IdidasIwasbid,andfoundmyselfinalittledarkchamberwhichsmeltofchemicals,andwaslitonlybyatinywindowhighupinthewall。Thedoorhadswungbehindmewithaclicklikethedoorofasafe。OnceagainIhadfoundanunexpectedsanctuary。
AllthesameIwasnotcomfortable。Therewassomethingabouttheoldgentlemanwhichpuzzledandratherterrifiedme。Hehadbeentooeasyandready,almostasifhehadexpectedme。Andhiseyeshadbeenhorriblyintelligent。
Nosoundcametomeinthatdarkplace。ForallIknewthepolicemightbesearchingthehouse,andiftheydidtheywouldwanttoknowwhatwasbehindthisdoor。Itriedtopossessmysoulinpatience,andtoforgethowhungryIwas。
ThenItookamorecheerfulview。Theoldgentlemancouldscarcelyrefusemeameal,andIfelltoreconstructingmybreakfast。Baconandeggswouldcontentme,butIwantedthebetterpartofaflitchofbaconandhalfahundredeggs。Andthen,whilemymouthwaswateringinanticipation,therewasaclickandthedoorstoodopen。
Iemergedintothesunlighttofindthemasterofthehousesittinginadeeparmchairintheroomhecalledhisstudy,andregardingmewithcuriouseyes。
’Havetheygone?’Iasked。
’Theyhavegone。Iconvincedthemthatyouhadcrossedthehill。
IdonotchoosethatthepoliceshouldcomebetweenmeandonewhomIamdelightedtohonour。Thisisaluckymorningforyou,MrRichardHannay。’
Ashespokehiseyelidsseemedtotrembleandtofallalittleoverhiskeengreyeyes。InaflashthephraseofScudder’scamebacktome,whenhehaddescribedthemanhemostdreadedintheworld。
Hehadsaidthathe’couldhoodhiseyeslikeahawk’。ThenIsawthatIhadwalkedstraightintotheenemy’sheadquarters。
Myfirstimpulsewastothrottletheoldruffianandmakefortheopenair。Heseemedtoanticipatemyintention,forhesmiledgently,andnoddedtothedoorbehindme。
Iturned,andsawtwomen-servantswhohadmecoveredwithpistols。
Heknewmyname,buthehadneverseenmebefore。AndasthereflectiondartedacrossmymindIsawaslenderchance。
’Idon’tknowwhatyoumean,’Isaidroughly。’AndwhoareyoucallingRichardHannay?Myname’sAinslie。’
’So?’hesaid,stillsmiling。’Butofcourseyouhaveothers。Wewon’tquarrelaboutaname。’
Iwaspullingmyselftogethernow,andIreflectedthatmygarb,lackingcoatandwaistcoatandcollar,wouldatanyratenotbetrayme。Iputonmysurliestfaceandshruggedmyshoulders。
’Isupposeyou’regoingtogivemeupafterall,andIcallitadamneddirtytrick。MyGod,IwishIhadneverseenthatcursedmotor-car!Here’sthemoneyandbedamnedtoyou,’andIflungfoursovereignsonthetable。
Heopenedhiseyesalittle。’Ohno,Ishallnotgiveyouup。MyfriendsandIwillhavealittleprivatesettlementwithyou,thatisall。Youknowalittletoomuch,MrHannay。Youareacleveractor,butnotquitecleverenough。’
Hespokewithassurance,butIcouldseethedawningofadoubtinhismind。
’Oh,forGod’ssakestopjawing,’Icried。’Everything’sagainstme。Ihaven’thadabitoflucksinceIcameonshoreatLeith。
What’stheharminapoordevilwithanemptystomachpickingupsomemoneyhefindsinabust-upmotor-car?That’sallIdone,andforthatI’vebeenchivviedfortwodaysbythoseblastedbobbiesoverthoseblastedhills。ItellyouI’mfairsickofit。Youcandowhatyoulike,oldboy!NedAinslie’sgotnofightleftinhim。’
Icouldseethatthedoubtwasgaining。
’Willyouobligemewiththestoryofyourrecentdoings?’heasked。
’Ican’t,guv’nor,’Isaidinarealbeggar’swhine。’I’venothadabitetoeatfortwodays。Givemeamouthfuloffood,andthenyou’llhearGod’struth。’
Imusthaveshowedmyhungerinmyface,forhesignalledtooneofthemeninthedoorway。Abitofcoldpiewasbroughtandaglassofbeer,andIwolfedthemdownlikeapig-orrather,likeNedAinslie,forIwaskeepingupmycharacter。InthemiddleofmymealhespokesuddenlytomeinGerman,butIturnedonhimafaceasblankasastonewall。
ThenItoldhimmystory-howIhadcomeoffanArchangelshipatLeithaweekago,andwasmakingmywayoverlandtomybrotheratWigtown。Ihadrunshortofcash-Ihintedvaguelyataspree-andIwasprettywellonmyupperswhenIhadcomeonaholeinahedge,and,lookingthrough,hadseenabigmotor-carlyingintheburn。Ihadpokedabouttoseewhathadhappened,andhadfoundthreesovereignslyingontheseatandoneonthefloor。
Therewasnobodythereoranysignofanowner,soIhadpocketedthecash。Butsomehowthelawhadgotafterme。WhenIhadtriedtochangeasovereigninabaker’sshop,thewomanhadcriedonthepolice,andalittlelater,whenIwaswashingmyfaceinaburn,Ihadbeennearlygripped,andhadonlygotawaybyleavingmycoatandwaistcoatbehindme。
’Theycanhavethemoneyback,’Icried,’forafatlotofgoodit’sdoneme。Thoseperishersarealldownonapoorman。Now,ifithadbeenyou,guv’nor,thathadfoundthequids,nobodywouldhavetroubledyou。’
’You’reagoodliar,Hannay,’hesaid。
Iflewintoarage。’Stopfooling,damnyou!Itellyoumyname’sAinslie,andIneverheardofanyonecalledHannayinmyborndays。I’dsoonerhavethepolicethanyouwithyourHannaysandyourmonkey-facedpistoltricks……No,guv’nor,Ibegpardon,I
don’tmeanthat。I’mmuchobligedtoyouforthegrub,andI’llthankyoutoletmegonowthecoast’sclear。’
Itwasobviousthathewasbadlypuzzled。Youseehehadneverseenme,andmyappearancemusthavealteredconsiderablyfrommyphotographs,ifhehadgotoneofthem。IwasprettysmartandwelldressedinLondon,andnowIwasaregulartramp。
’Idonotproposetoletyougo。Ifyouarewhatyousayyouare,youwillsoonhaveachanceofclearingyourself。IfyouarewhatI
believeyouare,Idonotthinkyouwillseethelightmuchlonger。’
Herangabell,andathirdservantappearedfromtheveranda。
’IwanttheLanchesterinfiveminutes,’hesaid。’Therewillbethreetoluncheon。’
Thenhelookedsteadilyatme,andthatwasthehardestordealofall。
Therewassomethingweirdanddevilishinthoseeyes,cold,malignant,unearthly,andmosthellishlyclever。Theyfascinatedmelikethebrighteyesofasnake。Ihadastrongimpulsetothrowmyselfonhismercyandoffertojoinhisside,andifyouconsiderthewayIfeltaboutthewholethingyouwillseethatthatimpulsemusthavebeenpurelyphysical,theweaknessofabrainmesmerizedandmasteredbyastrongerspirit。ButImanagedtostickitoutandeventogrin。
’You’llknowmenexttime,guv’nor,’Isaid。
’Karl,’hespokeinGermantooneofthemeninthedoorway,’youwillputthisfellowinthestoreroomtillIreturn,andyouwillbeanswerabletomeforhiskeeping。’
Iwasmarchedoutoftheroomwithapistolateachear。
Thestoreroomwasadampchamberinwhathadbeentheoldfarmhouse。Therewasnocarpetontheunevenfloor,andnothingtositdownonbutaschoolform。Itwasblackaspitch,forthewindowswereheavilyshuttered。Imadeoutbygropingthatthewallswerelinedwithboxesandbarrelsandsacksofsomeheavystuff。Thewholeplacesmeltofmouldanddisuse。Mygaolersturnedthekeyinthedoor,andIcouldhearthemshiftingtheirfeetastheystoodonguardoutside。
Isatdowninthatchillydarknessinaverymiserableframeofmind。Theoldboyhadgoneoffinamotortocollectthetworuffianswhohadinterviewedmeyesterday。Now,theyhadseenmeastheroadman,andtheywouldrememberme,forIwasinthesamerig。Whatwasaroadmandoingtwentymilesfromhisbeat,pursuedbythepolice?Aquestionortwowouldputthemonthetrack。ProbablytheyhadseenMrTurnbull,probablyMarmietoo;
mostlikelytheycouldlinkmeupwithSirHarry,andthenthewholethingwouldbecrystalclear。WhatchancehadIinthismoorlandhousewiththreedesperadoesandtheirarmedservants?
