the man who knew too much-第14节

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o　on　rising　for　ever　and　ever。　And　Allah　cast　him　down　to　earth　with　a　thunderbolt；　which　sank　into　the　earth；　boring　a　hole　deeper　and　deeper；　till　it　made　a　well　that　was　without　a　bottom　as　the　tower　was　to　have　been　without　a　top。　And　down　that　inverted　tower　of　darkness　the　soul　of　the　proud　Sultan　is　falling　forever　and　ever。〃

〃What　a　queer　chap　you　are；〃　said　Boyle。　〃You　talk　as　if　a　fellow　could　believe　those　fables。〃

〃Perhaps　I　believe　the　moral　and　not　the　fable；〃　answered　Fisher。　〃But　here　comes　Lady　Hastings。　You　know　her；　I　think。〃

The　clubhouse　on　the　golf　links　was　used；　of　course；　for　many　other　purposes　besides　that　of　golf。　It　was　the　only　social　center　of　the　garrison　beside　the　strictly　military　headquarters；　it　had　a　billiard　room　and　a　bar；　and　even　an　excellent　reference　library　for　those　officers　who　were　so　perverse　as　to　take　their　profession　seriously。　Among　these　was　the　great　general　himself；　whose　head　of　silver　and　face　of　bronze；　like　that　of　a　brazen　eagle；　were　often　to　be　found　bent　over　the　charts　and　folios　of　the　library。　The　great　Lord　Hastings　believed　in　science　and　study；　as　in　other　severe　ideals　of　life；　and　had　given　much　paternal　advice　on　the　point　to　young　Boyle；　whose　appearances　in　that　place　of　research　were　rather　more　intermittent。　It　was　from　one　of　these　snatches　of　study　that　the　young　man　had　just　come　out　through　the　glass　doors　of　the　library　on　to　the　golf　links。　But；　above　all；　the　club　was　so　appointed　as　to　serve　the　social　conveniences　of　ladies　at　least　as　much　as　gentlemen；　and　Lady　Hastings　was　able　to　play　the　queen　in　such　a　society　almost　as　much　as　in　her　own　ballroom。　She　was　eminently　calculated　and；　as　some　said；　eminently　inclined　to　play　such　a　part。　She　was　much　younger　than　her　husband；　an　attractive　and　sometimes　dangerously　attractive　lady；　and　Mr。　Horne　Fisher　looked　after　her　a　little　sardonically　as　she　swept　away　with　the　young　soldier。　Then　his　rather　dreary　eye　strayed　to　the　green　and　prickly　growths　round　the　well；　growths　of　that　curious　cactus　formation　in　which　one　thick　leaf　grows　directly　out　of　the　other　without　stalk　or　twig。　It　gave　his　fanciful　mind　a　sinister　feeling　of　a　blind　growth　without　shape　or　purpose。　A　flower　or　shrub　in　the　West　grows　to　the　blossom　which　is　its　crown；　and　is　content。　But　this　was　as　if　hands　could　grow　out　of　hands　or　legs　grow　out　of　legs　in　a　nightmare。　〃Always　adding　a　province　to　the　Empire；〃　he　said；　with　a　smile；　and　then　added；　more　sadly；　〃but　I　doubt　if　I　was　right；　after　all！〃

A　strong　but　genial　voice　broke　in　on　his　meditations　and　he　looked　up　and　smiled；　seeing　the　face　of　an　old　friend。　The　voice　was；　indeed；　rather　more　genial　than　the　face；　which　was　at　the　first　glance　decidedly　grim。　It　was　a　typically　legal　face；　with　angular　jaws　and　heavy；　grizzled　eyebrows；　and　it　belonged　to　an　eminently　legal　character；　though　he　was　now　attached　in　a　semimilitary　capacity　to　the　police　of　that　wild　district。　Cuthbert　Grayne　was　perhaps　more　of　a　criminologist　than　either　a　lawyer　or　a　policeman；　but　in　his　more　barbarous　surroundings　he　had　proved　successful　in　turning　himself　into　a　practical　combination　of　all　three。　The　discovery　of　a　whole　series　of　strange　Oriental　crimes　stood　to　his　credit。　But　as　few　people　were　acquainted　with；　or　attracted　to；　such　a　hobby　or　branch　of　knowledge；　his　intellectual　life　was　somewhat　solitary。　Among　the　few　exceptions　was　Horne　Fisher；　who　had　a　curious　capacity　for　talking　to　almost　anybody　about　almost　anything。

