a thief in the night-第16节

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〃You　don't　mean　to　say　that's　Thornaby　House？〃

I　was　not　familiar　with　the　view　from　my　back　windows。

〃Of　course　I　do；　you　rabbit！　　Have　a　look　through　your　own　race…glass。　　It　has　been　the　most　useful　thing　of　all。〃

But　before　I　had　the　glass　in　focus　more　scales　had　fallen　from　my　eyes；　and　now　I　knew　why　I　had　seen　so　much　of　Raffles　these　last　few　weeks；　and　why　he　had　always　come　between　seven　and　eight　o'clock　in　the　evening；　and　waited　at　this　very　window；　with　these　very　glasses　at　his　eyes。　　I　saw　through　them　sharply　now。　　The　one　lighted　window　pointed　out　by　Raffles　came　tumbling　into　the　dark　circle　of　my　vision。　　I　could　not　see　into　the　actual　room；　but　the　shadows　of　those　within　were　quite　distinct　on　the　lowered　blind。　　I　even　thought　a　black　thread　still　dangled　against　the　square　of　light。　　It　was；　it　must　be；　the　window　to　which　the　intrepid　Parrington　had　descended　from　the　one　above。

〃Exactly！〃　said　Raffles　in　answer　to　my　exclamation。　　〃And　that's　the　window　I　have　been　watching　these　last　few　weeks。　　By　daylight　you　can　see　the　whole　lot　above　the　ground　floor　on　this　side　of　the　house；　and　by　good　luck　one　of　them　is　the　room　in　which　the　master　of　the　house　arrays　himself　in　all。　his　nightly　glory。　　It　was　easily　spotted　by　watching　at　the　right　time。　　I　saw　him　shaved　one　morning　before　you　were　up！　　In　the　evening　his　valet　stays　behind　to　put　things　straight；　and　that　has　been　the　very　mischief。　In　the　end　I　had　to　find　out　something　about　the　man；　and　wire　to　him　from　his　girl　to　meet　her　outside　at　eight　o'clock。　　Of　course　he　pretends　he　was　at　his　post　at　the　time：　that　I　foresaw；　and　did　the　poor　fellow's　work　before　my　own。　　I　folded　and　put　away　every　garment　before　I　permitted　myself　to　rag　the　room。〃

〃I　wonder　you　had　time！〃

〃It　took　me　one　more　minute；　and　it　put　the　clock　on　exactly　fifteen。　　By　the　way；　I　did　that　literally；　of　course；　in　the　case　of　the　clock　they　found。　　It's　an　old　dodge；　to　stop　a　clock　and　alter　the　time；　but　you　must　admit　that　it　looked　as　though　one　had　wrapped　it　up　all。　ready　to　cart　away。　　There　was　thus　any　amount　of　prima…fade　evidence　of　the　robbery　having　taken　place　when　we　were　all。　at　table。　　As　a　matter　of　fact；　Lord　Thornaby　left　his　dressing…room　one　minute；　his　valet　followed　him　the　minute　after；　and　I　entered　the　minute　after　that。〃

〃Through　the　window？〃

〃To　be　sure。　　I　was　waiting　below　in　the　garden。　　You　have　to　pay　for　your　garden　in　town；　in　more　ways　than　one。　　You　know　the　wall；　of　course；　and　that　jolly　old　postern？　　The　lock　was　beneath　contempt。〃

〃But　what　about　the　window？　　It's　on　the　first　floor；　isn't　it？〃

Raffles　took　up　the　cane　which　he　had　laid　down　with　his　overcoat。　It　was　a　stout　bamboo　with　a　polished　ferule。　　He　unscrewed　the　ferule；　and　shook　out　of　the　cane　a　diminishing　series　of　smaller　canes；　exactly　like　a　child's　fishing…rod；　which　I　afterward　found　to　have　been　their　former　state。　　A　double　hook　of　steel　was　now　produced　and　quickly　attached　to　the　tip　of　the　top　joint；　then　Raffles　undid　three　buttons　of　his　waistcoat；　and　lapped　round　and　round　his　waist　was　the　finest　of　Manila　ropes；　with　the　neatest　of　foot…loops　at　regular　intervals。

