the clue of the twisted candle-第34节

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body　of　Salvolio　were　discovered　until　late　in　the　afternoon。　　You　must　remember　that　nobody　but　Salvolio　was　allowed　into　my　prison　and　therefore　nobody　had　the　courage　to　make　any　investigations。

〃The　old　man　got　me　to　his　house　without　being　observed；　and　brought　a　brother…in…law　or　some　relative　of　his　to　remove　the　anklet。　　The　name　of　my　host　was　Hussein　Effendi。

〃That　same　night　we　left　with　a　little　caravan　to　visit　some　of　the　old　man's　relatives。　　He　was　not　certain　what　would　be　the　consequence　of　his　act；　and　for　safety's　sake　took　this　trip；　which　would　enable　him　if　need　be　to　seek　sanctuary　with　some　of　the　wilder　Turkish　tribes；　who　would　give　him　protection。

〃In　that　three　months　I　saw　Albania　as　it　is　…　it　was　an　experience　never　to　be　forgotten！

〃If　there　is　a　better　man　in　God's　world　than　Hiabam　Hussein　Effendi；　I　have　yet　to　meet　him。　　It　was　he　who　provided　me　with　money　to　leave　Albania。　　I　begged　from　him；　too；　the　knife　with　which　he　had　killed　Salvolio。　　He　had　discovered　that　Kara　was　in　England　and　told　me　something　of　the　Greek's　occupation　which　I　had　not　known　before。　　I　crossed　to　Italy　and　went　on　to　Milan。　There　it　was　that　I　learnt　that　an　eccentric　Englishman　who　had　arrived　a　few　days　previously　on　one　of　the　South　American　boats　at　Genoa；　was　in　my　hotel　desperately　ill。

〃My　hotel　I　need　hardly　tell　you　was　not　a　very　expensive　one　and　we　were　evidently　the　only　two　Englishmen　in　the　place。　　I　could　do　no　less　than　go　up　and　see　what　I　could　do　for　the　poor　fellow　who　was　pretty　well　gone　when　I　saw　him。　　I　seemed　to　remember　having　seen　him　before　and　when　looking　round　for　some　identification　I　discovered　his　name　I　readily　recalled　the　circumstance。

〃It　was　George　Gathercole；　who　had　returned　from　South　America。　He　was　suffering　from　malarial　fever　and　blood　poisoning　and　for　a　week；　with　an　Italian　doctor；　I　fought　as　hard　as　any　man　could　fight　for　his　life。　　He　was　a　trying　patient；〃　John　Lexman　smiled　suddenly　at　the　recollection；　〃vitriolic　in　his　language；　impatient　and　imperious　in　his　attitude　to　his　friends。　　He　was；　for　example；　terribly　sensitive　about　his　lost　arm　and　would　not　allow　either　the　doctor　or　my…self　to　enter　the　room　until　he　was　covered　to　the　neck；　nor　would　he　eat　or　drink　in　our　presence。　Yet　he　was　the　bravest　of　the　brave；　careless　of　himself　and　only　fretful　because　he　had　not　time　to　finish　his　new　book。　　His　indomitable　spirit　did　not　save　him。　　He　died　on　the　17th　of　January　of　this　year。　　I　was　in　Genoa　at　the　time；　having　gone　there　at　his　request　to　save　his　belongings。　　When　I　returned　he　had　been　buried。　　I　went　through　his　papers　and　it　was　then　that　I　conceived　my　idea　of　how　I　might　approach　Kara。

〃I　found　a　letter　from　the　Greek；　which　had　been　addressed　to　Buenos　Ayres；　to　await　arrival；　and　then　I　remembered　in　a　flash；　how　Kara　had　told　me　he　had　sent　George　Gathercole　to　South　America　to　report　upon　possible　gold　formations。　　I　was　determined　to　kill　Kara；　and　determined　to　kill　him　in　such　a　way　that　I　myself　would　cover　every　trace　of　my　complicity。

