登陆注册
5159600000041

第41章

Herbert, enrolled in the same section with his employer and one or two fellow-clerks, had participated in the meetings of the committee with the light-heartedness and irresponsibility of youth, regretting only the loss of his usual walk with Cherry and the hours that kept him from her house.He was returning from a protracted meeting one night, when the number of arrests and searching for proscribed and suspected characters had been so large as to induce fears of organized resistance and rescue, and on reaching the foot of the hill found it already so late, that to avoid disturbing the family he resolved to enter his room directly by the door in the side street.On inserting his key in the lock it met with some resisting obstacle, which, however, yielded and apparently dropped on the mat inside.Opening the door and stepping into the perfectly dark apartment, he trod upon this object, which proved to be another key.The family must have procured it for their convenience during his absence, and after locking the door had carelessly left it in the lock.It was lucky that it had yielded so readily.

The fire had gone out.He closed the door and lit the gas, and after taking off his overcoat moved to the door leading into the passage to listen if anybody was still stirring. To his utter astonishment he found it locked.

What was more remarkable--the key was also INSIDE! An inexplicable feeling took possession of him.He glanced suddenly around the room, and then his eye fell upon the bed.Lying there, stretched at full length, was the recumbent figure of a man.

He was apparently in the profound sleep of utter exhaustion.The attitude of his limbs and the order of his dress--of which only his collar and cravat had been loosened--showed that sleep must have overtaken him almost instantly.In fact, the bed was scarcely disturbed beyond the actual impress of his figure.He seemed to be a handsome, matured man of about forty; his dark straight hair was a little thinned over the temples, although his long heavy moustache was still youthful and virgin.His clothes, which were elegantly cut and of finer material than that in ordinary use, the delicacy and neatness of his linen, the whiteness of his hands, and, more particularly, a certain dissipated pallor of complexion and lines of recklessness on the brow and cheek, indicated to Herbert that the man before him was one of that desperate and suspected class--some of whose proscribed members he had been hunting--the professional gambler!

Possibly the magnetism of Herbert's intent and astonished gaze affected him.He moved slightly, half opened his eyes, said "Halloo, Tap," rubbed them again, wholly opened them, fixed them with a lazy stare on Herbert, and said:

"Now, who the devil are you?"

"I think I have the right to ask that question, considering that this is my room," said Herbert sharply.

"YOUR room?" "Yes!"

The stranger half raised himself on his elbow, glanced round the room, settled himself slowly back on the pillows, with his hands clasped lightly behind his head, dropped his eyelids, smiled, and said:

"Rats!"

"What?" demanded Herbert, with a resentful sense of sacrilege to Cherry's virgin slang.

"Well, old rats then!D'ye think I don't know this shebang?Lookhere, Johnny, what are you putting on all this side for, eh? What's your little game?Where's Tappington?""If you mean Mr.Brooks, the son of this house, who formerly lived in this room," replied Herbert, with a formal precision intended to show a doubt of the stranger's knowledge of Tappington, "you ought to know that he has left town.""Left town!" echoed the stranger, raising himself again."Oh, I see! getting rather too warm for him here? Humph! I ought to have thought of that.Well, you know, he DID take mighty big risks, anyway!" He was silent a moment, with his brows knit and a rather dangerous expression in his handsome face."So some d--d hound gave him away-- eh?""I hadn't the pleasure of knowing Mr.Brooks except by reputation, as the respected son of the lady upon whose house you have just intruded," said Herbert frigidly, yet with a creeping consciousness of some unpleasant revelation.The stranger stared at him for a moment, again looked carefully round the room, and then suddenly dropped his head back on the pillow, and with his white hands over his eyes and mouth tried to restrain a spasm of silent laughter.After an effort he succeeded, wiped his moist eyes, and sat up.

"So you didn't know Tappington, eh?" he said, lazily buttoning his collar.

"No."

"No more do I."

He retied his cravat, yawned, rose, shook himself perfectly neat again, and going to Herbert's dressing-table quietly took up a brush and began to lightly brush himself, occasionally turning to the window to glance out.Presently he turned to Herbert and said:

"Well, Johnny, what's your name?"

"I am Herbert Bly, of Carstone's Bank."

"So, and a member of this same Vigilance Committee, I reckon," he continued.

"Yes."

"Well, Mr.Bly, I owe you an apology for coming here, and somethanks for the only sleep I've had in forty-eight hours.I struck this old shebang at about ten o'clock, and it's now two, so I reckon I've put in about four hours' square sleep.Now, look here." He beckoned Herbert towards the window."Do you see those three men standing under that gaslight? Well, they're part of a gang of Vigilantes who've hunted me to the hill, and are waiting to see me come out of the bushes, where they reckon I'm hiding.Go to them and say that I'm here! Tell them you've got Gentleman George-- George Dornton, the man they've been hunting for a week--in this room.I promise you I won't stir, nor kick up a row, when they've come.Do it, and Carstone, if he's a square man, will raise your salary for it, and promote you." He yawned slightly, and then slowly looking around him, drew the easy-chair towards him and dropped comfortably in it, gazing at the astounded and motionless Herbert with a lazy smile.

