the pursuit of the house-boat-第2章

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！



A　look　of　annoyance　came　into　the　face　of　the　stranger。

〃That's　too　bad；〃　he　said。　　〃It　was　a　most　important　part　of　my　plan　that　we　should　know　about　how　fast　the　House…boat　was。〃

〃Humph！〃　ejaculated　Socrates；　with　ill…concealed　sarcasm。　　〃If　you'll　take　Xanthippe's　word　for　it；　the　House…boat　was　the　fastest　yacht　afloat。〃

〃I　refer　to　the　matter　of　speed　in　sailing；〃　returned　the　stranger；　quietly。　　〃The　question　of　its　ethical　speed　has　nothing　to　do　with　it。〃

〃The　designer　of　the　craft　is　here；〃　said　Sir　Walter；　fixing　his　eyes　upon　Sir　Christopher　Wren。　　〃It　is　possible　that　he　may　be　of　assistance　in　settling　that　point。〃

〃What　has　all　this　got　to　do　with　the　question；　anyhow；　Mr。　Chairman？〃　asked　Solomon；　rising　impatiently　and　addressing　Sir　Walter。　　〃We　aren't　preparing　for　a　yacht…race；　that　I　know　of。　Nobody's　after　a　cup；　or　a　championship　of　any　kind。　　What　we　do　want　is　to　get　our　wives　back。　　The　Captain　hasn't　taken　more　than　half　of　mine　along　with　him；　but　I　am　interested　none　the　less。　　The　Queen　of　Sheba　is　on　board；　and　I　am　somewhat　interested　in　her　fate。　　So　I　ask　you　what　earthly　or　unearthly　use　there　is　in　discussing　this　question　of　speed　in　the　House…boat。　　It　strikes　me　as　a　woful　waste　of　time；　and　rather　unprecedented　too；　that　we　should　suspend　all　rules　and　listen　to　the　talk　of　an　entire　stranger。〃

〃I　do　not　venture　to　doubt　the　wisdom　of　Solomon；〃　said　Johnson；　dryly；　〃but　I　must　say　that　the　gentleman's　remarks　rather　interest　me。〃

〃Of　course　they　do；〃　ejaculated　Solomon。　　〃He　agreed　with　you。　　That　ought　to　make　him　interesting　to　everybody。　　Freaks　usually　are。〃

〃That　is　not　the　reason　at　all；〃　retorted　Dr。　Johnson。　　〃Cold　water　agrees　with　me；　but　it　doesn't　interest　me。　　What　I　do　think；　however；　is　that　our　unknown　friend　seems　to　have　a　grasp　on　the　situation　by　which　we　are　confronted；　and　he's　going　at　the　matter　in　hand　in　a　very　comprehensive　fashion。　　I　move；　therefore；　that　Solomon　be　laid　on　the　table；　and　that　the　privileges　of　theahof　the　wharf　be　extended　indefinitely　to　our　friend　on　the　string…　piece。〃

The　motion；　having　been　seconded；　was　duly　carried；　and　the　stranger　resumed。

〃I　will　explain　for　the　benefit　of　his　Majesty　King　Solomon；　whose　wisdom　I　have　always　admired；　and　whose　endurance　as　the　husband　of　three　hundred　wives　has　filled　me　with　wonder；〃　he　said；　〃that　before　starting　in　pursuit　of　the　stolen　vessel　we　must　select　a　craft　of　some　sort　for　the　purpose；　and　that　in　selecting　the　pursuer　it　is　quite　essential　that　we　should　choose　a　vessel　of　greater　speed　than　the　one　we　desire　to　overtake。　　It　would　hardly　be　proper；　I　think；　if　the　House…boat　can　sail　four　knots　an　hour　to　attempt　to　overhaul　her　with　a　launch；　or　other　nautical　craft；　with　a　maximum　speed　of　two　knots　an　hour。〃

〃Hear！　hear！〃　ejaculated　Caesar。

〃That　is　my　reason；　your　Majesty；　for　inquiring　as　to　the　speed　of　your　late　club…house；〃　said　the　stranger；　bowing　courteously　to　Solomon。　　〃Now；　if　Sir　Christopher　Wren　can　give　me　her　measurements；　we　can　very　soon　determine　at　about　what　rate　she　is　leaving　us　behind　under　favorable　circumstances。〃

〃'Tisn't　necessary　for　Sir　Christopher　to　do　anything　of　the　sort；〃　said　Noah；　rising　and　manifesting　somewhat　more　heat　than　the　occasion　seemed　to　require。　　〃As　long　as　we　are　discussing　the　question　I　will　take　the　liberty　of　stating　what　I　have　never　mentioned　before；　that　the　designer　of　the　House…boat　merely　appropriated　the　lines　of　the　Ark。　　Shem；　Ham；　and　Japhet　will　bear　testimony　to　the　truth　of　that　statement。〃

〃There　can　be　no　quarrel　on　that　score；　Mr。　Chairman；〃　assented　Sir　Christopher；　with　cutting　frigidity。　　〃I　am　perfectly　willing　to　admit　that　practically　the　two　vessels　were　built　on　the　same　lines；　but　with　modifications　which　would　enable　my　boat　to　sail　twenty　miles　to　windward　and　back　in　six　days'　less　time　than　it　would　have　taken　the　Ark　to　cover　the　same　distance；　and　it　could　have　taken　all　the　wash　of　the　excursion　steamers　into　the　bargain。〃

