the cruise of the jasper b.-第29节

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Annabel　Lee。



〃But　what　I　cannot　understand；　Mr。　Cleggett；　is　why　these　men

should　risk　so　much　to　make　off　with　an　empty　box。〃



〃An　empty　box！〃　cried　Cleggett。



〃Empty！〃　echoed　Lady　Agatha　and　Miss　Pringle；　in　concert。



The　detective　wrenched　the　cover　from　the　box　of　Reginald

Maltravers。



〃Practically　empty；　at　any　rate；〃　he　said。



And；　indeed；　except　for　a　few　wads　of　wet　excelsior；　there　was

nothing　in　the　box　of　Reginald　Maltravers。



〃Where；　then；〃　cried　Lady　Agatha；　〃is　Reginald　Maltravers？〃



〃Where；　indeed；〃　said　Wilton　Barnstable；　〃is　Reginald

Maltravers？〃



〃Where；　then；〃　cried　Miss　Pringle；　〃are　my　plum　preserves？〃



〃Where；　indeed？〃　repeated　Wilton　Barnstable。　And　Barton　Ward　and

Watson　Bard；　although　they　did　not　speak　aloud；　stroked　their

mustaches　and　their　lips　formed　the　ejaculation；　〃Where；　indeed？〃



〃We　will　tell　you　everything；〃　said　Cleggett。　　And　beginning　with

his　purchase　of　the　Jasper　B。　he　recounted　rapidly；　but　with

sufficient　detail；　all　the　facts　with　which　the　reader　is　already

familiar；　weaving　into　his　story　the　tale　of　Lady　Agatha　and　the

adventures　of　Miss　Pringle。　　Wilton　Barnstable　listened

attentively。　　So　did　Barton　Ward　and　Watson　Bard。　　The　benign

smile　which　was　so　characteristic　of　Wilton　Barnstable　never　left

the　three　faces；　but　it　was　evident　to　Cleggett　that　these

trained　intelligences　grasped　and　weighed　and　ticketed　every

detail。



While　Cleggett　narrates；　and　Wilton　Barnstable　and　his　men

listen；　a　word　to　the　reader　concerning　this　great　detective。





CHAPTER　XX



THE　PSYCHOLOGICAL　DETECTIVE



Wilton　Barnstable　was　the　inventor　of　a　new　school　of　detection

of　crime。　　The　system　came　in　with　him；　and　it　may　go　out　with

him　for　lack　of　a　man　of　his　genius　to　perpetuate　it。　　He

insisted　that　there　was　nothing　spectacular　or　romantic　in　the

pursuit　of　the　criminal；　or；　at　least；　that　there　should　be

nothing　of　the　sort。　　And　he　was　especially　disgusted　when　anyone

referred　to　him　as　〃a　second　Sherlock　Holmes。〃



〃I　am　only　a　plain　business　man；〃　he　would　insist；　urbanely；　with

a　wave　of　his　hand。　　〃I　have　merely　brought　order；　method；

system；　business　principles；　logic；　to　the　detection　of　crime。　　I

know　nothing　of　romance。　　Romance　is　usually　all　nonsense　in　my

estimation。　　The　real　detective；　who　gets　results　in　real　life；

is　NOT　a　Sherlock　Holmes。〃



The　enemies　of　Wilton　Barnstable　sometimes　said　of　him　that　he

was　jealous　of　Sherlock　Holmes。　　When　this　was　reported　to

Barnstable　he　invariably　remarked：　　〃How　preposterous！　The　idea

of　a　man　being　envious　of　a　literary　creation！〃



Perhaps　his　denial　of　the　existence　of　romance　was　merely　one　of

those　poses　which　geniuses　so　often　permit　themselves。　　Perhaps

he　saw　it　and　was　thrilled　with　it　even　while　he　denied　it。　　At

any　rate；　he　lived　in　the　midst　of　it。　　The　realism　which　was　his

metier　was　that　sort　of　realism　into　which　are　woven　facts　and

incidents　of　the　most　bizarre　and　startling　nature。



And；　certainly；　behind　the　light　blue　eyes　that　could　look　with

such　apparent　ingenuousness　out　of　his　plump；　bland　face　there

was　the　subtle　mind　of　a　psychologist。　　Barnstable；　true　to　his

attitude　of　the　plain　business　man；　would　have　been　the　first　to

ridicule　the　idea　publicly　if　anyone　had　dubbed　him　〃the

psychological　detective。〃　　That；　to　his　mind；　would　have　savored

of　charlatanism。　　He　would　have　said：　　〃I　am　nothing　so　strange

and　mystifying　as　thatI　am　a　plain　business　man。〃　　But　in

reality　there　was　no　new　discovery　of　the　investigating

psychologists　of　which　he　did　not　avail　himself　at　once。　　His

ability　to　clothe　himself　with　the　thoughts　of　the　criminal　as　an

actor　clothes　himself　with　a　role；　was　marvelous；　he　knew　the

criminal　soul。　　That　is　to　say；　he　knew　the　human　soul。　　He

refused　to　see　anything　extraordinary　in　this。　　〃It　is　only　my

business　to　know　such　things；〃　he　would　say。　　〃We　know　many

things。　　It　is　our　business　to　know　them。　　There　is　no　miracle

about　it。〃　　This　was　the　public　character　he　had　created　for

himself；　and　emphasizedthat　of　the　plain　business　man。　　This

was　his　mask。　　He　was　so　subtle　that　he　hid　the　vast　range　of　his

powers　behind　an　appearance　of　commonplaceness。



Wilton　Barnstable　never　disguised　himself；　in　the　ordinary　sense

of　the　term。　　That　is；　he　never　resorted　to　false　whiskers　or

wigs　or　obvious　tricks　of　that　sort。



