count bunker-第33节

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！



Expanding　his　chest；　he　made　the　awe…inspiring　announcement

〃I　am　moch　greater　zan　Tollyvoddle！　　I　am　ze　Baron　Rudolph　von　Blitzenberg！〃

〃Another　darned　lie！〃　commented　Ri。

Mr。　Maddison　laughed　sardonically；　while　Eleanor；　with　flashing　eyes；　now　joined　in　the　attack　upon　the　hapless　nobleman。

〃You　wretched　creature！　　Isn't　it　enough　to　have　shammed　to　be　one　peer　without　shamming　to　be　another？〃

〃Bot　I　am！　　Ja；　I　swear　to　you！　　Can　you　not　see　zat　I　am　noble？〃

〃Curiously　enough　we　can't；〃　replied　Mr。　Maddison。

But　his　daughter's　scepticism　was　a　little　shaken　by　the　fervor　of　his　assurances。

〃But；　Poppa；　perhaps　he　may　be　a　German　peer。〃

〃German　waiter；　more　likely！〃　sneered　Ri。　　〃What　shall　we　do　with　him？　　Tar　and　feathers；　I　guess；　would　just　about　suit　his　complaint。〃

〃No；　Ri；　no；〃　said　his　father　cautiously。　　〃Remember　we　are　no　longer　beneath　the　banner　of　freedom。　　In　this　benighted　country　it　might　lead　into　trouble。　　Guess　we　can　find　him　accommodation；　though；　in　that　bit　of　genuine　antique　above　the　harness…room。　　It's　fitted　with　a　very　substantial　lock。　　We'll　make　Dugald　M'Culloch　responsible　for　this　BARON　till　the　police　take　him　over。〃

Vain　were　the　Baron's　protests；　and　upon　the　appearance　of　Dugald　M'Culloch；　fisherman　and　facto…　tum　to　the　millionaire；　accompanied　by　three　burly　satellites；　vain；　he　perceived；　would　be　the　most　desperate　resistance。　　He　plead　the　privileges　of　a　foreign　diplomatist；　threatened　a　descent　of　the　German　army　upon　Lincoln　Lodge；　guaranteed　an　intimate　acquaintance　with　the　American　ambassador〃Who　vill　make　you　sorry　for　zis！〃　but　all　without　moving　Mr。　Maddison's　resolution。　　Even　Eleanor　whispered　a　word　for　him　and　was　repulsed；　for　he　overheard　her　father　replying　to　her

〃No；　no；　Eleanor；　no　more　a　diplomatist　than　you　would　have　been　Lady　Tulliwuddle。　　Guess　I　know　what　I'm　doing。〃

Whereupon　the　late　Lord　Tulliwuddle；　kilt　and　all；　was　conveyed　by　a　guard　of　six　tall　men　and　deposited　in　the　bit　of　genuine　antique　above　the　harness…room。　　This　proved　to　be　a　small　chamber　in　a　thick…walled　wing　of　the　original　house；　now　part　of　the　back　premises；　and　there；　with　his　face　buried　in　his　hands；　the　poor　prisoner　moaned　aloud

〃Oh；　my　life；　she　is　geblasted！　　I　am　undone！　　Oh；　I　am　lost！〃

〃Will　it　be　so　bad　as　that；　indeed？〃

He　looked　up　with　a　start；　and　perceived　Dugald；　his　jailor；　gazing　upon　him　with　an　expression　of　indescribable　sagacity。

〃The　master　will　be　sending　me　with　his　car　to　tell　the　folks　at　Hechnahoul；〃　added　Dugald。

Still　the　Baron　failed　to　comprehend　the　exchange　of　favors　suggested　by　his　jailor's　sympathetic　voice。

〃Go；　zen！〃　he　muttered；　and　bent　his　head。

〃You　will　not　be　wishing　to　send　no　messages　to　your　friends？〃

At　last　the　prisoner　understood。　　For　a　sovereign　Dugald　promised　to　convey　a　note　to　the　Count；　for　five　he　undertook　to　bribe　the　chauffeur　to　convey　him　to　The　Lash；　when　he　learned　where　that　gentleman　was　to　be　found。　　And　he　further　decided　to　be　faithful　to　his　trust；　since；　as　he　prudently　reflected