〃Is　it　necessary　to　go　any　further？〃　asked　Raffles　when　he　had　unwound　the　rope。　　〃This　end　is　made　fast　to　that　end　of　the　hook；　the　other　half　of　the　hook　fits　over　anything　that　comes　its　way；　and　you　leave　your　rod　dangling　while　you　swarm　up　your　line。　　Of　course；　you　must　know　what　you've　got　to　hook　on　to；　but　a　man　who　has　had　a　porcelain　bath　fixed　in　his　dressing…room　is　the　man　for　me。　　The　pipes　were　all。　outside；　and　fixed　to　the　wall　in　just　the　right　place。　　You　see　I　had　made　a　reconnaissance　by　day　in　addition　to　many　by　night；　it　would　hardly　have　been　worth　while　constructing　my　ladder　on　chance。〃

〃So　you　made　it　on　purpose！〃

〃My　dear　Bunny；〃　said　Raffles；　as　he　wound　the　hemp　girdle　round　his　waist　once　more；　〃I　never　did　care　for　ladder　work；　but　I　always　said　that　if　I　ever　used　a　ladder　it　should　be　the　best　of　its　kind　yet　invented。　　This　one　may　come　in　useful　again。〃

〃But　how　long　did　the　whole　thing　take　you？〃

〃From　mother　earth；　to　mother　earth？　　About　five　minutes；　to…night；　and　one　of　those　was　spent　in　doing　another　man's　work。〃

〃What！〃　I　cried。　　〃You　mean　to　tell　me　you　climbed　up　and　down；　in　and　out；　and　broke　into　that　cupboard　and　that　big　tin　box；　and　wedged　up　the　doors　and　cleared　out　with　a　peer's　robes　and　all。　the　rest　of　it　in　five　minutes？〃

〃Of　course　I　don't；　and　of　course　I　didn't。〃

〃Then　what　do　you　mean；　and　what　did　you　do？〃

〃Made　two　bites　at　the　cherry；　Bunny！　　I　had　a　dress　rehearsal　in　the　dead　of　last　night；　and　it　was　then　I　took　the　swag。　　Our　noble　friend　was　snoring　next　door　all。　the　time；　but　the　effort　may　still　stand　high　among　my　small　exploits；　for　I　not　only　took　all。　I　wanted；　but　left　the　whole　place　exactly　as　I　found　it；　and　shut　things　after　me　like　a　good　little　boy。　　All。　that　took　a　good　deal　longer；　to…night　I　had　simply　to　rag　the　room　a　bit；　sweep　up　some　studs　and　links；　and　leave　ample　evidence　of　having　boned　those　rotten　robes　to…night。　　That；　if　you　come　to　think　of　it；　was　what　you　writing　chaps　would　call　the　quintessential　Q。E。F。　　I　have　not　only　shown　these　dear　Criminologists　that　I　couldn't　possibly　have　done　this　trick；　but　that　there's　some　other　fellow　who　could　and　did；　and　whom　they've　been　perfect　asses　to　confuse　with　me。〃

You　may　figure　me　as　gazing　on　Raffles　all。　this　time　in　mute　and　rapt　amazement。　　But　I　had　long　been　past　that　pitch。　　If　he　had　told　me　now　that　he　had　broken　into　the　Bank　of　England；　or　the　Tower；　I　should　not　have　disbelieved　him　for　a　moment。　　I　was　prepared　to　go　home　with　him　to　the　Albany　and　find　the　regalia　under　his　bed。　　And　I　took　down　my　overcoat　as　he　put　on　his。　　But　Raffles　would　not　hear　of　my　accompanying　him　that　night。