Ibegantothinkwistfullyofthepolice,nowploddingoverthehillsaftermywraith。Theyatanyratewerefellow-countrymenandhonestmen,andtheirtendermercieswouldbekinderthantheseghoulishaliens。Buttheywouldn’thavelistenedtome。Thatolddevilwiththeeyelidshadnottakenlongtogetridofthem。I
thoughtheprobablyhadsomekindofgraftwiththeconstabulary。
MostlikelyhehadlettersfromCabinetMinisterssayinghewastobegiveneveryfacilityforplottingagainstBritain。That’sthesortofowlishwaywerunourpoliticsintheOldCountry。
Thethreewouldbebackforlunch,soIhadn’tmorethanacoupleofhourstowait。Itwassimplywaitingondestruction,forI
couldseenowayoutofthismess。IwishedthatIhadScudder’scourage,forIamfreetoconfessIdidn’tfeelanygreatfortitude。
TheonlythingthatkeptmegoingwasthatIwasprettyfurious。Itmademeboilwithragetothinkofthosethreespiesgettingthepullonmelikethis。IhopedthatatanyrateImightbeabletotwistoneoftheirnecksbeforetheydownedme。
ThemoreIthoughtofittheangrierIgrew,andIhadtogetupandmoveabouttheroom。Itriedtheshutters,buttheywerethekindthatlockwithakey,andIcouldn’tmovethem。Fromtheoutsidecamethefaintcluckingofhensinthewarmsun。ThenI
gropedamongthesacksandboxes。Icouldn’topenthelatter,andthesacksseemedtobefullofthingslikedog-biscuitsthatsmeltofcinnamon。But,asIcircumnavigatedtheroom,Ifoundahandleinthewallwhichseemedworthinvestigating。
Itwasthedoorofawallcupboard-whattheycalla’press’inScotland-anditwaslocked。Ishookit,anditseemedratherflimsy。ForwantofsomethingbettertodoIputoutmystrengthonthatdoor,gettingsomepurchaseonthehandlebyloopingmybracesroundit。PresentlythethinggavewithacrashwhichI
thoughtwouldbringinmywarderstoinquire。Iwaitedforabit,andthenstartedtoexplorethecupboardshelves。
Therewasamultitudeofqueerthingsthere。Ifoundanoddvestaortwoinmytrouserpocketsandstruckalight。Itwasoutinasecond,butitshowedmeonething。Therewasalittlestockofelectrictorchesononeshelf。Ipickedupone,andfounditwasinworkingorder。
WiththetorchtohelpmeIinvestigatedfurther。Therewerebottlesandcasesofqueer-smellingstuffs,chemicalsnodoubtforexperiments,andtherewerecoilsoffinecopperwireandyanksandyanksofthinoiledsilk。Therewasaboxofdetonators,andalotofcordforfuses。ThenawayatthebackoftheshelfIfoundastoutbrowncardboardbox,andinsideitawoodencase。Imanagedtowrenchitopen,andwithinlayhalfadozenlittlegreybricks,eachacoupleofinchessquare。
Itookupone,andfoundthatitcrumbledeasilyinmyhand。ThenI
smeltitandputmytonguetoit。AfterthatIsatdowntothink。Ihadn’tbeenaminingengineerfornothing,andIknewlentonitewhenIsawit。
WithoneofthesebricksIcouldblowthehousetosmithereens。
IhadusedthestuffinRhodesiaandknewitspower。Butthetroublewasthatmyknowledgewasn’texact。Ihadforgottentheproperchargeandtherightwayofpreparingit,andIwasn’tsureaboutthetiming。Ihadonlyavaguenotion,too,astoitspower,forthoughIhaduseditIhadnothandleditwithmyownfingers。
Butitwasachance,theonlypossiblechance。Itwasamightyrisk,butagainstitwasanabsoluteblackcertainty。IfIusedittheoddswere,asIreckoned,aboutfivetooneinfavourofmyblowingmyselfintothetree-tops;butifIdidn’tIshouldverylikelybeoccupyingasix-footholeinthegardenbytheevening。
ThatwasthewayIhadtolookatit。Theprospectwasprettydarkeitherway,butanyhowtherewasachance,bothformyselfandformycountry。
TheremembranceoflittleScudderdecidedme。Itwasaboutthebeastliestmomentofmylife,forI’mnogoodatthesecold-bloodedresolutions。StillImanagedtorakeuptheplucktosetmyteethandchokebackthehorriddoubtsthatfloodedinonme。IsimplyshutoffmymindandpretendedIwasdoinganexperimentassimpleasGuyFawkesfireworks。
Igotadetonator,andfixedittoacoupleoffeetoffuse。ThenI
tookaquarterofalentonitebrick,andburieditnearthedoorbelowoneofthesacksinacrackofthefloor,fixingthedetonatorinit。ForallIknewhalfthoseboxesmightbedynamite。Ifthecupboardheldsuchdeadlyexplosives,whynottheboxes?InthatcasetherewouldbeagloriousskywardjourneyformeandtheGermanservantsandaboutanacreofsurroundingcountry。Therewasalsotheriskthatthedetonationmightsetofftheotherbricksinthecupboard,forIhadforgottenmostthatIknewaboutlentonite。Butitdidn’tdotobeginthinkingaboutthepossibilities。
Theoddswerehorrible,butIhadtotakethem。
Iensconcedmyselfjustbelowthesillofthewindow,andlitthefuse。ThenIwaitedforamomentortwo。Therewasdeadsilence-
onlyashuffleofheavybootsinthepassage,andthepeacefulcluckofhensfromthewarmout-of-doors。IcommendedmysoultomyMaker,andwonderedwhereIwouldbeinfiveseconds……
Agreatwaveofheatseemedtosurgeupwardsfromthefloor,andhangforablisteringinstantintheair。Thenthewalloppositemeflashedintoagoldenyellowanddissolvedwitharendingthunderthathammeredmybrainintoapulp。Somethingdroppedonme,catchingthepointofmyleftshoulder。
AndthenIthinkIbecameunconscious。
Mystuporcanscarcelyhavelastedbeyondafewseconds。Ifeltmyselfbeingchokedbythickyellowfumes,andstruggledoutofthedebristomyfeet。SomewherebehindmeIfeltfreshair。Thejambsofthewindowhadfallen,andthroughtheraggedrentthesmokewaspouringouttothesummernoon。Isteppedoverthebrokenlintel,andfoundmyselfstandinginayardinadenseandacridfog。Ifeltverysickandill,butIcouldmovemylimbs,andI
staggeredblindlyforwardawayfromthehouse。
