登陆注册
5243800000046

第46章 CHAPTER XVII(3)

"Dear me," he exclaimed, "how unpleasant Why should you force me to disclose my plans? Be content, dear Mr. Dunster, with the knowledge of this one fact: we cannot part with you. I have thought it over from every point of view, and I have come to that conclusion; always presuming," he went on, "that the knowledge of that little word of which we have spoken remains in its secret chamber of your memory."

Mr. Dunster smoked in silence for a few minutes.

"I am very comfortable here," he remarked.

"You delight me," Mr. Fentolin murmured.

"Your cook," Mr. Dunster continued, "has won my heartfelt appreciation. Your cigars and wines are fit for any nobleman.

Perhaps, after all, this little rest is good for me."

Mr. Fentolin listened attentively.

"Do not forget," he said, "that there is always a limit fixed, whether it be one day, two days, or three days."

"A limit to your complacence, I presume?"

Mr. Fentolin assented.

"Obviously, then," Mr. Dunster concluded, "you wish those who sent me to believe that my message has been delivered. Yet there I must confess that you puzzle me. What I cannot see is, to put it bluntly, where you come in. Any one of the countries represented at this little conference would only be the gainers by the miscarriage of my message, which is, without doubt, so far as they are concerned, of a distasteful nature. Your own country alone could be the sufferer. Now what interest in the world, then, is there left - what interest in the world can you possibly represent - which can be the gainer by your present action?"

Mr. Fentolin's eyes grew suddenly a little brighter. There was a light upon his face strange to witness, "The power which is to be the gainer," he said quietly, " is the power encompassed by these walls,"

He touched his chest; his long, slim fingers were folded upon it.

"When I meet a man whom I like," he continued softly, "I take him into my confidence. Picture me, if you will, as a kind of Puck.

Haven't you heard that with the decay of the body comes sometimes a malignant growth in the brain; a Caliban-like desire for evil to fall upon the world; a desire to escape from the loneliness of suffering, the isolation of black misery?"

Mr. John P. Dunster let his cigar burn out. He looked steadfastly at this strange little figure whose chair had imperceptibly moved a little nearer to his.

"You know what the withholding of this message you carry may mean,"

Mr. Fentolin proceeded. "You come here, bearing to Europe the word of a great people, a people whose voice is powerful enough even to still the gathering furies. I have read your ciphered message. It is what I feared. It is my will, mine - Miles Fentolin's - that that message be not delivered."

"I wonder," Mr. Dunster muttered under his breath, "whether you are in earnest."

"In your heart," Mr. Fentolin told him, "you know that I am. I can see the truth in your face. Now, for the first time, you begin to understand."

"To a certain extent," Mr. Dunster admitted. "Where I am still in the dark, however, is why you should expect that I should become your confederate. It is true that by holding me up and obstructing my message, you may bring about the evil you seek, but unless that word is cabled back to New York, and my senders believe that my message has been delivered, there can be no certainty. What has been trusted to me as the safest means of transmission, might, in an emergency, be committed to a cable."

"Excellent reasoning," Fentolin agreed. "For the very reasons you name that word will be given."

Mr. Dunster's face was momentarily troubled. There was something in the still, cold emphasis of this man's voice which made him shiver.

"Do you think," Mr. Fentolin went on, "that I spend a great fortune buying the secrets of the world, that I live from day to day with the risk of ignominious detection always hovering about me - do you think that I do this and am yet unprepared to run the final risks of life and death? Have you ever talked with a murderer, Mr. Dunster?

Has curiosity ever taken you within the walls of Sing Sing? Have you sat within the cell of a doomed man and felt the thrill of his touch, of his close presence? Well, I will not ask you those questions. I will simply tell you that you are talking to one now."

Mr. Dunster had forgotten his extinct cigar. He found it difficult to remove his eyes from Mr. Fentolin's face. He was half fascinated, half stirred with a vague, mysterious fear. Underneath these wild words ran always that hard note of truth.

"You seem to be in earnest," he muttered.