〃Even　as　he　had　planned　my　downfall；　scheming　every　step　and　covering　his　trail；　so　did　I　plan　to　bring　about　his　death　that　no　suspicion　should　fall　on　me。

〃I　knew　his　house。　　I　knew　something　of　his　habits。　　I　knew　the　fear　in　which　he　went　when　he　was　in　England　and　away　from　the　feudal　guards　who　had　surrounded　him　in　Albania。　　I　knew　of　his　famous　door　with　its　steel　latch　and　I　was　planning　to　circumvent　all　these　precautions　and　bring　to　him　not　only　the　death　he　deserved；　but　a　full　knowledge　of　his　fate　before　he　died。

〃Gathercole　had　some　money；　…　about　140　pounds　…　　I　took　100　pounds　of　this　for　my　own　use；　knowing　that　I　should　have　sufficient　in　London　to　recompense　his　heirs；　and　the　remainder　of　the　money　with　all　such　documents　as　he　had；　save　those　which　identified　him　with　Kara；　I　handed　over　to　the　British　Consul。

〃I　was　not　unlike　the　dead　man。　　My　beard　had　grown　wild　and　I　knew　enough　of　Gathercole's　eccentricities　to　live　the　part。　　The　first　step　I　took　was　to　announce　my　arrival　by　inference。　　I　am　a　fairly　good　journalist　with　a　wide　general　knowledge　and　with　this；　corrected　by　reference　to　the　necessary　books　which　I　found　in　the　British　Museum　library；　I　was　able　to　turn　out　a　very　respectable　article　on　Patagonia。

〃This　I　sent　to　The　Times　with　one　of　Gathercole's　cards　and；　as　you　know；　it　was　printed。　　My　next　step　was　to　find　suitable　lodgings　between　Chelsea　and　Scotland　Yard。　　I　was　fortunate　in　being　able　to　hire　a　furnished　flat；　the　owner　of　which　was　going　to　the　south　of　France　for　three　months。　　I　paid　the　rent　in　advance　and　since　I　dropped　all　the　eccentricities　I　had　assumed　to　support　the　character　of　Gathercole；　I　must　have　impressed　the　owner；　who　took　me　without　references。

〃I　had　several　suits　of　new　clothes　made；　not　in　London；〃　he　smiled；　〃but　in　Manchester；　and　again　I　made　myself　as　trim　as　possible　to　avoid　after…identification。　　When　I　had　got　these　together　in　my　flat；　I　chose　my　day。　　In　the　morning　I　sent　two　trunks　with　most　of　my　personal　belongings　to　the　Great　Midland　Hotel。

〃In　the　afternoon　I　went　to　Cadogan　Square　and　hung　about　until　I　saw　Kara　drive　off。　　It　was　my　first　view　of　him　since　I　had　left　Albania　and　it　required　all　my　self…control　to　prevent　me　springing　at　him　in　the　street　and　tearing　at　him　with　my　hands。

〃Once　he　was　out　of　sight　I　went　to　the　house　adopting　all　the　style　and　all　the　mannerisms　of　poor　Gathercole。　　My　beginning　was　unfortunate　for；　with　a　shock；　I　recognised　in　the　valet　a　fellow…convict　who　had　been　with　me　in　the　warder's　cottage　on　the　morning　of　my　escape　from　Dartmoor。　　There　was　no　mistaking　him；　and　when　I　heard　his　voice　I　was　certain。　　Would　he　recognise　me　I　wondered；　in　spite　of　my　beard　and　my　eye…glasses？

〃Apparently　he　did　not。　　I　gave　him　every　chance。　　I　thrust　my　face　into　his　and　on　my　second　visit　challenged　him；　in　the　eccentric　way　which　poor　old　Gathercole　had；　to　test　the　grey　of　my　beard。　　For　the　moment　however；　I　was　satisfied　with　my　brief　experiment　and　after　a　reasonable　interval　I　went　away；　returning　to　my　place　off　Victoria　Street　and　waiting　till　the　evening。