Asmallmill-laderaninawoodenaqueductattheothersideoftheyard,andintothisIfell。Thecoolwaterrevivedme,andIhadjustenoughwitslefttothinkofescape。IsquirmeduptheladeamongtheslipperygreenslimetillIreachedthemill-wheel。ThenI
wriggledthroughtheaxleholeintotheoldmillandtumbledontoabedofchaff。Anailcaughttheseatofmytrousers,andIleftawispofheather-mixturebehindme。
Themillhadbeenlongoutofuse。Theladderswererottenwithage,andinthelofttheratshadgnawedgreatholesinthefloor。
Nauseashookme,andawheelinmyheadkeptturning,whilemyleftshoulderandarmseemedtobestrickenwiththepalsy。Ilookedoutofthewindowandsawafogstillhangingoverthehouseandsmokeescapingfromanupperwindow。PleaseGodIhadsettheplaceonfire,forIcouldhearconfusedcriescomingfromtheotherside。
ButIhadnotimetolinger,sincethismillwasobviouslyabadhiding-place。Anyonelookingformewouldnaturallyfollowthelade,andImadecertainthesearchwouldbeginassoonastheyfoundthatmybodywasnotinthestoreroom。FromanotherwindowIsawthatonthefarsideofthemillstoodanoldstonedovecot。IfIcouldgettherewithoutleavingtracksImightfindahiding-place,forIarguedthatmyenemies,iftheythoughtIcouldmove,wouldconcludeIhadmadeforopencountry,andwouldgoseekingmeonthemoor。
Icrawleddownthebrokenladder,scatteringchaffbehindmetocovermyfootsteps。Ididthesameonthemillfloor,andonthethresholdwherethedoorhungonbrokenhinges。Peepingout,I
sawthatbetweenmeandthedovecotwasapieceofbarecobbledground,wherenofootmarkswouldshow。Alsoitwasmercifullyhidbythemillbuildingsfromanyviewfromthehouse。Islippedacrossthespace,gottothebackofthedovecotandprospectedawayofascent。
ThatwasoneofthehardestjobsIevertookon。Myshoulderandarmachedlikehell,andIwassosickandgiddythatIwasalwaysonthevergeoffalling。ButImanageditsomehow。Bytheuseofout-juttingstonesandgapsinthemasonryandatoughivyrootIgottothetopintheend。TherewasalittleparapetbehindwhichIfoundspacetoliedown。ThenIproceededtogooffintoanold-fashionedswoon。
Iwokewithaburningheadandthesunglaringinmyface。ForalongtimeIlaymotionless,forthosehorriblefumesseemedtohaveloosenedmyjointsanddulledmybrain。Soundscametomefromthehouse-menspeakingthroatilyandthethrobbingofastationarycar。TherewasalittlegapintheparapettowhichIwriggled,andfromwhichIhadsomesortofprospectoftheyard。Isawfigurescomeout-aservantwithhisheadboundup,andthenayoungermaninknickerbockers。Theywerelookingforsomething,andmovedtowardsthemill。Thenoneofthemcaughtsightofthewispofclothonthenail,andcriedouttotheother。Theybothwentbacktothehouse,andbroughttwomoretolookatit。Isawtherotundfigureofmylatecaptor,andIthoughtImadeoutthemanwiththelisp。Inoticedthatallhadpistols。
Forhalfanhourtheyransackedthemill。Icouldhearthemkickingoverthebarrelsandpullinguptherottenplanking。Thentheycameoutside,andstoodjustbelowthedovecotarguingfiercely。Theservantwiththebandagewasbeingsoundlyrated。I
heardthemfiddlingwiththedoorofthedovecoteandforonehorridmomentIfanciedtheywerecomingup。Thentheythoughtbetterofit,andwentbacktothehouse。
AllthatlongblisteringafternoonIlaybakingontherooftop。
Thirstwasmychieftorment。Mytonguewaslikeastick,andtomakeitworseIcouldhearthecooldripofwaterfromthemill-
lade。Iwatchedthecourseofthelittlestreamasitcameinfromthemoor,andmyfancyfollowedittothetopoftheglen,whereitmustissuefromanicyfountainfringedwithcoolfernsandmosses。
Iwouldhavegivenathousandpoundstoplungemyfaceintothat。
Ihadafineprospectofthewholeringofmoorland。Isawthecarspeedawaywithtwooccupants,andamanonahillponyridingeast。Ijudgedtheywerelookingforme,andIwishedthemjoyoftheirquest。
ButIsawsomethingelsemoreinteresting。Thehousestoodalmostonthesummitofaswellofmoorlandwhichcrownedasortofplateau,andtherewasnohigherpointnearerthanthebighillssixmilesoff。Theactualsummit,asIhavementioned,wasabiggishclumpoftrees-firsmostly,withafewashesandbeeches。
OnthedovecotIwasalmostonalevelwiththetree-tops,andcouldseewhatlaybeyond。Thewoodwasnotsolid,butonlyaring,andinsidewasanovalofgreenturf,foralltheworldlikeabigcricket-field。
Ididn’ttakelongtoguesswhatitwas。Itwasanaerodrome,andasecretone。Theplacehadbeenmostcunninglychosen。Forsupposeanyonewerewatchinganaeroplanedescendinghere,hewouldthinkithadgoneoverthehillbeyondthetrees。Astheplacewasonthetopofariseinthemidstofabigamphitheatre,anyobserverfromanydirectionwouldconcludeithadpassedoutofviewbehindthehill。Onlyamanverycloseathandwouldrealizethattheaeroplanehadnotgoneoverbuthaddescendedinthemidstofthewood。Anobserverwithatelescopeononeofthehigherhillsmighthavediscoveredthetruth,butonlyherdswentthere,andherdsdonotcarryspy-glasses。WhenIlookedfromthedovecotIcouldseefarawayabluelinewhichIknewwasthesea,andIgrewfurioustothinkthatourenemieshadthissecretconning-towertorakeourwaterways。
ThenIreflectedthatifthataeroplanecamebackthechancesweretentoonethatIwouldbediscovered。SothroughtheafternoonIlayandprayedforthecomingofdarkness,andgladIwaswhenthesunwentdownoverthebigwesternhillsandthetwilighthazecreptoverthemoor。Theaeroplanewaslate。ThegloamingwasfaradvancedwhenIheardthebeatofwingsandsawitvolplaningdownwardtoitshomeinthewood。Lightstwinkledforabitandtherewasmuchcomingandgoingfromthehouse。Thenthedarkfell,andsilence。
