pgw.threemenandamaid-第23章

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uite　fortably　seated　on　the　floor　till　the　household　retired　to　bed。〃
　〃When　would　that　be？〃
　〃They　retire　quite　early；　sir；　as　a　rule。　By　half…past　ten　the　coast　is　generally　clear。　At　that　time　I　would　suggest　that　I　came　down　and　knocked　on　the　cupboard　door　to　notify　you　that　all　was　well。〃
　Sam　was　glowing　with　frank　approval。
　〃You　know；　you're　a　master…mind！〃　he　said；　enthusiastically。
　〃You're　very　kind；　sir！〃
　〃One　of　the　lads；　by　Jove！〃　said　Sam。　〃And　not　the　worst　of　them！　I　don't　want　to　flatter　you；　but　there's　a　future　for　you　in　crime；　if　you　cared　to　go　in　for　it。〃
　〃I　am　glad　that　you　appreciate　my　poor　efforts；　sir。　Then　we　will　regard　the　scheme　as　passed　and　approved？〃
　〃I　should　say　we　would！　It's　a　bird！〃
　〃Very　good；　sir。〃
　〃I'll　be　round　at　about　a　quarter　to　eight。　Will　that　be　right？〃
　〃Admirable；　sir。〃
　〃And；　I　say；　about　that　soporific。。。。　Don't　overdo　it。　Don't　go　killing　the　little　beast。〃
　〃Oh；　no；　sir。〃
　〃Well；〃　said　Sam；　〃you　can't　say　it's　not　a　temptation。　And　you　know　what　you　Napoleons　of　the　Underworld　are！〃
　
　CHAPTER　SIXTEEN
　
　1
　If　there　is　one　thing　more　than　another　which　weighs　upon　the　mind　of　a　story…teller　as　he　chronicles　the　events　which　he　has　set　out　to　describe；　it　is　the　thought　that　the　reader　may　be　growing　impatient　with　him　for　straying　from　the　main　channel　of　his　tale　and　devoting　himself　to　what　are　after　all　minor　developments。　This　story；　for　instance；　opened　with　Mrs。　Horace　Hignett；　the　world…famous　writer　on　Theosophy；　going　over　to　America　to　begin　a　lecture…tour；　and　no　one　realises　more　keenly　than　I　do　that　I　have　left　Mrs。　Hignett　flat。　I　have　thrust　that　great　thinker　into　the　background　and　concentrated　my　attention　on　the　affairs　of　one　who　is　both　her　mental　and　moral　inferior；　Samuel　Marlowe。　I　seem　at　this　point　to　see　the　readera　great　brute　of　a　fellow　with　beetling　eyebrows　and　a　jaw　like　the　ram　of　a　battleship；　the　sort　of　fellow　who　is　full　of　determination　and　will　stand　no　nonsenserising　to　remark　that　he　doesn't　care　what　happened　to　Samuel　Marlowe　and　that　what　he　wants　to　know　is；　how　Mrs。　Hignett　made　out　on　her　lecturing…tour。　Did　she　go　big　in　Buffalo？　Did　she　have　'em　tearing　up　the　seats　in　Schenectady？　Was　she　a　riot　in　Chicago　and　a　cyclone　in　St。　Louis？　Those　are　the　points　on　which　he　desires　information；　or　give　him　his　money　back。
　I　cannot　supply　the　information。　And；　before　you　condemn　me；　let　me　hastily　add　that　the　fault　is　not　mine　but　that　of　Mrs。　Hignett　herself。　The　fact　is；　she　never　went　to　Buffalo。　Schenectady　saw　nothing　of　her。　She　did　not　get　within　a　thousand　miles　of　Chicago；　nor　did　she　penetrate　to　St。　Louis。　For　the　very　morning　after　her　son　Eustace　sailed　for　England　in　the　liner　　Atlantic　；　she　happened　to　read　in　the　paper　one　of　those　abridged　passenger…lists　which　the　journals　of　New　York　are　in　the　habit　of　printing；　and　got　a　nasty　shock　when　she　saw　that；　among　those　whose　society　Eustace　would　enjoy　during　the　voyage　was　Miss　Wilhelmina　Bennett；　daughter　of　J。　Rufus　Bennett；　of　Bennett；　Mandelbaum　and　Co。　And　within　five　minutes　of　digesting　this　information；　she　was　at　her　desk　writing　out　telegrams　cancelling　all　her　engagements。　Iron…souled　as　this　woman　was；　her　fingers　trembled　as　she　wrote。　She　had　a　vision　of　Eustace　and　the　daughter　of　J。　Rufus　Bennett　strolling　together　on　moonlit　decks；　leaning　over　rails　damp　with　sea…spray；　and；　in　short；　generally　starting　the　whole　trouble　over　again。
