the adventure of the blanced soldier-第4节

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on　receipt　of　Ralph's　message。　We　heard　his　quick；　heavy　step　in　the

passage。　The　door　was　flung　open　and　he　rushed　in　with　bristling　beard

and　twisted　features；　as　terrible　an　old　man　as　ever　I　have　seen。　He

held　our　cards　in　his　hand；　and　he　tore　them　up　and　stamped　on　the

fragments。

　　〃Have　I　not　told　you；　you　infernal　busybody；　that　you　are　warned　off

the　premises？　Never　dare　to　show　your　damned　face　here　again。　If　you

enter　again　without　my　leave　I　shall　be　within　my　rights　if　I　use

violence。　I'll　shoot　you；　sir！　By　God；　I　will！　As　to　you；　sir；〃

turning　upon　me；　〃I　extend　the　same　warning　to　you。　I　am　familiar　with

your　ignoble　profession；　but　you　must　take　your　reputed　talents　to

some　other　field。　There　is　no　opening　for　them　here。〃

　　〃I　cannot　leave　here；〃　said　my　client　firmly；　〃until　I　hear　from

Godfrey's　own　lips　that　he　is　under　no　restraint。〃

　　Our　involuntary　host　rang　the　bell。

　　〃Ralph；〃　he　said；　〃telephone　down　to　the　county　police　and　ask　the

inspector　to　send　up　two　constables。　Tell　him　there　are　burglars　in

the　house。〃

　　〃One　moment；〃　said　I。　〃You　must　be　aware；　Mr。　Dodd；　that　Colonel

Emsworth　is　within　his　rights　and　that　we　have　no　legal　status

within　his　house。　On　the　other　hand；　he　should　recognize　that　your

action　is　prompted　entirely　by　solicitude　for　his　son。　I　venture　to

hope　that　if　I　were　allowed　to　have　five　minutes'　conversation　with

Colonel　Emsworth　I　could　certainly　alter　his　view　of　the　matter。〃

　　〃I　am　not　so　easily　altered；〃　said　the　old　soldier。　〃Ralph；　do

what　I　have　told　you。　What　the　devil　are　you　waiting　for？　Ring　up

the　police！〃

　　〃Nothing　of　the　sort；〃　I　said；　putting　my　back　to　the　door。　〃Any

police　interference　would　bring　about　the　very　catastrophe　which　you

dread。〃　I　took　out　my　notebook　and　scribbled　one　word　upon　a　loose

sheet。　〃That；〃　said　I　as　I　handed　it　to　Colonel　Emsworth；　〃is　what　has

brought　us　here。〃

　　He　stared　at　the　writing　with　a　face　from　which　every　expression

save　amazement　had　vanished。

　　〃How　do　you　know？〃　he　gasped；　sitting　down　heavily　in　his　chair。

　　〃It　is　my　business　to　know　things。　That　is　my　trade。〃

　　He　sat　in　deep　thought；　his　gaunt　hand　tugging　at　his　straggling

beard。　Then　he　made　a　gesture　of　resignation。

　　〃Well；　if　you　wish　to　see　Godfrey；　you　shall。　It　is　no　doing　of

mine；　but　you　have　forced　my　hand。　Ralph；　tell　Mr。　Godfrey　and　Mr。

Kent　that　in　five　minutes　we　shall　be　with　them。〃

　　At　the　end　of　that　time　we　passed　down　the　garden　path　and　found

ourselves　in　front　of　the　mystery　house　at　the　end。　A　small　bearded

man　stood　at　the　door　with　a　look　of　considerable　astonishment　upon

his　face。

　　〃This　is　very　sudden；　Colonel　Emsworth；〃　said　he。　〃This　will

disarrange　all　our　plans。〃

　　〃I　can't　help　it；　Mr。　Kent。　Our　hands　have　been　forced。　Can　Mr。

Godfrey　see　us？〃

　　〃Yes；　he　is　waiting　inside。〃　He　turned　and　led　us　into　a　large；

plainly　furnished　front　room。　A　man　was　standing　with　his　back　to