ThankGoditwasablacknight。Themoonwaswellonitslastquarterandwouldnotrisetilllate。Mythirstwastoogreattoallowmetotarry,soaboutnineo’clock,sofarasIcouldjudge,Istartedtodescend。Itwasn’teasy,andhalf-waydownIheardthebackdoorofthehouseopen,andsawthegleamofalanternagainstthemillwall。ForsomeagonizingminutesIhungbytheivyandprayedthatwhoeveritwaswouldnotcomeroundbythedovecot。Thenthelightdisappeared,andIdroppedassoftlyasIcouldontothehardsoiloftheyard。
IcrawledonmybellyintheleeofastonedyketillIreachedthefringeoftreeswhichsurroundedthehouse。IfIhadknownhowtodoitIwouldhavetriedtoputthataeroplaneoutofaction,butI
realizedthatanyattemptwouldprobablybefutile。Iwasprettycertainthattherewouldbesomekindofdefenceroundthehouse,soIwentthroughthewoodonhandsandknees,feelingcarefullyeveryinchbeforeme。Itwasaswell,forpresentlyIcameonawireabouttwofeetfromtheground。IfIhadtrippedoverthat,itwoulddoubtlesshaverungsomebellinthehouseandIwouldhavebeencaptured。
AhundredyardsfartheronIfoundanotherwirecunninglyplacedontheedgeofasmallstream。Beyondthatlaythemoor,andinfiveminutesIwasdeepinbrackenandheather。SoonIwasroundtheshoulderoftherise,inthelittleglenfromwhichthemill-ladeflowed。Tenminuteslatermyfacewasinthespring,andI
wassoakingdownpintsoftheblessedwater。
ButIdidnotstoptillIhadputhalfadozenmilesbetweenmeandthataccurseddwelling。
CHAPTERSEVEN
TheDry-FlyFishermanIsatdownonahill-topandtookstockofmyposition。Iwasn’tfeelingveryhappy,formynaturalthankfulnessatmyescapewascloudedbymyseverebodilydiscomfort。Thoselentonitefumeshadfairlypoisonedme,andthebakinghoursonthedovecothadn’thelpedmatters。Ihadacrushingheadache,andfeltassickasacat。
Alsomyshoulderwasinabadway。AtfirstIthoughtitwasonlyabruise,butitseemedtobeswelling,andIhadnouseofmyleftarm。
MyplanwastoseekMrTurnbull’scottage,recovermygarments,andespeciallyScudder’snote-book,andthenmakeforthemainlineandgetbacktothesouth。ItseemedtomethatthesoonerI
gotintouchwiththeForeignOfficeman,SirWalterBullivant,thebetter。Ididn’tseehowIcouldgetmoreproofthanIhadgotalready。Hemustjusttakeorleavemystory,andanyway,withhimIwouldbeinbetterhandsthanthosedevilishGermans。IhadbeguntofeelquitekindlytowardstheBritishpolice。
Itwasawonderfulstarrynight,andIhadnotmuchdifficultyabouttheroad。SirHarry’smaphadgivenmethelieoftheland,andallIhadtodowastosteerapointortwowestofsouth-westtocometothestreamwhereIhadmettheroadman。InallthesetravelsIneverknewthenamesoftheplaces,butIbelievethisstreamwasnolessthantheupperwatersoftheriverTweed。I
calculatedImustbeabouteighteenmilesdistant,andthatmeantI
couldnotgettherebeforemorning。SoImustlieupadaysomewhere,forIwastoooutrageousafiguretobeseeninthesunlight。
Ihadneithercoat,waistcoat,collar,norhat,mytrouserswerebadlytorn,andmyfaceandhandswereblackwiththeexplosion。I
daresayIhadotherbeauties,formyeyesfeltasiftheywerefuriouslybloodshot。AltogetherIwasnospectacleforGod-fearingcitizenstoseeonahighroad。
VerysoonafterdaybreakImadeanattempttocleanmyselfinahillburn,andthenapproachedaherd’scottage,forIwasfeelingtheneedoffood。Theherdwasawayfromhome,andhiswifewasalone,withnoneighbourforfivemiles。Shewasadecentoldbody,andapluckyone,forthoughshegotafrightwhenshesawme,shehadanaxehandy,andwouldhaveuseditonanyevil-doer。ItoldherthatIhadhadafall-Ididn’tsayhow-andshesawbymylooksthatIwasprettysick。LikeatrueSamaritansheaskednoquestions,butgavemeabowlofmilkwithadashofwhiskyinit,andletmesitforalittlebyherkitchenfire。Shewouldhavebathedmyshoulder,butitachedsobadlythatIwouldnotlethertouchit。
Idon’tknowwhatshetookmefor-arepentantburglar,perhaps;forwhenIwantedtopayherforthemilkandtenderedasovereignwhichwasthesmallestcoinIhad,sheshookherheadandsaidsomethingabout’givingittothemthathadarighttoit’。
AtthisIprotestedsostronglythatIthinkshebelievedmehonest,forshetookthemoneyandgavemeawarmnewplaidforit,andanoldhatofherman’s。Sheshowedmehowtowraptheplaidaroundmyshoulders,andwhenIleftthatcottageIwasthelivingimageofthekindofScotsmanyouseeintheillustrationstoBurns’spoems。ButatanyrateIwasmoreorlessclad。
Itwasaswell,fortheweatherchangedbeforemiddaytoathickdrizzleofrain。Ifoundshelterbelowanoverhangingrockinthecrookofaburn,whereadriftofdeadbrackensmadeatolerablebed。ThereImanagedtosleeptillnightfall,wakingverycrampedandwretched,withmyshouldergnawinglikeatoothache。Iatetheoatcakeandcheesetheoldwifehadgivenmeandsetoutagainjustbeforethedarkening。
Ipassoverthemiseriesofthatnightamongthewethills。Therewerenostarstosteerby,andIhadtodothebestIcouldfrommymemoryofthemap。TwiceIlostmyway,andIhadsomenastyfallsintopeat-bogs。Ihadonlyabouttenmilestogoasthecrowflies,butmymistakesmadeitnearertwenty。Thelastbitwascompletedwithsetteethandaverylightanddizzyhead。ButI
managedit,andintheearlydawnIwasknockingatMrTurnbull’sdoor。Themistlaycloseandthick,andfromthecottageIcouldnotseethehighroad。
MrTurnbullhimselfopenedtome-soberandsomethingmorethansober。Hewasprimlydressedinanancientbutwell-tendedsuitofblack;hehadbeenshavednotlaterthanthenightbefore;heworealinencollar;andinhislefthandhecarriedapocketBible。
Atfirsthedidnotrecognizeme。
’Whaeareyethatcomesstravaigin’hereontheSabbathmornin’?’