〃Studying　botany；　or　is　it　archaeology？〃　inquired　Grayne。　〃I　shall　never　come　to　the　end　of　your　interests；　Fisher。　I　should　say　that　what　you　don't　know　isn't　worth　knowing。〃

〃You　are　wrong；〃　replied　Fisher；　with　a　very　unusual　abruptness　'and　even　bitterness。　〃It's　what　I　do　know　that　isn't　worth　knowing。　All　the　seamy　side　of　things；　all　the　secret　reasons　and　rotten　motives　and　bribery　arid　blackmail　they　call　politics。　I　needn't　be　so　proud　of　having　been　down　all　these　sewers　that　I　should　brag　about　it　to　the　little　boys　in　the　street。〃

〃What　do　you　mean？　What's　the　matter　with　you？〃　asked　his　friend。　〃I　never　knew　you　taken　like　this　before。〃

〃I'm　ashamed　of　myself；〃　replied　Fisher。　〃I've　just　been　throwing　cold　water　on　the　enthusiasms　of　a　boy。〃

〃Even　that　explanation　is　hardly　exhaustive；〃　observed　the　criminal　expert。

〃Damned　newspaper　nonsense　the　enthusiasms　were；　of　course；〃　continued　Fisher；　〃but　I　ought　to　know　that　at　that　age　illusions　can　be　ideals。　And　they're　better　than　the　reality；　anyhow。　But　there　is　one　very　ugly　responsibility　about　jolting　a　young　man　out　of　the　rut　of　the　most　rotten　ideal。〃

〃And　what　may　that　be？〃　inquired　his　friend。

〃It's　very　apt　to　set　him　off　with　the　same　energy　in　a　much　worse　direction；〃　answered　Fisher；　〃a　pretty　endless　sort　of　direction；　a　bottomless　pit　as　deep　as　the　bottomless　well。〃

Fisher　did　not　see　his　friend　until　a　fortnight　later；　when　he　found　himself　in　the　garden　at　the　back　of　the　clubhouse　on　the　opposite　side　from　the　links；　a　garden　heavily　colored　and　scented　with　sweet　semitropical　plants　in　the　glow　of　a　desert　sunset。　Two　other　men　were　with　him；　the　third　being　the　now　celebrated　second　in　command；　familiar　to　everybody　as　Tom　Travers；　a　lean；　dark　man；　who　looked　older　than　his　years；　with　a　furrow　in　his　brow　and　something　morose　about　the　very　shape　of　his　black　mustache。　They　had　just　been　served　with　black　coffee　by　the　Arab　now　officiating　as　the　temporary　servant　of　the　club；　though　he　was　a　figure　already　familiar；　and　even　famous；　as　the　old　servant　of　the　general。　He　went　by　the　name　of　Said；　and　was　notable　among　other　Semites　for　that　unnatural　length　of　his　yellow　face　and　height　of　his　narrow　forehead　which　is　sometimes　seen　among　them；　and　gave　an　irrational　impression　of　something　sinister；　in　spite　of　his　agreeable　smile。

〃I　never　feel　as　if　I　could　quite　trust　that　fellow；〃　said　Grayne；　when　the　man　had　gone　away。　〃It's　very　unjust；　I　take　it；　for　he　was　certainly　devoted　to　Hastings；　and　saved　his　life；　they　say。　But　Arabs　are　often　like　that；　loyal　to　one　man。　I　can't　help　feeling　he　might　cut　anybody　else's　throat；　and　even　do　it　treacherously。〃