the　fire；　and　at　the　sight　of　him　my　client　sprang　forward　with

outstretched　hand。

　　〃Why；　Godfrey；　old　man；　this　is　fine！〃

　　But　the　other　waved　him　back。

　　〃Don't　touch　me；　Jimmie。　Keep　your　distance。　Yes；　you　may　well

stare！　I　don't　quite　look　the　smart　Lance…Corporal　Emsworth；　of　B

Squadron；　do　I？〃

　　His　appearance　was　certainly　extraordinary。　One　could　see　that　he

had　indeed　been　a　handsome　man　with　clear…cut　features　sunburned　by　an

African　sun；　but　mottled　in　patches　over　this　darker　surface　were

curious　whitish　patches　which　had　bleached　his　skin。

　　〃That's　why　I　don't　court　visitors；〃　said　he。　〃I　don't　mind　you；

Jimmie；　but　I　could　have　done　without　your　friend。　I　suppose　there

is　some　good　reason　for　it；　but　you　have　me　at　a　disadvantage。〃

　　〃I　wanted　to　be　sure　that　all　was　well　with　you；　Godfrey。　I　saw

you　that　night　when　you　looked　into　my　window；　and　I　could　not　let　the

matter　rest　till　I　had　cleared　things　up。〃

　　〃Old　Ralph　told　me　you　were　there；　and　I　couldn't　help　taking　a　peep

at　you。　I　hoped　you　would　not　have　seen　me；　and　I　had　to　run　to　my

burrow　when　I　heard　the　window　go　up。〃

　　〃But　what　in　heaven's　name　is　the　matter？〃

　　〃Well；　it's　not　a　long　story　to　tell；〃　said　he；　lighting　a

cigarette。　〃You　remember　that　morning　fight　at　Buffelsspruit；

outside　Pretoria；　on　the　Eastern　railway　line？　You　heard　I　was　hit？〃

　　〃Yes；　I　heard　that；　but　I　never　got　particulars。〃

　　〃Three　of　us　got　separated　from　the　others。　It　was　very　broken

country；　you　may　remember。　There　was　Simpson…　the　fellow　we　called

Baldy　Simpson…　and　Anderson；　and　I。　We　were　clearing　brother　Boer；　but

he　lay　low　and　got　the　three　of　us。　The　other　two　were　killed。　I　got

an　elephant　bullet　through　my　shoulder。　I　stuck　on　to　my　horse；

however；　and　he　galloped　several　miles　before　I　fainted　and　rolled　off

the　saddle。

　　〃When　I　came　to　myself　it　was　nightfall；　and　I　raised　myself　up；

feeling　very　weak　and　ill。　To　my　surprise　there　was　a　house　close

beside　me；　a　fairly　large　house　with　a　broad　stoop　and　many　windows。

It　was　deadly　cold。　You　remember　the　kind　of　numb　cold　which　used　to

come　at　evening；　a　deadly；　sickening　sort　of　cold；　very　different　from

a　crisp　healthy　frost。　Well　I　was　chilled　to　the　bone；　and　my　only

hope　seemed　to　lie　in　reaching　that　house。　I　staggered　to　my　feet

and　dragged　myself　along；　hardly　conscious　of　what　I　did。　I　have　a　dim

memory　of　slowly　ascending　the　steps；　entering　a　wide…opened　door；

passing　into　a　large　room　which　contained　several　beds；　and　throwing

myself　down　with　a　gasp　of　satisfaction　upon　one　of　them。　It　was

unmade；　but　that　troubled　me　not　at　all。　I　drew　the　clothes　over　my

shivering　body　and　in　a　moment　I　was　in　a　deep　sleep。

　　〃It　was　morning　when　I　wakened；　and　it　seemed　to　me　that　instead

of　coming　out　into　a　world　of　sanity　I　had　emerged　into　some

extraordinary　nightmare。　The　out　African　sun　flooded　through　the

big；　curtainless　windows；　and　every　detail　of　the　great；　bare；

whitewashed　dormitory　stood　out　hard　and　clear。　In　front　of　me　was

standing　a　small；　dwarf…like　man　with　a　huge；　bulbous　head；　who　was