heasked。
Ihadlostallcountofthedays。SotheSabbathwasthereasonforthisstrangedecorum。
MyheadwasswimmingsowildlythatIcouldnotframeacoherentanswer。Butherecognizedme,andhesawthatIwasill。
’Haeyegotmyspecs?’heasked。
Ifetchedthemoutofmytrouserpocketandgavehimthem。
’Ye’llhaecomeforyourjaicketandwestcoat,’hesaid。’Comein-
bye。Losh,man,ye’reterribledunei’thelegs。HauduptillIgetyetoachair。’
IperceivedIwasinforaboutofmalaria。Ihadagooddealoffeverinmybones,andthewetnighthadbroughtitout,whilemyshoulderandtheeffectsofthefumescombinedtomakemefeelprettybad。BeforeIknew,MrTurnbullwashelpingmeoffwithmyclothes,andputtingmetobedinoneofthetwocupboardsthatlinedthekitchenwalls。
Hewasatruefriendinneed,thatoldroadman。Hiswifewasdeadyearsago,andsincehisdaughter’smarriagehelivedalone。
ForthebetterpartoftendayshedidalltheroughnursingI
needed。Isimplywantedtobeleftinpeacewhilethefevertookitscourse,andwhenmyskinwascoolagainIfoundthatthebouthadmoreorlesscuredmyshoulder。Butitwasabaddishgo,andthoughIwasoutofbedinfivedays,ittookmesometimetogetmylegsagain。
Hewentouteachmorning,leavingmemilkfortheday,andlockingthedoorbehindhim;andcameinintheeveningtositsilentinthechimneycorner。Notasoulcameneartheplace。WhenIwasgettingbetter,heneverbotheredmewithaquestion。Severaltimeshefetchedmeatwodays’oldSCOTSMAN,andInoticedthattheinterestinthePortlandPlacemurderseemedtohavedieddown。
Therewasnomentionofit,andIcouldfindverylittleaboutanythingexceptathingcalledtheGeneralAssembly-someecclesiasticalspree,Igathered。
Onedayheproducedmybeltfromalockfastdrawer。’There’saterribleheapo’sillerin’t,’hesaid。’Ye’dbettercoontittoseeit’sa’there。’
Heneverevensoughtmyname。Iaskedhimifanybodyhadbeenaroundmakinginquiriessubsequenttomyspellattheroad-making。
’Ay,therewasamaninamotor-cawr。Hespeiredwhaehadta’enmyplacethatday,andIletonIthochthimdaft。Buthekeepitonatme,andsyneIsaidhemaunbethinkin’o’mygude-britherfraetheCleuchthatwhileslentmeahaun’。Hewasawersh-lookin’
sowl,andIcouldnaunderstandthehalfo’hisEnglishtongue。’
Iwasgettingrestlessthoselastdays,andassoonasIfeltmyselffitIdecidedtobeoff。ThatwasnottillthetwelfthdayofJune,andasluckwouldhaveitadroverwentpastthatmorningtakingsomecattletoMoffat。HewasamannamedHislop,afriendofTurnbull’s,andhecameintohisbreakfastwithusandofferedtotakemewithhim。
ImadeTurnbullacceptfivepoundsformylodging,andahardjobIhadofit。Thereneverwasamoreindependentbeing。HegrewpositivelyrudewhenIpressedhim,andshyandred,andtookthemoneyatlastwithoutathankyou。WhenItoldhimhowmuchIowedhim,hegruntedsomethingabout’aeguidturndeservin’anither’。Youwouldhavethoughtfromourleave-takingthatwehadpartedindisgust。
Hislopwasacheerysoul,whochatteredallthewayoverthepassanddownthesunnyvaleofAnnan。ItalkedofGallowaymarketsandsheepprices,andhemadeuphismindIwasa’pack-shepherd’
fromthoseparts-whateverthatmaybe。Myplaidandmyoldhat,asIhavesaid,gavemeafinetheatricalScotslook。Butdrivingcattleisamortallyslowjob,andwetookthebetterpartofthedaytocoveradozenmiles。
IfIhadnothadsuchananxiousheartIwouldhaveenjoyedthattime。Itwasshiningblueweather,withaconstantlychangingprospectofbrownhillsandfargreenmeadows,andacontinualsoundoflarksandcurlewsandfallingstreams。ButIhadnomindforthesummer,andlittleforHislop’sconversation,forasthefatefulfifteenthofJunedrewnearIwasoverweighedwiththehopelessdifficultiesofmyenterprise。
IgotsomedinnerinahumbleMoffatpublic-house,andwalkedthetwomilestothejunctiononthemainline。Thenightexpressforthesouthwasnotduetillnearmidnight,andtofillupthetimeIwentuponthehillsideandfellasleep,forthewalkhadtiredme。
Iallbutslepttoolong,andhadtoruntothestationandcatchthetrainwithtwominutestospare。Thefeelofthehardthird-classcushionsandthesmellofstaletobaccocheeredmeupwonderfully。
Atanyrate,IfeltnowthatIwasgettingtogripswithmyjob。
IwasdecantedatCreweinthesmallhoursandhadtowaittillsixtogetatrainforBirmingham。IntheafternoonIgottoReading,andchangedintoalocaltrainwhichjourneyedintothedeepsofBerkshire。
PresentlyIwasinalandoflushwater-meadowsandslowreedystreams。Abouteighto’clockintheevening,awearyandtravel-stainedbeing-acrossbetweenafarm-labourerandavet-
withacheckedblack-and-whiteplaidoverhisarm(forIdidnotdaretowearitsouthoftheBorder),descendedatthelittlestationofArtinswell。Therewereseveralpeopleontheplatform,andI
thoughtIhadbetterwaittoaskmywaytillIwasclearoftheplace。
Theroadledthroughawoodofgreatbeechesandthenintoashallowvalley,withthegreenbacksofdownspeepingoverthedistanttrees。AfterScotlandtheairsmeltheavyandflat,butinfinitelysweet,forthelimesandchestnutsandlilacbushesweredomesofblossom。PresentlyIcametoabridge,belowwhichaclearslowstreamflowedbetweensnowybedsofwater-buttercups。Alittleaboveitwasamill;andthelashermadeapleasantcoolsoundinthescenteddusk。Somehowtheplacesoothedmeandputmeatmyease。IfelltowhistlingasIlookedintothegreendepths,andthetunewhichcametomylipswas’AnnieLaurie’。
Afishermancameupfromthewaterside,andashenearedmehetoobegantowhistle。Thetunewasinfectious,forhefollowedmysuit。Hewasahugemaninuntidyoldflannelsandawide-brimmedhat,withacanvasbagslungonhisshoulder。Henoddedtome,andIthoughtIhadneverseenashrewderorbetter-temperedface。
Heleanedhisdelicateten-footsplit-canerodagainstthebridge,andlookedwithmeatthewater。
’Clear,isn’tit?’hesaidpleasantly。’IbackourKenneranydayagainsttheTest。Lookatthatbigfellow。Fourpoundsifhe’sanounce。Buttheeveningriseisoverandyoucan’ttempt’em。’
