a thief in the night-第4节

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And　we　made　a　brave　show　of　assisting　in　the　futile　search；　until　the　arrival　of　more　police；　and　a　broad　hint　from　an　irritable　sergeant；　gave　us　an　excellent　excuse　for　going　off　arm…in…arm。　But　it　was　Raffles　who　had　thrust　his　arm　through　mine。　　I　shook　him　off　as　we　left　the　scene　of　shame　behind。

〃My　dear　Bunny！〃　he　exclaimed。　　〃Do　you　know　what　brought　me　back？〃

I　answered　savagely　that　I　neither　knew　nor　cared。

〃I　had　the　very　devil　of　a　squeak　for　it；〃　he　went　on。　　〃I　did　the　hurdles　over　two　or　three　garden…walls；　but　so　did　the　flyer　who　was　on　my　tracks；　and　he　drove　me　back　into　the　straight　and　down　to　High　Street　like　any　lamplighter。　　If　he　had　only　had　the　breath　to　sing　out　it　would　have　been　all　up　with　me　then；　as　it　was　I　pulled　off　my　coat　the　moment　I　was　round　the　corner；　and　took　a　ticket　for　it　at　the　Empress　Rooms。〃

〃I　suppose　you　had　one　for　the　dance　that　was　going　on；〃　I　growled。　Nor　would　it　have　been　a　coincidence　for　Raffles　to　have　had　a　ticket　for　that　or　any　other　entertainment　of　the　London　season。

〃I　never　asked　what　the　dance　was；〃　he　returned。　　〃I　merely　took　the　opportunity　of　revising　my　toilet；　and　getting　rid　of　that　rather　distinctive　overcoat；　which　I　shall　call　for　now。　　They're　not　too　particular　at　such　stages　of　such　proceedings；　but　I've　no　doubt　I　should　have　seen　someone　I　knew　if　I　had　none　right　in。　　I　might　even　have　had　a　turn；　if　only　I　had　been　less　uneasy　about　you；　Bunny。〃

〃It　was　like　you　to　come　back　to　help　me　out；〃　said　I。　　〃But　to　lie　to　me；　and　to　inveigle　me　with　your　lies　into　that　house　of　all　houses　…　that　was　not　like　you；　Raffles　…　and　I　never　shall　forgive　it　or　you！〃

Raffles　took　my　arm　again。　　We　were　near　the　High　Street　gates　of　Palace　Gardens；　and　I　was　too　miserable　to　resist　an　advance　which　I　meant　never　to　give　him　an　opportunity　to　repeat。

〃Come；　come；　Bunny；　there　wasn't　much　inveigling　about　it；〃　said　he。　〃I　did　my　level　best　to　leave　you　behind；　but　you　wouldn't　listen　to　me。〃

〃If　you　had　told　me　the　truth　I　should　have　listened　fast　enough；〃　I　retorted。　　〃But　what's　the　use　of　talking？　　You　can　boast　of　your　own　adventures　after　you　bolted。　　You　don't　care　what　happened　to　me。〃

〃I　cared　so　much　that　I　came　back　to　see。〃

〃You　might　have　spared　yourself　the　trouble！　　The　wrong　had　been　done。　　Raffles　…　Raffles　…　don't　you　know　who　she　was？〃

It　was　my　hand　that　gripped　his　arm　once　more。

〃I　guessed；〃　he　answered；　gravely　enough　even　for　me。

〃It　was　she　who　saved　me；　not　you；〃　I　said。　　〃And　that　is　the　bitterest　part　of　all！〃

Yet　I　told　him　that　part　with　a　strange　sad　pride　in　her　whom　I　had　lost　…　through　him　…　forever。　　As　I　ended　we　turned　into　High　Street；　in　the　prevailing　stillness；　the　faint　strains　of　the　band　reached　us　from　the　Empress　Rooms；　and　I　hailed　a　crawling　hansom　as　Raffles　turned　that　way。

