the club of queer trades-第24节

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〃I　can't　stand　this；〃　he　began；　but　almost　as　he　spoke　sprang　back　into　the　shadow；　for　the　panel　of　gold　was　again　cut　out　of　the　black　house　front；　and　the　burly　figure　of　Basil　was　silhouetted　against　it　coming　out。　He　was　roaring　with　laughter　and　talking　so　loudly　that　you　could　have　heard　every　syllable　across　the　street。　Another　voice；　or；　possibly；　two　voices；　were　laughing　and　talking　back　at　him　from　within。

〃No；　no；　no；〃　Basil　was　calling　out；　with　a　sort　of　hilarious　hostility。　〃That's　quite　wrong。　That's　the　most　ghastly　heresy　of　all。　It's　the　soul；　my　dear　chap；　the　soul　that's　the　arbiter　of　cosmic　forces。　When　you　see　a　cosmic　force　you　don't　like；　trick　it；　my　boy。　But　I　must　really　be　off。〃

〃Come　and　pitch　into　us　again；〃　came　the　laughing　voice　from　out　of　the　house。　〃We　still　have　some　bones　unbroken。〃

〃Thanks　very　much；　I　willgood　night；〃　shouted　Grant；　who　had　by　this　time　reached　the　street。

〃Good　night；〃　came　the　friendly　call　in　reply；　before　the　door　closed。

〃Basil；〃　said　Rupert　Grant；　in　a　hoarse　whisper；　〃what　are　we　to　do？〃

The　elder　brother　looked　thoughtfully　from　one　of　us　to　the　other。

〃What　is　to　be　done；　Basil？〃　I　repeated　in　uncontrollable　excitement。

〃I'm　not　sure；〃　said　Basil　doubtfully。　〃What　do　you　say　to　getting　some　dinner　somewhere　and　going　to　the　Court　Theatre　tonight？　I　tried　to　get　those　fellows　to　come；　but　they　couldn't。〃

We　stared　blankly。

〃Go　to　the　Court　Theatre？〃　repeated　Rupert。　〃What　would　be　the　good　of　that？〃

〃Good？　What　do　you　mean？〃　answered　Basil；　staring　also。　〃Have　you　turned　Puritan　or　Passive　Resister；　or　something？　For　fun；　of　course。〃

〃But；　great　God　in　Heaven！　What　are　we　going　to　do；　I　mean！〃　cried　Rupert。　〃What　about　the　poor　woman　locked　up　in　that　house？　Shall　I　go　for　the　police？〃

Basil's　face　cleared　with　immediate　comprehension；　and　he　laughed。

〃Oh；　that；〃　he　said。　〃I'd　forgotten　that。　That's　all　right。　Some　mistake；　possibly。　Or　some　quite　trifling　private　affair。　But　I'm　sorry　those　fellows　couldn't　come　with　us。　Shall　we　take　one　of　these　green　omnibuses？　There　is　a　restaurant　in　Sloane　Square。〃

〃I　sometimes　think　you　play　the　fool　to　frighten　us；〃　I　said　irritably。　〃How　can　we　leave　that　woman　locked　up？　How　can　it　be　a　mere　private　affair？　How　can　crime　and　kidnapping　and　murder；　for　all　I　know；　be　private　affairs？　If　you　found　a　corpse　in　a　man's　drawing…room；　would　you　think　it　bad　taste　to　talk　about　it　just　as　if　it　was　a　confounded　dado　or　an　infernal　etching？〃

Basil　laughed　heartily。

〃That's　very　forcible；〃　he　said。　〃As　a　matter　of　fact；　though；　I　know　it's　all　right　in　this　case。　And　there　comes　the　green　omnibus。〃

〃How　do　you　know　it's　all　right　in　this　ease？〃　persisted　his　brother　angrily。

〃My　dear　chap；　the　thing's　obvious；〃　answered　Basil；　holding　a　return　ticket　between　his　teeth　while　he　fumbled　in　his　waistcoat　pocket。　〃Those　two　fellows　never　committed　a　crime　in　their　lives。　They're　not　the　kind。　Have　either　of　you　chaps　got　a　halfpenny？　I　want　to　get　a　paper　before　the　omnibus　comes。〃