’Idon’tseehim,’saidI。
’Look!There!Ayardfromthereedsjustabovethatstickle。’
’I’vegothimnow。Youmightswearhewasablackstone。’
’So,’hesaid,andwhistledanotherbarof’AnnieLaurie’。
’Twisdon’sthename,isn’tit?’hesaidoverhisshoulder,hiseyesstillfixedonthestream。
’No,’Isaid。’Imeantosay,Yes。’Ihadforgottenallaboutmyalias。
’It’sawiseconspiratorthatknowshisownname,’heobserved,grinningbroadlyatamoor-henthatemergedfromthebridge’sshadow。
Istoodupandlookedathim,atthesquare,cleftjawandbroad,linedbrowandthefirmfoldsofcheek,andbegantothinkthathereatlastwasanallyworthhaving。Hiswhimsicalblueeyesseemedtogoverydeep。
Suddenlyhefrowned。’Icallitdisgraceful,’hesaid,raisinghisvoice。’Disgracefulthatanable-bodiedmanlikeyoushoulddaretobeg。Youcangetamealfrommykitchen,butyou’llgetnomoneyfromme。’
Adog-cartwaspassing,drivenbyayoungmanwhoraisedhiswhiptosalutethefisherman。Whenhehadgone,hepickeduphisrod。
’That’smyhouse,’hesaid,pointingtoawhitegateahundredyardson。’Waitfiveminutesandthengoroundtothebackdoor。’
Andwiththatheleftme。
IdidasIwasbidden。Ifoundaprettycottagewithalawnrunningdowntothestream,andaperfectjungleofguelder-roseandlilacflankingthepath。Thebackdoorstoodopen,andagravebutlerwasawaitingme。
’Comethisway,Sir,’hesaid,andheledmealongapassageandupabackstaircasetoapleasantbedroomlookingtowardstheriver。ThereIfoundacompleteoutfitlaidoutforme-dressclotheswithallthefixings,abrownflannelsuit,shirts,collars,ties,shavingthingsandhair-brushes,evenapairofpatentshoes。’SirWalterthoughtashowMrReggie’sthingswouldfityou,Sir,’saidthebutler。’Hekeepssomeclothes’ere,forhecomesregularontheweek-ends。There’sabathroomnextdoor,andI’veprepareda’otbath。Dinnerin’alfanhour,Sir。You’ll’earthegong。’
Thegravebeingwithdrew,andIsatdowninachintz-coveredeasy-chairandgaped。Itwaslikeapantomime,tocomesuddenlyoutofbeggardomintothisorderlycomfort。ObviouslySirWalterbelievedinme,thoughwhyhedidIcouldnotguess。Ilookedatmyselfinthemirrorandsawawild,haggardbrownfellow,withafortnight’sraggedbeard,anddustinearsandeyes,collarless,vulgarlyshirted,withshapelessoldtweedclothesandbootsthathadnotbeencleanedforthebetterpartofamonth。Imadeafinetrampandafairdrover;andhereIwasusheredbyaprimbutlerintothistempleofgraciousease。Andthebestofitwasthattheydidnotevenknowmyname。
Iresolvednottopuzzlemyheadbuttotakethegiftsthegodshadprovided。Ishavedandbathedluxuriously,andgotintothedressclothesandcleancracklingshirt,whichfittedmenotsobadly。BythetimeIhadfinishedthelooking-glassshowedanotunpersonableyoungman。
SirWalterawaitedmeinaduskydining-roomwherealittleroundtablewaslitwithsilvercandles。Thesightofhim-sorespectableandestablishedandsecure,theembodimentoflawandgovernmentandalltheconventions-tookmeabackandmademefeelaninterloper。Hecouldn’tknowthetruthaboutme,orhewouldn’ttreatmelikethis。Isimplycouldnotaccepthishospitalityonfalsepretences。
’I’mmoreobligedtoyouthanIcansay,butI’mboundtomakethingsclear,’Isaid。’I’maninnocentman,butI’mwantedbythepolice。I’vegottotellyouthis,andIwon’tbesurprisedifyoukickmeout。’
Hesmiled。’That’sallright。Don’tletthatinterferewithyourappetite。Wecantalkaboutthesethingsafterdinner。’
Ineverateamealwithgreaterrelish,forIhadhadnothingalldaybutrailwaysandwiches。SirWalterdidmeproud,forwedrankagoodchampagneandhadsomeuncommonfineportafterwards。
itmademealmosthystericaltobesittingthere,waitedonbyafootmanandasleekbutler,andrememberthatIhadbeenlivingforthreeweekslikeabrigand,witheveryman’shandagainstme。I
toldSirWalterabouttiger-fishintheZambesithatbiteoffyourfingersifyougivethemachance,andwediscussedsportupanddowntheglobe,forhehadhuntedabitinhisday。
Wewenttohisstudyforcoffee,ajollyroomfullofbooksandtrophiesanduntidinessandcomfort。ImadeupmymindthatifeverIgotridofthisbusinessandhadahouseofmyown,Iwouldcreatejustsucharoom。Thenwhenthecoffee-cupswereclearedaway,andwehadgotourcigarsalight,myhostswunghislonglegsoverthesideofhischairandbademegetstartedwithmyyarn。
’I’veobeyedHarry’sinstructions,’hesaid,’andthebribeheofferedmewasthatyouwouldtellmesomethingtowakemeup。
I’mready,MrHannay。’
Inoticedwithastartthathecalledmebymypropername。
Ibeganattheverybeginning。ItoldofmyboredominLondon,andthenightIhadcomebacktofindScuddergibberingonmydoorstep。ItoldhimallScudderhadtoldmeaboutKarolidesandtheForeignOfficeconference,andthatmadehimpursehislipsandgrin。
ThenIgottothemurder,andhegrewsolemnagain。HeheardallaboutthemilkmanandmytimeinGalloway,andmydecipheringScudder’snotesattheinn。
’You’vegotthemhere?’heaskedsharply,anddrewalongbreathwhenIwhippedthelittlebookfrommypocket。
Isaidnothingofthecontents。ThenIdescribedmymeetingwithSirHarry,andthespeechesatthehall。Atthathelaugheduproariously。
’Harrytalkeddashednonsense,didhe?Iquitebelieveit。He’sasgoodachapaseverbreathed,buthisidiotofanunclehasstuffedhisheadwithmaggots。Goon,MrHannay。’
Mydayasroadmanexcitedhimabit。Hemademedescribethetwofellowsinthecarveryclosely,andseemedtoberakingbackinhismemory。Hegrewmerryagainwhenheheardofthefateofthatassjopley。
Buttheoldmaninthemoorlandhousesolemnizedhim。AgainI
hadtodescribeeverydetailofhisappearance。
’Blandandbald-headedandhoodedhiseyeslikeabird……Hesoundsasinisterwild-fowl!Andyoudynamitedhishermitage,afterhehadsavedyoufromthepolice。Spiritedpieceofwork,that!’
