the man who was thursday-第13节

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〃You　can't　get　hold　of　it　yet；　Gogol；〃　he　said　in　a　fatherly　way。　〃When　once　they　have　heard　us　talking　nonsense　on　that　balcony　they　will　not　care　where　we　go　afterwards。　If　we　had　come　here　first；　we　should　have　had　the　whole　staff　at　the　keyhole。　You　don't　seem　to　know　anything　about　mankind。〃

〃I　die　for　zem；〃　cried　the　Pole　in　thick　excitement；　〃and　I　slay　zare　oppressors。　I　care　not　for　these　games　of　gonzealment。　I　would　zmite　ze　tyrant　in　ze　open　square。〃

〃I　see；　I　see；〃　said　the　President；　nodding　kindly　as　he　seated　himself　at　the　top　of　a　long　table。　〃You　die　for　mankind　first；　and　then　you　get　up　and　smite　their　oppressors。　So　that's　all　right。　And　now　may　I　ask　you　to　control　your　beautiful　sentiments；　and　sit　down　with　the　other　gentlemen　at　this　table。　For　the　first　time　this　morning　something　intelligent　is　going　to　be　said。〃

Syme；　with　the　perturbed　promptitude　he　had　shown　since　the　original　summons；　sat　down　first。　Gogol　sat　down　last；　grumbling　in　his　brown　beard　about　gombromise。　No　one　except　Syme　seemed　to　have　any　notion　of　the　blow　that　was　about　to　fall。　As　for　him；　he　had　merely　the　feeling　of　a　man　mounting　the　scaffold　with　the　intention；　at　any　rate；　of　making　a　good　speech。

〃Comrades；〃　said　the　President；　suddenly　rising；　〃we　have　spun　out　this　farce　long　enough。　I　have　called　you　down　here　to　tell　you　something　so　simple　and　shocking　that　even　the　waiters　upstairs　（long　inured　to　our　levities）　might　hear　some　new　seriousness　in　my　voice。　Comrades；　we　were　discussing　plans　and　naming　places。　I　propose；　before　saying　anything　else；　that　those　plans　and　places　should　not　be　voted　by　this　meeting；　but　should　be　left　wholly　in　the　control　of　some　one　reliable　member。　I　suggest　Comrade　Saturday；　Dr。　Bull。〃

They　all　stared　at　him；　then　they　all　started　in　their　seats；　for　the　next　words；　though　not　loud；　had　a　living　and　sensational　emphasis。　Sunday　struck　the　table。

〃Not　one　word　more　about　the　plans　and　places　must　be　said　at　this　meeting。　Not　one　tiny　detail　more　about　what　we　mean　to　do　must　be　mentioned　in　this　company。〃

Sunday　had　spent　his　life　in　astonishing　his　followers；　but　it　seemed　as　if　he　had　never　really　astonished　them　until　now。　They　all　moved　feverishly　in　their　seats；　except　Syme。　He　sat　stiff　in　his；　with　his　hand　in　his　pocket；　and　on　the　handle　of　his　loaded　revolver。　When　the　attack　on　him　came　he　would　sell　his　life　dear。　He　would　find　out　at　least　if　the　President　was　mortal。

Sunday　went　on　smoothly

〃You　will　probably　understand　that　there　is　only　one　possible　motive　for　forbidding　free　speech　at　this　festival　of　freedom。　Strangers　overhearing　us　matters　nothing。　They　assume　that　we　are　joking。　But　what　would　matter；　even　unto　death；　is　this；　that　there　should　be　one　actually　among　us　who　is　not　of　us；　who　knows　our　grave　purpose；　but　does　not　share　it；　who〃

The　Secretary　screamed　out　suddenly　like　a　woman。

〃It　can't　be！〃　he　cried；　leaping。　〃There　can't〃

The　President　flapped　his　large　flat　hand　on　the　table　like　the　fin　of　some　huge　fish。

〃Yes；〃　he　said　slowly；　〃there　is　a　spy　in　this　room。　There　is　a　traitor　at　this　table。　I　will　waste　no　more　words。　His　name〃