"I am," Mr. Fentolin assured him quietly. "I have more than once been instrumental in bringing about the death of those who have crossed my purposes. I plead guilty to the weakness of Nero.

Suffering and death are things of joy to me. There!"

"I am not sure," Mr. Dunster said slowly, "that I ought not to wring your neck."

Mr. Fentolin smiled. His chair receded an inch or two. There was never a time when his expression had seemed more seraphic.

"There is no emergency of that sort," he remarked," for which I am not prepared."

His little revolver gleamed for a minute beneath his cuff. He backed his chair slowly and with wonderful skill towards the door.

"We will fix the period of your probation, Mr. Dunster, at - say, twenty-four hours," he decided. "Please make yourself until then entirely at home. My cook, my cellar, my cigar cabinets, are at your disposal. If some happy impulse," he concluded, "should show you the only reasonable course by dinnertime, it would give me the utmost pleasure to have you join us at that meal. I can promise you a cheque beneath your plate which even you might think worth considering, wine in your glass which kings might sigh for, cigars by your side which even your Mr. Pierpont Morgan could not buy.

Au revoir!"

The door opened and closed. Mr. Dunster sat staring into the open space like a man still a little dazed.

同类推荐
  • 佛说毗奈耶经

    佛说毗奈耶经

    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。
  • The Second Jungle Book

    The Second Jungle Book

    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。
  • 饰邪

    饰邪

    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。
  • 韩忠献公遗事

    韩忠献公遗事

    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。
  • 释迦佛赞

    释迦佛赞

    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
  • 残暴公主,柔弱夫

    残暴公主,柔弱夫

    燕国国都凤城,繁华中透着奢靡和颓废。燕国立朝三百年,国都以前名为燕京,只是在昭烈女皇登基之后毅然改名为凤城,凡有不同意的大臣,全都遭到了屠戮的下场。十年前,昭烈女皇登基,灭门百家,从此之后再也无人敢说牝鸡司晨、燕国阴盛阳衰。昭烈女皇施行的是恐怖政策,杀伐果决超越了燕国历史上最残忍的皇帝,她有五名宠臣,专干捕风捉影、屠戮大臣、抄家抢钱的勾当。只不过这五……
  • 神奇宝贝琰旅

    神奇宝贝琰旅

    Tellmewhy?!!为什么好好的同学聚会会变成一场齐刷刷的穿越之旅啊……等等……我好不容易的一个没作业的暑假啊!!(神奇宝贝、精灵宝可梦、口袋妖怪、宠物小精灵。方便找了吧?(????)) PS:本书不双主 前期看不习惯的可以跳过直接从开始旅行起看
  • 茉莉的救赎

    茉莉的救赎

    那是实验楼的天台平面图。前天晚上,几个男生和欧阳晓藏在暗处,亲眼目睹了孙叶阳救回邱秋的全部经过。“茉莉诅咒”当然是真的。“茉莉诅咒”的真正执行者就是这个神秘的社团。只不过在这次事件里,真正被诅咒的人是邱秋。
  • 23.5°

    23.5°

    愚石,本名石玉奎,中国作家协会会员、中国散文诗学会会员。发表小说160多万字、散文诗300余章,出版个人作品集6部,其中:长篇小说《地平线》、《爱情不是女人的天堂》,中篇小说集《仕途坦荡》、《歉收年景》,散文诗集《霉变》、《一切与风有关》。作品多次获精品工程奖及国内20多次小说、散文及散文诗奖项。梁天柱把手中的地球仪转得飞快,他知道,从此以后,自己就再也用不着它了。他蹲坐在地上,看着这个五颜六色的球体慢慢地停下来,心里感觉矛盾重重。
  • 黄金圈

    黄金圈

    在香港中环一座大楼的电梯上,外经局长刘克服收了港商四万港币。之后,港商在县里投资过程中遇到的困难被一一解决。过了不久还是出了事,刘克服的爱妻意外死亡,而她的死与港商的这个工程有着深刻的联系……多年之后,物是人非,刘克服高升了,是什么力量促使他走到了今天?四万元港币是在电梯里拿的。当时刘克服在香港中环一座大楼里吃请,旅港同乡会为刘克服一行人送别,出面的是会长,姓王。陆金华是副会长,说好要来,却晚半小时才到,其时大家已经开吃。
  • 邪帝盛宠妻:嗜血御兽魔妃