PresentlyIreachedtheendofmywanderings。Hegotupslowly,andlookeddownatmefromthehearth-rug。
’Youmaydismissthepolicefromyourmind,’hesaid。’You’reinnodangerfromthelawofthisland。’
’GreatScot!’Icried。’Havetheygotthemurderer?’
’No。Butforthelastfortnighttheyhavedroppedyoufromthelistofpossibles。’
’Why?’Iaskedinamazement。
’PrincipallybecauseIreceivedaletterfromScudder。Iknewsomethingoftheman,andhedidseveraljobsforme。Hewashalfcrank,halfgenius,buthewaswhollyhonest。Thetroubleabouthimwashispartialityforplayingalonehand。ThatmadehimprettywelluselessinanySecretService-apity,forhehaduncommongifts。Ithinkhewasthebravestmanintheworld,forhewasalwaysshiveringwithfright,andyetnothingwouldchokehimoff。
Ihadaletterfromhimonthe31stofMay。’
’Buthehadbeendeadaweekbythen。’
’Theletterwaswrittenandpostedonthe23rd。Heevidentlydidnotanticipateanimmediatedecease。Hiscommunicationsusuallytookaweektoreachme,fortheyweresentundercovertoSpainandthentoNewcastle。Hehadamania,youknow,forconcealinghistracks。’
’Whatdidhesay?’Istammered。
’Nothing。Merelythathewasindanger,buthadfoundshelterwithagoodfriend,andthatIwouldhearfromhimbeforethe15thofJune。Hegavemenoaddress,butsaidhewaslivingnearPortlandPlace。Ithinkhisobjectwastoclearyouifanythinghappened。WhenIgotitIwenttoScotlandYard,wentoverthedetailsoftheinquest,andconcludedthatyouwerethefriend。Wemadeinquiriesaboutyou,MrHannay,andfoundyouwererespectable。
IthoughtIknewthemotivesforyourdisappearance-notonlythepolice,theotheronetoo-andwhenIgotHarry’sscrawlI
guessedattherest。Ihavebeenexpectingyouanytimethispastweek。’
Youcanimaginewhataloadthistookoffmymind。Ifeltafreemanoncemore,forIwasnowupagainstmycountry’senemiesonly,andnotmycountry’slaw。
’Nowletushavethelittlenote-book,’saidSirWalter。
Ittookusagoodhourtoworkthroughit。Iexplainedthecypher,andhewasjollyquickatpickingitup。Heemendedmyreadingofitonseveralpoints,butIhadbeenfairlycorrect,onthewhole。Hisfacewasverygravebeforehehadfinished,andhesatsilentforawhile。
’Idon’tknowwhattomakeofit,’hesaidatlast。’Heisrightaboutonething-whatisgoingtohappenthedayaftertomorrow。
Howthedevilcanithavegotknown?Thatisuglyenoughinitself。
ButallthisaboutwarandtheBlackStone-itreadslikesomewildmelodrama。IfonlyIhadmoreconfidenceinScudder’sjudgement。
Thetroubleabouthimwasthathewastooromantic。Hehadtheartistictemperament,andwantedastorytobebetterthanGodmeantittobe。Hehadalotofoddbiases,too。Jews,forexample,madehimseered。Jewsandthehighfinance。
’TheBlackStone,’herepeated。’DERSCHWARZESTEIN。It’slikeapennynovelette。AndallthisstuffaboutKarolides。Thatistheweakpartofthetale,forIhappentoknowthatthevirtuousKarolidesislikelytooutlastusboth。ThereisnoStateinEuropethatwantshimgone。Besides,hehasjustbeenplayinguptoBerlinandViennaandgivingmyChiefsomeuneasymoments。No!Scudderhasgoneoffthetrackthere。Frankly,Hannay,Idon’tbelievethatpartofhisstory。There’ssomenastybusinessafoot,andhefoundouttoomuchandlosthislifeoverit。ButIamreadytotakemyoaththatitisordinaryspywork。AcertaingreatEuropeanPowermakesahobbyofherspysystem,andhermethodsarenottooparticular。Sinceshepaysbypieceworkherblackguardsarenotlikelytostickatamurderortwo。
TheywantournavaldispositionsfortheircollectionattheMarineamt;
buttheywillbepigeon-holed-nothingmore。’
justthenthebutlerenteredtheroom。
’There’satrunk-callfromLondon,SirWalter。It’sMr’Eath,andhewantstospeaktoyoupersonally。’
Myhostwentofftothetelephone。
Hereturnedinfiveminuteswithawhitishface。’IapologizetotheshadeofScudder,’hesaid。’Karolideswasshotdeadthiseveningatafewminutesafterseven。’
CHAPTEREIGHT
TheComingoftheBlackStoneIcamedowntobreakfastnextmorning,aftereighthoursofblesseddreamlesssleep,tofindSirWalterdecodingatelegraminthemidstofmuffinsandmarmalade。Hisfreshrosinessofyesterdayseemedathoughttarnished。
’Ihadabusyhouronthetelephoneafteryouwenttobed,’hesaid。’IgotmyChieftospeaktotheFirstLordandtheSecretaryforWar,andtheyarebringingRoyeroveradaysooner。Thiswireclinchesit。HewillbeinLondonatfive。OddthatthecodewordforaSOUS-CHEFD/ETATMAJOR-GENERALshouldbe"Porker"。’
Hedirectedmetothehotdishesandwenton。
’NotthatIthinkitwilldomuchgood。Ifyourfriendswerecleverenoughtofindoutthefirstarrangementtheyarecleverenoughtodiscoverthechange。Iwouldgivemyheadtoknowwheretheleakis。WebelievedtherewereonlyfivemeninEnglandwhoknewaboutRoyer’svisit,andyoumaybecertaintherewerefewerinFrance,fortheymanagethesethingsbetterthere。’
WhileIatehecontinuedtotalk,makingmetomysurpriseapresentofhisfullconfidence。
’Canthedispositionsnotbechanged?’Iasked。
’Theycould,’hesaid。’Butwewanttoavoidthatifpossible。
Theyaretheresultofimmensethought,andnoalterationwouldbeasgood。Besides,ononeortwopointschangeissimplyimpossible。
Still,somethingcouldbedone,Isuppose,ifitwereabsolutelynecessary。Butyouseethedifficulty,Hannay。OurenemiesarenotgoingtobesuchfoolsastopickRoyer’spocketoranychildishgamelikethat。Theyknowthatwouldmeanarowandputusonourguard。Theiraimistogetthedetailswithoutanyoneofusknowing,sothatRoyerwillgobacktoParisinthebeliefthatthewholebusinessisstilldeadlysecret。Iftheycan’tdothattheyfail,for,oncewesuspect,theyknowthatthewholethingmustbealtered。’
