the illustrious prince-第6节

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〃I　am　staying　at　Devenham　House　for　the　moment；〃　she　answered。

He　wrote　it　down　in　his　notebook。

〃I　shall　perhaps　do　myself　the　honor　of　waiting　upon　you　a　little　later　on；〃　he　said。　〃You　may　be　able；　after　reflection；　to　recall　some　small　details；　at　any　rate；　which　will　be　interesting　to　us。　At　present　we　are　absurdly　ignorant　as　to　the　man's　affairs。〃

She　turned　away　from　him　to　the　clerk；　and　pointed　to　another　door。

〃Can　I　go　out　without　seeing　those　others？〃　she　asked。　〃I　really　have　nothing　to　say　to　them；　and　this　has　been　quite　a　shock　to　me。〃

〃By　all　means；　madam；〃　the　clerk　answered。　〃If　you　will　allow　me；　I　will　escort　you　to　the　entrance。〃

Two　of　the　more　enterprising　of　the　journalists　caught　them　up　upon　the　pavement。　Miss　Penelope　Morse；　however；　had　little　to　say　to　them。

〃You　must　not　ask　me　any　more　questions　about　Mr。　Hamilton　Fynes；〃　she　declared。　〃My　acquaintance　with　him　was　of　the　slightest。　It　is　true　that　I　came　here　to　lunch　today　without　knowing　what　had　happened。　It　has　been　a　shock　to　me；　and　I　do　not　wish　to　talk　about　it；　and　I　will　not　talk　about　it；　for　the　present。〃

She　was　deaf　to　their　further　questions。　The　hotel　clerk　handed　her　into　a　taximeter　cab；　and　gave　the　address　to　the　driver。　Then　he　went　back　to　his　office；　where　Inspector　Jacks　was　still　sitting。

〃This　Mr。　Hamilton　Fynes；〃　he　remarked；　〃seems　to　have　been　what　you　might　call　a　secretive　sort　of　person。　Nobody　appears　to　know　anything　about　him。　I　remember　when　he　was　staying　here　before　that　he　had　no　callers；　and　seemed　to　spend　most　of　his　time　sitting　in　the　palm　court。〃

The　inspector　nodded。

〃He　was　certainly　a　man　who　knew　how　to　keep　his　own　counsel；〃　he　admitted。　〃Most　Americans　are　ready　enough　to　talk　about　themselves　and　their　affairs；　even　to　comparative　strangers。〃

The　hotel　clerk　nodded。

〃Makes　it　difficult　for　you；〃　he　remarked。

〃It　makes　the　case　very　interesting；　the　inspector　declared；　〃especially　when　we　find　him　engaged　to　lunch　with　a　young　lady　of　such　remarkable　discretion　as　miss　Penelope　Morse。〃

〃You　know　her？〃　the　clerk　asked　a　little　eagerly。

The　inspector　was　engaged；　apparently；　in　studying　the　pattern　of　the　carpet。

〃Not　exactly；〃　he　answered。　〃No；　I　have　no　absolute　knowledge　of　Miss　Penelope　Morse。　By　the　bye；　that　was　rather　an　interesting　address　that　she　gave。〃

〃Devenham　House；〃　the　hotel　clerk　remarked。　〃Do　you　know　who　lives　there？〃

The　inspector　nodded。

〃The　Duke　of　Devenham；〃　he　answered。　〃A　very　interesting　young　lady；　I　should　think；　that。　I　wonder　what　she　and　Mr。　Hamilton　Fynes　would　have　talked　about　if　they　had　lunched　here　today。〃

The　hotel　clerk　looked　dubious。　He　did　not　grasp　the　significance　of　the　question。



