the clue of the twisted candle-第33节

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〃He　leant　forward；　his　elbows　on　his　knees；　his　clenched　fist　under　his　chin　…　how　well　I　can　see　him！　…　and　stared　at　me。

〃'I　could　have　been　king　here　in　this　land；'　he　said；　waving　his　hand　toward　the　interior；　'I　could　have　bribed　and　shot　my　way　to　the　throne　of　Albania。　　Don't　you　realize　what　that　means　to　a　man　like　me？　　　There　is　still　a　chance　and　if　I　could　keep　your　wife　alive；　if　I　could　see　her　broken　in　reason　and　in　health；　a　poor；　skeleton；　gibbering　thing　that　knelt　at　my　feet　when　I　came　near　her　I　should　recover　the　mastery　of　myself。　　Believe　me；'　he　said；　nodding　his　head；　'your　wife　will　have　the　best　medical　advice　that　it　is　possible　to　obtain。'

〃Kara　went　out　and　I　did　not　see　him　again　for　a　very　long　time。　He　sent　word；　just　a　scrawled　note　in　the　morning；　to　say　my　wife　had　died。〃

John　Lexman　rose　up　from　his　seat；　and　paced　the　apartment；　his　head　upon　his　breast。

〃From　that　moment；〃　he　said；　〃I　lived　only　for　one　thing；　to　punish　Remington　Kara。　　And　gentlemen；　I　punished　him。〃

He　stood　in　the　centre　of　the　room　and　thumped　his　broad　chest　with　his　clenched　hand。

〃I　killed　Remington　Kara；〃　he　said；　and　there　was　a　little　gasp　of　astonishment　from　every　man　present　save　one。　　That　one　was　T。　X。　Meredith；　who　had　known　all　the　time。




CHAPTER　XXII


After　a　while　Lexman　resumed　his　story。

〃I　told　you　that　there　was　a　man　at　the　palazzo　named　Salvolio。　Salvolio　was　a　man　who　had　been　undergoing　a　life　sentence　in　one　of　the　prisons　of　southern　Italy。　　In　some　mysterious　fashion　he　escaped　and　got　across　the　Adriatic　in　a　small　boat。　　How　Kara　found　him　I　don't　know。　　Salvolio　was　a　very　uncommunicative　person。　　I　was　never　certain　whether　he　was　a　Greek　or　an　Italian。　All　that　I　am　sure　about　is　that　he　was　the　most　unmitigated　villain　next　to　his　master　that　I　have　ever　met。

〃He　was　a　quick　man　with　his　knife　and　I　have　seen　him　kill　one　of　the　guards　whom　he　had　thought　was　favouring　me　in　the　matter　of　diet　with　less　compunction　than　you　would　kill　a　rat。

〃It　was　he　who　gave　me　this　scar；〃　John　Lexman　pointed　to　his　cheek。　　〃In　his　master's　absence　he　took　upon　himself　the　task　of　conducting　a　clumsy　imitation　of　Kara's　persecution。　　He　gave　me；　too；　the　only　glimpse　I　ever　had　of　the　torture　poor　Grace　underwent。　　She　hated　dogs；　and　Kara　must　have　come　to　know　this　and　in　her　sleeping　room　…　she　was　apparently　better　accommodated　than　I　…　he　kept　four　fierce　beasts　so　chained　that　they　could　almost　reach　her。

〃Some　reference　to　my　wife　from　this　low　brute　maddened　me　beyond　endurance　and　I　sprang　at　him。　　He　whipped　out　his　knife　and　struck　at　me　as　I　fell　and　I　escaped　by　a　miracle。　　He　evidently　had　orders　not　to　touch　me；　for　he　was　in　a　great　panic　of　mind；　as　he　had　reason　to　be；　because　on　Kara's　return　he　discovered　the　state　of　my　face；　started　an　enquiry　and　had　Salvolio　taken　to　the　courtyard　in　the　true　eastern　style　and　bastinadoed　until　his　feet　were　pulp。

