the club of queer trades-第26节

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ly　in　the　presence　of　the　captive。

At　a　sort　of　workbox　in　the　window　of　this　subterranean　breakfast…room　sat　an　elderly　lady　with　a　singularly　high　colour　and　almost　startling　silver　hair。　She　had；　as　if　designedly　to　relieve　these　effects；　a　pair　of　Mephistophelian　black　eyebrows　and　a　very　neat　black　dress。　The　glare　of　the　gas　lit　up　her　piquant　hair　and　face　perfectly　against　the　brown　background　of　the　shutters。　The　background　was　blue　and　not　brown　in　one　place；　at　the　place　where　Rupert's　knife　had　torn　a　great　opening　in　the　wood　about　an　hour　before。

〃Madam；〃　said　he；　advancing　with　a　gesture　of　the　hat；　〃permit　me　to　have　the　pleasure　of　announcing　to　you　that　you　are　free。　Your　complaints　happened　to　strike　our　ears　as　we　passed　down　the　street；　and　we　have　therefore　ventured　to　come　to　your　rescue。〃

The　old　lady　with　the　red　face　and　the　black　eyebrows　looked　at　us　for　a　moment　with　something　of　the　apoplectic　stare　of　a　parrot。　Then　she　said；　with　a　sudden　gust　or　breathing　of　relief：

〃Rescue？　Where　is　Mr　Greenwood？　Where　is　Mr　Burrows？　Did　you　say　you　had　rescued　me？〃

〃Yes；　madam；〃　said　Rupert；　with　a　beaming　condescension。　〃We　have　very　satisfactorily　dealt　with　Mr　Greenwood　and　Mr　Burrows。　We　have　settled　affairs　with　them　very　satisfactorily。〃

The　old　lady　rose　from　her　chair　and　came　very　quickly　towards　us。

〃What　did　you　say　to　them？　How　did　you　persuade　them？〃　she　cried。

〃We　persuaded　them；　my　dear　madam；〃　said　Rupert；　laughing；　〃by　knocking　them　down　and　tying　them　up。　But　what　is　the　matter？〃

To　the　surprise　of　every　one　the　old　lady　walked　slowly　back　to　her　seat　by　the　window。

〃Do　I　understand；〃　she　said；　with　the　air　of　a　person　about　to　begin　knitting；　〃that　you　have　knocked　down　Mr　Burrows　and　tied　him　up？〃

〃We　have；〃　said　Rupert　proudly；　〃we　have　resisted　their　oppression　and　conquered　it。〃

〃Oh；　thanks；〃　answered　the　old　lady；　and　sat　down　by　the　window。

A　considerable　pause　followed。

〃The　road　is　quite　clear　for　you；　madam；〃　said　Rupert　pleasantly。

The　old　lady　rose；　cocking　her　black　eyebrows　and　her　silver　crest　at　us　for　an　instant。

〃But　what　about　Greenwood　and　Burrows？〃　she　said。　〃What　did　I　understand　you　to　say　had　become　of　them？〃

〃They　are　lying　on　the　floor　upstairs；〃　said　Rupert；　chuckling。　〃Tied　hand　and　foot。〃

〃Well；　that　settles　it；〃　said　the　old　lady；　coming　with　a　kind　of　bang　into　her　seat　again；　〃I　must　stop　where　I　am。〃

Rupert　looked　bewildered。

〃Stop　where　you　are？〃　he　said。　〃Why　should　you　stop　any　longer　where　you　are？　What　power　can　force　you　now　to　stop　in　this　miserable　cell？〃

〃The　question　rather　is；〃　said　the　old　lady；　with　composure；　〃what　power　can　force　me　to　go　anywhere　else？〃

We　both　stared　wildly　at　her　and　she　stared　tranquilly　at　us　both。

At　last　I　said；　〃Do　you　really　mean　to　say　that　we　are　to　leave　you　here？〃

〃I　suppose　you　don't　intend　to　tie　me　up；〃　she　said；　〃and　carry　me　off？　I　certainly　shall　not　go　otherwise。〃

