the pursuit of the house-boat-第4章

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〃As　I　was　saying；〃　resumed　the　stranger；　〃I　felt　confident　that　within　an　hour；　in　some　way　or　other；　that　case　would　be　placed　in　my　hands。　　It　would　be　mine　either　positively　or　negativelythat　is　to　say；　either　the　person　robbed　would　employ　me　to　ferret　out　the　mystery　and　recover　the　diamonds；　or　the　robber　himself；　actuated　by　motives　of　self…preservation；　would　endeavor　to　direct　my　energies　into　other　channels　until　he　should　have　the　time　to　dispose　of　his　ill…gotten　booty。　　A　mental　discussion　of　the　probabilities　inclined　me　to　believe　that　the　latter　would　be　the　case。　　I　reasoned　in　this　fashion：　　The　person　robbed　is　of　exalted　rank。　　She　cannot　move　rapidly　because　she　is　so。　　Great　bodies　move　slowly。　　It　is　probable　that　it　will　be　a　week　before；　according　to　the　etiquette　by　which　she　is　hedged　about；　she　can　communicate　with　me。　　In　the　first　place；　she　must　inform　one　of　her　attendants　that　she　has　been　robbed。　　He　must　communicate　the　news　to　the　functionary　in　charge　of　her　residence；　who　will　communicate　with　the　Home　Secretary；　and　from　him　will　issue　the　orders　to　the　police；　who；　baffled　at　every　step；　will　finally　address　themselves　to　me。　　'I'll　give　that　side　two　weeks；'　I　said。　　On　the　other　hand；　the　robber：　　will　he　allow　himself　to　be　lulled　into　a　false　sense　of　security　by　counting　on　this　delay；　or　will　he　not；　noting　my　habit　of　occasionally　entering　upon　detective　enterprises　of　this　nature　of　my　own　volition；　come　to　me　at　once　and　set　me　to　work　ferreting　out　some　crime　that　has　never　been　committed？　　My　feeling　was　that　this　would　happen；　and　I　pulled　out　my　watch　to　see　if　it　were　not　nearly　time　for　him　to　arrive。　The　robbery　had　taken　place　at　a　state　ball　at　the　Buckingham　Palace。　'H'm！'　I　mused。　　'He　has　had　an　hour　and　forty　minutes　to　get　here。　It　is　now　twelve…twenty。　　He　should　be　here　by　twelve…forty…five。　　I　will　wait。'　　And　hastily　swallowing　a　cocaine　tablet　to　nerve　myself　up　for　the　meeting；　I　sat　down　and　began　to　read　my　Schopenhauer。　Hardly　had　I　perused　a　page　when　there　came　a　tap　upon　my　door。　　I　rose　with　a　smile；　for　I　thought　I　knew　what　was　to　happen；　opened　the　door；　and　there　stood；　much　to　my　surprise；　the　husband　of　the　lady　whose　tiara　was　missing。　　It　was　the　Duke　of　Brokedale　himself。　It　is　true　he　was　disguised。　　His　beard　was　powdered　until　it　looked　like　snow；　and　he　wore　a　wig　and　a　pair　of　green　goggles；　but　I　recognized　him　at　once　by　his　lack　of　manners；　which　is　an　unmistakable　sign　of　nobility。　　As　I　opened　the　door；　he　began：

〃'You　are　Mr。'

〃'I　am；'　I　replied。　　'Come　in。　　You　have　come　to　see　me　about　your　stolen　watch。　　It　is　a　gold　hunting…case　watch　with　a　Swiss　movement；　loses　five　minutes　a　day；　stem…winder；　and　the　back　cover；　which　does　not　bear　any　inscription；　has　upon　it　the　indentations　made　by　the　molars　of　your　son　Willie　when　that　interesting　youth　was　cutting　his　teeth　upon　it。'〃

〃Wonderful！〃　cried　Johnson。

〃May　I　ask　how　you　knew　all　that？〃　asked　Solomon；　deeply　impressed。　〃Such　penetration　strikes　me　as　marvellous。〃

〃I　didn't　know　it；〃　replied　the　stranger；　with　a　smile。　　〃What　I　said　was　intended　to　be　jocular；　and　to　put　Brokedale　at　his　ease。　　The　Americans　present；　with　their　usual　astuteness；　would　term　it　bluff。　It　was。　　I　merely　rattled　on。　　I　simply　did　not　wish　to　offend　the　gentleman　by　letting　him　know　that　I　had　penetrated　his　disguise。　Imagine　my　surprise；　however；　when　his　eye　brightened　as　I　spoke；　and　he　entered　my　room　with　such　alacrity　that　half　the　powder　which　he　thought　disguised　his　beard　was　shaken　off　on　to　the　floor。　　Sitting　down　in　the　chair　I　had　just　vacated；　he　quietly　remarked：

〃'You　are　a　wonderful　man；　sir。　　How　did　you　know　that　I　had　lost　my　watch？'

