the amateur cracksman-第20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！


；　and　something　in　his　game；　with　one　word　he　chokes　off　the　million　who　answer　an　advertisement　every　daywhen　they　can　raise　the　stamp。　My　answer　cost　me　five　bob；　but　then　I　prepaid　another。〃

〃You　don't　mean　to　say　that　you've　applied？〃

〃Rather；〃　said　Raffles。　　〃I　want　two　thousand　pounds　as　much　as　any　man。〃

〃Put　your　own　name？〃

〃Wellno；　Bunny；　I　didn't。　　In　point　of　fact　I　smell　something　interesting　and　illegal；　and　you　know　what　a　cautious　chap　I　am。　　I　signed　myself　Glasspool；　care　of　Hickey；　38；　Conduit　Street；　that's　my　tailor；　and　after　sending　the　wire　I　went　round　and　told　him　what　to　expect。　　He　promised　to　send　the　reply　along　the　moment　it　came。　　I　shouldn't　be　surprised　if　that's　it！〃

And　he　was　gone　before　a　double…knock　on　the　outer　door　had　done　ringing　through　the　rooms；　to　return　next　minute　with　an　open　telegram　and　a　face　full　of　news。

〃What　do　you　think？〃　said　he。　　〃Security's　that　fellow　Addenbrooke；　the　police…court　lawyer；　and　he　wants　to　see　me　INSTANTER！〃

〃Do　you　know　him；　then？〃

〃Merely　by　repute。　　I　only　hope　he　doesn't　know　me。　　He's　the　chap　who　got　six　weeks　for　sailing　too　close　to　the　wind　in　the　Sutton…Wilmer　case；　everybody　wondered　why　he　wasn't　struck　off　the　rolls。　　Instead　of　that　he's　got　a　first…rate　practice　on　the　seamy　side；　and　every　blackguard　with　half　a　case　takes　it　straight　to　Bennett　Addenbrooke。　　He's　probably　the　one　man　who　would　have　the　cheek　to　put　in　an　advertisement　like　that；　and　the　one　man　who　could　do　it　without　exciting　suspicion。　　It's　simply　in　his　line；　but　you　may　be　sure　there's　something　shady　at　the　bottom　of　it。　　The　odd　thing　is　that　I　have　long　made　up　my　mind　to　go　to　Addenbrooke　myself　if　accidents　should　happen。〃

〃And　you're　going　to　him　now？〃

〃This　minute；〃　said　Raffles；　brushing　his　hat；　〃and　so　are　you。〃

〃But　I　came　in　to　drag　you　out　to　lunch。〃

〃You　shall　lunch　with　me　when　we've　seen　this　fellow。　　Come　on；　Bunny；　and　we'll　choose　your　name　on　the　way。　　Mine's　Glasspool；　and　don't　you　forget　it。〃

Mr。　Bennett　Addenbrooke　occupied　substantial　offices　in　Wellington　Street；　Strand；　and　was　out　when　we　arrived；　but　he　had　only　just　gone　〃over　the　way　to　the　court〃；　and　five　minutes　sufficed　to　produce　a　brisk；　fresh…colored；　resolute…looking　man；　with　a　very　confident；　rather　festive　air；　and　black　eyes　that　opened　wide　at　the　sight　of　Raffles。

〃Mr。Glasspool？〃　exclaimed　the　lawyer。

〃My　name；〃　said　Raffles；　with　dry　effrontery。

〃Not　up　at　Lord's；　however！〃　said　the　other；　slyly。　　〃My　dear　sir；　I　have　seen　you　take　far　too　many　wickets　to　make　any　mistake！〃

For　a　single　moment　Raffles　looked　venomous；　then　he　shrugged　and　smiled；　and　the　smile　grew　into　a　little　cynical　chuckle。

〃So　you　have　bowled　me　out　in　my　turn？〃　said　he。　　〃Well；　I　don't　think　there's　anything　to　explain。　　I　am　harder　up　than　I　wished　to　admit　under　my　own　name；　that's　all；　and　I　want　that　thousand　pounds　reward。〃

