登陆注册
4617500000035

第35章

LAVERICK's PARTNER FLEES

The doctor, a grave, incurious person, arrived within a few minutes to find Morrison already conscious but absolutely exhausted. He felt his patient's pulse, prescribed a draught, and followed Laverick. down into the sitting room.

"An ordinary case of nervous exhaustion," he pronounced. "The patient appears to have had a very severe shock lately. He will be all right with proper diet and treatment, and a complete rest. Iwill call again to-morrow."He accepted the fee which Laverick slipped into his hand, and took his departure. Once more Laverick was alone with the girl, who had followed them downstairs.

"There is nothing to be alarmed at, you see," he remarked.

"It is not his health which frightens me. I am sure - I am quite sure that he has something upon his mind. Did he tell you nothing?""Nothing at all," Laverick answered, with an inward sense of thankfulness. "To tell you the truth, though, I am afraid you are right and that he did get into some sort of trouble last night. He was just about to tell me something when he fainted."Upstairs they could hear him moaning. The girl listened with pitiful face.

"What am I to do?" she asked. "I cannot leave him like this, and if I am not at the theatre in twenty minutes, I shall be fined.""The theatre?" Laverick repeated.

She nodded.

"I am on the stage," she said, - "only a chorus girl at the Universal, worse luck. Still, they don't allow us to stay away, and I can't afford to lose my place.""Do you mean to say that you have been keeping yourself here, then?"Laverick asked bluntly.

"Of course," she answered. "I do not like to be a burden on any one, and after all, you see, Arthur and I are really not related at all. He has always told me, too, that times have been so bad lately."Laverick was on the point of telling her that bad though they had been Arthur Morrison had never drawn less than fifteen hundred a year, but he checked himself. It was not his business to interfere.

"I think," he said, "that your brother ought to have provided for you. He could have done so with very little effort.""But what am I to do now?" she asked him. "If I am absent, I shall lose my place."Laverick thought for a moment.

"If you went round there and told them," he suggested, "would that make any difference? I could stay until you came back.""Do you mind?" she asked eagerly. "It would be so kind of you.""Not at all," he answered. "Perhaps you would be good enough to bring a taxicab back, and I could take it on to my rooms. Take one from here, if you can find it. There are always some at the corner.""I'd love to," she answered. "I must run upstairs and get my hat and coat."He watched her go up on tiptoe for fear of disturbing her brother.

Her feet seemed almost unearthly in the lightness of their pressure.

Not a board creaked. She seemed to float down to him in a most becoming little hat but a shockingly shabby jacket, of whose deficiencies she seemed wholly unaware. Her lips were parted once more in a smile.

"He is fast asleep and breathing quite regularly," she announced.

"It is nice of you to stay."

He looked at her almost jealously.

"Do you know," he said, "you ought not to go about alone?"She laughed, softly but heartily.

"Have you any idea how old I am?"

"I took you for fourteen when I came inside," he answered.

"Afterwards I thought you might be sixteen. Later on, it seemed to me possible that you were eighteen. I am absolutely certain that you are not more than nineteen.""That shows how little you know about it. I am twenty, and I am quite used to going about alone. Will you sit upstairs or here?

I am so sorry that I have nothing to offer you.""Thanks, I need nothing. I think I will sit upstairs in case he wakes."She nodded and stole out, closing the door behind her noiselessly.

Laverick watched her from the window until she was out of sight, moving without any appearance of haste, yet with an incredible swiftness. When she had turned the corner, he went slowly upstairs and into the room where Morrison still lay asleep. He drew a chair to the bedside and leaning forward opened out the evening paper. The events of the last hour or so had completely blotted out from his mind, for the time being, his own expedition into the world of tragical happenings. He glanced at the sleeping man, then opened his paper. There was very little fresh news except that this time the fact was mentioned that upon the body of the murdered man was discovered a sum larger than was at first supposed. It seemed doubtful, therefore, whether robbery, after all, was the motive of the crime, especially as it took place in a neighborhood which was by no means infested with criminals. There was a suggestion of political motive, a reference to the "Black Hand," concerning whose doings the papers had been full since the murder of a well-known detective a few weeks ago. But apart from this there was nothing fresh.

Laverick folded up the paper and leaned back in his chair. The strain of the last twenty-four hours was beginning to tell even upon his robust constitution. The atmosphere of the room, too, was close.

He leaned back in his chair and was suddenly weary. Perhaps he dozed. At any rate, the whisper which called him back to realization of where he was, came to him so unexpectedly that he sat up with a sudden start.

Morrison's eyes were open, he had raised himself on his elbow, his lips were parted. His manner was quieter, but there were black lines deep engraven under his eyes, in which there still shone something of that haunting fear.

"Laverick!" he repeated hoarsely.

Laverick, fully awakened now, leaned towards him.

"Hullo," he said, "are you feeling more like yourself?"Morrison nodded.

"Yes," he admitted, "I am feeling - better. How did you come here?

I can't remember anything."