〃Bosh！〃　ejaculated　Noah；　angrily。　　〃Strip　your　old　tub　down　to　a　flying　balloon…jib　and　a　marline…spike；　and　ballast　the　Ark　with　elephants　until　every　inch　of　her　reeked　with　ivory　and　peanuts；　and　she'd　outfoot　you　on　every　leg；　in　a　cyclone　or　a　zephyr。　　Give　me　the　Ark　and　a　breeze；　and　your　House…boat　wouldn't　be　within　hailing　distance　of　her　five　minutes　after　the　start　if　she　had　40；000　square　yards　of　canvas　spread　before　a　gale。〃

〃This　discussion　is　waxing　very　unprofitable；〃　observed　Confucius。　〃If　these　gentlemen　cannot　be　made　to　confine　themselves　to　the　subject　that　is　agitating　this　body；　I　move　we　call　in　the　authorities　and　have　them　confined　in　the　bottomless　pit。〃

〃I　did　not　precipitate　the　quarrel；〃　said　Noah。　　〃I　was　merely　trying　to　assist　our　friend　on　the　string…piece。　　I　was　going　to　say　that　as　the　Ark　was　probably　a　hundred　times　faster　than　Sir　Christopher　Wren'stub；　which　he　himself　says　can　take　care　of　all　the　wash　of　the　excursion　boats；　thereby　becoming　on　his　own　admission　a　wash…　tub〃

〃Order！　order！〃　cried　Sir　Christopher。

〃I　was　going　to　say　that　this　wash…tub　could　be　overhauled　by　a　launch　or　any　other　craft　with　a　speed　of　thirty　knots　a　mouth；〃　continued　Noah；　ignoring　the　interruption。

〃Took　him　forty　days　to　get　to　Mount　Ararat！〃　sneered　Sir　Christopher。

〃Well；　your　boat　would　have　got　there　two　weeks　sooner；　I'll　admit；〃　retorted　Noah；　〃if　she'd　sprung　a　leak　at　the　right　time。〃

〃Granting　the　truth　of　Noah's　statement；〃　said　Sir　Walter；　motioning　to　the　angry　architect　to　be　quiet〃not　that　we　take　any　side　in　the　issue　between　the　two　gentlemen；　but　merely　for　the　sake　of　argument…　…I　wish　to　ask　the　stranger　who　has　been　good　enough　to　interest　himself　in　our　trouble　what　he　proposes　to　dohow　can　you　establish　your　course　in　case　a　boat　were　provided？〃

〃Also　vot　vill　be　dher　gost；　if　any？〃　put　in　Shylock。

A　murmur　of　disapprobation　greeted　this　remark。

〃The　cost　need　not　trouble　you；　sir；〃　said　Sir　Walter；　indignantly；　addressing　the　stranger；　〃you　will　have　carte　blanche。〃

〃Den　ve　are　ruint！〃　cried　Shylock；　displaying　his　palms；　and　showing　by　that　act　a　select　assortment　of　diamond　rings。

〃Oh；〃　laughed　the　stranger；　〃that　is　a　simple　matter。　　Captain　Kidd　has　gone　to　London。〃

〃To　London！〃　cried　several　members　at　once。　　〃How　do　you　know　that？〃

〃By　this；〃　said　the　stranger；　holding　up　the　tiny　stub　end　of　a　cigar。

〃Tut…tut！〃　ejaculated　Solomon。　　〃What　child's　play　is　this！〃

〃No；　your　Majesty；〃　observed　the　stranger；　〃it　is　not　child's　play；　it　is　fact。　　That　cigar　end　was　thrown　aside　here　on　the　wharf　by　Captain　Kidd　just　before　he　stepped　on　board　the　House…boat。〃

〃How　do　you　know　that？〃　demanded　Raleigh。　　〃And　granting　the　truth　of　the　assertion；　what　does　it　prove？〃

〃I　will　tell　you；〃　said　the　stranger。　　And　he　at　once　proceeded　as　follows。



CHAPTER　II：　　THE　STRANGER　UNRAVELS　A　MYSTERY　AND　REVEALS　HIMSELF



〃I　have　made　a　hobby　of　the　study　of　cigar　ends；〃　said　the　stranger；　as　the　Associated　Shades　settled　back　to　hear　his　account　of　himself。　〃From　my　earliest　youth；　when　I　used　surreptitiously　to　remove　the　unsmoked　ends　of　my　father's　cigars　and　break　them　up；　and；　in　hiding；　smoke　them　in　an　old　clay　pipe　which　I　had　presented　to　me　by　an　ancient　sea…captain　of　my　acquaintance；　I　have　been　interested　in　tobacco　in　all　forms；　even　including　these　self…same　despised　unsmoked　ends；　for　they　convey　to　my　mind　messages；　sentiments；　farces；　comedies；　and　tragedies　which　to　your　minds　would　never　become　manifest　through　their　agency。〃

The　company　drew　closer　together　and　formed　themselves　in　a　more　compact　mass　about　the　speaker。　　It　was　evident　that　they　were　beginning　to　feel　an　unusual　interest　in　this　extraordinary　person；　who　had　come　among　them　unheralded　and　unknown。　　Even　Shylock　stopped　calculating　percentages　for　an　instant　to　listen。

〃Do　you　mean　to　tell　us；〃　demanded　Shakespeare；　〃that　the　unsmoked　stub　of　a　cigar　will　suggest　the　story　of　him　who　smoked　it　to　your　mind？〃

〃I　do；〃　replied　the　stranger；　with　a　confident　smile。　　〃Take　this　one；　for　instance；　that　I　have　picked　up　here　upon　the　wharf；　it　tells　me