首页 >出版文学> THE THIRTY-NINE STEPS>第3章
  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。