Syme　half　rose　from　his　seat；　his　finger　firm　on　the　trigger。

〃His　name　is　Gogol；〃　said　the　President。　〃He　is　that　hairy　humbug　over　there　who　pretends　to　be　a　Pole。〃

Gogol　sprang　to　his　feet；　a　pistol　in　each　hand。　With　the　same　flash　three　men　sprang　at　his　throat。　Even　the　Professor　made　an　effort　to　rise。　But　Syme　saw　little　of　the　scene；　for　he　was　blinded　with　a　beneficent　darkness；　he　had　sunk　down　into　his　seat　shuddering；　in　a　palsy　of　passionate　relief。



CHAPTER　VII

THE　UNACCOUNTABLE　CONDUCT　OF　PROFESSOR　DE　WORMS

〃SIT　down！〃　said　Sunday　in　a　voice　that　he　used　once　or　twice　in　his　life；　a　voice　that　made　men　drop　drawn　swords。

The　three　who　had　risen　fell　away　from　Gogol；　and　that　equivocal　person　himself　resumed　his　seat。

〃Well；　my　man；〃　said　the　President　briskly；　addressing　him　as　one　addresses　a　total　stranger；　〃will　you　oblige　me　by　putting　your　hand　in　your　upper　waistcoat　pocket　and　showing　me　what　you　have　there？〃

The　alleged　Pole　was　a　little　pale　under　his　tangle　of　dark　hair；　but　he　put　two　fingers　into　the　pocket　with　apparent　coolness　and　pulled　out　a　blue　strip　of　card。　When　Syme　saw　it　lying　on　the　table；　he　woke　up　again　to　the　world　outside　him。　For　although　the　card　lay　at　the　other　extreme　of　the　table；　and　he　could　read　nothing　of　the　inscription　on　it；　it　bore　a　startling　resemblance　to　the　blue　card　in　his　own　pocket；　the　card　which　had　been　given　to　him　when　he　joined　the　anti…anarchist　constabulary。

〃Pathetic　Slav；〃　said　the　President；　〃tragic　child　of　Poland；　are　you　prepared　in　the　presence　of　that　card　to　deny　that　you　are　in　this　companyshall　we　say　de　trop？〃

〃Right　oh！〃　said　the　late　Gogol。　It　made　everyone　jump　to　hear　a　clear；　commercial　and　somewhat　cockney　voice　coming　out　of　that　forest　of　foreign　hair。　It　was　irrational；　as　if　a　Chinaman　had　suddenly　spoken　with　a　Scotch　accent。

〃I　gather　that　you　fully　understand　your　position；〃　said　Sunday。

〃You　bet；〃　answered　the　Pole。　〃I　see　it's　a　fair　cop。　All　I　say　is；　I　don't　believe　any　Pole　could　have　imitated　my　accent　like　I　did　his。〃

〃I　concede　the　point；〃　said　Sunday。　〃I　believe　your　own　accent　to　be　inimitable；　though　I　shall　practise　it　in　my　bath。　Do　you　mind　leaving　your　beard　with　your　card？〃

〃Not　a　bit；〃　answered　Gogol；　and　with　one　finger　he　ripped　off　the　whole　of　his　shaggy　head…covering；　emerging　with　thin　red　hair　and　a　pale；　pert　face。　〃It　was　hot；〃　he　added。

〃I　will　do　you　the　justice　to　say；〃　said　Sunday；　not　without　a　sort　of　brutal　admiration；　〃that　you　seem　to　have　kept　pretty　cool　under　it。　Now　listen　to　me。　I　like　you。　The　consequence　is　that　it　would　annoy　me　for　just　about　two　and　a　half　minutes　if　I　heard　that　you　had　died　in　torments。　Well；　if　you　ever　tell　the　police　or　any　human　soul　about　us；　I　shall　have　that　two　and　a　half　minutes　of　discomfort。　On　your　discomfort　I　will　not　dwell。　Good　day。　Mind　the　step。〃

