Or　so　it　seemed。　But　if　the　Englishman　is　slow；　he　is　sure。　Thrown　off　the　track　for　the　time　being；　Mr。　Grey　had　only　to　see　a　picture　of　the　stiletto　in　the　papers；　to　feel　again　that；　despite　all　appearances；　Fairbrother　was　really　not　only　at　the　bottom　of　the　thefts　from　which　his　cousin　and　himself　had　suffered；　but　of　this　frightful　murder　as　well。　He　made　no　open　movehe　was　a　stranger　in　a　strange　land　and　much　disturbed；　besides；　by　his　fears　for　his　daughterbut　he　started　a　secret　inquiry　through　his　old　valet；　whom　he　ran　across　in　the　street；　and　whose　peculiar　adaptability　for　this　kind　of　work　he　well　knew。

The　aim　of　these　inquiries　was　to　determine　if　the　person；　whom　two　physicians　and　three　assistants　were　endeavoring　to　nurse　back　to　health　on　the　top　of　a　wild　plateau　in　a　remote　district　of　New　Mexico；　was　the　man　he　had　once　entertained　at　his　own　board　in　England；　and　the　adventures　thus　incurred　would　make　a　story　in　itself。　But　the　result　seemed　to　justify　them。　Word　came　after　innumerable　delays；　very　trying　to　Mr。　Grey；　that　be　was　not　the　same；　though　he　bore　the　name　of　Fairbrother；　and　was　considered　by　every　one　around　there　to　be　Fairbrother。　Mr。　Grey；　ignorant　of　the　relations　between　the　millionaire　master　and　his　man　which　sometimes　led　to　the　latter's　personifying　the　former；　was　confident　of　his　own　mistake　and　bitterly　ashamed　of　his　own　suspicions。

But　a　second　message　set　him　right。　A　deception　was　being　practised　down　in　New　Mexico；　and　this　was　how　his　spy　had　found　it　out。　Certain　letters　which　went　into　the　sick　tent　were　sent　away　again；　and　always　to　one　address。　He　had　learned　the　address。　It　was　that　of　James　Wellgood；　C；　Maine。　If　Mr。　Grey　would　look　up　this　Wellgood　he　would　doubtless　learn　something　of　the　man　he　was　so　interested　in。

This　gave　Mr。　Grey　personally　something　to　do；　for　he　would　trust　no　second　party　with　a　message　involving　the　honor　of　a　possibly　innocent　man。　As　the　place　was　accessible　by　railroad　and　his　duty　clear；　he　took　the　journey　involved　and　succeeded　in　getting　a　glimpse　in　the　manner　we　know　of　the　man　James　Wellgood。　This　time　he　recognized　Fairbrother　and；　satisfied　from　the　circumstances　of　the　moment　that　he　would　be　making　no　mistake　in　accusing　him　of　having　taken　the　Great　Mogul；　he　intercepted　him　in　his　flight；　as　you　have　already　read；　and　demanded　the　immediate　return　of　his　great　diamond。

And　Fairbrother？　We　shall　have　to　go　back　a　little　to　bring　his　history　up　to　this　critical　instant。

When　he　realized　the　trend　of　public　opinion；　when　he　saw　a　perfectly　innocent　man　committed　to　the　Tombs　for　his　crime；　he　was　first　astonished　and　then　amused　at　what　he　continued　to　regard　as　the　triumph　of　his　star。　But　he　did　not　start　for　El　Moro；　wise　as　he　felt　it　would　be　to　do　so。　Something　of　the　fascination　usual　with　criminals　kept　him　near　the　scene　of　his　crime；that；　and　an　anxiety　to　see　how　Sears　would　conduct　himself　in　the　Southwest。　That　Sears　had　followed　him　to　New　York；　knew　his　crime；　and　was　the　strongest　witness　against　him；　was　as　far　from　his　thoughts　as　that　he　owed　him　the　warning　which　had　all　but　balked　him　of　his　revenge。　When　therefore　he　read　in　the　papers　that　〃Abner　Fairbrother〃　had　been　found　sick　in　his　camp　at　Santa　Fe；　he　felt　that　nothing　now　stood　in　the　way　of　his　entering　on　the　plans　he　had　framed　for　ultimate　escape。　On　his　departure　from　El　Moro　he　had　taken　the　precaution　of　giving　Sears　the　name　of　a　certain　small　town　on　the　coast　of　Maine　where　his　mail　was　to　be　sent　in　case　of　a　great　emergency。　He　had　chosen　this　town　for　two　reasons。　First；　because　he　knew　all　about　it；　having　had　a　young　man　from　there　in　his　employ；　secondly；　because　of　its　neighborhood　to　the　inlet　where　an　old　launch　of　his　had　been　docked　for　the　winter。　Always　astute；　always　precautionary；　he　had　given　orders　to　have　this　launch　floated　and　provisioned；　so　that　now　he　had　only　to　send　word　to　the　captain；　to　have　at　his　command　the　best　possible　means　of　escape。

Meanwhile；　he　must　make　good　his　position　in　C。　He　did　it　in　the　way　we　know。　Satisfied　that　the　only　danger　he　need　fear　was　the　discovery　of　the　fraud　practised　in　New　Mexico；　he　had　confidence　enough　in　Sears；　even　in　his　present　disabled　state；　to　take　his　time　and　make　himself　solid　with　the　people　of　Cwhile　waiting　for　the　ice　to　disappear　from　the　harbor。　This　accomplished　and　cruising　made　possible；　he　took　a　flying　trip　to　New　York　to　secure　such　papers　and　valuables　as　he　wished　to　carry　out　of　the　country　with　him。　They　were　in　safe　deposit；　but　that　safe　deposit　was　in　his　strong　room　in　the　center　of　his　house　in　Eighty…sixth　Street　（a　room　which　you　will　remember　in　connection　with　Sweetwater's　adventure）。　To　enter　his　own　door　with　his　own　latch…key；　in　the　security　and　darkness　of　a　stormy　night；　seemed　to　this　self…confident　man　a　matter　of　no　gre