the illustrious prince-第7节

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〃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　those　days；　and　was　supposed　to　have　a　head。　He　used　to　write　me　occasionally。　One　day　he　turned　up　in　London　quite　unexpectedly。　He　said　that　he　had　come　on　business；　and　whatever　his　business　was；　it　took　him　to　St。　Petersburg　and　Berlin；　and　then　back　to　Berlin　again。　I　saw　quite　a　good　deal　of　him　that　trip。〃

〃The　dickens　you　did！〃　he　muttered。

Miss　Penelope　Morse　laughed　softly。

〃Come；　Dicky；〃　she　said；　〃don't　pretend　to　be　jealous。　You're　an　outrageous　flirt；　I　know；　but　you　and　I　are　never　likely　to　get　sentimental　about　one　another。〃

〃Why　not？〃　he　grumbled。　〃We've　always　been　pretty　good　pals；　haven't　we？〃

〃Naturally；〃　she　answered；　〃or　I　shouldn't　be　here。　Do　you　want　to　hear　anything　more　about　Mr。　Hamilton　Fynes？〃

〃Of　course　I　do；〃　he　declared。

〃Well；　be　quiet；　then；　and　don't　interrupt；〃　she　said。　〃I　knew　London　well　and　he　didn't。　That　is　why；　as　I　told　you　before；　we　saw　quite　a　great　deal　of　one　another。　He　was　always　very　reticent　about　his　affairs；　and　especially　about　the　business　which　had　taken　him　on　the　Continent。　Just　before　he　left；　however；　he　gave　mewell；　a　hint。〃

〃What　was　it？〃　the　young　man　asked　eagerly。

She　hesitated。

〃He　didn't　put　it　into　so　many　words；〃　she　said；　〃and　I　am　not　sure；　even　now；　that　I　ought　to　tell　you；　Dicky。　Still；　you　are　a　fellow　countryman　and　a　budding　diplomatist。　I　suppose　if　I　can　give　you　a　lift　I　ought　to。〃

The　taxi　was　on　the　Embankment　now；　and　they　sped　along　for　some　time　in　silence。　Mr。　Richard　Vanderpole　was　more　than　a　little　puzzled。

〃Of　course；　Penelope；〃　he　said；　〃I　don't　expect　you　to　tell　me　anything　which　you　feel　that　you　oughtn't　to。　There　is　one　thing；　however；　which　I　must　ask　you。〃

She　nodded。

〃Well？〃

〃I　should　like　to　know　what　the　mischief　my　being　in　the　diplomatic　service　has　to　do　with　it？〃

〃If　I　explained　that；〃　she　answered；　〃I　should　be　telling　you　everything　I　haven't　quite　made　up　my　mind　to　do　that　yet。〃

〃Tell　me　this？〃　he　asked。　〃Would　that　hint　which　he　dropped　when　he　was　here　last　help　you　to　solve　the　mystery　of　his　murder？〃

〃It　might；〃　she　admitted。

〃Then　I　think；〃　he　said；　〃apart　from　any　other　reason；　you　ought　to　tell　somebody。　The　police　at　present　don't　seem　to　have　the　ghost　of　a　clue。〃

〃They　are　not　likely　to　find　one；〃　she　answered；　〃unless　I　help　them。〃

〃Say；　Penelope；〃　he　exclaimed；　〃you　are　not　in　earnest？〃

〃I　am；〃　she　assured　him。　〃It　is　exactly　as　I　say。　I　believe　I　am　one　of　the　few　people　who　could　put　the　police　upon　the　right　track。〃

〃Is　there　any　reason　why　you　shouldn't？〃　he　asked。

〃That's　just　what　I　can't　make　up　my　mind　about；〃　she　told　him。　〃However；　I　have　brought　you　out　with　me　expecting　to　hear　something；　and　I　am　going　to　tell　you　this。　That　last　time　he　came　to　Englandthe　time　he　went　to　St。　Petersburg　and　twice　to　Berlinhe　came　on　government　business。〃

