children of the whirlwind-第51节

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〃I'll　get　Red　Hannigan；〃　the　Duchess　said　briefly。　〃What　do　you　want　with　him？〃

〃Have　him　come　to　the　Hotel　Granthamroom　eleven…forty…twoat　eight…fifteen　sharp！〃

〃He'll　be　there；〃　said　the　Duchess。

There　followed　a　swirling　taxi…ride　back　to　the　Grantham；　and　a　rapid　change　into　her　most　fetching　evening　gown　（she　had　not　even　a　thought　of　dinner）　to　play　her　bold　part　in　the　drama　which　she　was　excitedly　writing　in　her　mind　and　for　which　she　had　just　engaged　her　cast。　She　was　on　fire　with　terrible　suspense：　would　the　other　actors　play　their　parts　as　she　intended　they　should？would　her　complicated　drama　have　the　ending　she　was　hoping　for？

Had　she　been　in　a　more　composed；　matter…of…fact　state　of　mind；　this　play　which　she　was　staging　would　have　seemed　the　crudest；　most　impossible　melodramaa　thing　both　too　absurd　and　too　dangerous　for　her　to　risk。　But　Maggie　was　just　then　living　through　one　of　the　highest　periods　of　her　life；　she　cared　little　what　happened　to　her。　And　it　is　just　such　moods　that　transform　and　elevate　what　otherwise　would　be　absurd　to　the　nobly　serious；　that　changes　the　impossible　into　the　possible；　just　as　an　exalted　mood　or　mind　is；　or　was；　the　primary　difference　between　Hamlet；　or　Macbeth；　or　Lear；　and　any　of　the　forgotten　Bowery　melodramas　of　a　generation　now　gone。

She　had　been　dressed　for　perhaps　ten　nervous　minutes　when　the　bell　rang。　She　admitted　a　slight；　erect；　well…dressed；　middle…aged　man　with　a　lean；　thin…lipped　face　and　a　cold；　hard；　conservative　eye：　a　man　of　the　type　that　you　see　by　the　dozens　in　the　better　hotels　of　New　York；　and　seeing　them　you　think；　if　you　think　of　them　at　all；　that　here　is　the　canny　president　of　some　fair…sized　bank　who　will　not　let　a　client　borrow　a　dollar　beyond　his　established　credit；　or　that　here　is　the　shrewd　but　unobtrusive　power　behind　some　great　industry　of　the　Middle　West。

〃I'm　Hannigan；〃　he　announced　briefly。　〃I　know　you're　Old　Jimmie　Carlisle's　girl。　The　Duchess　told　me　you　wanted　me　on　something　big。　What's　the　idea？〃

〃You　want　to　get　Larry　Brainard；　don't　you？or　whoever　it　was　that　squealed　on　you？〃

There　was　a　momentary　gleam　in　the　hard；　gray　eyes。　〃I　do。〃

〃That's　why　you're　here。　In　a　little　over　an　hour；　if　you　stay　quiet　in　the　background；　you'll　have　what　you　want。〃

〃You've　got　a　swell…looking　lay…out　here。　What's　going　to　be　pulled　off？〃

〃It's　not　what　I　might　tell　you　that's　going　to　help　you。　It's　what　you　hear　and　see。〃

〃All　right；〃　said　the　thin…lipped　man。　〃I'll　pass　the　questions；　since　the　Duchess　told　me　to　do　as　you　said。　She's　square；　even　if　she　does　have　a　grandson　who's　a　stool。　I　suppose　I'm　to　be　out　of　sight　during　whatever　happens？〃

〃Yes。〃

In　the　room　there　were　two　spacious　closets；　as　is　not　infrequent　　in　the　better　class　of　modern　hotels；　and　it　had　been　these　two　closets　which　had　been　the　practical　starting…point　of　Maggie's　development　of　Dick　Sherwood's　proposition。　To　one　of　these　she　led　Hannigan。

