his own people-第9节

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to　leave　for　Paris　by　the　one…thirty　and　haven't　got　a　whole　lot
of　time。　　Cornish　is　here　with　me　in　the　hall：　he's　got　something
to　say　that's　important　for　you　to　hear；　and　I'm　goin'　to　bring　him
right　in。〃　　He　waved　his　hand　toward　the　door；　which　he　had　left
open。　　〃Come　along；　Cornish。　　Poor　ole　Mellin'll　play　Du　Barry　with
us　and　give　us　a　morning　leevy　while　he　listens　in　a　bed　with　a
palanquin　to　it。　　Now　let's　draw　up　chairs　and　be　sociable。〃

The　journalist　came　in；　smoking　a　long　cigar；　and　took　the　chair
the　youth　pushed　toward　him；　but；　after　a　twinkling　glance　through
his　big　spectacles　at　the　face　on　the　pillow；　he　rose　and　threw　the
cigar　out　of　the　window。

〃Go　ahead；〃　said　Cooley。　　〃I　want　you　to　tell　him　just　what　you　told
me；　and　when　you're　through　I　want　to　see　if　he　doesn't　think　I'm
Sherlock　Holmes'　little　brother。〃

〃If　Mr。　Mellin　does　not　feel　too　ill；〃　said　Cornish　dryly；　〃I　know
how　painful　such　cases　sometimes〃

〃No。〃　　Mellin　moistened　his　parched　lips　and　made　a　pitiful　effort
to　smile。　　〃I'll　be　all　right　very　soon。〃

〃I　am　very　sorry；〃　began　the　journalist；　〃that　I　wasn't　able　to　get
a　few　words　with　Mr。　Cooley　yesterday　evening。　　Perhaps　you　noticed
that　I　tried　as　hard　as　I　could；　without　using　actual　force〃he
laughed〃to　detain　him。〃

〃You　did　your　best；〃　agreed　Cooley　ruefully；　〃and　I　did　my　worst。
Nobody　ever　listens　till　the　next　day！〃

〃Well；　I'm　glad　no　vital　damage　was　done；　anyway；〃　said　Cornish。
〃It　would　have　been　pretty　hard　lines　if　you　two　young　fellows　had
been　poor　men；　but　as　it　is　you're　probably　none　the　worse　for　a
lesson　like　this。〃

〃You　seem　to　think　seven　thousand　dollars　is　a　joke；〃　remarked
Cooley。

Cornish　laughed　again。　　〃You　see；　it　flatters　me　to　think　my　time
was　so　valuable　that　a　ten　minutes'　talk　with　me　would　have　saved
so　much　money。〃

〃I　doubt　it；〃　said　Cooley。　　〃Ten　to　one　we'd　neither　of　us　have
believed　youlast　night！〃

〃I　doubt　it；　too。〃　　Cornish　turned　to　Mellin。　　〃I　hear　that　you；
Mr。　Mellin；　are　still　of　the　opinion　that　you　were　dealing　with
straight　people？〃

Mellin　managed　to　whisper　〃Yes。〃

〃Then；〃　said　Cornish；　〃I'd　better　tell　you　just　what　I　know　about
it；　and　you　can　form　your　own　opinion　as　to　whether　I　do　know　or
not。　　I　have　been　in　the　newspaper　business　on　this　side　for
fifteen　years；　and　my　headquarters　are　in　Paris；　where　these　people
are　very　well　known。　　The　man　who　calls　himself　'Chandler　Pedlow'
was　a　faro…dealer　for　Tom　Stout　in　Chicago　when　Stout's　place　was
broken　up；　a　good　many　years　ago。　　There　was　a　real　Chandler　Pedlow
in　Congress　from　a　California　district　in　the　early　nineties；　but
he　is　dead。　　This　man's　name　is　Ben　Welch：　　he's　a　professional
swindler；　and　the　Englishman；　Sneyd；　is　another；　a　quiet　man；　not　so
well　known　as　Welch；　and　not　nearly　so　clever；　but　a　good　'feeder'
for　him。　　The　very　attractive　Frenchwoman　who　calls　herself
'Comtesse　de　Vaurigard'　is　generally　believed　to　be　Sneyd's　wife；
though　I　could　not　take　the　stand　on　that　myself。　　Welch　is　the
brains　of　the　organization：　　you　mightn't　think　it；　but　he's　a　very
brilliant　manhe　might　have　made　a　great　reputation　in　business
if　he'd　been　straightand；　with　this　woman's　help；　he's　carried　out
some　really　astonishing　schemes。　　His　manner　is　clumsy；　~he~　knows
that；　bless　you；　but　it's　the　only　manner　he　can　manage；　and　she
is　so　adroit　she　can　sugar…coat　even　such　a　pill　as　that　and　coax
people　to　swallow　it。　　I　don't　know　anything　about　the　Italian　who
is　working　with　them　down　here。　　But　a　gang　of　the　Welch…Vaurigard…
Sneyd　type　has　tentacles　all　over　the　Continent；　such　people　are　in
touch　with　sharpers　everywhere；　you　see。〃