〃Two　thousand；〃　said　the　solicitor。　　〃And　the　man　who　is　not　above　an　alias　happens　to　be　just　the　sort　of　man　I　want；　so　don't　let　that　worry　you；　my　dear　sir。　　The　matter；　however；　is　of　a　strictly　private　and　confidential　character。〃　　And　he　looked　very　hard　at　me。

〃Quite　so；〃　said　Raffles。　　〃But　there　was　something　about　a　risk？〃

〃A　certain　risk　is　involved。〃

〃Then　surely　three　heads　will　be　better　than　two。　　I　said　I　wanted　that　thousand　pounds；　my　friend　here　wants　the　other。　　We　are　both　cursedly　hard　up；　and　we　go　into　this　thing　together　or　not　at　all。　　Must　you　have　his　name　too？　　I　should　give　him　my　real　one；　Bunny。〃

Mr。　Addenbrooke　raised　his　eyebrows　over　the　card　I　found　for　him；　then　he　drummed　upon　it　with　his　finger…nail；　and　his　embarrassment　expressed　itself　in　a　puzzled　smile。

〃The　fact　is；　I　find　myself　in　a　difficulty；〃　he　confessed　at　last。　　〃Yours　is　the　first　reply　I　have　received；　people　who　can　afford　to　send　long　telegrams　don't　rush　to　the　advertisements　in　the　Daily　Telegraph；　but；　on　the　other　hand；　I　was　not　quite　prepared　to　hear　from　men　like　yourselves。　　Candidly；　and　on　consideration；　I　am　not　sure　that　you　ARE　the　stamp　of　men　for　memen　who　belong　to　good　clubs！　　I　rather　intended　to　appeal　to　theeradventurous　classes。〃

〃We　are　adventurers；〃　said　Raffles　gravely。

〃But　you　respect　the　law？〃

The　black　eyes　gleamed　shrewdly。

〃We　are　not　professional　rogues；　if　that's　what　you　mean；〃　said　Raffles；　smiling。　　〃But　on　our　beam…ends　we　are；　we　would　do　a　good　deal　for　a　thousand　pounds　apiece；　eh；　Bunny？〃

〃Anything；〃　I　murmured。

The　solicitor　rapped　his　desk。

〃I'll　tell　you　what　I　want　you　to　do。　　You　can　but　refuse。　　It's　illegal；　but　it's　illegality　in　a　good　cause；　that's　the　risk；　and　my　client　is　prepared　to　pay　for　it。　　He　will　pay　for　the　attempt；　in　case　of　failure；　the　money　is　as　good　as　yours　once　you　consent　to　run　the　risk。　　My　client　is　Sir　Bernard　Debenham；　of　Broom　Hall；　Esher。〃

〃I　know　his　son；〃　I　remarked。

Raffles　knew　him　too；　but　said　nothing；　and　his　eye　drooped　disapproval　in　my　direction。　　Bennett　Addenbrooke　turned　to　me。

〃Then；〃　said　he；　〃you　have　the　privilege　of　knowing　one　of　the　most　complete　young　black…guards　about　town；　and　the　fons　et　origo　of　the　whole　trouble。　　As　you　know　the　son；　you　may　know　the　father　too；　at　all　events　by　reputation；　and　in　that　case　I　needn't　tell　you　that　he　is　a　very　peculiar　man。　　He　lives　alone　in　a　storehouse　of　treasures　which　no　eyes　but　his　ever　behold。　　He　is　said　to　have　the　finest　collection　of　pictures　in　the　south　of　England；　though　nobody　ever　sees　them　to　judge；　pictures；　fiddles　and　furniture　are　his　hobby；　and　he　is　undoubtedly　very　eccentric。　Nor　can　one　deny　that　there　has　been　considerable　eccentricity　in　his　treatment　of　his　son。　　For　years　Sir　Bernard　paid　his　debts；　and　the　other　day；　without　the　slightest　warning；　not　only　refused　to　do　so　any　more；　but　absolutely　stopped　the　lad's　allowance。　　Well；　I'll　tell　you　what　has　happened；　but　first　of　all　you　must　know；　or　you　may　remember；　that　I　appeared　for　young　Debenham　in　a　little　scrape　he　got　into　a　year　or　two　ago。　　I　got　him　off　all　right；　and　Sir　Bernard　paid　me　handsomely　on　the　nail。　　And　no　more　did　I　hear　or　see　of　either　of　them　until　one　day　last　week。〃