〃For　a　moment　I　was　nonplussed；　more　than　that；　I　was　completely　staggered。　　I　had　expected　him　to　say　at　once　that　he　had　not　lost　his　watch；　but　had　come　to　see　me　about　the　tiara；　and　to　have　him　take　my　words　seriously　was　entirely　unexpected　and　overwhelmingly　surprising。　　However；　in　view　of　his　rank；　I　deemed　it　well　to　fall　in　with　his　humour。　　'Oh；　as　for　that；'　I　replied；　'that　is　a　part　of　my　business。　　It　is　the　detective's　place　to　know　everything；　and　generally；　if　he　reveals　the　machinery　by　means　of　which　he　reaches　his　conclusions；　he　is　a　fool；　since　his　method　is　his　secret；　and　his　secret　his　stock…in…trade。　　I　do　not　mind　telling　you；　however；　that　I　knew　your　watch　was　stolen　by　your　anxious　glance　at　my　clock；　which　showed　that　you　wished　to　know　the　time。　　Now　most　rich　Americans　have　watches　for　that　purpose；　and　have　no　hesitation　about　showing　them。　　If　you'd　had　a　watch；　you'd　have　looked　at　it；　not　at　my　clock。'

〃My　visitor　laughed；　and　repeated　what　he　had　said　about　my　being　a　wonderful　man。

〃'And　the　dents　which　my　son　made　cutting　his　teeth？'　he　added。

〃'Invariably　go　with　an　American's　watch。　　Rubber　or　ivory　rings　aren't　good　enough　for　American　babies　to　chew　on；'　said　I。　　'They　must　have　gold　watches　or　nothing。'

〃'And　finally；　how　did　you　know　I　was　a　rich　American？'　he　asked。

〃'Because　no　other　can　afford　to　stop　at　hotels　like　the　Savoy　in　the　height　of　the　season；'　I　replied；　thinking　that　the　jest　would　end　there；　and　that　he　would　now　reveal　his　identity　and　speak　of　the　tiara。　　To　my　surprise；　however；　he　did　nothing　of　the　sort。

〃'You　have　an　almost　supernatural　gift；'　he　said。　　'My　name　is　Bunker。　　I　am　stopping　at　the　Savoy。　　I　AM　an　American。　　I　WAS　rich　when　I　arrived　here；　but　I'm　not　quite　so　bloated　with　wealth　as　I　was；　now　that　I　have　paid　my　first　week's　bill。　　I　HAVE　lost　my　watch；　such　a　watch；　too；　as　you　describe；　even　to　the　dents。　　Your　only　mistake　was　that　the　dents　were　made　by　my　son　John；　and　not　Willie；　but　even　there　I　cannot　but　wonder　at　you；　for　John　and　Willie　are　twins；　and　so　much　alike　that　it　sometimes　baffles　even　their　mother　to　tell　them　apart。　　The　watch　has　no　very　great　value　intrinsically；　but　the　associations　are　such　that　I　want　it　back；　and　I　will　pay　200　pounds　for　its　recovery。　　I　have　no　clew　as　to　who　took　it。　　It　was　numbered'

〃Here　a　happy　thought　struck　me。　　In　all　my　description　of　the　watch　I　had　merely　described　my　own；　a　very　cheap　affair　which　I　had　won　at　a　raffle。　　My　visitor　was　deceiving　me；　though　for　what　purpose　I　did　not　on　the　instant　divine。　　No　one　would　like　to　suspect　him　of　having　purloined　his　wife's　tiara。　　Why　should　I　not　deceive　him；　and　at　the　same　time　get　rid　of　my　poor　chronometer　for　a　sum　that　exceeded　its　value　a　hundredfold？〃

〃Good　business！〃　cried　Shylock。

The　stranger　smiled　and　bowed。

〃Excellent；〃　he　said。　　〃I　took　the　words　right　out　of　his　mouth。　　'It　was　numbered　86507B！'　I　cried；　giving；　of　course；　the　number　of　my　own　watch。

〃He　gazed　at　me　narrowly　for　a　moment；　and　then　he　smiled。　　'You　grow　more　marvellous　at　every　step。　　That　was　indeed　the　number。　　Are　you　a　demon？'

〃'No；'　I　replied。　　'Only　something　of　a　mind…reader。'

〃Well；　to　be　brief；　the　bargain　was　struck。　　I　was　to　look　for　a　watch　that　I　knew　he　hadn't　lost；　and　was　to　receive　200　pounds　if　I　found　it。　　It　seemed　to　him　to　be　a　very　good　bargain；　as；　indeed；　it　was；　from　his　point　of　view；　feeling；　as　he　did；　that　there　never　having　been　any　such　watch；　it　could　not　be　recovered；　and　little　suspecting　that　two　could　play　at　his　little　game　of　deception；　and　that　under　any　circumstances　I　could　foist　a　ten…shilling　watch　upon　him　for　two　hundred　pounds。　　This　business　concluded；　he　started　to　go。

〃'Won't　you　have　a　little　Scotch？'　I　asked；　as　he　started；　feeling；　with　all　that　prospective　profit　in　view；　I　could　well　afford　the　expense。　　'It　is　a　stormy　night。'

〃'Thanks；　I　will；'　said　he；　returning　and　seating　himself　by　my　tablestill；　to　my　surprise；　keeping　his　hat　on。

〃'Let　me　take　your　hat；'　I　said；　little　thinking　that　my　courtesy　would　reveal　the　true　state　of　affairs。　　The　mere　mention　of　the　word　hat　brought　about　a　terrible　change　in　my　visitor；　his　knees　trembled；　his　face　grew　ghastly；　and　he　clutched　the　brim　of　his　beaver　until　it　cracked。　　He　then　nervously　removed　it；　and　I　noticed　a　dull　red　mark　running　about　his　forehead；　just　as　there　would　be　on　the　forehead　of　a　man　whose　ha