But　if　Wilton　Barnstable　were　to　walk　into　a　convention　of

blacksmiths；　let　us　say；　he　would　quite　escape　attention。　　For

before　he　had　been　ten　minutes　in　that　gathering　he　would　become；

to　all　appearances；　the　typical　blacksmith。　　If　he　were　to　enter

a　gathering　of　bankers；　or　barbers；　or　bakers；　or　organ　grinders；

or　stockbrokers；　or　school…teachers；　a　similar　thing　would

happen。　　He　could　make　himself　the　composite　photograph　of　all

the　individuals　of　any　group。　　He　disguised　himself　from　the

inside　out。



This　art　of　becoming　inconspicuous　was　one　of　his　greatest　assets

as　a　detective。　　Newspaper　and　magazine　writers　would　have　liked

to　dwell　upon　it。　　But　he　requested　them　not　to　emphasize　it。　　As

he　modestly　narrated　his　triumphs　to　the　young　journalists；　who

hung　breathless　upon　his　words；　he　was　careful　not　to　stress　his

talent　for　becoming　just　like　anybody　and　everybody　elsehis

peculiar　genius　for　being　the　average　man。



The　front　which　he　presented　to　the　world　was；　in　reality；　his

cleverest　creation。　　The　magazine　and　newspaper　articles　which

were　written　about　him；　the　many　pictures　which　were　printed

every　month；　presented　the　mental　and　physical　portrait　of　a

knowing；　bustling；　extraordinarily　candid　personality。　　A

personality　with　a　touch　of　smugness　in　it。　　This　was　very

generally　thought　to　be　the　real　Wilton　Barnstable。　　It　was　a

fiction　which　he　had　succeeded　in　establishing。　　When　he

addressed　meetings；　talked　with　reporters；　wrote　articles　about

himself；　or　came　into　touch　with　the　public　in　any　manner；　he

assumed　this　personality。　　When　he　did　not　wish　to　be　known　he

laid　it　aside。　　When　he　desired　to　pass　incognito；　therefore；　it

was　not　necessary　for　him　to　assume　a　disguise。　　He　simply

dropped　one。



The　two　men　with　him；　Barton　Ward　and　Watson　Bard；　were　his

cleverest　agents。　　They　were　learning　from　the　master　detective

the　art　of　looking　like　other　people；　and　were　at　present

practicing　by　looking　like　the　popular　conception　of　Wilton　

Barnstable。　　They　were　clever　men。　　But　Barton　Ward　and　Watson

Bard　were；　as　Cleggett　had　felt　at　once；　only　men　of

extraordinary　talent；　while　Wilton　Barnstable　was　a　genius。



As　Cleggett　talked　he　was　given　a　rather　startling　proof　of

Wilton　Barnstable's　gift。　　He　was　astonished　to　find　a　change

stealing　over　Wilton　Barnstable's　features。　　Subtly　the　detective

began　to　look　like　someone　else。　　The　expression　of　the　face；　the

turn　of　the　eyes；　the　lines　about　the　mouth；　began　to　suggest

someone　whom　Cleggett　knew。　It　was　rather　a　suggestion；　an

impression；　than　a　likeness；　it　was　rather　the　spirit　of　a

personality　than　a　definite　resemblance。　　It　was　a　psychic　thing。

Barnstable　was　disguising　himself　from　the　inside　out；　he　had

assumed　the　mental　and　spiritual　clothing　of　someone　else。



Cleggett　could　not　think　at　first　who　it　was　that　Wilton

Barnstable　suggested。　　But　presently　he　saw　that　it　was　himself。　

He　glanced　at　Barton　Ward　and　Watson　Bard；　they　still　resembled

the　popular　conception　of　Wilton　Barnstable。



Gradually　the　look　of　Cleggett　faded　from　Wilton　Barnstable's

face。　　It　changed；　it　shifted；　that　look　did；　Cleggett　almost

cried　out　as　he　saw　the　face　of　Wilton　Barnstable　become　an

impressionistic　portrait　of　the　soul　of　Logan　Black。　　He　looked

at　Barton　Ward。　　Barton　Ward　was　now　looking　like　Wilton

Barnstable's　conception　of　Cleggett。　　But　Watson　Bard；　less

facile　and　less　creative；　still　clung　stolidly　to　the　popular

conception　of　Wilton　Barnstable。



But；　even　as　Cleggett　looked；　this　remarkable　exhibition　ceased；

the　Wilton　Barnstable　look　dominated　the　faces　again。　　Plump；　yet

dignified；　smiling　easily　and　kindly；　three　plain　business　men

looked　at　him；　respectable　citizens；　commonplace　citizens；　a

little　smug；　faces　that　spoke　of　comfort；　method；　regularity；

eyes　that　seemed　to　wink　with　the　pressure　of　platitudes　in　the

minds　behind　them；　platitudes　that　desired　to　force　their　way　to

the　lips　and　out　into　the　world。



Yes；　such　was　the　genius　of　Wilton　Barnstable　that　he　could　at

will　impose　himself　upon　people　as　the　apotheosis　of　the

commonplace。　　He　did　it　often。　　It　was　almost　second　nature　to

him　now。　His　urbane　smile　was　the　only　visible　sign　of　his　own

enjoyment　of　this　habitual　feat。　　He　knew　his　own　genius；　and

smiled　to　think　how　easy　it　was　to　pass　for　an　average　man！





CHAPTER　XXI



THE　THIRD　OBLONG　BOX　ARRIVES



〃I　think；〃　said　Wilton　Barnstable；　w