〃You　may　be　sure　the　man　hated　me　with　a　malignity　which　almost　rivalled　his　employer's。　　After　Grace's　death　Kara　went　away　suddenly　and　I　was　left　to　the　tender　mercy　of　this　man。　Evidently　he　had　been　given　a　fairly　free　hand。　　The　principal　object　of　Kara's　hate　being　dead；　he　took　little　further　interest　in　me；　or　else　wearied　of　his　hobby。　　Salvolio　began　his　persecutions　by　reducing　my　diet。　　Fortunately　I　ate　very　little。　Nevertheless　the　supplies　began　to　grow　less　and　less；　and　I　was　beginning　to　feel　the　effects　of　this　starvation　system　when　there　happened　a　thing　which　changed　the　whole　course　of　my　life　and　opened　to　me　a　way　to　freedom　and　to　vengeance。

〃Salvolio　did　not　imitate　the　austerity　of　his　master　and　in　Kara's　absence　was　in　the　habit　of　having　little　orgies　of　his　own。　　He　would　bring　up　dancing　girls　from　Durazzo　for　his　amusement　and　invite　prominent　men　in　the　neighbourhood　to　his　feasts　and　entertainments；　for　he　was　absolutely　lord　of　the　palazzo　when　Kara　was　away　and　could　do　pretty　well　as　he　liked。　On　this　particular　night　the　festivities　had　been　more　than　usually　prolonged；　for　as　near　as　I　could　judge　by　the　day…light　which　was　creeping　in　through　my　window　it　was　about　four　o'clock　in　the　morning　when　the　big　steel…sheeted　door　was　opened　and　Salvolio　came　in；　more　than　a　little　drunk。　　He　brought　with　him；　as　I　judged；　one　of　his　dancing　girls；　who　apparently　was　privileged　to　see　the　sights　of　the　palace。

〃For　a　long　time　he　stood　in　the　doorway　talking　incoherently　in　a　language　which　I　think　must　have　been　Turkish；　for　I　caught　one　or　two　words。

〃Whoever　the　girl　was；　she　seemed　a　little　frightened；　I　could　see　that；　because　she　shrank　back　from　him　though　his　arm　was　about　her　shoulders　and　he　was　half　supporting　his　weight　upon　her。　There　was　fear；　not　only　in　the　curious　little　glances　she　shot　at　me　from　time　to　time；　but　also　in　the　averted　face。　　Her　story　I　was　to　learn。　　She　was　not　of　the　class　from　whence　Salvolio　found　the　dancers　who　from　time　to　time　came　up　to　the　palace　for　his　amusement　and　the　amusement　of　his　guests。　　She　was　the　daughter　of　a　Turkish　merchant　of　Scutari　who　had　been　received　into　the　Catholic　Church。

〃Her　father　had　gone　down　to　Durazzo　during　the　first　Balkan　war　and　then　Salvolio　had　seen　the　girl　unknown　to　her　parent；　and　there　had　been　some　rough　kind　of　courtship　which　ended　in　her　running　away　on　this　very　day　and　joining　her　ill…favoured　lover　at　the　palazzo。　　I　tell　you　this　because　the　fact　had　some　bearing　on　my　own　fate。

〃As　I　say；　the　girl　was　frightened　and　made　as　though　to　go　from　the　dungeon。　　She　was　probably　scared　both　by　the　unkempt　prisoner　and　by　the　drunken　man　at　her　side。　　He；　however；　could　not　leave　without　showing　to　her　something　of　his　authority。　　He　came　lurching　over　near　where　I　lay；　his　long　knife　balanced　in　his　hand　ready　for　emergencies；　and　broke　into　a　string　of　vituperations　of　the　character　to　which　I　was　quite　hardened。

〃Then　he　took　a　flying　kick　at　me　and　got　home　in　my　ribs；　but　again　I　experienced　neither　a　sense　of　indignity　nor　any　great　hurt。　　Salvolio　had　treated　me　like　this　before　and　I　had　survived　it。　　In　the　midst　of　the　tirade；　looking　past　him；　I　was　a　new　witness　to　an　extraordinary　scene。