〃Bunny；〃　said　he；　〃it's　no　use　saying　I'm　sorry。　　Sorrow　adds　insult　in　a　case　like　this　…　if　ever　there　was　or　will　be　such　another！　Only　believe　me；　Bunny；　when　I　swear　to　you　that　I　had　not　the　smallest　shadow　of　a　suspicion　that　she　was　in　the　house。〃

And　in　my　heart　of　hearts　I　did　believe　him；　but　I　could　not　bring　myself　to　say　the　words。

〃You　told　me　yourself　that　you　had　written　to　her　in　the　country；〃　he　pursued。

〃And　that　letter！〃　I　rejoined；　in　a　fresh　wave　of　bitterness：　〃that　letter　she　had　written　at　dead　of　night；　and　stolen　down　to　post；　it　was　the　one　I　have　been　waiting　for　all　these　days！　　I　should　have　got　it　to…morrow。　　Now　I　shall　never　get　it；　never　hear　from　her　again；　nor　have　another　chance　in　this　world　or　in　the　next。　I　don't　say　it　was　all　your　fault。　　You　no　more　knew　that　she　was　there　than　I　did。　　But　you　told　me　a　deliberate　lie　about　her　people；　and　that　I　never　shall　forgive。〃

I　spoke　as　vehemently　as　I　could　under　my　breath。　　The　hansom　was　waiting　at　the　curb。

〃I　can　say　no　more　than　I　have　said；〃　returned　Raffles　with　a　shrug。　〃Lie　or　no　lie；　I　didn't　tell　it　to　bring　you　with　me；　but　to　get　you　to　give　me　certain　information　without　feeling　a　beast　about　it。　But；　as　a　matter　of　fact；　it　was　no　lie　about　old　Hector　Carruthers　and　Lord　Lochmaben；　and　anybody　but　you　would　have　guessed　the　truth。〃

〃'What　is　the　truth？〃

〃I　as　good　as　told　you；　Bunny；　again　and　again。〃

〃Then　tell　me　now。〃

〃If　you　read　your　paper　there　would　be　no　need；　but　if　you　want　to　know；　old　Carruthers　headed　the　list　of　the　Birthday　Honors；　and　Lord　Lochmaben　is　the　title　of　his　choice。〃

And　this　miserable　quibble　was　not　a　lie！　　My　lip　curled；　I　turned　my　back　without　a　word；　and　drove　home　to　my　Mount　Street　flat　in　a　new　fury　of　savage　scorn。　　Not　a　lie；　indeed！　　It　was　the　one　that　is　half　a　truth；　the　meanest　lie　of　all；　and　the　very　last　to　which　I　could　have　dreamt　that　Raffles　would　stoop。　　So　far　there　had　been　a　degree　of　honor　between　us；　if　only　of　the　kind　understood　to　obtain　between　thief　and　thief。　　Now　all　that　was　at　an　end。　Raffles　had　cheated　me。　　Raffles　had　completed　the　ruin　of　my　life。　I　was　done　with　Raffles；　as　she　who　shall　not　be　named　was　done　with　me。

And　yet；　even　while　I　blamed　him　most　bitterly；　and　utterly　abominated　his　deceitful　deed；　I　could　not　but　admit　in　my　heart　that　the　result　was　put　of　all　proportion　to　the　intent：　he　had　never　dreamt　of　doing　me　this　injury；　or　indeed　any　injury　at　all。　Intrinsically　the　deceit　had　been　quite　venial；　the　reason　for　it　obviously　the　reason　that　Raffles　had　given　me。　　It　was　quite　true　that　he　had　spoken　of　this　Lochmaben　peerage　as　a　new　creation；　and　of　the　heir　to　it　in　a　fashion　only　applicable　to　Alick　Carruthers。　　He　had　given　me　hints；　which　I　had　been　too　dense　to　take；　and　he　had　certainly　made　more　than　one　attempt　to　deter　me　from　accompanying　him　on　this　fatal　emprise；　had　he　been　more　explicit；　I　might　have　made　it　my　business　to　deter　him。　　I　could　not　say　in　my　heart　that　Raffles　had　failed　to　satisfy　such　honor　as　I　might　reasonably　expect　to　subsist　between　us。　　Yet　it　seems　to　me　to　require　a　superhuman　sanity　always　and　unerringly　to　separate　cause　from　effect；　achievement　from　intent。　　And　I；　for　one；　was　never　quite　able　to　do　so　in　this　case。