〃Yes；〃　Cooley　interpolated；　〃and　with　woolly　little　lambkins；　too。〃

〃Well；〃　chuckled　Cornish；　〃that's　the　way　they　make　their　living；
you　know。〃

〃Go　on　and　tell　him　the　rest　of　it；〃　urged　Cooley。

〃About　Lady　Mount…Rhyswicke；〃　said　Cornish；　〃it　seems　strange
enough；　but　she　has　a　perfect　right　to　her　name。　　She　is　a　good
deal　older　than　she　looks；　and　I've　heard　she　used　to　be　remarkably
beautiful。　　Her　third　husband　was　Lord　George　Mount…Rhyswicke；　a　man
who'd　been　dropped　from　his　clubs；　and　he　deserted　her　in　1903；　but
she　has　not　divorced　him。　　It　is　said　that　he　is　somewhere　in　South
America；　however；　as　to　that　I　do　not　know。〃

Mr。　Cornish　put　the　very　slightest　possible　emphasis　on　the　word
〃know；〃　and　proceeded：

〃I've　heard　that　she　is　sincerely　attached　to　him　and　sends　him
money　from　time　to　time；　when　she　has　itthough　that；　too；　is
third…hand　information。　　She　has　been　~declasse~　ever　since　her
first　divorce。　　That　was　a　'celebrated　case；'　and　she's　dropped
down　pretty　far　in　the　world；　though　I　judge　she's　a　good　deal　the
best　of　this　crowd。　　Exactly　what　her　relations　to　the　others　are
I　don't　know；　but　I　imagine　that　she's　pretty　thick　with　'em。〃

〃Just　a　little！〃　exclaimed　Cooley。　　〃She　sits　behind　one　of　the
lambkins　and　Helene　behind　the　other　while　they　get　their　woolly
wool　clipped。　　I　suppose　the　two　of　'em　signaled　what　was　in　every
hand　we　held；　though　I'm　sure　they　needn't　have　gone　to　the　trouble！
Fact　is；　I　don't　see　why　they　bothered　about　goin'　through　the　form
of　playin'　cards　with　us　at　all。　　They　could　have　taken　it　away
without　that！　　Whee！〃　　Mr。　Cooley　whistled　loud　and　long。　　〃And
there's　loads　of　wise　young　men　on　the　ocean　now；　hurryin'　over　to
take　our　places　in　the　pens。　　Well；　they　can　have　~mine~！　　Funny；
Mellin：　　nobody　would　come　up　to　you　or　me　in　the　Grand　Central　in
New　York　and　try　to　sell　us　greenbacks　just　as　good　as　real。　　But
we　come　over　to　Europe　with　our　pockets　full　o'　money　and　start　in
to　see　the　Big　City　with　Jesse　James　in　a　false　mustache　on　one　arm；
and　Lucresha　Borgy；　under　an　assumed　name；　on　the　other！〃

〃I　am　afraid　I　agree　with　you；〃　said　Cornish；　〃though　I　must　say
that；　from　all　I　hear；　Madame　de　Vaurigard　might　put　an　atmosphere
about　a　thing　which　would　deceive　almost　any　one　who　wasn't　on
his　guard。　　When　a　Parisienne　of　her　sort　is　clever　at　all　she's
irresistible。〃

