the night-born-第27节

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I　am　trying　to　persuade　you　from　a　criminal　life　and　to　get　you

honest　work　to　do　。　。　。　。？〃



He　was　immediately　contrite。



〃I　sure　beg　your　pardon；　ma'am；〃　he　said。　〃I　reckon　my

nervousness　ain't　complimentary。〃



As　he　spoke；　he　drew　his　right　hand　from　the　table；　and　after

lighting　the　cigarette；　dropped　it　by　his　side。



〃Thank　you　for　your　confidence；〃　she　breathed　softly；

resolutely　keeping　her　eyes　from　measuring　the　distance　to　the

revolver；　and　keeping　her　foot　pressed　firmly　on　the　bell。



〃About　that　three　hundred；〃　he　began。　〃I　can　telegraph　it　West

to…night。　And　I'll　agree　to　work　a　year　for　it　and　my　keep。〃



〃You　will　earn　more　than　that。　I　can　promise　seventy…five

dollars　a　month　at　the　least。　Do　you　know　horses？〃



His　face　lighted　up　and　his　eyes　sparkled。



〃Then　go　to　work　for　meor　for　my　father；　rather；　though　I

engage　all　the　servants。　I　need　a　second　coachman〃



〃And　wear　a　uniform？〃　he　interrupted　sharply；　the　sneer　of　the

free…born　West　in　his　voice　and　on　his　lips。



She　smiled　tolerantly。



〃Evidently　that　won't　do。　Let　me　think。　Yes。　Can　you　break　and

handle　colts？〃



He　nodded。



〃We　have　a　stock　farm；　and　there's　room　for　just　such　a　man　as

you。　Will　you　take　it？〃



〃Will　I；　ma'am？〃　His　voice　was　rich　with　gratitude　and

enthusiasm。　〃Show　me　to　it。　I'll　dig　right　in　to…morrow。　And　I

can　sure　promise　you　one　thing；　ma'am。　You'll　never　be　sorry

for　lending　Hughie　Luke　a　hand　in　his　trouble〃



〃I　thought　you　said　to　call　you　Dave；〃　she　chided　forgivingly。



〃I　did；　ma'am。　I　did。　And　I　sure　beg　your　pardon。　It　was　just

plain　bluff。　My　real　name　is　Hughie　Luke。　And　if　you'll　give　me

the　address　of　that　stock　farm　of　yours；　and　the　railroad　fare；

I　head　for　it　first　thing　in　the　morning。〃



Throughout　the　conversation　she　had　never　relaxed　her　attempts

on　the　bell。　She　had　pressed　it　in　every　alarming　waythree

shorts　and　a　long；　two　and　a　long；　and　five。　She　had　tried　long

series　of　shorts；　and；　once；　she　had　held　the　button　down　for　a

solid　three　minutes。　And　she　had　been　divided　between

objurgation　of　the　stupid；　heavy…sleeping　butler　and　doubt　if

the　bell　were　in　order。



〃I　am　so　glad；〃　she　said；　〃so　glad　that　you　are　willing。　There

won't　be　much　to　arrange。　But　you　will　first　have　to　trust　me

while　I　go　upstairs　for　my　purse。〃



She　saw　the　doubt　flicker　momentarily　in　his　eyes；　and　added

hastily；　〃But　you　see　I　am　trusting　you　with　the　three　hundred

dollars。〃



〃I　believe　you；　ma'am；〃　he　came　back　gallantly。　〃Though　I　just

can't　help　this　nervousness。〃



〃Shall　I　go　and　get　it？〃



But　before　she　could　receive　consent；　a　slight　muffled　jar　from

the　distance　came　to　her　ear。　She　knew　it　for　the　swing…door　of

the　butler's　pantry。　But　so　slight　was　itmore　a　faint

vibration　than　a　soundthat　she　would　not　have　heard　had　not

her　ears　been　keyed　and　listening　for　it。　Yet　the　man　had