〃No；　my　dear　Bunny；　I　am　short　of　sleep　and　fed　up　with　excitement。　You　mayn't　believe　it　…　you　may　look　upon　me　as　a　plaster　devil　…　　but　those　five　minutes　you　wot　of　were　rather　too　crowded　even　for　my　taste。　　The　dinner　was　nominally　at　a　quarter　to　eight；　and　I　don't　mind　telling　you　now　that　I　counted　on　twice　as　long　as　I　had。　But　no　one　came　until　twelve　minutes　to；　and　so　our　host　took　his　time。　　I　didn't　want　to　be　the　last　to　arrive；　and　I　was　in　the　drawing…room　five　minutes　before　the　hour。　　But　it　was　a　quicker　thing　than　I　care　about；　when　all。　is　said。〃

And　his　last　word　on　the　matter；　as　he　nodded　and　went　his　way；　may　well　be　mine；　for　one　need　be　no　criminologist；　much　less　a　member　of　the　Criminologists'　Club；　to　remember　what　Raffles　did　with　the　robes　and　coronet　of　the　Right　Hon。　the　Earl　of　Thornaby；　K。G。　　He　did　with　them　exactly　what　he　might　have　been　expected　to　do　by　the　gentlemen　with　whom　he　had　foregathered；　and　he　did　it　in　a　manner　so　characteristic　of　himself　as　surely　to　remove　from　their　minds　the　last　aura　of　the　idea　that　he　and　himself　were　the　same　person。　Carter　Paterson　was　out　of　the　question；　and　any　labelling　or　addressing　to　be　avoided　on　obvious　grounds。　　But　Raffles　stabled　the　white　elephants　in　the　cloak…room　at　Charing　Cross　…　　and　sent　Lord　Thornaby　the　ticket。




The　Field　of　Phillipi


Nipper　Nasmyth　had　been　head　of　our　school　when　Raffles　was　captain　of　cricket。　I　believe　he　owed　his　nickname　entirely　to　the　popular　prejudice　against　a　day…boy；　and　in　view　of　the　special　reproach　which　the　term　carried　in　my　time；　as　also　of　the　fact　that　his　father　was　one　of　the　school　trustees；　partner　in　a　banking　firm　of　four　resounding　surnames；　and　manager　of　the　local　branch；　there　can　be　little　doubt　that　the　stigma　was　undeserved。　　But　we　did　not　think　so　then；　for　Nasmyth　was　unpopular　with　high　and　low；　and　appeared　to　glory　in　the　fact。　　A　swollen　conscience　caused　him　to　see　and　hear　even　more　than　was　warranted　by　his　position；　and　his　uncompromising　nature　compelled　him　to　act　on　whatsoever　he　heard　or　saw：　a　savage　custodian　of　public　morals；　he　had　in　addition　a　perverse　enthusiasm　for　lost　causes；　loved　a　minority　for　its　own　sake；　and　untenable　tenets　for　theirs。　　Such；　at　all。　events；　was　my　impression　of　Nipper　Nasmyth；　after　my　first　term；　which　was　also　his　last　I　had　never　spoken　to　him；　but　I　had　heard　him　speak　with　extraordinary　force　and　fervor　in　the　school　debates。　　I　carried　a　clear　picture　of　his　unkempt　hair；　his　unbrushed　coat；　his　dominant　spectacles；　his　dogmatic　jaw。　　And　it　was　I　who　knew　the　combination　at　a　glance；　after　years　and　years；　when　the　fateful　whim　seized　Raffles　to　play　once　more　in　the　Old　Boys'　Match；　and　his　will　took　me　down　with　him　to　participate　in　the　milder　festivities　of　Founder's　Day。

It　was；　however；　no　ordinary　occasion。　　The　bicentenary　loomed　but　a　year　ahead；　and　a　movement　was　on　foot　to　mark　the　epoch　with　an　adequate　statue　of　our　pious　founder。　　A　special　meeting　was　to　be　held　at　the　school…house；　and　Raffles　had　been　specially　invited　by　the　new　head　master；　a　man　of　his　own　standing；　who　had　been　in　the　eleven　with　him　up　at　Cambridge。　　Raffles　had　not　been　near　the　old　place　for　years；　but　I　had　never　gone　down　since　the　day　I　left；　and　I　will　not　dw