〃If　he　will　be　a　real　chentleman　after　all　it　shall　not　be　well　to　be　hard　with　him。　　And　if　he　will　not　be；　nobody　shall　know。〃

The　Baron　felt　a　trifle　less　hopeless　now；　yet　so　black　did　the　prospect　remain　that　he　firmly　believed　he　should　never　be　able　to　raise　his　head　again　and　meet　the　gaze　of　his　fellow…men；　not　at　least　if　he　stayed　in　that　room　till　the　police　arrived。



CHAPTER　XXXIV

Not　even　the　news　of　Flodden　brought　direr　dismay　to　Hechnahoul　than　Mr。　Maddison's　brief　note。　　Lord　Tulliwuddle　an　impostor？　　That　magnificent　young　man　a　fraud？　　So　much　geniality；　brawn；　and　taste　for　the　bagpipes　merely　the　sheep's　clothing　that　hid　a　wandering　wolf？　　Incredible！　　Yet；　on　second　thoughts；　how　very　much　more　thrilling　than　if　he　had　really　been　an　ordinary　peer！　　And　what　a　judgment　on　the　presumption　of　Mr。　and　Mrs。　Gallosh！　　Hard　luck　on　Eva；　of　course　but；　then；　girls　who　aspire　to　marry　out　of　their　own　station　must　expect　this　kind　of　thing。

The　latter　part　of　this　commentary　was　naturally　not　that　of　the　pretender's　host　and　hostess。　　In　the　throes　of　their　anger　and　chagrin　their　one　consoling　reflection　was　that　no　friends　less　tried　than　Mr。　and　Mrs。　Rentoul　happened　to　be　there　to　witness　their　confusion。　　Yet　other　sufferers　since　Job　have　found　that　the　oldest　friends　do　not　necessarily　of　er　the　most　acceptable　consolation。

〃Oh；　oh！　I　feel　like　to　die　of　grief！〃　wailed　poor　Mrs。　Gallosh。

〃Aye；　it's　an　awful　smack　in　the　eye　for　you；〃　said　Mr。　Rentoul　sagely。

〃Smack　in　the　eye！〃　thundered　his　host。　　〃It's　a　criminal　offencethat's　what　it　is！　　It's　a　damned　swindle！　　It's　a〃

〃Oh；　hush；　hush！〃　interrupted　Mrs。　Rentoul　in　a　shocked　voice。　　〃What　words　for　a　lady　to　hear！　　After　all；　you　must　remember　you　never　made　any　inquiries。〃

〃Inquiries！　　What　for　should　I　be　making　inquiries　about　my　guests？　　YOU　never　dropped　a　word　of　such　a　thing！　　Who'd　have　listened　if　I　had？　　It　was　just　Lord　Tulliwuddle　this　and　Lord　Tulliwuddle　that　from　morning　to　night　since　ever　he　came　to　the　Castle。〃

〃Duncan's　so　simple…minded；〃　groaned　Mrs。　Gallosh。

〃And　what　were　you；　I'd　like　to　know？　　What　were　you？〃　retorted　her　justly　incensed　spouse。　　〃Never　a　word　did　I　hear；　but　just　that　he　was　such　an　aristocratic　young　man；　and　any　one　could　see　he　had　blue　blood　in　his　veins；　and　stuff　of　that　kind！〃

〃I　more　than　once　had　my　own　doubts　about　that；〃　said　the　alcohol　expert　with　a　knowing　wink。　　〃There　was　something　about　him　　Ah；　well；　he　was　not　exactly　my　own　idea　of　a　lord。〃

〃YOUR　idea？〃　scoffed　his　oldest　and　best　of　friends。　　〃What　do　YOU　know　of　lords；　I'd　like　to　know？〃

〃Well；　well；〃　answered　the　sage　peaceably；　〃maybe　we've　neither　of　us　had　much　opportunity　of　judging　of　the　nobility。　　It's　just　more　bad　luck　than　anything　else　that　you　should　have　gone　to　the　expense　of　setting　up　in　style　in　a　lord's　castle　and　then　having　this　downcome。　　If　I'd　had　similar　ambeetions　it　might　have　been　me。〃

This　soft　answer　was　so　far　from　turning　away　wrath；　that　Mrs。　Rentoul　again　felt　compelled　to　stem　the　tide　of　her　host's　eloquence。