The　red…haired　detective　who　had　masqueraded　as　Gogol　rose　to　his　feet　without　a　word；　and　walked　out　of　the　room　with　an　air　of　perfect　nonchalance。　Yet　the　astonished　Syme　was　able　to　realise　that　this　ease　was　suddenly　assumed；　for　there　was　a　slight　stumble　outside　the　door；　which　showed　that　the　departing　detective　had　not　minded　the　step。

〃Time　is　flying；〃　said　the　President　in　his　gayest　manner；　after　glancing　at　his　watch；　which　like　everything　about　him　seemed　bigger　than　it　ought　to　be。　〃I　must　go　off　at　once；　I　have　to　take　the　chair　at　a　Humanitarian　meeting。〃

The　Secretary　turned　to　him　with　working　eyebrows。

〃Would　it　not　be　better；〃　he　said　a　little　sharply；　〃to　discuss　further　the　details　of　our　project；　now　that　the　spy　has　left　us？〃

〃No；　I　think　not；〃　said　the　President　with　a　yawn　like　an　unobtrusive　earthquake。　〃Leave　it　as　it　is。　Let　Saturday　settle　it。　I　must　be　off。　Breakfast　here　next　Sunday。〃

But　the　late　loud　scenes　had　whipped　up　the　almost　naked　nerves　of　the　Secretary。　He　was　one　of　those　men　who　are　conscientious　even　in　crime。

〃I　must　protest；　President；　that　the　thing　is　irregular；〃　he　said。　〃It　is　a　fundamental　rule　of　our　society　that　all　plans　shall　be　debated　in　full　council。　Of　course；　I　fully　appreciate　your　forethought　when　in　the　actual　presence　of　a　traitor〃

〃Secretary；〃　said　the　President　seriously；　〃if　you'd　take　your　head　home　and　boil　it　for　a　turnip　it　might　be　useful。　I　can't　say。　But　it　might。

The　Secretary　reared　back　in　a　kind　of　equine　anger。

〃I　really　fail　to　understand〃　he　began　in　high　offense。

〃That's　it；　that's　it；〃　said　the　President；　nodding　a　great　many　times。　〃That's　where　you　fail　right　enough。　You　fail　to　understand。　Why；　you　dancing　donkey；〃　he　roared；　rising；　〃you　didn't　want　to　be　overheard　by　a　spy；　didn't　you？　How　do　you　know　you　aren't　overheard　now？〃

And　with　these　words　he　shouldered　his　way　out　of　the　room；　shaking　with　incomprehensible　scorn。

Four　of　the　men　left　behind　gaped　after　him　without　any　apparent　glimmering　of　his　meaning。　Syme　alone　had　even　a　glimmering；　and　such　as　it　was　it　froze　him　to　the　bone。　If　the　last　words　of　the　President　meant　anything；　they　meant　that　he　had　not　after　all　passed　unsuspected。　They　meant　that　while　Sunday　could　not　denounce　him　like　Gogol；　he　still　could　not　trust　him　like　the　others。

The　other　four　got　to　their　feet　grumbling　more　or　less；　and　betook　themselves　elsewhere　to　find　lunch；　for　it　was　already　well　past　midday。　The　Professor　went　last；　very　slowly　and　painfully。　Syme　sat　long　after　the　rest　had　gone；　revolving　his　strange　position。　He　had　escaped　a　thunderbolt；　but　he　was　still　under　a　cloud。　At　last　he　rose　and　made　his　way　out　of　the　hotel　into　Leicester　Square。　The　bright；　cold　day　had　grown　increasingly　colder；　and　when　he　came　out　into　the　street　he　was　surprised　by　a　few　flakes　of　snow。　While　he　still　carried　the　sword…stick　and　the　rest　of　Gregory's　portable　luggage；　he　had　thrown　the　cloak　down　and　left　it　somewhere；　perhaps　on　the　steam…tug；　perhaps　on　the　balcony。　Hoping；　therefore；　that　the　snow…shower　might　be　slight；　he　stepped　back　out　of　the