〃In　my　observation　of　the　house；　whilst　I　was　waiting　for　Kara　to　depart；　I　had　noticed　that　there　were　two　distinct　telephone　wires　running　down　to　the　roof。　　I　guessed；　rather　than　knew；　that　one　of　these　telephones　was　a　private　wire　and；　knowing　something　of　Kara's　fear；　I　presumed　that　that　wire　would　lead　to　a　police　office；　or　at　any　rate　to　a　guardian　of　some　kind　or　other。　　Kara　had　the　same　arrangement　in　Albania；　connecting　the　palazzo　with　the　gendarme　posts　at　Alesso。　　This　much　Hussein　told　me。

〃That　night　I　made　a　reconnaissance　of　the　house　and　saw　Kara's　window　was　lit　and　at　ten　minutes　past　ten　I　rang　the　bell　and　I　think　it　was　then　that　I　applied　the　test　of　the　beard。　　Kara　was　in　his　room；　the　valet　told　me；　and　led　the　way　upstairs。　　I　had　come　prepared　to　deal　with　this　valet　for　I　had　an　especial　reason　for　wishing　that　he　should　not　be　interrogated　by　the　police。　　On　a　plain　card　I　had　written　the　number　he　bore　in　Dartmoor　and　had　added　the　words；　'I　know　you；　get　out　of　here　quick。'

〃As　he　turned　to　lead　the　way　upstairs　I　flung　the　envelope　containing　the　card　on　the　table　in　the　hall。　　In　an　inside　pocket；　as　near　to　my　body　as　I　could　put　them；　I　had　the　two　candles。　　How　I　should　use　them　both　I　had　already　decided。　　The　valet　ushered　me　into　Kara's　room　and　once　more　I　stood　ins　the　presence　of　the　man　who　had　killed　my　girl　and　blotted　out　all　that　was　beautiful　in　life　for　me。〃

There　was　a　breathless　silence　when　he　paused。　　T。　X。　leaned　back　in　his　chair；　his　head　upon　his　breast；　his　arms　folded；　his　eyes　watching　the　other　intently。

The　Chief　Commissioner；　with　a　heavy　frown　and　pursed　lips；　sat　stroking　his　moustache　and　looking　under　his　shaggy　eyebrows　at　the　speaker。　　The　French　police　officer；　his　hands　thrust　deep　in　his　pockets；　his　head　on　one　side；　was　taking　in　every　word　eagerly。　　The　sallow…faced　Russian；　impassive　of　face；　might　have　been　a　carved　ivory　mask。　　O'Grady；　the　American；　the　stump　of　a　dead　cigar　between　his　teeth；　shifted　impatiently　with　every　pause　as　though　he　would　hurry　forward　the　denouement。

Presently　John　Lexman　went　on。

〃He　slipped　from　the　bed　and　came　across　to　meet　me　as　I　closed　the　door　behind　me。

〃'Ah；　Mr。　　Gathercole；'　he　said；　in　that　silky　tone　of　his；　and　held　out　his　hand。

〃I　did　not　speak。　　I　just　looked　at　him　with　a　sort　of　fierce　joy　in　my　heart　the　like　of　which　I　had　never　before　experienced。

〃'And　then　he　saw　in　my　eyes　the　truth　and　half　reached　for　the　telephone。

〃But　at　that　moment　I　was　on　him。　　He　was　a　child　in　my　hands。　All　the　bitter　anguish　he　had　brought　upon　me；　all　the　hardships　of　starved　days　and　freezing　nights　had　strengthened　and　hardened　me。　　I　had　come　back　to　London　disguised　with　a　false　arm　and　this　I　shook　free。　　It　was　merely　a　gauntlet　of　thin　wood　which　I　had　had　made　for　me　in　Paris。

〃I　flung　him　back　on　the　bed　and　half　knelt；　half　laid　on　him。

〃'Kara；'　I　said；　'you　are　going　to　die；　a　more　merciful　death　than　my　w