〃You'll　be　out　of　sight　here；　and　you'll　get　every　word。〃

He　stepped　inside；　and　she　closed　the　door。　Also　she　took　the　precaution　of　locking　it。　She　wished　Hannigan　to　hear；　but　she　wished　no　such　contretemps　as　Hannigan　bursting　forth　and　spoiling　her　play　when　it　had　reached　only　the　middle　of　its　necessary　action。

Barlow　came　promptly　at　half…past　eight。　He　brought　news　which　for　a　few　moments　almost　completely　upset　Maggie's　delicately　balanced　structure。

〃I　know　who　you　are　now；〃　he　said　brusquely。　〃And　part　of　your　game's　cold　before　you　start。〃

〃Why？What　part？〃

〃Just　after　you　left　Headquarters　Officer　Gavegan　showed　up。　He　had　this　Larry　Brainard　in　towhad　pinched　him　out　on　Long　Island。〃

This　announcement　staggered　Maggie；　for　the　moment　made　all　her　strenuous　planning　seem　to　have　lost　its　purpose。　In　her　normal　condition　she　might　either　have　given　up　or　betrayed　her　real　intent。　But　just　now；　in　her　super…excited　state；　in　which　she　felt　she　was　fighting　desperately　for　others；　she　was　acting　far　above　her　ordinary　capacity；　and　she　was　making　decisions　so　swift　that　they　hardly　seemed　to　proceed　from　conscious　thought。　So　Barlow；　vigilant　watcher　of　faces　that　he　was；　saw　nothing　unusual　in　her　expression　or　manner。

〃What　did　you　do　with　him？〃　she　asked。

〃Left　him　with　Gaveganand　with　Casey；　who　had　just　come　in。　Trailing　with　Brainard　was　a　swell　named　Hunt；　cussing　mad。　He　was　snorting　around　about　being　pals　with　most　of　the　magistrates；　and　swore　he'd　have　Brainard　out　on　bail　inside　an　hour。　But　what　he　does　don't　make　any　difference　to　me。　Your　proposition　seems　to　me　dead　cold；　since　I've　already　got　Brainard；　and　got　him　right。　I　wouldn't　have　bothered　to　have　come　here　at　all　except　for　something　you　let　drop　about　the　pals　he　might　have　been　working　with　these　last　few　months。〃

〃That's　exactly　it；〃　she　caught　him　up。　〃I　never　thought　that　you'd　catch　Larry　Brainard　here。　How　could　I；　when；　if　you　know　me　as　you　say；　you　also　know　that　he　and　I　are　in　different　campsare　fighting　each　other？　What's　going　to　happen　here　is　something　that　will　show　you　the　people　Larry　Brainard's　been　mixed　up　withthat　will　turn　up　for　you　the　people　you　want。〃

〃But　what's　going　to　happen？〃　Barlow　demanded。

To　this　Maggie　answered　in　much　the　same　strain　she　had　used　with　Hannigan　a　few　minutes　earlier。　〃I　told　you　down　at　Headquarters　that　everything　that's　important　you'll　learn　by　being　present　when　the　thing　actually　happened。　What　I　tell　you　doesn't　count　for　muchit　might　not　be　true。　It's　what　you　see　and　hear　for　yourself　when　things　begin　to　happen。　You're　to　wait　in　here。〃　She　led　him　to　the　second　large　closet　and　opened　the　door。

〃See　here；〃　he　demanded；　〃are　you　framing　something　on　me？〃

〃How　can　I；　in　a　big　hotel　like　this？　And　even　if　I　were　to　try；　you'd　certainly　make　me　pay　for　it　later。　Besides；　you've　got　a　gun。　Please　go　in　quick；　I'm　expecting　the　people　here　any　minute。　And　don't　make　a　sound　that　might　arouse　their　suspicions　and　queer　everything。〃

He　entered；　and　she　closed　the　door。　So　carefully　that　he　did　not　hear　it；　she　locked　the　door；　no　more　than　in　Hannigan's　case　did　she　want　Barlow　to　come　bungling　into　a　scene　before　it　had　reached　its　climax。