heard。　He　was　startled　in　his　composed　way。



〃What　was　that？〃　he　demanded。



For　answer；　her　left　hand　flashed　out　to　the　revolver　and

brought　it　back。　She　had　had　the　start　of　him；　and　she　needed

it；　for　the　next　instant　his　hand　leaped　up　from　his　side；

clutching　emptiness　where　the　revolver　had　been。



〃Sit　down！〃　she　commanded　sharply；　in　a　voice　new　to　him。

〃Don't　move。　Keep　your　hands　on　the　table。〃



She　had　taken　a　lesson　from　him。　Instead　of　holding　the　heavy

weapon　extended；　the　butt　of　it　and　her　forearm　rested　on　the

table；　the　muzzle　pointed；　not　at　his　head；　but　his　chest。　And

he；　looking　coolly　and　obeying　her　commands；　knew　there　was　no

chance　of　the　kick…up　of　the　recoil　producing　a　miss。　Also；　he

saw　that　the　revolver　did　not　wabble；　nor　the　hand　shake；　and

he　was　thoroughly　conversant　with　the　size　of　hole　the

soft…nosed　bullets　could　make。　He　had　eyes；　not　for　her；　but

for　the　hammer；　which　had　risen　under　the　pressure　of　her

forefinger　on　the　trigger。



〃I　reckon　I'd　best　warn　you　that　that　there　trigger…pull　is

filed　dreadful　fine。　Don't　press　too　hard；　or　I'll　have　a　hole

in　me　the　size　of　a　walnut。〃



She　slacked　the　hammer　partly　down。



〃That's　better；〃　he　commented。　〃You'd　best　put　it　down　all　the

way。　You　see　how　easy　it　works。　If　you　want　to；　a　quick　light

pull　will　jiffy　her　up　and　back　and　make　a　pretty　mess　all　over

your　nice　floor。〃



A　door　opened　behind　him；　and　he　heard　somebody　enter　the　room。

But　he　did　not　turn　his　bead。　He　was　looking　at　her；　and　he

found　it　the　face　of　another　womanhard；　cold；　pitiless　yet

brilliant　in　its　beauty。　The　eyes；　too；　were　hard；　though

blazing　with　a　cold　light。



〃Thomas；〃　she　commanded；　〃go　to　the　telephone　and　call　the

police。　Why　were　you　so　long　in　answering？〃



〃I　came　as　soon　as　I　heard　the　bell；　madam；〃　was　the　answer。



The　robber　never　took　his　eyes　from　hers；　nor　did　she　from　his；

but　at　mention　of　the　bell　she　noticed　that　his　eyes　were

puzzled　for　the　moment。



〃Beg　your　pardon；〃　said　the　butler　from　behind；　〃but　wouldn't

it　be　better　for　me　to　get　a　weapon　and　arouse　the　servants？〃



〃No；　ring　for　the　police。　I　can　hold　this　man。　Go　and　do

itquickly。〃



The　butler　slippered　out　of　the　room；　and　the　man　and　the　woman

sat　on；　gazing　into　each　other's　eyes。　To　her　it　was　an

experience　keen　with　enjoyment；　and　in　her　mind　was　the　gossip

of　her　crowd；　and　she　saw　notes　in　the　society　weeklies　of　the

beautiful　young　Mrs。　Setliffe　capturing　an　armed　robber

single…handed。　It　would　create　a　sensation；　she　was　sure。



〃When　you　get　that　sentence　you　mentioned；〃　she　said　coldly；

〃you　will　have　time　to　meditate　upon　what　a　fool　you　have　been；

taking　other　persons'　property　and　threatening　women　with

revolvers。　You　will　have　time　to　learn　your　lesson　thoroughly。

Now　tell　the　truth。　You　haven't　any　friend　in　trouble。　All　that

you　told　me　was　lies。〃



He　did　not　reply。　Though　his　eyes　were　upon　her；　they　seemed

