in the cage-第19节

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telegram？　　Do　you　mean　you　sent　it　from　here？〃　　She　tried　to　do　the

young　woman　at　Knightsbridge。



〃Oh　yes；　from　hereseveral　weeks　ago。　　Five；　six；　seven〃he　was

confused　and　impatient〃don't　you　remember？〃



〃Remember？〃　she　could　scarcely　keep　out　of　her　face；　at　the　word；

the　strangest　of　smiles。



But　the　way　he　didn't　catch　what　it　meant　was　perhaps　even　stranger

still。　　〃I　mean；　don't　you　keep　the　old　ones？〃



〃For　a　certain　time。〃



〃But　how　long？〃



She　thought；　she　must　do　the　young　woman；　and　she　knew　exactly　what

the　young　woman　would　say　and；　still　more；　wouldn't。　　〃Can　you　give

me　the　date？〃



〃Oh　God；　no！　　It　was　some　time　or　other　in　Augusttoward　the　end。

It　was　to　the　same　address　as　the　one　I　gave　you　last　night。〃



〃Oh！〃　said　the　girl；　knowing　at　this　the　deepest　thrill　she　had

ever　felt。　　It　came　to　her　there；　with　her　eyes　on　his　face；　that

she　held　the　whole　thing　in　her　hand；　held　it　as　she　held　her

pencil；　which　might　have　broken　at　that　instant　in　her　tightened

grip。　　This　made　her　feel　like　the　very　fountain　of　fate；　but　the

emotion　was　such　a　flood　that　she　had　to　press　it　back　with　all　her

force。　　That　was　positively　the　reason；　again；　of　her　flute…like

Paddington　tone。　　〃You　can't　give　us　anything　a　little　nearer？〃

Her　〃little〃　and　her　〃us〃　came　straight　from　Paddington。　　These

things　were　no　false　note　for　himhis　difficulty　absorbed　them

all。　　The　eyes　with　which　he　pressed　her；　and　in　the　depths　of

which　she　read　terror　and　rage　and　literal　tears；　were　just　the

same　he　would　have　shown　any　other　prim　person。



〃I　don't　know　the　date。　　I　only　know　the　thing　went　from　here；　and

just　about　the　time　I　speak　of。　　It　wasn't　delivered；　you　see。

We've　got　to　recover　it。〃







CHAPTER　XXIII







She　was　as　struck　with　the　beauty　of　his　plural　pronoun　as　she　had

judged　he　might　be　with　that　of　her　own；　but　she　knew　now　so　well

what　she　was　about　that　she　could　almost　play　with　him　and　with　her

new…born　joy。　　〃You　say　'about　the　time　you　speak　of。'　　But　I　don't

think　you　speak　of　an　exact　timedo　you？〃



He　looked　splendidly　helpless。　　〃That's　just　what　I　want　to　find

out。　　Don't　you　keep　the　old　ones？can't　you　look　it　up？〃



Our　young　ladystill　at　Paddingtonturned　the　question　over。　　〃It

wasn't　delivered？〃



〃Yes；　it　WAS；　yet；　at　the　same　time；　don't　you　know？　it　wasn't。〃

He　just　hung　back；　but　he　brought　it　out。　　〃I　mean　it　was

intercepted；　don't　you　know？　and　there　was　something　in　it。〃　　He

paused　again　and；　as　if　to　further　his　quest　and　woo　and　supplicate

success　and　recovery；　even　smiled　with　an　effort　at　the　agreeable

that　was　almost　ghastly　and　that　turned　the　knife　in　her

tenderness。　　What　must　be　the　pain　of　it　all；　of　the　open　gulf　and

the　throbbing　fever；　when　this　was　the　mere　hot　breath？　　〃We　want

to　get　what　was　in　itto　know　what　it　was。〃



〃I　seeI　see。〃　　She　managed　just　the　accent　they　had　at　Paddington