CHAPTER　V。　AN　AFFAIR　OF　STATE

Miss　Penelope　Morse　was　perfectly　well　aware　that　the　taxicab　in　which　she　left　the　Carlton　Hotel　was　closely　followed　by　two　others。　Through　the　tube　which　she　found　by　her　side；　she　altered　her　first　instructions　to　the　driver；　and　told　him　to　proceed　as　fast　as　possible　to　Harrod's　Stores。　Then；　raising　the　flap　at　the　rear　of　the　cab；　she　watched　the　progress　of　the　chase。　Along　Pall　Mall　the　taxi　in　which　she　was　seated　gained　considerably；　but　in　the　Park　and　along　the　Bird　Cage　Walk　both　the　other　taxies；　risking　the　police　regulations；　drew　almost　alongside。　Once　past　Hyde　Park　Corner；　however；　her　cab　again　drew　ahead；　and　when　she　was　deposited　in　front　of　Harrod's　Stores；　her　pursuers　were　out　of　sight。　She　paid　the　driver　quickly；　a　little　over　double　his　fare。

〃If　any　one　asks　you　questions；〃　she　said；　〃say　that　you　had　instructions　to　wait　here　for　me。　Go　on　to　the　rank　for　a　quarter　of　an　hour。　Then　you　can　drive　away。〃

〃You　won't　be　coming　back；　then；　miss？〃　the　man　asked。

〃I　shall　not；〃　she　answered；　〃but　I　want　those　men　who　are　following　me　to　think　that　I　am。　They　may　as　well　lose　a　little　time　for　their　rudeness。〃

The　chauffeur　touched　his　hat　and　obeyed　his　instructions。　Miss　Penelope　Morse　plunged　into　the　mazes　of　the　Stores　with　the　air　of　one　to　whom　the　place　is　familiar。　She　did　not　pause；　however；　at　any　of　the　counters。　In　something　less　than　two　minutes　she　had　left　it　again　by　a　back　entrance；　stepped　into　another　taxicab　which　was　just　setting　down　a　passenger；　and　was　well　on　her　way　back　towards　Pall　Mall。　Her　ruse　appeared　to　have　been　perfectly　successful。　At　any　rate；　she　saw　nothing　more　of　the　occupants　of　the　two　taxicabs。

She　stopped　in　front　of　one　of　the　big　clubs　and；　scribbling　a　line　on　her　card；　gave　it　to　the　door　keeper。

〃Will　you　find　out　if　this　gentleman　is　in？〃　she　said。　〃If　he　is；　will　you　kindly　ask　him　to　step　out　and　speak　to　me？〃

She　returned　to　the　cab　and　waited。　In　less　than　five　minutes　a　tall；　broad…shouldered　young　man；　clean…shaven；　and　moving　like　an　athlete；　came　briskly　down　the　steps。　He　carried　a　soft　hat　in　his　hand；　and　directly　he　spoke　his　transatlantic　origin　was　apparent。

〃Penelope！〃　he　exclaimed。　〃Why；　what　on　earth〃

〃My　dear　Dicky；〃　she　interrupted；　laughing　at　his　expression；　〃you　need　not　look　so　displeased　with　me。　Of　course；　I　know　that　I　ought　not　to　have　come　and　sent　a　message　into　your　club。　I　will　admit　at　once　that　it　was　very　forward　of　me。　Perhaps　when　I　have　told　you　why　I　did　so；　you　won't　look　so　shocked。〃

〃I'm　glad　to　see　you；　anyway；〃　he　declared。　〃There's　no　bad　news；　I　hope？〃

〃Nothing　that　concerns　us　particularly；〃　she　answered。　〃I　simply　want　to　have　a　little　talk　with　you。　Come　in　here　with　me；　please；　at　once。　We　can　ride　for　a　short　distance　anywhere。〃

〃But　I　am　just　in　the　middle　of　a　rubber　of　bridge；〃　he　objected。

〃It　can't　be　helped；〃　she　declared。　〃To　tell　you　the　truth；　the　matter　I　want　to　talk　to　you　about　is　of　more　importance　than　any　game　of　cards。　Don't　be　foolish；　Dicky。　You　have　your　hat　in　your　hand。　Step　in　here　by　my　side　at　once。〃

He　looked　a　little　bewildered；　but　he　obeyed　her；　as　most　people　did　when　she　was　in　earnest。　She　gave　the　driver　an　address　somewhere　in　the　city。　As　soon　as　they　were　off；　she　turned　towards　him。