blank。　In　truth；　for　the　instant　she　was　veiled　to　him；　and

what　he　saw　was　the　wide　sunwashed　spaces　of　the　West；　where

men　and　women　were　bigger　than　the　rotten　denizens；　as　he　had

encountered　them；　of　the　thrice　rotten　cities　of　the　East。



〃Go　on。　Why　don't　you　speak？　Why　don't　you　lie　some　more？　Why

don't　you　beg　to　be　let　off？〃



〃I　might；〃　he　answered；　licking　his　dry　lips。　〃I　might　ask　to

be　let　off　if　。　。　。　〃



〃If　what？〃　she　demanded　peremptorily；　as　he　paused。



〃I　was　trying　to　think　of　a　word　you　reminded　me　of。　As　I　was

saying；　I　might　if　you　was　a　decent　woman。〃



Her　face　paled。



〃Be　careful；〃　she　warned。



〃You　don't　dast　kill　me；〃　he　sneered。　〃The　world's　a　pretty　low

down　place　to　have　a　thing　like　you　prowling　around　in　it；　but

it　ain't　so　plumb　low　down；　I　reckon；　as　to　let　you　put　a　hole

in　me。　You're　sure　bad；　but　the　trouble　with　you　is　that　you're

weak　in　your　badness。　It　ain't　much　to　kill　a　man；　but　you

ain't　got　it　in　you。　There's　where　you　lose　out。〃



〃Be　careful　of　what　you　say；〃　she　repeated。　〃Or　else；　I　warn

you；　it　will　go　hard　with　you。　It　can　be　seen　to　whether　your

sentence　is　light　or　heavy。〃



〃Something's　the　matter　with　God；〃　he　remarked　irrelevantly；

〃to　be　letting　you　around　loose。　It's　clean　beyond　me　what　he's

up　to；　playing　such…like　tricks　on　poor　humanity。　Now　if　I　was

God〃



His　further　opinion　was　interrupted　by　the　entrance　of　the

butler。



〃Something　is　wrong　with　the　telephone；　madam；〃　he　announced。

〃The　wires　are　crossed　or　something；　because　I　can't　get

Central。〃



〃Go　and　call　one　of　the　servants；〃　she　ordered。　〃Send　him　out

for　an　officer；　and　then　return　here。〃



Again　the　pair　was　left　alone。



〃Will　you　kindly　answer　one　question；　ma'am？〃　the　man　said。

〃That　servant　fellow　said　something　about　a　bell。　I　watched　you

like　a　cat；　and　you　sure　rung　no　bell。〃



〃It　was　under　the　table；　you　poor　fool。　I　pressed　it　with　my

foot。〃



〃Thank　you；　ma'am。　I　reckoned　I'd　seen　your　kind　before；　and

now　I　sure　know　I　have。　I　spoke　to　you　true　and　trusting；　and

all　the　time　you　was　lying　like　hell　to　me。〃



She　laughed　mockingly。



〃Go　on。　Say　what　you　wish。　It　is　very　interesting。〃



〃You　made　eyes　at　me；　looking　soft　and　kind；　playing　up　all　the

time　the　fact　that　you　wore　skirts　instead　of　pantsand　all

the　time　with　your　foot　on　the　bell　under　the　table。　Well；

there's　some　consolation。　I'd　sooner　be　poor　Hughie　Luke；　doing

his　ten　years；　than　be　in　your　skin。　Ma'am；　hell　is　full　of

women　like　you。〃



There　was　silence　for　a　space；　in　which　the　man；　never　taking

his　eyes　from　her；　studying　her；　was　making　up　his　mind。



〃Go　on；〃　she　urged。　〃Say　something。〃



〃Yes；　ma'am；　I'll　say　something。　I'll　sure　say　something。　Do

you　know　what　I'm　going　to　do？　I'm　going　to　get　right　up　from

this　chair　and　walk　out　that　door。　I'd　take　the　gun　from　you；

only　you　might　turn　foolish　and　let　it　go　off。　You　can　have　the

gun。　It