　In　the　height　of　the　tourist　season　it　is　not　always　possible　for　one　who　wishes　to　leave　America　to　spring　on　to　the　next　boat。　A　long　morning's　telephoning　to　the　offices　of　the　Cunard　and　the　White　Star　brought　Mrs。　Hignett　the　depressing　information　that　it　would　be　a　full　week　before　she　could　sail　for　England。　That　meant　that　the　inflammable　Eustace　would　have　over　two　weeks　to　conduct　an　uninterrupted　wooing；　and　Mrs。　Hignett's　heart　sank；　till　suddenly　she　remembered　that　so　poor　a　sailor　as　her　son　was　not　likely　to　have　had　leisure　for　any　strolling　on　the　deck　during　the　voyage　of　the　　Atlantic　。
　Having　realised　this；　she　became　calmer　and　went　about　her　preparations　for　departure　with　an　easier　mind。　The　danger　was　still　great；　but　there　was　a　good　chance　that　she　might　be　in　time　to　intervene。　She　wound　up　her　affairs　in　New　York　and；　on　the　following　Wednesday；　boarded　the　　Nuronia　　bound　for　Southampton。
　The　　Nuronia　　is　one　of　the　slowest　of　the　Cunard　boats。　It　was　built　at　a　time　when　delirious　crowds　used　to　swoon　on　the　dock　if　an　ocean　liner　broke　the　record　by　getting　across　in　nine　days。　It　rolled　over　to　Cherbourg；　dallied　at　that　picturesque　port　for　some　hours；　then　sauntered　across　the　Channel　and　strolled　into　Southampton　Water　in　the　evening　of　the　day　on　which　Samuel　Marlowe　had　sat　in　the　lane　plotting　with　Webster；　the　valet。　At　almost　the　exact　moment　when　Sam；　sidling　through　the　windows　of　the　drawing…room；　slid　into　the　cupboard　behind　the　piano；　Mrs。　Hignett　was　standing　at　the　Customs　barrier　telling　the　officials　that　she　had　nothing　to　declare。
　Mrs。　Hignett　was　a　general　who　believed　in　forced　marches。　A　lesser　woman　might　have　taken　the　boat…train　to　London　and　proceeded　to　Windles　at　her　ease　on　the　following　afternoon。　Mrs。　Hignett　was　made　of　sterner　stuff。　Having　fortified　herself　with　a　late　dinner；　she　hired　an　automobile　and　set　out　on　the　cross…country　journey。　It　was　only　when　the　car；　a　genuine　antique；　had　broken　down　three　times　in　the　first　ten　miles；　that　it　became　evident　to　her　that　it　would　be　much　too　late　to　go　to　Windles　that　night；　and　she　directed　the　driver　to　take　her　instead　to　the　〃Blue　Boar〃　in　Windlehurst；　where　she　arrived；　tired　but　thankful　to　have　reached　it　at　all；　at　about　eleven　o'clock。
　At　this　point　many；　indeed　most；　women；　having　had　a　tiring　journey；　would　have　gone　to　bed：　but　the　familiar　Hampshire　air　and　the　knowledge　that　half　an　hour's　walking　would　take　her　to　her　beloved　home　acted　on　Mrs。　Hignett　like　a　restorative。　One　glimpse　of　Windles　she　felt　that　she　must　have　before　she　retired　for　the　night；　if　only　to　assure　herself　that　it　was　still　there。　She　had　a　cup　of　coffee　and　a　sandwich　brought　to　her　by　the　night…porter；　whom　she　had　roused　from　sleep；　for　bedtime　is　early　in　Windlehurst；　and　then　informed　him　that　she　was　going　for　a　short　walk　and　would　ring　when　she　returned。
　Her　heart　leaped　joyfully　as　she　turned　in　at　the　drive　gates　of　her　home　and　felt　the　well…remembered　gravel　crunching　under　her　feet。　The　silhouette　of　the　ruined　castle　against　the　summer　sky　gave　her　the　feeling　which　all　returning　wanderers　know。　And；　when　she　stepped　on　to　the　lawn　and　looked　at　the　black　bulk　of　the　house；　indistinct　and　shadowy　with　its　backing　of　trees；　tears　came　into　her　eyes。　She　experienced　a　rush　of　emotion　which　made　her　feel　quite　faint；　and　which　lasted　until；　on　tiptoeing　nearer　to　the　house　in　order　to　gloat　more　adequately　upon　it；　she　perceived　that　the　French　windows　of　the　drawing…room　were　standing　ajar。　Sam　had　left　them　like　this　in　order　to　facilitate　departure；　if　a　hurried　departure　should　by　any　mischance　be　rendered　necessary；　and　drawn　curtains　had　kept　the　household　from　noticing　the　fact。