when　they　stared　like　dead　fish。　　〃And　you　have　no　clue？〃



〃Not　at　allI've　the　clue　I've　just　given　you。〃



〃Oh　the　last　of　August？〃　　If　she　kept　it　up　long　enough　she　would

make　him　really　angry。



〃Yes；　and　the　address；　as　I've　said。〃



〃Oh　the　same　as　last　night？〃



He　visibly　quivered；　as　with　a　gleam　of　hope；　but　it　only　poured

oil　on　her　quietude；　and　she　was　still　deliberate。　　She　ranged　some

papers。　　〃Won't　you　look？〃　he　went　on。



〃I　remember　your　coming；〃　she　replied。



He　blinked　with　a　new　uneasiness；　it　might　have　begun　to　come　to

him；　through　her　difference；　that　he　was　somehow　different　himself。

〃You　were　much　quicker　then；　you　know！〃



〃So　were　youyou　must　do　me　that　justice；〃　she　answered　with　a

smile。　　〃But　let　me　see。　　Wasn't　it　Dover？〃



〃Yes；　Miss　Dolman〃



〃Parade　Lodge；　Parade　Terrace？〃



〃Exactlythank　you　so　awfully　much！〃　　He　began　to　hope　again。

〃Then　you　HAVE　itthe　other　one？〃



She　hesitated　afresh；　she　quite　dangled　him。　　〃It　was　brought　by　a

lady？〃



〃Yes；　and　she　put　in　by　mistake　something　wrong。　　That's　what　we've

got　to　get　hold　of！〃　　Heavens；　what　was　he　going　to　say？flooding

poor　Paddington　with　wild　betrayals！　　She　couldn't　too　much；　for

her　joy；　dangle　him；　yet　she　couldn't　either；　for　his　dignity；　warn

or　control　or　check　him。　　What　she　found　herself　doing　was　just　to

treat　herself　to　the　middle　way。　　〃It　was　intercepted？〃



〃It　fell　into　the　wrong　hands。　　But　there's　something　in　it；〃　he

continued　to　blurt　out；　〃that　MAY　be　all　right。　　That　is；　if　it's

wrong；　don't　you　know？　　It's　all　right　if　it's　wrong；〃　he

remarkably　explained。



What　WAS　he；　on　earth；　going　to　say？　　Mr。　Buckton　and　the　counter…

clerk　were　already　interested；　no　one　would　have　the　decency　to

come　in；　and　she　was　divided　between　her　particular　terror　for　him

and　her　general　curiosity。　　Yet　she　already　saw　with　what

brilliancy　she　could　add；　to　carry　the　thing　off；　a　little　false

knowledge　to　all　her　real。　　〃I　quite　understand；〃　she　said　with

benevolent；　with　almost　patronising　quickness。　　〃The　lady　has

forgotten　what　she　did　put。〃



〃Forgotten　most　wretchedly；　and　it's　an　immense　inconvenience。　　It

has　only　just　been　found　that　it　didn't　get　there；　so　that　if　we

could　immediately　have　it〃



〃Immediately？〃



〃Every　minute　counts。　　You　have；〃　he　pleaded；　〃surely　got　them　on

file？〃



〃So　that　you　can　see　it　on　the　spot？〃



〃Yes；　pleasethis　very　minute。〃　　The　counter　rang　with　his

knuckles；　with　the　knob　of　his　stick；　with　his　panic　of　alarm。

〃Do；　DO　hunt　it　up！〃　he　repeated。



〃I　dare　say　we　could　get　it　for　you；〃　the　girl　weetly　returned。



〃Get　it？〃he　looked　aghast。　　〃When？〃



〃Probably　by　to…morrow。〃



〃Then　it　isn't　here？〃his　face　was　pitiful。



She　caught　only　the　uncovered　gleams　that　peeped　out　of　the

blackness；　and　she　wondered　what　complication；　even　among　the　most

supposable；　the　very　worst；　could　be　bad　enough　to　account　for　the