    邪帝盛宠妻:嗜血御兽魔妃

    21世纪的金牌杀手,再次睁开眼眸时,置身于一口封闭的破旧棺材里,没关系!——砸了!说她废物?天生废材?相貌丑陋?无妨!——杀了!昔日废材华丽变身,竟是炙手可热的鬼才!——醉了!执掌乾坤,翻手云雨,脚下没有路?邪肆一笑,引雷电,统御万兽,杀出一条路!“王爷,王妃砸了皇宫!”下人急忙禀告。“嗯。”他气定神闲。“王爷,王妃吃了邻国太子的萌宠!”“嗯。”“王爷,邻国太子说要掳王妃回去成亲!!!”下人满头大汗。某人抬眼,眼眸一眯,拍案而起,“抄家伙,灭了他祖宗十八代去!”
  • 简·爱(语文新课标课外必读第四辑)

    简·爱(语文新课标课外必读第四辑)

    国家教育部颁布了最新《语文课程标准》,统称新课标,对中、小学语文教学指定了阅读书目,对阅读的数量、内容、质量以及速度都提出了明确的要求,这对于提高学生的阅读能力,培养语文素养,陶冶情操,促进学生终身学习和终身可持续发展,对于提高广大人民的文学素养具有极大的意义。
  • 盛世皇妃之废材三小姐

    盛世皇妃之废材三小姐

    自小经脉被封,世人笑她痴傻废物,家人弃她荒山野岭,如今浴火重生,神女临世。再次睁眼,一道鞭子飞驰而来,木漓本能的避让,却发现自己变小了!什么情况?她这是在哪?还不等木漓反应,就和美人娘亲一同被赶出丞相府...,原以为从此远离纷争,谁知某些人竟还不依不饶!嚯,本小姐可不是软柿子,既然纷纷上门送死,那本小姐也只好大发慈悲成全你们!从此,她素手乾坤,曾经弃她,欺她,辱她之人,皆为此付出代价。只不过,谁来告诉她,这个对她死缠烂打的男人到底是谁?!打......好像打不过,逃......也好像逃不了......木漓:罢了,本姑娘跑累了,不跑了!墨瑾澜:这才乖,来,咱回去把婚礼办一办......情节虚构,请勿模仿
  • 狂夫追妻

    狂夫追妻

    你一纸休书,我从此浪迹天涯可是,你为何还要苦苦追寻你眼眸深邃,朗朗说道女人,想要红杏出墙的话,我一定不会轻饶你说你本想放手可是,你为何总是不离左右你眼眸如海,冷冷说道傻瓜,我就是不愿见你祸害他人你说我救你脱险害我毁损清白名誉你眼眸淡然,柔声说道就让我来好好的照顾你她被家人抛弃,被他退婚,性子冷漠却是遭遇了他幡然悔悟下的疯狂的追求,好心捡来一个美男却要以身相许,还有青梅竹马别有深意的目光,还有他---那是她的春天仰或是他们的春天?一身骄傲,谁能执手相伴,谁又能化尽伤悲?且看独步慢慢道来简介暂时如此,这是独步一直想要写的一个故事,希望亲们能收藏+留言+投票,这是给独步努力码字的最好动力。亲爱的亲们,独步建了一个读书群,欢迎亲们来参加,敲门砖就是独步书里面的任意角色的名字,独步的读者群:104620008
  • 闺宁

    闺宁

    谢姝宁死了。同幼子一道死在了阳春三月里。可眼一睁,她却回到了随母初次入京之时。天上白茫茫,路上雪皑皑,年幼的她被前世郁郁而终的母亲,和早夭的兄长一左一右护在中间。身下马车摇摇晃晃,正载着他们往她昔日噩梦驶去……