〃The　girl　stood　in　the　open　doorway；　shrinking　back　against　the　door；　looking　with　distress　and　pity　at　the　spectacle　which　Salvolio's　brutality　afforded。　　Then　suddenly　there　appeared　beside　her　a　tall　Turk。　　He　was　grey…bearded　and　forbidding。　　She　looked　round　and　saw　him；　and　her　mouth　opened　to　utter　a　cry；　but　with　a　gesture　he　silenced　her　and　pointed　to　the　darkness　outside。

〃Without　a　word　she　cringed　past　him；　her　sandalled　feet　making　no　noise。　　All　this　time　Salvolio　was　continuing　his　stream　of　abuse；　but　he　must　have　seen　the　wonder　in　my　eyes　for　he　stopped　and　turned。

〃The　old　Turk　took　one　stride　forward；　encircled　his　body　with　his　left　arm；　and　there　they　stood　grotesquely　like　a　couple　who　were　going　to　start　to　waltz。　　The　Turk　was　a　head　taller　than　Salvolio　and；　as　I　could　see；　a　man　of　immense　strength。

〃They　looked　at　one　another；　face　to　face；　Salvolio　rapidly　recovering　his　senses　。　。　。　and　then　the　Turk　gave　him　a　gentle　punch　in　the　ribs。　　That　is　what　it　seemed　like　to　me；　but　Salvolio　coughed　horribly；　went　limp　in　the　other's　arms　and　dropped　with　a　thud　to　the　ground。　　The　Turk　leant　down　soberly　and　wiped　his　long　knife　on　the　other's　jacket　before　he　put　it　back　in　the　sash　at　his　waist。

〃Then　with　a　glance　at　me　he　turned　to　go；　but　stopped　at　the　door　and　looked　back　thoughtfully。　　He　said　something　in　Turkish　which　I　could　not　understand；　then　he　spoke　in　French。

〃'Who　are　you？'　he　asked。

〃In　as　few　words　as　possible　I　explained。　　He　came　over　and　looked　at　the　manacle　about　my　leg　and　shook　his　head。

〃'You　will　never　be　able　to　get　that　undone；'　he　said。

〃He　caught　hold　of　the　chain；　which　was　a　fairly　long　one；　bound　it　twice　round　his　arm　and　steadying　his　arm　across　his　thigh；　he　turned　with　a　sudden　jerk。　　There　was　a　smart　'snap'　as　the　chain　parted。　　He　caught　me　by　the　shoulder　and　pulled　me　to　my　feet。　〃　'Put　the　chain　about　your　waist；　Effendi；'　he　said；　and　he　took　a　revolver　from　his　belt　and　handed　it　to　me。

〃'You　may　need　this　before　we　get　back　to　Durazzo；'　he　said。　　His　belt　was　literally　bristling　with　weapons　…　I　saw　three　revolvers　beside　the　one　I　possessed　…　and　he　had；　evidently　come　prepared　for　trouble。　　We　made　our　way　from　the　dungeon　into　the　clean…smelling　world　without。

〃It　was　the　second　time　I　had　been　in　the　open　air　for　eighteen　months　and　my　knees　were　trembling　under　me　with　weakness　and　excitement。　　The　old　man　shut　the　prison　door　behind　us　and　walked　on　until　we　came　up　to　the　girl　waiting　for　us　by　the　lakeside。　She　was　weeping　softly　and　he　spoke　to　her　a　few　words　in　a　low　voice　and　her　weeping　ceased。

〃'This　daughter　of　mine　will　show　us　the　way；'　he　said；　'I　do　not　know　this　part　of　the　country　…　she　knows　it　too　well。'

〃To　cut　a　long　story　short；〃　said　Lexman；　〃we　reached　Durazzo　in　the　afternoon。　　There　was　no　attempt　made　to　follow　us　up　and　neither　my　absence　nor　the　body　of　Salvolio　were　discovered　until　late　in　the　afternoon。　　You　must