〃But；　my　dear　madam；〃　cried　out　Rupert；　in　a　radiant　exasperation；　〃we　heard　you　with　our　own　ears　crying　because　you　could　not　get　out。〃

〃Eavesdroppers　often　hear　rather　misleading　things；〃　replied　the　captive　grimly。　〃I　suppose　I　did　break　down　a　bit　and　lose　my　temper　and　talk　to　myself。　But　I　have　some　sense　of　honour　for　all　that。〃

〃Some　sense　of　honour？〃　repeated　Rupert；　and　the　last　light　of　intelligence　died　out　of　his　face；　leaving　it　the　face　of　an　idiot　with　rolling　eyes。

He　moved　vaguely　towards　the　door　and　I　followed。　But　I　turned　yet　once　more　in　the　toils　of　my　conscience　and　curiosity。　〃Can　we　do　nothing　for　you；　madam？〃　I　said　forlornly。

〃Why；〃　said　the　lady；　〃if　you　are　particularly　anxious　to　do　me　a　little　favour　you　might　untie　the　gentlemen　upstairs。〃

Rupert　plunged　heavily　up　the　kitchen　staircase；　shaking　it　with　his　vague　violence。　With　mouth　open　to　speak　he　stumbled　to　the　door　of　the　sitting…room　and　scene　of　battle。

〃Theoretically　speaking；　that　is　no　doubt　true；〃　Mr　Burrows　was　saying；　lying　on　his　back　and　arguing　easily　with　Basil；　〃but　we　must　consider　the　matter　as　it　appears　to　our　sense。　The　origin　of　morality。　。　。〃

〃Basil；〃　cried　Rupert；　gasping；　〃she　won't　come　out。〃

〃Who　won't　come　out？〃　asked　Basil；　a　little　cross　at　being　interrupted　in　an　argument。

〃The　lady　downstairs；〃　replied　Rupert。　〃The　lady　who　was　locked　up。　She　won't　come　out。　And　she　says　that　all　she　wants　is　for　us　to　let　these　fellows　loose。〃

〃And　a　jolly　sensible　suggestion；〃　cried　Basil；　and　with　a　bound　he　was　on　top　of　the　prostrate　Burrows　once　more　and　was　unknotting　his　bonds　with　hands　and　teeth。

〃A　brilliant　idea。　Swinburne；　just　undo　Mr　Greenwood。〃

In　a　dazed　and　automatic　way　I　released　the　little　gentleman　in　the　purple　jacket；　who　did　not　seem　to　regard　any　of　the　proceedings　as　particularly　sensible　or　brilliant。　The　gigantic　Burrows；　on　the　other　hand；　was　heaving　with　herculean　laughter。

〃Well；〃　said　Basil；　in　his　cheeriest　way；　〃I　think　we　must　be　getting　away。　We've　so　much　enjoyed　our　evening。　Far　too　much　regard　for　you　to　stand　on　ceremony。　If　I　may　so　express　myself；　we've　made　ourselves　at　home。　Good　night。　Thanks　so　much。　Come　along；　Rupert。〃

〃Basil；〃　said　Rupert　desperately；　〃for　God's　sake　come　and　see　what　you　can　make　of　the　woman　downstairs。　I　can't　get　the　discomfort　out　of　my　mind。　I　admit　that　things　look　as　if　we　had　made　a　mistake。　But　these　gentlemen　won't　mind　perhaps。　。　。〃

〃No；　no；〃　cried　Burrows；　with　a　sort　of　Rabelaisian　uproariousness。　〃No；　no；　look　in　the　pantry；　gentlemen。　Examine　the　coal…hole。　Make　a　tour　of　the　chimneys。　There　are　corpses　all　over　the　house；　I　assure　you。〃