同类推荐
  • 钱氏私志

    钱氏私志

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 弥勒上生经宗要

    弥勒上生经宗要

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 醉翁谈录

    醉翁谈录

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • Pride and Prejudice

    Pride and Prejudice

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 佛说差摩婆帝授记经

    佛说差摩婆帝授记经

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
热门推荐
  • 飞碟未解之谜(世界未解之谜精编)

    飞碟未解之谜(世界未解之谜精编)

    本书是《世界未解之谜精编》系列之一,该系列精心收集了众多千奇百怪、扑朔迷离的世界未解之谜,内容涉及宇宙、生物、地理、飞碟、人体、恐龙、宝藏、百慕大、历史、金字塔、文化等多个领域,书中令人耳目一新和不可思议的未解之谜,给予了人类新的思索。人类究竟创造了多少奇迹,又留下了多少谜团,有待我们进一步探索和研究……我们深信,通过不断的努力,未知一定会变为已知。让无数探寻声化做利刃,刺破一桩桩人类千年未解之谜。
  • 星际旅行无限战争

    星际旅行无限战争

    这部作品是讲述男主一行人,如何在众多星际文明之间的纷争之中,守护人类文明,为人类文明寻求生存而努力的故事。
  • boss,不可以

    boss,不可以

    余漫物语:顾行楚衣冠楚楚,却是一只实实在在的衣冠禽兽。顾行楚说:路漫漫其修远兮,吾将上下而求索。顾BOSS精神恋爱了空白了将近三十年,终于迎来了他的春天。只是,这是别人家的兔子?顾boss近来无聊闲暇最喜爱的事就是铁血灭情敌,香草诱兔子。顾boss忙着灭情敌,转身一看,眼眸顿眯。竟然还有不怕死来的小强来勾搭他狼窝里小兔子?顾boss恍然大悟,小兔子生龙活虎的蹦蹦跳跳,是挺引人注意。他应该毫不手软的在她身上盖印,宣布所有权,再有小强不怕死的一脚踩死,永不翻身!某日,余漫对着镜子尖叫,“顾行楚,你混蛋!”顾行楚倚在门边,瞥了眼她脖子上的一圈吻痕,“我送的项链,喜欢么?”余漫龇牙咧嘴扑到他身上狂啃他脸,留下一脸牙印,咬下一个“余”字,“送你的签名,喜欢么?”顾行楚拦住某只依旧骂骂咧咧郁闷没法上班的兔子,扑倒。“漫漫,礼尚往来,买一赠二,我送你‘顾行楚’三个字。”——本文原名《大人不可以》,素甜文,嘻嘻,老板抓兔子的甜文。++++++++++++++++++++++++++++系列文章:《师傅不可以》《师兄不可以》+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++好友好文:《爱,末路相逢》
  • 玄门十事威仪

    玄门十事威仪

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 农门悍妻

    农门悍妻

    重生到一贫如洗的家里,底下还有一堆的小萝卜头,她不强悍一点,怎么撑起这个家?情节虚构,请勿模仿
  • 那些年的刀塔

    那些年的刀塔

    披着穿越与游戏外皮的青春故事,老男孩的回忆录。羞涩的冰女美眉还是热情的火女御姐?好为人师的光法还是毁人不倦的赏金?走进这个世界,看看老男孩的青春故事。
  • 世界经典历史故事(下册)

    世界经典历史故事(下册)

    怎样快捷地了解世界,首先我们要从了解世界历史入手。人类历史发展为世界历史,经历了一个漫长的过程,生产力是历史发展的终极动力。从地球上有了人类那时起,人类的第一个活动便是生产活动,而且从未间断过。人类文明的演进,社会的发展,只能在生产力进步的基础上实现。旧石器时代使得氏族社会形成,金石并用时代又促成氏族社会解体,人类进入文明时代。在自然经济状态下,只可能有奴隶制度和封建制度,商品经济与市场经济却孕育出近代资本主义社会。手工工场时代、蒸汽时代、电器时代和信息时代将人类社会的进展划分为不同的发展阶段。这是二、三百万年来人类文明进程所确凿的事实。《世界经典历史故事》大体上是按照这个线索来编写的。
  • 坏坏老公好难缠

    坏坏老公好难缠

    她爱上了一个温柔的男人,但是结婚不到半年就离婚了。丢脸的是,离婚的时候她居然还是个处!出国避难,遇上了一个绿眼睛的男人。第一天,男人吻了她。第二天,男人要她负责绑架她去办了结婚证。第三天,看着身边一脸餍足的俊美男人,她懵了……
  • 大咖传奇

    大咖传奇

    来到这个世界,燕飞守着破旧的工作室不知所措,未来在哪里,没有人给他答案……“人没有梦想,和咸鱼有什么区别”为了生存,为了证明自己。燕飞从小小的工作室起步,从拍摄表白的微电影做起,不知不觉他已然成为传奇的大咖……【特别说明】本书有商战,生活,影视,歌曲……【温馨提示】本书轻松,搞笑,温情默默……【友情提示】看书请留下饭票(不要想歪了,是推荐票) 聊天群499494987 完本老书《明星班主任》!
  • 工作要有责任心生活要有感恩心

    工作要有责任心生活要有感恩心

    你学会感恩了吗?某著名企业家被问道:“成功的秘诀是什么?”企业家脱口而出道:“拥有一颗感恩的心。只要你懂得感恩,你成功的几率就很高。”感恩的心像空气,是我们生活中不可缺少的。无论你是何等的尊贵,或是看似怎样的卑微;无论你生于何时,长于何地,或是曾经经历了多少风霜雨雪,惊涛骇浪,只要你心存感恩,那些美好的品格如温暖、自信、坚定、善良等就会从你的身体里喷涌而出。懂得感恩的人不会孤独,不会自大,不会傲慢。一个孤独的人无法品尝温暖的滋味;一个自大的人无法获得他人的敬重;一个傲慢的人无法赢得别人的好感。人生一世,如果没有感受过世间最美好的情感。