〃Dicky；〃　she　said；　〃do　you　read　the　newspapers？〃

〃Well；　I　can't　say　that　I　do　regularly；〃　he　answered。　〃I　read　the　New　York　Herald；　but　these　London　journals　are　a　bit　difficult；　aren't　they？　One　has　to　dig　the　news　out；sort　of　treasure…hunt　all　the　time。〃

〃You　have　read　this　murder　case；　at　any　rate；〃　she　asked；　〃about　the　man　who　was　killed　in　a　special　train　between　Liverpool　and　London？〃

〃Of　course；〃　he　answered；　with　a　sudden　awakening　of　interest。　〃What　about　it？〃

〃A　good　deal；〃　she　answered　slowly。　〃In　the　first　place；　the　man　who　was　murderedMr。　Hamilton　Fynescomes　from　the　village　where　I　was　brought　up　in　Massachusetts；　and　I　know　more　about　him；　I　dare　say；　than　any　one　else　in　this　country。　What　I　know　isn't　very　much；　perhaps；　but　it's　interesting。　I　was　to　have　lunched　with　him　at　the　Carlton　today；　in　fact；　I　went　there　expecting　to　do　so；　for　I　am　like　youI　scarcely　ever　look　inside　these　English　newspapers。　Well；　I　went　to　the　Carlton　and　waited　and　he　did　not　come。　At　last　I　went　into　the　office　and　asked　whether　he　had　arrived。　Directly　I　mentioned　his　name；　it　was　as　though　I　had　thrown　a　bomb　shell　into　the　place。　The　clerk　called　me　on　one　side；　took　me　into　a　private　office；　and　showed　me　a　newspaper。　As　soon　as　I　had　read　the　account；　I　was　interviewed　by　an　inspector　from　Scotland　Yard。　Ever　since　then　I　have　been　followed　about　by　reporters。〃

The　young　man　whistled　softly。

〃Say；　Penelope！〃　he　exclaimed。　〃Who　was　this　fellow；　anyhow；　and　what　were　you　doing　lunching　with　him？〃

〃That　doesn't　matter；〃　she　answered。　〃You　don't　tell　me　all　your　secrets；　Mr。　Dicky　Vanderpole；　and　it　isn't　necessary　for　me　to　tell　you　all　mine；　even　if　we　are　both　foreigners　in　a　strange　country。　The　poor　fellow　isn't　going　to　lunch　with　any　one　else　in　this　world。　I　suppose　you　are　thinking　what　an　indiscreet　person　I　am；　as　usual？〃

The　young　man　considered　the　matter　for　a　moment。

〃No；〃　he　said；　〃I　didn't　understand　that　he　was　the　sort　of　person　you　would　have　been　likely　to　have　taken　lunch　with。　But　that　isn't　my　affair。　Have　you　seen　the　second　edition？〃

The　girl　shook　her　head。

〃Haven't　I　told　you　that　I　never　read　the　papers？　I　only　saw　what　they　showed　me　in　at　the　Carlton。〃

〃The　Press　Association　have　cabled　to　America；　but　no　one　seems　to　be　able　to　make　out　exactly　who　the　fellow　is。　His　letter　to　the　captain　of　the　steamer　was　from　the　chairman　of　the　company；　and　his　introduction　to　the　manager　of　the　London　and　North　Western　Railway　Company　was　from　the　greatest　railway　man　in　the　world。　Mr。　Hamilton　Fynes　must　have　been　a　person　who　had　a　pretty　considerable　pull　over　there。　Curiously　enough；　though；　only　the　name　of　the　man　was　mentioned　in　them；　nothing　about　his　business；　or　what　he　was　doing　over　on　this　side。　He　was　simply　alluded　to　as　Mr。　Hamilton　Fynesthe　gentleman　bearing　this　communication。'　I　expect；　after　all；　that　you　know　more　about　him　than　any　one。〃

She　shook　her　head。

〃What　I　know；〃　she　said；　〃or　at　least　most　of　it；　I　am　going　to　tell　you。　A　few　years　ago　he　was　a　clerk　in　a　Government　office　in　Washington。　He　was　steady　in