〃Oh；　curse　the　paper！〃　cried　Rupert；　in　a　fury。　〃Do　you　mean　to　tell　me；　Basil　Grant；　that　you　are　going　to　leave　a　fellow　creature　in　pitch　darkness　in　a　private　dungeon；　because　you've　had　ten　minutes'　talk　with　the　keepers　of　it　and　thought　them　rather　good　men？〃

〃Good　men　do　commit　crimes　sometimes；〃　said　Basil；　taking　the　ticket　out　of　his　mouth。　〃But　this　kind　of　good　man　doesn't　commit　that　kind　of　crime。　Well；　shall　we　get　on　this　omnibus？〃

The　great　green　vehicle　was　indeed　plunging　and　lumbering　along　the　dim　wide　street　towards　us。　Basil　had　stepped　from　the　curb；　and　for　an　instant　it　was　touch　and　go　whether　we　should　all　have　leaped　on　to　it　and　been　borne　away　to　the　restaurant　and　the　theatre。

〃Basil；〃　I　said；　taking　him　firmly　by　the　shoulder；　〃I　simply　won't　leave　this　street　and　this　house。〃

〃Nor　will　I；〃　said　Rupert；　glaring　at　it　and　biting　his　fingers。　〃There's　some　black　work　going　on　there。　If　I　left　it　I　should　never　sleep　again。〃

Basil　Grant　looked　at　us　both　seriously。

〃Of　course　if　you　feel　like　that；〃　he　said；　〃we'll　investigate　further。　You'll　find　it's　all　right；　though。　They're　only　two　young　Oxford　fellows。　Extremely　nice；　too；　though　rather　infected　with　this　pseudo…Darwinian　business。　Ethics　of　evolution　and　all　that。〃

〃I　think；〃　said　Rupert　darkly；　ringing　the　bell；　〃that　we　shall　enlighten　you　further　about　their　ethics。〃

〃And　may　I　ask；〃　said　Basil　gloomily；　〃what　it　is　that　you　propose　to　do？〃

〃I　propose；　first　of　all；〃　said　Rupert；　〃to　get　into　this　house；　secondly；　to　have　a　look　at　these　nice　young　Oxford　men；　thirdly；　to　knock　them　down；　bind　them；　gag　them；　and　search　the　house。〃

Basil　stared　indignantly　for　a　few　minutes。　Then　he　was　shaken　for　an　instant　with　one　of　his　sudden　laughs。

〃Poor　little　boys；〃　he　said。　〃But　it　almost　serves　them　right　for　holding　such　silly　views；　after　all；〃　and　he　quaked　again　with　amusement　〃there's　something　confoundedly　Darwinian　about　it。〃

〃I　suppose　you　mean　to　help　us？〃　said　Rupert。

〃Oh；　yes；　I'll　be　in　it；〃　answered　Basil；　〃if　it's　only　to　prevent　your　doing　the　poor　chaps　any　harm。〃

He　was　standing　in　the　rear　of　our　little　procession；　looking　indifferent　and　sometimes　even　sulky；　but　somehow　the　instant　the　door　opened　he　stepped　first　into　the　hall；　glowing　with　urbanity。

〃So　sorry　to　haunt　you　like　this；〃　he　said。　〃I　met　two　friends　outside　who　very　much　want　to　know　you。　May　I　bring　them　in？〃

〃Delighted；　of　course；〃　said　a　young　voice；　the　unmistakable　voice　of　the　Isis；　and　I　realized　that　the　door　had　been　opened；　not　by　the　decorous　little　servant　girl；　but　by　one　of　our　hosts　in　person。　He　was　a　short；　but　shapely　young　gentleman；　with　curly　dark　hair　and　a　square；　snub…nosed　face。　He　wore　slippers　and　a　sort　of　blazer　of　some　incredible　college　purple。

〃This　way；〃　he　said；　〃mind　the　steps　by　the　staircase。　This　house　is　more　crooked　and　old…fashioned　than　you　would　think　from　its　snobbish　exterior。　There　are　quite　a　lot　of　odd　corners　in　the　place　really。〃