All　was　now　ready　for　the　curtain　to　rise。　Quivering　all　through　she　waited　for　Barney　Palmer；　whose　entrance　was　to　open　her　drama。　She　glanced　at　her　wrist…watch　which　she　had　left　upon　the　little　lacquered　writing…table。　Ten　minutes　of　nine。　Ten　more　minutes　to　wait。　She　felt　far　more　of　sickening　suspense　than　ever　did　any　young　playwright　on　the　opening　night　of　his　first　play。　For　she　was　more　than　merely　playwright。　In　her　desperate；　overwrought　determination　Maggie　had　assumed　for　herself　the　super…mortal　role　of　dea　ex　machina。　And　in　those　moments　of　tense　waiting　Maggie；　who　so　feverishly　loathed　all　she　had　been；　was　not　at　all　sure　whether　she　was　going　to　succeed　in　her　part　of　goddess　from　the　machine。

At　five　minutes　to　nine　there　was　a　ring。　She　gave　a　little　jump　at　the　sound。　That　was　Barney。　Though　generally　when　Barney　came　he　used　the　latch…key　which　his　assumed　dear　cousinship；　and　the　argued　possibility　of　their　being　out　and　thus　causing　him　to　wait　around　in　discomfort；　Miss　Grierson's　sense　of　propriety　had　unbent　far　enough　to　permit　him　to　possess。　The　truth　was；　of　course；　that　Barney　had　desired　the　key　so　that　he　might　have　most　private　conferences　with　Maggie；　at　any　time　necessity　demanded；　without　the　stolidly　conscientious　Miss　Grierson　ever　knowing　what　had　happened　and　being　therefore　unable　to　give　dangerous　testimony。

Maggie　crossed　and　opened　the　door。　But　instead　of　Barney　Palmer；　it　was　Larry　who　stepped　in。　He　quickly　closed　the　door　behind　him。

〃Larry！〃　she　cried　startled。　〃Whywhy；　I　thought　the　police　had　you！〃

〃They　did。　But　Hunt　was　with　me；　and　he　got　hold　of　a　magistrate　who　would　have　made　Hunt　a　present　of　the　Tombs　and　Police　Headquarters　if　he　had　owned　them。〃

〃Then　you're　out　on　bail？〃

〃Got　out　about　ten　minutes　ago。　Hunt　didn't　have　any　property　he　could　put　up　as　security；　so　he　'phoned　my　grandmother。　She　walked　in　with　an　armload　of　deeds。　Why；　she　must　own　as　much　property　in　New　York　as　the　Astor　Estate。〃

〃Larry；　I'm　so　glad！〃　And　then；　remembering　what；　according　to　her　plan；　was　due　to　begin　to　happen　almost　any　moment；　she　exclaimed　in　dismay：　〃But；　Larry；　oh；　why　did　you　come　here　now！〃

〃I　wanted　to　knowyou　understandwhat　you　had　decided　to　do　after　learning　about　your　father。　And　I　wanted　to　tell　you　that；　after　all　my　great　boasts　to　you；　I　seem　to　have　failed　in　every　boast。　Item　one；　the　police　have　got　me。　Item　two；　since　the　police　have　got　me；　my　old　pals　will　also　most　likely　get　me。　Item　three；　when　I　was　arrested　at　Cedar　Crest　Miss　Sherwood　learned　that　I　had　known　you　all　along　and　believes　I　was　part　of　a　conspiracy　to　clean　out　the　family；　so　she　chucked　meand　I've　lost　what　I　believed　my　big　chance　to　make　good。　So；　you　see；　Maggie；　it　looks　as　if　you　were　right　when　you　predicted　that　I　was　going　to　fail　in　everything　I　said　I　was　going　to　do。〃

〃LarryMiss　Sherwood　believes　that！〃　she　breathed。　And　then　she　remembered　again；　and　caught　his　arm　with　sudden　energy。　〃Larry；　you　must