第 20 节
作者:向前      更新:2021-02-18 21:59      字数:9322
  behaving quite correctly。  Replying to his salutation with a cold
  and distant bow; she rose; and; turning to Mr。 Parable; observed
  that she thought it was perhaps time for them to be going。
  The gentleman; who had taken his pipe from his mouth; saidagain in
  a sarcastic tonethat he thought so too; and offered the lady his
  arm。
  〃I don't think we need trouble you;〃 said Mr。 Parable; and stepped
  between them。
  To describe what followed I; being a lady; am hampered for words。  I
  remember seeing Mr。 Parable's hat go up into the air; and then the
  next moment the florid gentleman's head was lying on my counter
  smothered in cigarettes。  I naturally screamed for the police; but
  the crowd was dead against me; and it was only after what I believe
  in technical language would be termed 〃the fourth round〃 that they
  appeared upon the scene。
  The last I saw of Mr。 Parable he was shaking a young constable who
  had lost his helmet; while three other policemen had hold of him
  from behind。  The florid gentleman's hat I found on the floor of my
  kiosk and returned to him; but after a useless attempt to get it on
  his head; he disappeared with it in his hand。  The lady was nowhere
  to be seen。
  Miss Jenks thinks she would know her again。  She was wearing a hat
  trimmed with black chiffon and a spray of poppies; and was slightly
  freckled。
  *          *          *
  Superintendent S。 Wade; in answer to questions put to him by our
  representative; vouchsafed the following replies:
  Yes。  I was in charge at the Vine Street Police Station on the night
  of Thursday; the twenty…seventh。
  No。  I have no recollection of a charge of any description being
  preferred against any gentleman of the name of Parable。
  Yes。  A gentleman was brought in about ten o'clock charged with
  brawling at the Earl's Court Exhibition and assaulting a constable
  in the discharge of his duty。
  The gentleman gave the name of Mr。 Archibald Quincey; Harcourt
  Buildings; Temple。
  No。  The gentleman made no application respecting bail; electing to
  pass the night in the cells。  A certain amount of discretion is
  permitted to us; and we made him as comfortable as possible。
  Yes。  A lady。
  No。  About a gentleman who had got himself into trouble at the
  Earl's Court Exhibition。  She mentioned no name。
  I showed her the charge sheet。  She thanked me and went away。
  That I cannot say。  I can only tell you that at nine…fifteen on
  Friday morning bail was tendered; and; after inquiries; accepted in
  the person of Julius Addison Tupp; of the Sunnybrook Steam Laundry;
  Twickenham。
  That is no business of ours。
  The accused who; I had seen to it; had had a cup of tea and a little
  toast at seven…thirty; left in company with Mr。 Tupp soon after ten。
  Superintendent Wade admitted he had known cases where accused
  parties; to avoid unpleasantness; had stated their names to be other
  than their own; but declined to discuss the matter further。
  Superintendent Wade; while expressing his regret that he had no more
  time to bestow upon our representative; thought it highly probable
  that he would know the lady again if he saw her。
  Without professing to be a judge of such matters; Superintendent
  Wade thinks she might be described as a highly intelligent young
  woman; and of exceptionally prepossessing appearance。
  *          *          *
  From Mr。 Julius Tupp; of the Sunnybrook Steam Laundry; Twickenham;
  upon whom our representative next called; we have been unable to
  obtain much assistance; Mr。 Tupp replying to all questions put to
  him by the one formula; 〃Not talking。〃
  Fortunately; our representative; on his way out through the drying
  ground; was able to obtain a brief interview with Mrs。 Tupp。
  Mrs。 Tupp remembers admitting a young lady to the house on the
  morning of Friday; the twenty…eighth; when she opened the door to
  take in the milk。  The lady; Mrs。 Tupp remembers; spoke in a husky
  voice; the result; as the young lady explained with a pleasant
  laugh; of having passed the night wandering about Ham Common; she
  having been misdirected the previous evening by a fool of a railway
  porter; and not wishing to disturb the neighbourhood by waking
  people up at two o'clock in the morning; which; in Mrs。 Tupp's
  opinion; was sensible of her。
  Mrs。 Tupp describes the young lady as of agreeable manners; but
  looking; naturally; a bit washed out。  The lady asked for Mr。 Tupp;
  explaining that a friend of his was in trouble; which did not in the
  least surprise Mrs。 Tupp; she herself not holding with Socialists