　All　the　proprietor　in　Mrs。　Hignett　was　roused。　This；　she　felt　indignantly；　was　the　sort　of　thing　she　had　been　afraid　would　happen　the　moment　her　back　was　turned。　Evidently　laxityone　might　almost　say　anarchyhad　set　in　directly　she　had　removed　the　eye　of　authority。　She　marched　to　the　window　and　pushed　it　open。　She　had　now　pletely　abandoned　her　kindly　scheme　of　refraining　from　rousing　the　sleeping　house　and　spending　the　night　at　the　inn。　She　stepped　into　the　drawing…room　with　the　single…minded　purpose　of　rousing　Eustace　out　of　his　sleep　and　giving　him　a　good　talking　to　for　having　failed　to　maintain　her　own　standard　of　efficiency　among　the　domestic　staff。　If　there　was　one　thing　on　which　Mrs。　Horace　Hignett　had　always　insisted　it　was　that　every　window　in　the　house　must　be　closed　at　lights…out。
　She　pushed　the　curtains　apart　with　a　rattle　and；　at　the　same　moment；　from　the　direction　of　the　door　there　came　a　low　but　distinct　gasp　which　made　her　resolute　heart　jump　and　flutter。　It　was　too　dark　to　see　anything　distinctly；　but；　in　the　instant　before　it　turned　and　fled；　she　caught　sight　of　a　shadowy　male　figure；　and　knew　that　her　worst　fears　had　been　realised。　The　figure　was　too　tall　to　be　Eustace；　and　Eustace；　she　knew；　was　the　only　man　in　the　house。　Male　figures；　therefore；　that　went　flitting　about　Windles；　must　be　the　figures　of　burglars。
　Mrs。　Hignett；　bold　woman　though　she　was；　stood　for　an　instant　spellbound；　and　for　one　moment　of　not　unpardonable　panic；　tried　to　tell　herself　that　she　had　been　mistaken。　Almost　immediately；　however；　there　came　from　the　direction　of　the　hall　a　dull　chunky　sound　as　though　something　soft　had　been　kicked；　followed　by　a　low　gurgle　and　the　noise　of　staggering　feet。　Unless　he　was　dancing　a　　pas　seul　　out　of　sheer　lightness　of　heart；　the　nocturnal　visitor　must　have　tripped　over　something。
　The　latter　theory　was　the　correct　one。　Montagu　Webster　was　a　man　who　at　many　a　subscription　ball　had　shaken　a　wicked　dancing…pump；　and　nothing　in　the　proper　circumstances　pleased　him　better　than　to　exercise　the　skill　which　had　bee　his　as　the　result　of　twelve　private　lessons　at　half…a…crown　a　visit：　but　he　recognized　the　truth　of　the　scriptural　adage　that　there　is　a　time　for　dancing；　and　that　this　was　not　it。　His　only　desire　when；　stealing　into　the　drawing…room　he　had　been　confronted　through　the　curtains　by　a　female　figure；　was　to　get　back　to　his　bedroom　undetected。　He　supposed　that　one　of　the　feminine　members　of　the　house…party　must　have　been　taking　a　stroll　in　the　grounds；　and　he　did　not　wish　to　stay　and　be　pelled　to　make　laborious　explanations　of　his　presence　there　in　the　dark。　He　decided　to　postpone　the　knocking　on　the　cupboard　door；　which　had　been　the　signal　arranged　between　himself　and　Sam；　until　a　more　suitable　occasion。　In　the　meantime　he　bounded　silently　out　into　the　hall；　and　instantaneously　tripped　over　the　portly　form　of　Smith；　the　bulldog；　who；　roused　from　a　light　sleep　to　the　knowledge　that　something　was　going　on；　and　being　a　dog　who　always　liked　to　be　in　the　centre　of　the　maelstrom　of　events；　had　waddled　out　to　investigate。
　By　the　time　Mrs。　Hignett　had　pulled　herself　together　sufficiently　to　feel　brave　enough　to　venture　into　the　hall；　Webster's　presence　of　mind　and　Smith's　gregariousness　had　bined　to　restore　that　part　of　the　house　to　its　normal　nocturnal　condition　of　emptiness。　Webster's　stagger　had　carried　him　almost　up　to　the　green　baize　door　leading　to　the　servants'　staircase；　and　he　proceeded　to　pass　through　it　without　checking　his　momentum；　closely　followed　by　Smith　who；　now　convinced　that　interesting　events　were　in　progress　which　might　possibly　culminate　in　cake；　had　abandoned　the　idea　of　sleep　and　meant　to　see　the　thing　through。　He　gambolled　in　Webster's　wake　up　the　stairs　and　along　the　passage　leading　to　the　latter's　room；　and　only　paused　when　the　door　was　brusquely　shut　in　his　face。　Upon　which　he　sat　down　to　think　the　thing　over。　He　was　in　no　hurry。　The　night　was　before　him；　promising；　as　far　as　he　could　judge　from　the　way　it　had　op