The　young　man　looked；　for　a　moment；　incredulous。

〃Are　you　sure　of　that；　Pen？〃　he　asked。　〃It　doesn't　sound　like　our　people；　you　know；　does　it？〃

〃I　am　quite　sure；〃　she　declared　confidently。　〃You　are　a　very　youthful　diplomat；　Dicky；　but　even　you　have　probably　heard　of　governments　who　employ　private　messengers　to　carry　despatches　which　for　various　reasons　they　don't　care　to　put　through　their　embassies。〃

〃Why；　that's　so；　of　course；　over　on　this　side；〃　he　agreed。　〃These　European　nations　are　up　to　all　manner　of　tricks。　But　I　tell　you　frankly；　Pen；　I　never　heard　of　anything　of　the　sort　being　done　from　Washington。〃

〃Perhaps　not；〃　she　answered　composedly。　〃You　see；　things　have　developed　with　us　during　the　last　twenty…five　years。　The　old　America　had　only　one　foreign　policy；　and　that　was　to　hold　inviolate　the　Monroe　doctrine。　European　or　Asiatic　complications　scarcely　even　interested　her。　Those　times　have　passed；　Dicky。　Cuba　and　the　Philippines　were　the　start　of　other　things。　We　are　being　drawn　into　the　maelstrom。　In　another　ten　years　we　shall　be　there；　whether　we　want　to　be　or　not。〃

The　young　man　was　deeply　interested。

〃Well；〃　he　admitted；　〃there's　a　good　deal　in　what　you　say；　Penelope。　You　talk　about　it　all　as　though　you　were　a　diplomat　yourself。〃

〃Perhaps　I　am；〃　she　answered　calmly。　〃A　stray　young　woman　like　myself　must　have　something　to　occupy　her　thoughts；　you　know。〃

He　laughed。

〃That's　not　bad；〃　he　asserted；　〃for　a　girl　whom　the　New　York　Herald　declared；　a　few　weeks　ago；　to　be　one　of　the　most　brilliant　young　women　in　English　society。〃

She　shrugged　her　shoulders　scornfully。

〃That's　just　the　sort　of　thing　the　New　York　Herald　would　say；〃　she　remarked。　〃You　see；　I　have　to　get　a　reputation　for　being　smart　and　saying　bright　things；　or　nobody　would　ask　me　anywhere。　Penniless　American　young　women　are　not　too　popular　over　here。〃

〃Marry　me；　then；〃　he　suggested　amiably。　〃I　shall　have　plenty　of　money　some　day。〃

〃I'll　see　about　it　when　you're　grown　up；〃　she　answered。　Just　at　present；　I　think　we'd　better　return　to　the　subject　of　Hamilton　Fynes。〃

Mr。　Richard　Vanderpole　sighed；　but　seemed　not　disinclined　to　follow　her　suggestion。

〃Harvey　is　a　silent　man；　as　you　know；〃　he　said　thoughtfully；　〃and　he　keeps　everything　of　importance　to　himself。　At　the　same　time　these　little　matters　get　about　in　the　shop；　of　course；　and　I　have　never　heard　of　any　despatches　being　brought　across　from　Washington　except　in　the　usual　way。　Presuming　that　you　are　right；〃　he　added　after　a　moment's　pause；　〃and　that　this　fellow　Hamilton　Fynes　really　had　something　for　us；　that　would　account　for　his　being　able　to　get　off　the　boat　and　securing　his　special　train　so　easily。　No　one　can　imagine　where　he　got　the　pull。〃

〃It　accounts；　also；〃　Penelope　remarked；　〃for　his　murder！〃

Her　companion　started。

〃You　haven't　any　idea〃　he　began。

〃Nothing　so　definite　as　an　idea；〃　she　interrupted。　〃I　am　not　going　so　far　as　to　say　that。　I　simply　know　that　when　a　man　is　practically　the　secret　agent　of　his　government；　and　is　probably　carrying　despatches　of　an　important　nature；　that　an　accident　such　as　he　has　met　with；　in　a　country　which　is　greatly　interested　in　the　contents　of　those　despatches；　is　a　somewhat　serious　thing。〃