〃Well；〃　said　Travers；　with　a　rather　sour　smile；　〃so　　long　as　he　leaves　Hastings　alone　the　world　won't　mind　much。〃

There　was　a　rather　embarrassing　silence；　full　of　memories　of　the　great　battle；　and　then　Horne　Fisher　said；　quietly：

〃The　newspapers　aren't　the　world；　Tom。　Don't　you　worry　about　them。　Everybody　in　your　world　knows　the　truth　well　enough。〃

〃I　think　we'd　better　not　talk　about　the　general　just　now；〃　remarked　Grayne；　〃for　he's　just　coming　out　of　the　club。〃

〃He's　not　coming　here；〃　said　Fisher。　〃He's　only　seeing　his　wife　to　the　car。〃

As　he　spoke；　indeed；　the　lady　came　out　on　the　steps　of　the　club；　followed　by　her　husband；　who　then　went　swiftly　in　front　of　her　to　open　the　garden　gate。　As　he　did　so　she　turned　back　and　spoke　for　a　moment　to　a　solitary　man　still　sitting　in　a　cane　chair　in　the　shadow　of　the　doorway；　the　only　man　left　in　the　deserted　club　save　for　the　three　that　lingered　in　the　garden。　Fisher　peered　for　a　moment　into　the　shadow；　and　saw　that　it　was　Captain　Boyle。

The　next　moment；　rather　to　their　surprise；　the　general　reappeared　and；　remounting　the　steps；　spoke　a　word　or　two　to　Boyle　in　his　turn。　Then　he　signaled　to　Said；　who　hurried　up　with　two　cups　of　coffee；　and　the　two　men　re…entered　the　club；　each　carrying　his　cup　in　his　hand。　The　next　moment　a　gleam　of　white　light　in　the　growing　darkness　showed　that　the　electric　lamps　had　been　turned　on　in　the　library　beyond。

〃Coffee　and　scientific　researches；〃　said　Travers；　grimly。　〃All　the　luxuries　of　learning　and　theoretical　research。　Well；　I　must　be　going；　for　I　have　my　work　to　do　as　well。〃　And　he　got　up　rather　stiffly；　saluted　his　companions；　and　strode　away　into　the　dusk。

〃I　only　hope　Boyle　is　sticking　to　scientific　researches；〃　said　Horne　Fisher。　〃I'm　not　very　comfortable　about　him　myself。　But　let's　talk　about　something　else。〃

They　talked　about　something　else　longer　than　they　probably　imagined；　until　the　tropical　night　had　come　and　a　splendid　moon　painted　the　whole　scene　with　silver；　but　before　it　was　bright　enough　to　see　by　Fisher　had　already　noted　that　the　lights　in　the　library　had　been　abruptly　extinguished。　He　waited　for　the　two　men　to　come　out　by　the　garden　entrance；　but　nobody　came。

〃They　must　have　gone　for　a　stroll　on　the　links；〃　he　said。

〃Very　possibly；〃　replied　Grayne。　〃It's　going　to　be　a　beautiful　night。〃

A　moment　or　two　after　he　had　spoken　they　heard　a　voice　hailing　them　out　of　the　shadow　of　the　clubhouse；　and　were　astonished　to　perceive　Travers　hurrying　toward　them；　calling　out　as　he　came：

〃I　shall　want　your　help；　you　fellows；〃　he　cried。　〃There's　something　pretty　bad　out　on　the　links。〃

They　found　themselves　plunging　through　the　club　smoking　room　and　the　library　beyond；　in　complete　darkness；　mental　as　well　as　material。　But　Horne　Fisher；　in　spite　of　his　affectation　of　indifference；　was　a　person　of　a　curious　and　almost　transcendental　sensibility　to　atmospheres；　and　he　already　felt　the　presence　of　something　more　than　an　accident。　He　collided　with　a　piece　of　fur