〃That；〃　said　Rupert；　with　a　savage　smile；　〃I　can　quite　believe。〃

We　were　by　this　time　in　the　study　or　back　parlour；　used　by　the　young　inhabitants　as　a　sitting…room；　an　apartment　littered　with　magazines　and　books　ranging　from　Dante　to　detective　stories。　The　other　youth；　who　stood　with　his　back　to　the　fire　smoking　a　corncob；　was　big　and　burly；　with　dead　brown　hair　brushed　forward　and　a　Norfolk　jacket。　He　was　that　particular　type　of　man　whose　every　feature　and　action　is　heavy　and　clumsy；　and　yet　who　is；　you　would　say；　rather　exceptionally　a　gentleman。

〃Any　more　arguments？〃　he　said；　when　introductions　had　been　effected。　〃I　must　say；　Mr　Grant；　you　were　rather　severe　upon　eminent　men　of　science　such　as　we。　I've　half　a　mind　to　chuck　my　D。Sc。　and　turn　minor　poet。〃

〃Bosh；〃　answered　Grant。　〃I　never　said　a　word　against　eminent　men　of　science。　What　I　complain　of　is　a　vague　popular　philosophy　which　supposes　itself　to　be　scientific　when　it　is　really　nothing　but　a　sort　of　new　religion　and　an　uncommonly　nasty　one。　When　people　talked　about　the　fall　of　man　they　knew　they　were　talking　about　a　mystery；　a　thing　they　didn't　understand。　Now　that　they　talk　about　the　survival　of　the　fittest　they　think　they　do　understand　it；　whereas　they　have　not　merely　no　notion；　they　have　an　elaborately　false　notion　of　what　the　words　mean。　The　Darwinian　movement　has　made　no　difference　to　mankind；　except　that；　instead　of　talking　unphilosophically　about　philosophy；　they　now　talk　unscientifically　about　science。〃

〃That　is　all　very　well；〃　said　the　big　young　man；　whose　name　appeared　to　be　Burrows。　〃Of　course；　in　a　sense；　science；　like　mathematics　or　the　violin；　can　only　be　perfectly　understood　by　specialists。　Still；　the　rudiments　may　be　of　public　use。　Greenwood　here；〃　indicating　the　little　man　in　the　blazer；　〃doesn't　know　one　note　of　music　from　another。　Still；　he　knows　something。　He　knows　enough　to　take　off　his　hat　when　they　play　‘God　save　the　King'。　He　doesn't　take　it　off　by　mistake　when　they　play　‘Oh；　dem　Golden　Slippers'。　Just　in　the　same　way　science〃

Here　Mr　Burrows　stopped　abruptly。　He　was　interrupted　by　an　argument　uncommon　in　philosophical　controversy　and　perhaps　not　wholly　legitimate。　Rupert　Grant　had　bounded　on　him　from　behind；　flung　an　arm　round　his　throat；　and　bent　the　giant　backwards。

〃Knock　the　other　fellow　down；　Swinburne；〃　he　called　out；　and　before　I　knew　where　I　was　I　was　locked　in　a　grapple　with　the　man　in　the　purple　blazer。　He　was　a　wiry　fighter；　who　bent　and　sprang　like　a　whalebone；　but　I　was　heavier　and　had　taken　him　utterly　by　surprise。　I　twitched　one　of　his　feet　from　under　him；　he　swung　for　a　moment　on　the　single　foot；　and　then　we　fell　with　a　crash　amid　the　litter　of　newspapers；　myself　on　top。

My　attention　for　a　moment　released　by　victory；　I　could　hear　Basil's　voice　finishing　some　long　sentence　of　which　I　had　not　heard　the　beginning。

〃。　。　。　wholly；　I　must　confess；　unintelligible　to　me；　my　dear　sir；　and　I　need　not　say　unpleasant。　Still　one　must　side　with　one's　old　friends　against　the　most　fascinating　new　ones。　Permit　me；　therefore；　in　tying　you　up　in　this　antimacassar；　to　make　it　as　commodious　as　handcuffs　c