degree　of　his　terror。　　There　were　twists　and　turns；　there　were

places　where　the　screw　drew　blood；　that　she　couldn't　guess。　　She

was　more　and　more　glad　she　didn't　want　to。　　〃It　has　been　sent　on。〃



〃But　how　do　you　know　if　you　don't　look？〃



She　gave　him　a　smile　that　was　meant　to　be；　in　the　absolute　irony　of

its　propriety；　quite　divine。　　〃It　was　August　23rd；　and　we've

nothing　later　here　than　August　27th。〃



Something　leaped　into　his　face。　　〃27th23rd？　　Then　you're　sure？

You　know？〃



She　felt　she　scarce　knew　whatas　if　she　might　soon　be　pounced　upon

for　some　lurid　connexion　with　a　scandal。　　It　was　the　queerest　of

all　sensations；　for　she　had　heard；　she　had　read；　of　these　things；

and　the　wealth　of　her　intimacy　with　them　at　Cocker's　might　be

supposed　to　have　schooled　and　seasoned　her。　　This　particular　one

that　she　had　really　quite　lived　with　was；　after　all；　an　old　story；

yet　what　it　had　been　before　was　dim　and　distant　beside　the　touch

under　which　she　now　winced。　　Scandal？it　had　never　been　but　a

silly　word。　　Now　it　was　a　great　tense　surface；　and　the　surface　was

somehow　Captain　Everard's　wonderful　face。　　Deep　down　in　his　eyes　a

picture；　a　scenea　great　place　like　a　chamber　of　justice；　where；

before　a　watching　crowd；　a　poor　girl；　exposed　but　heroic；　swore

with　a　quavering　voice　to　a　document；　proved　an　ALIBI；　supplied　a

link。　　In　this　picture　she　bravely　took　her　place。　　〃It　was　the

23rd。〃



〃Then　can't　you　get　it　this　morningor　some　time　to…day？〃



She　considered；　still　holding　him　with　her　look；　which　she　then

turned　on　her　two　companions；　who　were　by　this　time　unreservedly

enlisted。　　She　didn't　carenot　a　scrap；　and　she　glanced　about　for

a　piece　of　paper。　　With　this　she　had　to　recognise　the　rigour　of

official　thrifta　morsel　of　blackened　blotter　was　the　only　loose

paper　to　be　seen。　　〃Have　you　got　a　card？〃　she　said　to　her　visitor。

He　was　quite　away　from　Paddington　now；　and　the　next　instant；

pocket…book　in　hand；　he　had　whipped　a　card　out。　　She　gave　no　glance

at　the　name　on　itonly　turned　it　to　the　other　side。　　She　continued

to　hold　him；　she　felt　at　present；　as　she　had　never　held　him；　and

her　command　of　her　colleagues　was　for　the　moment　not　less　marked。

She　wrote　something　on　the　back　of　the　card　and　pushed　it　across　to

him。



He　fairly　glared　at　it。　　〃Seven；　nine；　four〃



〃Nine；　six；　one〃she　obligingly　completed　the　number。　　〃Is　it

right？〃　she　smiled。



He　took　the　whole　thing　in　with　a　flushed　intensity；　then　there

broke　out　in　him　a　visibility　of　relief　that　was　simply　a

tremendous　exposure。　　He　shone　at　them　all　like　a　tall　lighthouse；

embracing　even；　for　sympathy；　the　blinking　young　men。　　〃By　all　the

powersit's　WRONG！〃　　And　without　another　look；　without　a　word　of

thanks；　without　time　for　anything　or　anybody；　he　turned　on　them　the

broad　back　of　his　great　stature；　straightened　his　triumphant

shoulders；　and　strode　out　of　the　place。



She　was　left　confronted　with　her　habitual　critics。　　〃'If　it's　wrong

it's　a