  and such like。  Mr。 Tupp; on being informed; dressed hastily and
  went downstairs; and he and the young lady left the house together。
  Mr。 Tupp; on being questioned as to the name of his friend; had
  called up that it was no one Mrs。 Tupp would know; a Mr。 Quinceit
  may have been Quincey。
  Mrs。 Tupp is aware that Mr。 Parable is also a Socialist; and is
  acquainted with the saying about thieves hanging together。  But has
  worked for Mr。 Parable for years and has always found him a most
  satisfactory client; and; Mr。 Tupp appearing at this point; our
  representative thanked Mrs。 Tupp for her information and took his
  departure。
  *          *          *
  Mr。 Horatius Condor; Junior; who consented to partake of luncheon in
  company with our representative at the Holborn Restaurant; was at
  first disinclined to be of much assistance; but eventually supplied
  our representative with the following information:
  My relationship to Mr。 Archibald Quincey; Harcourt Buildings;
  Temple; is perhaps a little difficult to define。
  How he himself regards me I am never quite sure。  There will be days
  together when we will be quite friendly like; and at other times he
  will be that offhanded and peremptory you might think I was his
  blooming office boy。
  On Friday morning; the twenty…eighth; I didn't get to Harcourt
  Buildings at the usual time; knowing that Mr。 Quincey would not be
  there himself; he having arranged to interview Mr。 Parable for the
  Daily Chronicle at ten o'clock。  I allowed him half an hour; to be
  quite safe; and he came in at a quarter past eleven。
  He took no notice of me。  For about ten minutesit may have been
  lesshe walked up and down the room; cursing and swearing and
  kicking the furniture about。  He landed an occasional walnut table
  in the middle of my shins; upon which I took the opportunity of
  wishing him 〃Good morning;〃 and he sort of woke up; as you might
  say。
  〃How did the interview go off?〃 I says。  〃Got anything interesting?〃
  〃Yes;〃 he says; 〃quite interesting。  Oh; yes; decidedly
  interesting。〃
  He was holding himself in; if you understand; speaking with horrible
  slowness and deliberation。
  〃D'you know where he was last night?〃 he asks me。
  〃Yes;〃 I says; 〃Caxton Hall; wasn't it?meeting to demand the
  release of Miss Clebb。〃
  He leans across the table till his face was within a few inches of
  mine。
  〃Guess again;〃 he says。
  I wasn't doing any guessing。  He had hurt me with the walnut table;
  and I was feeling a bit short…tempered。
  〃Oh! don't make a game of it;〃 I says。  〃It's too early in the
  morning。〃
  〃At the Earl's Court Exhibition;〃 he says; 〃dancing the tango with a
  lady that he picked up in St。 James's Park。〃
  〃Well;〃 I says; 〃why not?  He don't often get much fun。〃  I thought
  it best to treat it lightly。
  He takes no notice of my observation。
  〃A rival comes upon the scene;〃 he continues〃a fatheaded ass;
  according to my informationand they have a stand…up fight。  He
  gets run in and spends the night in a Vine Street police cell。〃
  I suppose I was grinning without knowing it。
  〃Funny; ain't it?〃 he says。
  〃Well;〃 I says; 〃it has its humorous side; hasn't it?  What'll he
  get?〃
  〃I am not worrying about what HE is going to get;〃 he answers back。
  〃I am worrying about what _I_ am going to get。〃
  I thought he had gone dotty。
  〃What's it got to do with you?〃 I says。
  〃If old Wotherspoon is in a good humour;〃 he continues; 〃and the
  constable's head has gone down a bit between now and Wednesday; I
  may get off with forty shillings and a public reprimand。
  〃On the other hand;〃 he goes onhe was working himself into a sort
  of fit〃if the constable's head goes on swelling; and old
  Wotherspoon's liver gets worse; I've got to be prepared for a month
  without the option。  That is; if I am fool enough〃
  He had left both the doors open; which in the daytime we generally
  do; our chambers being at the top。  Miss Dortonthat's Mr。
  Parable's secretarybarges into the room。  She didn't seem to
  notice me。  She staggers to a chair and bursts into tears。
  〃He's gone;〃 she says; 〃he's taken cook with him and gone。〃
  〃Gone!〃 says the guv'nor。  〃Where's he gone?〃
  〃To Fingest;〃 she says through her sobs〃to the cottage。  Miss
  Bulstrode came in just after you had left;〃 she says。  〃He wants to
  get away from everyone and have a few days' quiet。  And then he is
  coming back; and he is going to do it himself。〃
  〃Do what?〃 says the guv'nor; irritable like。
  〃Fourteen days;〃 she wails。  〃It'll kill him。〃
  〃But the case doesn't come on till Wednesday;〃 says the guv'nor。
  〃How do you know it's going to b