The　young　man　nodded。

〃Say；〃　he　admitted　〃you're　dead　right。　The　Pacific　cruise；　and　our　relations　with　Japan；　seem　to　have　rubbed　our　friends　over　here　altogether　the　wrong　way。　We　have　irritations　enough　already　to　smooth　over；　without　anything　of　this　sort　on　the　carpet。〃

〃I　am　going　to　tell　you　now；〃　she　continued；　leaning　a　little　towards　him；　〃the　real　reason　why　I　fetched　you　out　of　the　club　this　afternoon　and　have　brought　you　for　this　little　expedition。　The　last　time　I　lunched　with　Mr。　Hamilton　Fynes　was　just　after　his　return　from　Berlin。　He　intrusted　me　then　with　a　very　important　mission。　He　gave　me　a　letter　to　deliver　to　Mr。　Blaine　Harvey。〃

〃But　I　don't　understand！〃　he　protested。　〃Why　should　he　give　you　the　letter　when　he　was　in　London　himself？〃

〃I　asked　him　that　question　myself；　naturally；〃　she　answered。　〃He　told　me　that　it　was　an　understood　thing　that　when　he　was　over　here　on　business　he　was　not　even　to　cross　the　threshold　of　the　Embassy；　or　hold　any　direct　communication　with　any　person　connected　with　it。　Everything　had　to　be　done　through　a　third　party；　and　generally　in　duplicate。　There　was　another　man；　for　instance；　who　had　a　copy　of　the　same　letter；　but　I　never　came　across　him　or　even　knew　his　name。〃

〃Gee　whiz！〃　the　young　man　exclaimed。　〃You're　telling　me　things；　and　no　mistake！　Why　this　fellow　Fynes　made　a　secret　service　messenger　of　you！〃

Penelope　nodded。

〃It　was　all　very　simple；〃　she　said。　〃The　first　Mrs。　Harvey；　who　was　alive　then；　was　my　greatest　friend；　and　I　was　in　and　out　of　the　place　all　the　time。　Now；　perhaps；　you　can　understand　the　significance　of　that　marconigram　from　Hamilton　Fynes　asking　me　to　lunch　with　him　at　the　Carlton　today。〃

Mr。　Richard　Vanderpole　was　sitting　bolt　upright；　gazing　steadily　ahead。

〃I　wonder；〃　he　said　slowly；　〃what　has　become　of　the　letter　which　he　was　going　to　give　you！〃

〃One　thing　is　certain；〃　she　declared。　〃It　is　in　the　hands　of　those　whose　interests　would　have　been　affected　by　its　delivery。〃

〃How　much　of　this　am　I　to　tell　the　chief？〃　the　young　man　asked。

〃Every　word；〃　Penelope　answered。　〃You　see；　I　am　trying　to　give　you　a　start　in　your　career。　What　bothers　me　is　an　entirely　different　question。〃

〃What　is　it？〃　he　asked。

She　laid　her　hand　upon　his　arm。

〃How　much　of　it　I　shall　tell　to　a　certain　gentleman　who　calls　himself　Inspector　Jacks！〃



CHAPTER　VI。　MR。　COULSON　INTERVIEWED

The　Lusitania　boat　specials　ran　into　Euston　Station　soon　after　three　o'clock　in　the　afternoon。　A　small　company　of　reporters；　and　several　other　men　whose　profession　was　not　disclosed　from　their　appearance；　were　on　the　spot　to　interview　certain　of　the　passengers。　A　young　fellow　from　the　office　of　the　Evening　Comet　was；　perhaps；　the　most　successful；　as；　from　the　lengthy　description　which　had　been　telegraphed　to　him　from　Liverpool；　he　was　fortunate　enough　to　accost　the　only　person　who　had　been　seen　speaking　to　the　murdered　man　upon　the　voyage。

〃This　is　Mr。　Coulson；　I　bel