This　adventure　of　ours　was　destined　to　differ　in　one　respect　from　others　which　I　have　narrated。　I　had　been　through　many　wild　days　with　Basil　Grant；　days　for　the　first　half　of　which　the　sun　and　the　moon　seemed　to　have　gone　mad。　But　it　had　almost　invariably　happened　that　towards　the　end　of　the　day　and　its　adventure　things　had　cleared　themselves　like　the　sky　after　rain；　and　a　luminous　and　quiet　meaning　had　gradually　dawned　upon　me。　But　this　day's　work　was　destined　to　end　in　confusion　worse　confounded。　Before　we　left　that　house；　ten　minutes　afterwards；　one　half…witted　touch　was　added　which　rolled　all　our　minds　in　cloud。　If　Rupert's　head　had　suddenly　fallen　off　on　the　floor；　if　wings　had　begun　to　sprout　out　of　Greenwood's　shoulders；　we　could　scarcely　have　been　more　suddenly　stricken。　And　yet　of　this　we　had　no　explanation。　We　had　to　go　to　bed　that　night　with　the　prodigy　and　get　up　next　morning　with　it　and　let　it　stand　in　our　memories　for　weeks　and　months。　As　will　be　seen；　it　was　not　until　months　afterwards　that　by　another　accident　and　in　another　way　it　was　explained。　For　the　present　I　only　state　what　happened。

When　all　five　of　us　went　down　the　kitchen　stairs　again；　Rupert　leading；　the　two　hosts　bringing　up　the　rear；　we　found　the　door　of　the　prison　again　closed。　Throwing　it　open　we　found　the　place　again　as　black　as　pitch。　The　old　lady；　if　she　was　still　there；　had　turned　out　the　gas：　she　seemed　to　have　a　weird　preference　for　sitting　in　the　dark。

Without　another　word　Rupert　lit　the　gas　again。　The　little　old　lady　turned　her　bird…like　head　as　we　all　stumbled　forward　in　the　strong　gaslight。　Then；　with　a　quickness　that　almost　made　me　jump；　she　sprang　up　and　swept　a　sort　of　old…fashioned　curtsey　or　reverence。　I　looked　quickly　at　Greenwood　and　Burrows；　to　whom　it　was　natural　to　suppose　this　subservience　had　been　offered。　I　felt　irritated　at　what　was　implied　in　this　subservience；　and　desired　to　see　the　faces　of　the　tyrants　as　they　received　it。　To　my　surprise　they　did　not　seem　to　have　seen　it　at　all：　Burrows　was　paring　his　nails　with　a　small　penknife。　Greenwood　was　at　the　back　of　the　group　and　had　hardly　entered　the　room。　And　then　an　amazing　fact　became　apparent。　It　was　Basil　Grant　who　stood　foremost　of　the　group；　the　golden　gaslight　lighting　up　his　strong　face　and　figure。　His　face　wore　an　expression　indescribably　conscious；　with　the　suspicion　of　a　very　grave　smile。　His　head　was　slightly　bent　with　a　restrained　bow。　It　was　he　who　had　acknowledged　the　lady's　obeisance。　And　it　was　he；　beyond　any　shadow　of　reasonable　doubt；　to　whom　it　had　really　been　directed。

〃So　I　hear；〃　he　said；　in　a　kindly　yet　somehow　formal　voice；　〃I　hear；　madam；　that　my　friends　have　been　trying　to　rescue　you。　But　without　success。〃

〃No　one；　naturally；　knows　my　faults　better　than　you；〃　answered　the　lady　with　a　high　colour。　〃But　you　have　not　found　me　guilty　of　treachery。〃

〃I　willingly　attest　it；　madam；〃　replied　Basil；　in　the　same　level　tones；　〃and　the　fact　is　that　I　am　so　much　gratified　with　your　exhibition　of　loyalty　that　I　permit　myself　the　pleasure　of　exercising　some　very　large　discretionary　powers。　You　would　not　leave　this　room　at　the　request　of　these　gentlemen。　But　you　know　that　you　can　safely　leave　it　at　mine。〃

The　captive　made　another　reverence。　〃I　have　never　complained　of　your　injustice；〃　she　said。　〃I　need　scarcely　say　what　I　think　of　your　generosity。〃

And　before　our　staring　eyes　could　blink　she　had　passed　out　of　the　room；　Basil　holding　the　door　open　for　her。

He　turned　to　Greenwood　with　a　relapse　into　joviality。　〃This　will　be　a　relief　to　you