’ThenwemuststickbytheFrenchman’ssidetillheishomeagain,’Isaid。’IftheythoughttheycouldgettheinformationinParistheywouldtrythere。ItmeansthattheyhavesomedeepschemeonfootinLondonwhichtheyreckonisgoingtowinout。’
’RoyerdineswithmyChief,andthencomestomyhousewherefourpeoplewillseehim-WhittakerfromtheAdmiralty,myself,SirArthurDrew,andGeneralWinstanley。TheFirstLordisill,andhasgonetoSheringham。AtmyhousehewillgetacertaindocumentfromWhittaker,andafterthathewillbemotoredtoPortsmouthwhereadestroyerwilltakehimtoHavre。Hisjourneyistooimportantfortheordinaryboat-train。HewillneverbeleftunattendedforamomenttillheissafeonFrenchsoil。ThesamewithWhittakertillhemeetsRoyer。Thatisthebestwecando,andit’shardtoseehowtherecanbeanymiscarriage。ButIdon’tmindadmittingthatI’mhorriblynervous。ThismurderofKarolideswillplaythedeuceinthechancelleriesofEurope。’
AfterbreakfastheaskedmeifIcoulddriveacar。
’Well,you’llbemychauffeurtodayandwearHudson’srig。
You’reabouthissize。Youhaveahandinthisbusinessandwearetakingnorisks。Therearedesperatemenagainstus,whowillnotrespectthecountryretreatofanoverworkedofficial。’
WhenIfirstcametoLondonIhadboughtacarandamusedmyselfwithrunningaboutthesouthofEngland,soIknewsomethingofthegeography。ItookSirWaltertotownbytheBathRoadandmadegoodgoing。ItwasasoftbreathlessJunemorning,withapromiseofsultrinesslater,butitwasdeliciousenoughswingingthroughthelittletownswiththeirfreshlywateredstreets,andpastthesummergardensoftheThamesvalley。IlandedSirWalterathishouseinQueenAnne’sGatepunctuallybyhalf-pasteleven。Thebutlerwascomingupbytrainwiththeluggage。
ThefirstthinghedidwastotakemeroundtoScotlandYard。
Therewesawaprimgentleman,withaclean-shaven,lawyer’sface。
’I’vebroughtyouthePortlandPlacemurderer,’wasSirWalter’sintroduction。
Thereplywasawrysmile。’Itwouldhavebeenawelcomepresent,Bullivant。This,Ipresume,isMrRichardHannay,whoforsomedaysgreatlyinterestedmydepartment。’
’MrHannaywillinterestitagain。Hehasmuchtotellyou,butnottoday。Forcertaingravereasonshistalemustwaitforfourhours。Then,Icanpromiseyou,youwillbeentertainedandpossiblyedified。IwantyoutoassureMrHannaythathewillsuffernofurtherinconvenience。’
Thisassurancewaspromptlygiven。’Youcantakeupyourlifewhereyouleftoff,’Iwastold。’Yourflat,whichprobablyyounolongerwishtooccupy,iswaitingforyou,andyourmanisstillthere。Asyouwereneverpubliclyaccused,weconsideredthattherewasnoneedofapublicexculpation。Butonthat,ofcourse,youmustpleaseyourself。’
’Wemaywantyourassistancelateron,MacGillivray,’SirWaltersaidasweleft。
Thenheturnedmeloose。
’Comeandseemetomorrow,Hannay。Ineedn’ttellyoutokeepdeadlyquiet。IfIwereyouIwouldgotobed,foryoumusthaveconsiderablearrearsofsleeptoovertake。Youhadbetterlielow,forifoneofyourBlackStonefriendssawyoutheremightbetrouble。’
Ifeltcuriouslyatalooseend。Atfirstitwasverypleasanttobeafreeman,abletogowhereIwantedwithoutfearinganything。I
hadonlybeenamonthunderthebanofthelaw,anditwasquiteenoughforme。IwenttotheSavoyandorderedverycarefullyaverygoodluncheon,andthensmokedthebestcigarthehousecouldprovide。ButIwasstillfeelingnervous。WhenIsawanybodylookatmeinthelounge,Igrewshy,andwonderediftheywerethinkingaboutthemurder。
AfterthatItookataxianddrovemilesawayupintoNorthLondon。Iwalkedbackthroughfieldsandlinesofvillasandterracesandthenslumsandmeanstreets,andittookmeprettynearlytwohours。Allthewhilemyrestlessnesswasgrowingworse。Ifeltthatgreatthings,tremendousthings,werehappeningorabouttohappen,andI,whowasthecog-wheelofthewholebusiness,wasoutofit。RoyerwouldbelandingatDover,SirWalterwouldbemakingplanswiththefewpeopleinEnglandwhowereinthesecret,andsomewhereinthedarknesstheBlackStonewouldbeworking。Ifeltthesenseofdangerandimpendingcalamity,andI
hadthecuriousfeeling,too,thatIalonecouldavertit,alonecouldgrapplewithit。ButIwasoutofthegamenow。Howcoulditbeotherwise?ItwasnotlikelythatCabinetMinistersandAdmiraltyLordsandGeneralswouldadmitmetotheircouncils。
IactuallybegantowishthatIcouldrunupagainstoneofmythreeenemies。Thatwouldleadtodevelopments。IfeltthatI
wantedenormouslytohaveavulgarscrapwiththosegentry,whereIcouldhitoutandflattensomething。Iwasrapidlygettingintoaverybadtemper。
Ididn’tfeellikegoingbacktomyflat。Thathadtobefacedsometime,butasIstillhadsufficientmoneyIthoughtIwouldputitofftillnextmorning,andgotoahotelforthenight。
Myirritationlastedthroughdinner,whichIhadatarestaurantinJermynStreet。Iwasnolongerhungry,andletseveralcoursespassuntasted。IdrankthebestpartofabottleofBurgundy,butitdidnothingtocheerme。Anabominablerestlessnesshadtakenpossessionofme。HerewasI,averyordinaryfellow,withnoparticularbrains,andyetIwasconvincedthatsomehowIwasneededtohelpthisbusinessthrough-thatwithoutmeitwouldallgotoblazes。Itoldmyselfitwassheersillyconceit,thatfourorfiveofthecleverestpeopleliving,withallthemightoftheBritishEmpireattheirback,hadthejobinhand。YetIcouldn’tbeconvinced。Itseemedasifavoicekeptspeakinginmyear,tellingmetobeupanddoing,orIwouldneversleepagain。
Theupshotwasthatabouthalf-pastnineImadeupmymindtogotoQueenAnne’sGate。VerylikelyIwouldnotbeadmitted,butitwouldeasemyconsciencetotry。
IwalkeddownJermynStreet,andatthecornerofDukeStreetpassedagroupofyoungmen。Theywereineveningdress,hadbeendiningsomewhere,andweregoingontoamusic-hall。OneofthemwasMrMarmadukejopley。
Hesawmeandstoppedshort。