The　lawyer　drew　his　chair　nearer　ours；　and　leant　forward　with　a　hand　on　either　knee。

〃On　Tuesday　of　last　week　I　had　a　telegram　from　Sir　Bernard；　I　was　to　go　to　him　at　once。　　I　found　him　waiting　for　me　in　the　drive；　without　a　word　he　led　me　to　the　picture…gallery；　which　was　locked　and　darkened；　drew　up　a　blind；　and　stood　simply　pointing　to　an　empty　picture…frame。　　It　was　a　long　time　before　I　could　get　a　word　out　of　him。　　Then　at　last　he　told　me　that　that　frame　had　contained　one　of　the　rarest　and　most　valuable　pictures　in　Englandin　the　worldan　original　Velasquez。　　I　have　checked　this；〃　said　the　lawyer；　〃and　it　seems　literally　true；　the　picture　was　a　portrait　of　the　Infanta　Maria　Teresa；　said　to　be　one　of　the　artist's　greatest　works；　second　only　to　another　portrait　of　one　of　the　Popes　in　Romeso　they　told　me　at　the　National　Gallery；　where　they　had　its　history　by　heart。　　They　say　there　that　the　picture　is　practically　priceless。　　And　young　Debenham　has　sold　it　for　five　thousand　pounds！〃

〃The　deuce　he　has；〃　said　Raffles。

I　inquired　who　had　bought　it。

〃A　Queensland　legislator　of　the　name　of　Craggsthe　Hon。　John　Montagu　Craggs；　M。L。C。；　to　give　him　his　full　title。　　Not　that　we　knew　anything　about　him　on　Tuesday　last；　we　didn't　even　know　for　certain　that　young　Debenham　had　stolen　the　picture。　　But　he　had　gone　down　for　money　on　the　Monday　evening；　had　been　refused；　and　it　was　plain　enough　that　he　had　helped　himself　in　this　way；　he　had　threatened　revenge；　and　this　was　it。　Indeed；　when　I　hunted　him　up　in　town　on　the　Tuesday　night；　he　confessed　as　much　in　the　most　brazen　manner　imaginable。　　But　he　wouldn't　tell　me　who　was　the　purchaser；　and　finding　out　took　the　rest　of　the　week；　but　I　did　find　out；　and　a　nice　time　I've　had　of　it　ever　since！　　Backwards　and　forwards　between　Esher　and　the　Metropole；　where　the　Queenslander　is　staying；　sometimes　twice　a　day；　threats；　offers；　prayers；　entreaties；　not　one　of　them　a　bit　of　good！〃

〃But；〃　said　Raffles；　〃surely　it's　a　clear　case？　　The　sale　was　illegal；　you　can　pay　him　back　his　money　and　force　him　to　give　the　picture　up。〃

〃Exactly；　but　not　without　an　action　and　a　public　scandal；　and　that　my　client　declines　to　face。　　He　would　rather　lose　even　his　picture　than　have　the　whole　thing　get　into　the　papers；　he　has　disowned　his　son；　but　he　will　not　disgrace　him；　yet　his　picture　he　must　have　by　hook　or　crook；　and　there's　the　rub！　　I　am　to　get　it　back　by　fair　means　or　foul。　　He　gives　me　carte　blanche　in　the　matter；　and；　I　verily　believe；　would　throw　in　a　blank　check　if　asked。　　He　offered　one　to　the　Queenslander；　but　Craggs　simply　tore　it　in　two；　the　one　old　boy　is　as　much　a　character　as　the　other；　and　between　the　two　of　them　I'm　at　my　wits'　end。〃

〃So　you　put　that　advertisement　in　the　paper？〃　said　Raffles；　in　the　dry　tones　he　had　adopted　throughout　the　interview。

〃As　a　last　resort。　　I　did。〃

〃And　you　wish　us　to　STEAL　this　picture？〃

It　was　magnificently　said；　the　lawyer　flushed　from　his　hair　to　his　collar。

〃I　knew　you