〃Oh；　hush！〃　she　exclaimed；　〃I'd　have　fancied　you'd　be　having　no　thoughts　beyond　your　daughter's　affliction。〃

〃My　Eva！　my　poor　Eva！　　Where　is　the　suffering　child？〃　cried　Mrs。　Gallosh。　　〃Duncan；　what'll　she　be　doing？〃

〃Making　a　to…do　like　the　rest　of　the　women…folk；〃　replied　her　husband；　with　rather　less　sympathy　than　the　occasion　seemed　to　demand。

In　point　of　fact　Eva　had　disappeared　from　the　company　immediately　after　hearing　the　contents　of　Mr。　Maddison's　letter；　and　whatever　she　had　been　doing；　it　had　not　been　weeping　alone；　for　at　that　moment　she　ran　into　the　room；　her　face　agitated；　but　rather；　it　seemed；　with　excitement　than　grief。

〃Papa；　lend　me　five　pounds；〃　she　panted。

〃Lend　youfive　pounds！　　And　what　for；　I'd　like　to　know？〃

〃Don't　ask　me　now。　　II　promise　to　tell　you　later　some　time　later。〃

〃I'll　see　myself！　　I　mean；　you're　talking　nonsense。〃

Eva's　lip　trembled。

〃Hi；　hist！　Eva；　my　dear；〃　said　Mr。　Rentoul；　〃if　you're　wanting　the　money　badly；　and　your　papa　doesn't　see　his　way〃

He　concluded　his　sentence　with　a　wink　and　a　dive　into　his　trousers…pocket；　and　a　minute　later　Eva　had　fled　from　the　room　again。

This　action　of　the　sage；　being　at　total　variance　to　his　ordinary　habits　（which　indeed　erred　on　the　economical　side）；　was　attributed　by　his　irate　hostwith　a　certain　show　of　reasonto　the　mere　intention　of　annoying　him；　and　the　conversation　took　a　more　acrimonious　turn　than　ever。　　In　fact；　when　Eva　returned　a　few　minutes　later　she　was　just　in　time　to　hear　her　father　thunder　in　an　infuriated　voice

〃A　German　waiter；　is　he？　　Aye；　that's　verra　probable；　verra　probable　indeed。　　In　fact　I　might　have　known　it　when　I　saw　you　and　him　swilling　a　bottle　and　a　half　of　my　best　port　together！　　Birds　of　a　feather　aye；　aye；　exactly！〃

The　crushing　retort　which　the　sage　evidently　had　ready　to　heap　upon　the　fire　of　this　controversy　was　anticipated　by　Miss　Gallosh。

〃He　isn't　a　German　waiter；　papa！　　He　is　a　German　BARONand　an　ambassador；　too！〃

The　four　started　and　stared　at　her。

〃Where　did　you　learn　that？〃　demanded　her　father。

〃I've　been　talking　to　the　man　who　brought　the　letter；　and　he　says　that　Lord　TulliI　mean　the　Baron　declares　positively　that　he　is　a　German　nobleman！〃

〃Tuts；　fiddlesticks！〃　scoffed　her　father。

〃Verra　like　a　whale；〃　pronounced　the　sage。

〃I　wouldn't　believe　what　HE　said；〃　declared　Mrs。　Gallosh。

〃One　can　SEE　he　isn't；〃　said　Mrs。　Rentoul。

〃The　kind　of　Baron　that　plays　in　a　German　band；　perhaps；〃　added　her　husband；　with　a　whole　series　of　winks　to　give　point　to　this　mot。

〃He's　just　a　scoundrelly　adventurer！〃　shouted　Mr。　Gallosh。

〃I　hope　he'll　get　penal　servitude；　that's　what　I　hope；〃　said　his　wife　with　a　sob。

〃And；　judging　from　his　appearance；　that'll　be　no　new　experience　for　him；〃　commented　the　sage。

So　remarkably　had　their　judgment　of　the　late　Lord　Tulliwuddle　waxed　in　discrimination。　　And；　strange　to　say；　his　only　defender　was　the　lady　he　had　injured　most。

〃I　still　believe　him　a　gentleman！〃　she　cried；　and　swept　tearfully　from