〃I　believe　you；〃　Cooley　sighed　deeply。

〃Yesterday　evening；　Mr。　Mellin；〃　continued　the　journalist；　〃when
I　saw　the　son　of　my　old　friend　in　company　with　Welch　and　Sneyd；　of
course　I　tried　to　warn　him。　　I've　often　seen　them　in　Paris；　though
I　believe　they　have　no　knowledge　of　me。　　As　I've　said；　they　are
notorious；　especially　Welch；　yet　they　have　managed；　so　far；　to　avoid
any　difficulty　with　the　Paris　police；　and；　I'm　sorry　to　say；　it
might　be　hard　to　actually　prove　anything　against　them。　　You　couldn't
~prove~　that　anything　was　crooked　last　night；　for　instance。　　For
that　matter；　I　don't　suppose　you　want　to。　　Mr。　Cooley　wishes　to
accept　his　loss　and　bear　it；　and　I　take　it　that　that　will　be　your
attitude；　too。　In　regard　to　the　note　you　gave　Sneyd；　I　hope　you　will
refuse　to　pay；　I　don't　think　that　they　would　dare　press　the　matter。〃

〃Neither　do　I；〃　Mr。　Cooley　agreed。　　〃I　left　a　silver　cigarette…case
at　the　apartment　last　night；　and　after　talkin'　to　Cornish　a　while
ago；　I　sent　my　man　for　it　with　a　note　to　her　that'll　make　'em　all
sit　up　and　take　some　notice。　　The　gang's　all　there　together；　you
can　be　sure。　　I　asked　for　Sneyd　and　Pedlow　in　the　office　and　found
they'd　gone　out　early　this　morning　leavin'　word　they　wouldn't　be
back　till　midnight。　　And；　see　here；　I　know　I'm　easy；　but　somehow
I　believe　you're　even　a　softer　piece　o'　meat　than　I　am。　　I　want　you
to　promise　me　that　whatever　happens　you　won't　pay　that　I　O　U。〃

Mellin　moistened　his　lips　in　vain。　He　could　not　answer。

〃I　want　you　to　promise　me　not　to　pay　it；〃　repeated　Cooley　earnestly。

〃I　promise；〃　gasped　Mellin。

〃You　won't　pay　it　no　matter　what　they　do？〃

〃No。〃

This　seemed　to　reassure　Mr。　Cooley。

〃Well；〃　he　said；　〃I've　got　to　hustle　to　get　my　car　shipped　and　make
the　train。　　Cornish　has　finished　his　job　down　here　and　he's　goin'
with　me。　　I　want　to　get　out。　　The　whole　thing's　left　a　mighty　bad
taste　in　my　mouth；　and　I'd　go　crazy　if　I　didn't　get　away　from　it。
Why　don't　you　jump　into　your　clothes　and　come　along；　too？〃

〃I　can't。〃

〃Well；〃　said　the　young　man　with　a　sympathetic　shake　of　the　head；
〃you　certainly　look　sick。　　It　may　be　better　if　you　stay　in　bed　till
evening：　　a　train's　a　mighty　mean　place　for　the　day　after。　　But　I
wouldn't　hang　around　here　too　long。　　If　you　want　money；　all　you　have
to　do　is　to　ask　the　hotel　to　cash　a　check　on　your　home　bank；　they're
always　glad　to　do　that　for　Americans。〃　　He　turned　to　the　door。
〃Mr。　Cornish；　if　you're　goin'　to　help　me　about　shipping　the　car；
I'm　ready。〃

〃So　am　I。　　Good…by；　Mr。　Mellin。〃

〃Good…by；〃　Mellin　said　feebly〃and　thank　you。〃

Young　Cooley　came　back　to　the　bedside　and　shook　the　other's　feverish
hand。　　〃Good…by；　ole　man。　　I'm　awful　sorry　it's　all　happened；　but
I'm　glad　it　didn't　cost　you　quite　as　much　money　as　it　did　me。
Otherwise　I　expect　it's　hit　us　about　equally　hard。　　I　wishI　wish
I　could　find　a　i~nice　one~〃the　youth　gulped　over　something　not
unlike　a　sob〃as　fascinatin'　as　her！〃

Most　people　have　had　dreams　of　approaching　dangers　in　the　path　of
which　their　bodies　remained　inert；　when；　in　spite　of　the　frantic
wish　to　fly