I　could　not　be　accused　of　neglecting　my　newspaper　during　the　next　few　wretched　days。　　I　read　every　word　that　I　could　find　about　the　attempted　jewel…robbery　in　Palace　Gardens；　and　the　reports　afforded　me　my　sole　comfort。　　In　the　first　place；　it　was　only　an　attempted　robbery；　nothing　had　been　taken；　after　all。　　And　then　…　　and　then　…　the　one　member　of　the　household　who　had　come　nearest　to　a　personal　encounter　with　either　of　us　was　unable　to　furnish　any　description　of　the　man　…　had　even　expressed　a　doubt　as　to　the　likelihood　of　identification　in　the　event　of　an　arrest！

I　will　not　say　with　what　mingled　feelings　I　read　and　dwelt　on　that　announcement　It　kept　a　certain　faint　glow　alive　within　me　until　the　morning　brought　me　back　the　only　presents　I　had　ever　made　her。　　They　were　books；　jewellery　had　been　tabooed　by　the　authorities。　　And　the　books　came　back　without　a　word；　though　the　parcel　was　directed　in　her　hand。

I　had　made　up　my　mind　not　to　go　near　Raffles　again；　but　in　my　heart　I　already　regretted　my　resolve。　　I　had　forfeited　love；　I　had　sacrificed　honor；　and　now　I　must　deliberately　alienate　myself　from　the　one　being　whose　society　might　yet　be　some　recompense　for　all　that　I　had　lost。　　The　situation　was　aggravated　by　the　state　of　my　exchequer。　　I　expected　an　ultimatum　from　my　banker　by　every　post。　Yet　this　influence　was　nothing　to　the　other。　　It　was　Raffles　I　loved。　It　was　not　the　dark　life　we　led　together；　still　less　its　base　rewards；　it　was　the　man　himself；　his　gayety；　his　humor；　his　dazzling　audacity；　his　incomparable　courage　and　resource。　　And　a　very　horror　of　turning　to　him　again　in　mere　need　of　greed　set　the　seal　on　my　first　angry　resolution。　　But　the　anger　was　soon　gone　out　of　me；　and　when　at　length　Raffles　bridged　the　gap　by　coming　to　me；　I　rose　to　greet　him　almost　with　a　shout。

He　came　as　though　nothing　had　happened；　and；　indeed；　not　very　many　days　had　passed；　though　they　might　have　been　months　to　me。　　Yet　I　fancied　the　gaze　that　watched　me　through　our　smoke　a　trifle　less　sunny　than　it　had　been　before。　　And　it　was　a　relief　to　me　when　he　came　with　few　preliminaries　to　the　inevitable　point。

〃Did　you　ever　hear　from　her；　Bunny？〃　he　asked。

〃In　a　way；〃　I　answered。　　〃We　won't　talk　about　it；　if　you　don't　mind；　Raffles。〃

〃That　sort　of　way！〃　he　exclaimed。　　He　seemed　both　surprised　and　disappointed。

〃Yes；〃　I　said；　〃that　sort　of　way。　　It's　finished。　　What　did　you　expect？〃

〃I　don't　know；〃　said　Raffles。　　〃I　only　thought　that　the　girl　who　went　so　far　to　get　a　fellow　out　of　a　tight　place　might　go　a　little　farther　to　keep　him　from　getting　into　another。〃

〃I　don't　see　why　she　should；〃　said　I；　honestly　enough；　yet　with　the　irritation　of　a　less　just　feeling　deep　down　in　my　inmost　consciousness。

〃Yet　you　did　hear　from　her？〃　he　persisted。

〃She　sent　me　back　my　poor　presents；　without　a　word；〃　I　said；　〃if　you　call　that　hearing。〃

I　could　not　bring　myself　to　own　to　Raffles　that　I　had　given　her　only　books。　　He　asked　if　I　was　sure　that　she　had　sent　them　back　herself；　and　that　was　his　last　question。　　My　answer　w