第 20 节
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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