jabbering　excitedly　in　Dutch；　waving　two　horrible　hands　which　looked

to　me　like　brown　sponges。　Behind　him　stood　a　group　of　people　who

seemed　to　be　intensely　amused　by　the　situation；　but　a　chill　came

over　me　as　I　looked　at　them。　Not　one　of　them　was　a　normal　human　being。

Every　one　was　twisted　or　swollen　or　disfigured　in　some　strange　way。

The　laughter　of　these　strange　monstrosities　was　a　dreadful　thing　to

hear。

　　〃It　seemed　that　none　of　them　could　speak　English；　but　the

situation　wanted　clearing　up；　for　the　creature　with　the　big　head　was

growing　furiously　angry；　and；　uttering　wild…beast　cries；　he　had　laid

his　deformed　hands　upon　me　and　was　dragging　me　out　of　bed；

regardless　of　the　fresh　flow　of　blood　from　my　wound。　The　little

monster　was　as　strong　as　a　bull；　and　I　don't　know　what　he　might　have

done　to　me　had　not　an　elderly　man　who　was　clearly　in　authority　been

attracted　to　the　room　by　the　hubbub。　He　said　a　few　stern　words　in

Dutch；　and　my　persecutor　shrank　away。　Then　he　turned　upon　me；　gazing

at　me　in　the　utmost　amazement。

　　〃'How　in　the　world　did　you　come　here？'　he　asked　in　amazement。

'Wait　a　bit！　I　see　that　you　are　tired　out　and　that　wounded　shoulder　of

yours　wants　looking　after。　I　am　a　doctor；　and　I'll　soon　have　you

tied　up。　But；　man　alive！　you　are　in　far　greater　danger　here　than

ever　you　were　on　the　battlefield。　You　are　in　the　Leper　Hospital；　and

you　have　slept　in　a　leper's　bed。'

　　〃Need　I　tell　you　more；　Jimmie？　It　seems　that　in　view　of　the

approaching　battle　all　these　poor　creatures　had　been　evacuated　the　day

before。　Then；　as　the　British　advanced；　they　had　been　brought　back　by

this；　their　medical　superintendent；　who　assured　me　that；　though　he

believed　he　was　immune　to　the　disease；　he　would　none　the　less　never

have　dared　to　do　what　I　had　done。　He　put　me　in　a　private　room；　treated

me　kindly；　and　within　a　week　or　so　I　was　removed　to　the　general

hospital　at　Pretoria。

　　〃So　there　you　have　my　tragedy。　I　hoped　against　hope；　but　it　was

not　until　I　had　reached　home　that　the　terrible　signs　which　you　see

upon　my　face　told　me　that　I　had　not　escaped。　What　was　I　to　do？　I　was

in　this　lonely　house。　We　had　two　servants　whom　we　could　utterly　trust。

There　was　a　house　where　I　could　live。　Under　pledge　of　secrecy；　Mr。

Kent；　who　is　a　surgeon；　was　prepared　to　stay　with　me。　It　seemed　simple

enough　on　those　lines。　The　alternative　was　a　dreadful　one…　segregation

for　life　among　strangers　with　never　a　hope　of　release。　But　absolute

secrecy　was　necessary；　or　even　in　this　quiet　countryside　there　would

have　been　an　outcry；　and　I　should　have　been　dragged　to　my　horrible

doom。　Even　you；　Jimmie…　even　you　had　to　be　kept　in　the　dark。　Why　my

father　has　relented　I　cannot　imagine。〃

　　Colonel　Emsworth　pointed　to　me。

　　〃This　is　the　gentleman　who　forced　my　hand。〃　He　unfolded　the　scrap　of

paper　on　which　I　had　written　the　word　〃Leprosy。〃　〃It　seemed　to　me　that

if　he　knew　so　much　as　that　it　was　safer　that　he　should　know　all。〃

　　〃And　so　it　was；〃　said　I。　〃Who　knows　but　good　may　come　of　it？　I

understand