同类推荐
  • 孔子家语

    孔子家语

    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。
  • Of The Nature of Things

    Of The Nature of Things

    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。
  • The History and Practice of the Art of

    The History and Practice of the Art of

    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。
  • 大乘起信论义记别记

    大乘起信论义记别记

    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。
  • 遯斋闲览

    遯斋闲览

    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
  • 宿主大大别乱崩

    宿主大大别乱崩

    (快穿)(微虐)(1v1双洁)(江绾x君子阳)本以为只能带着仇恨草草了事的江绾碰上了只神秘的火焰,索性也就与它绑定了,从此一发不可收拾走上了穿梭与各大位面及现实的悲催人生。“绾绾,我只要你”江绾:穿梭各大位面就算了,虐渣渣也就算了,你还要我攻略一男的?#女主性格不定##以为是王者其实是青铜##永远是被带的那个##各大位面男神在线解锁#
  • 胜局:点击中国14大成功企业(修订版)

    胜局:点击中国14大成功企业(修订版)

    本书通过具体、生动的案例,汇集了近二十年全国企业管理的成功模式与经验,提供了一系列管理创新的新观念、新思维、新方法、新模式,深刻、精辟地归纳剖析了全国成功企业在成长过程中所进行的一系列自身的改革、完善和变化,以及由此得出的有关营销和管理的诸多宝贵经验和智慧结晶。
  • Oscar Wilde Miscellaneous

    Oscar Wilde Miscellaneous

    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。
  • 亲爱的我们都将这样长大

    亲爱的我们都将这样长大

    从14岁便开始写文的潘云贵,经过十年的成长蜕变,他对于当下的生活和世界有了更多别样的想法和感悟,诉诸于纸上是他的行动。他说:“面对一张空白的纸页时,总像面对自己年少时那颗真实的心,我说不了谎。”《亲爱的,我们都将这样长大》不是心灵鸡汤,也非说教手册,近40个篇章记录着作者的青春、成长、生活的个人经验,追求清新诗意语言的同时摒弃空洞的情绪,给予人向着下一站走去的勇气,充满真情,绝非滥情。
  • 禅林备用清规

    禅林备用清规

    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。
  • 北美洲:古巴(世界我知道)

    北美洲:古巴(世界我知道)

    本书中内容丰富、文笔活泼、信息完整。它全面地反映了古巴的风光与民俗。
  • 做个幸福的文字工作者

    做个幸福的文字工作者

    几番增添,越来越有点自传的意思了。其中有自己的检讨,当然说不上是自我解剖,更不敢说是老实人的宣言书。但是,热爱、老实、讨论、比较几节写得都较充分,对毛泽东和鲁迅谈也较多,引用也多,以至有朋友建议删削一番。
  • 再世机关巧匠为女皇

    再世机关巧匠为女皇

    拥有着万万人之上的权利,等不来相守一生的承诺一朝穿越成女皇,凭借着仅有的政治知识,靠着她的奇思妙想,竟获得了举国上下所有人的崇拜,唯有一人除外!魔法与骑士,这个奇幻的是世界还有科学的存在!种族的纷争,只为解除真神的诅咒!
  • 博弈与生活全集

    博弈与生活全集

    如果将博弈论与生活结合起来,那么生活中每个人都如同棋手,其每一种行为如同在一张看不见的棋盘上布一个子,精明慎重的棋手们相互揣摩、相互牵制,人人争赢,下出诸多精彩纷呈、变化多端的棋局。生活是由一局又一局的博弈所组成,你我皆在其中不遗余力地争取高分。
  • 七月半商铺

    七月半商铺

    一个温润又腹黑的教师,存在在重点高校的帅哥老师,竟是生活了万年的人。一个甜美的如同邻家小女孩的店主,守着一个古老的店铺。店铺里只有你想不到的,没有店铺不卖的,爱情、仇恨、回忆、未来,等价交换亦或是高价收买。城市里“魅”横生,有人向店主收购了“魅”却扯出了一堆的凶杀案件,不断有人死去,不断有人重生,城市的秩序渐渐被捣乱,可到底又是为了什么?千万年前,这座城市又到底发生了什么?漆黑的夜里,两盏暖黄的灯,一个古朴的招牌,龙飞凤舞的写着五个大字:七月半商铺。