登陆注册
5253200000043

第43章

Catherine rose to her feet. She faced the two men, her eyes flashing with anger.

"The Council will require an explanation of this, Mr. Fenn!" she declared passionately. "Barely an hour ago you told us that Mr.

Orden had escaped from Hampstead."

"Julian Orden," Fenn replied, "has been handed over to our secret service by the unanimous vote of the Council. We have absolute liberty to deal with him as we think fit."

"Have you liberty to tell lies as to his whereabouts?" Catherine demanded. "You deliberately told the Council he had escaped, yet, entirely owing to Mr. Furley, I find you down here at Bermondsey with him. What were you going to do with him when I came in?"

"Persuade him to restore the packet, if we could," Fenn answered sullenly.

"Rubbish!" Catherine retorted. "You know very well that he is our friend. You have only to tell him the truth, and your task with him is at an end."

"Steady!" Julian muttered. "Don't imagine that I have any sympathy with your little nest of conspirators."

"That is only because you do not understand," Catherine assured him. "Listen, and you shall hear the whole truth. I will tell you what is inside that packet and whose signatures you will find there."

Julian gripped her wrist suddenly. His eyes were filled with a new fear. He was watching the two men, who were whispering together.

"Catherine," he exclaimed warningly, "look out! These men mean mischief. That devil Bright invents a new poisonous gas every day. Look at Fenn buckling on his mask. Quick! Get out if you can!"

Catherine's hand touched her bosom. Bright sprang towards her, but he was too late. She raised a little gold whistle to her lips, and its pealing summons rang through the room. Fenn dropped his mask and glanced towards Bright. His face was livid.

"Who's outside?" he demanded.

"The Bishop and Mr. Furley. Great though my confidence is in you both, I scarcely ventured to come here alone."

The approaching footsteps were plainly audible. Fenn shrugged his shoulders with a desperate attempt at carelessness.

"I don't know what is in your mind, Miss Abbeway," he said. "You can scarcely believe that you, at any rate, were in danger at our hands."

"I would not trust you a yard," she replied fiercely. "In any case, it is better that the others should come. Mr. Orden might not believe me. He will at least believe the Bishop."

"Believe whom?" Julian demanded.

The door was opened. The Bishop and Miles Furley came hastily in.

Catherine stepped forward to meet them.

"I was obliged to whistle," she explained, a little hysterically.

"I do not trust either of these men. That fiend Bright has a poisonous gas with him in a pocket cylinder. I am convinced that they meant to murder Julian."

The two newcomers turned towards the couch and exchanged amazed greetings with Julian. Fenn threw his mask on to the table with an uneasy laugh.

"Miss Abbeway," he protested, "is inclined to be melodramatic.

The gas which Bright has in that cylinder is simply one which would produce a little temporary unconsciousness. We might have used it - we may still use it - but if you others are able to persuade Mr. Orden to restore the packet, our task with him is at an end. We are not his gaolers - or perhaps he would say his torturers - for pleasure. The Council has ordered that we should extort from him the papers you know of and has given us carte blanche as to the means. If you others can persuade him to restore them peaceably, why, do it. We are prepared to wait."

Julian was still staring from one to the other of his visitors.

His expression of blank astonishment had scarcely decreased.

"Bishop," he said at last, "unless you want to see me go insane before your eyes, please explain. It can't be possible that you have anything in common with this nest of conspirators."

The Bishop smiled a little wanly. He laid his hand upon his godson's shoulder.

"Believe me, I have been no party to your incarceration, Julian,", he declared, "but if you will listen to me, I will tell you why I think it would be better for you to restore that packet to Miss Abbeway:"

"Tell that blackguard to give me another sniff of his restorative gas," Julian begged. "These shocks are almost too much for me."

The Bishop turned interrogatively towards Bright, who once more leaned over Julian with the tube in his hand. Again the little mist, the pungent odour. Julian rose to his feet and sat down again.

"I am listening," he said.

"First of all," began the Bishop earnestly, as he seated himself at the end of the couch on which Julian had been lying, "let me try to remove some of your misconceptions. Miss Abbeway is in no sense of the word a German spy. She and I, Mr. Furley here, Mr.

Fenn and Mr. Bright, all belong to an organisation leagued together for one purpose - we are determined to end the war."

"Pacifists!" Julian; muttered.

"An idle word," the Bishop protested, "because at heart we are all pacifists. There is not one of us who would wilfully choose war instead of peace. The only question is the price we are prepared to pay."

"Why not leave that to the Government?"

"The Government," the Bishop replied, "are the agents of the people. The people in this case wish to deal direct."

"Again why?" Julian demanded.

"Because the Government is composed wholly of politicians, politicians who, in far too many speeches, have pledged themselves to too many definite things. Still, the Government will have its chance."

"Explain to me," Julian asked, "why, if you are a patriotic society, you are in secret and illegal communication with Germany?"

"The Germany with whom we are in communication," the Bishop assured his questioner, "is the Germany who thinks as we do."

"Then you are on a wild-goose chase," Julian declared, "because the Germans who think as you do are in a hopeless minority."

The Bishop's forefinger was thrust out.

同类推荐
  • 金刚光焰止风雨陀罗尼经

    金刚光焰止风雨陀罗尼经

    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。
  • 大慧普觉禅师宗门武库

    大慧普觉禅师宗门武库

    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。
  • 大乘止观法门释要

    大乘止观法门释要

    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。
  • 绛囊撮要

    绛囊撮要

    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。
  • 咏史

    咏史

    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
  • 快乐地爱自己

    快乐地爱自己

    本书为杂文集,所选精品篇章包括抒发人生感悟的“快乐地爱自己”、“可不可以不完美”;抒写甜蜜爱情的“爱情牙语”、“九十年前的恋爱”,关注生活生命的“赌里人生”、“留住幸福的时光”,关照亲情友情的“高中家长”、“母亲在1978年”、“陪父亲洗澡”等,平实而寓意深远。作者年志勇为吉林省作家协会会员,作品《天下》《洗牌》《命门》构建了中国通信业的激流三部曲,为读者喜爱。
  • 神鼎魔主

    神鼎魔主

    我为魔,以神为奴,以仙为仆;我为主,食奇珍异兽,掌万物之灵
  • 亲子共读经典童话神话故事(全集)

    亲子共读经典童话神话故事(全集)

    首先,这是一套用来讲的故事书;其次,这是一本用来读的故事书;最后,这是一本用来家庭学习的故事书。《亲子共读经典童话神话故事全集》精选了世界上最经典的童话故事、寓言、神话故事和民间故事。总之,本书简直就是一个故事的天堂、趣味知识的海洋。在柔和的灯光下,在轻柔的音乐中,全家人陶醉在阅读的气息中,孩子在会心地微笑,大人在会心地微笑——这就是编者为您精心献上的一桌以孩子为中心的文化大餐!每个孩子在小的时候,都有一个个浪漫的梦想。书中这些有趣的经典故事,就像每个夜晚在空中眨着眼睛的星星。孩子睡前,只要我们轻轻的摘下一颗,它就会和你的孩子一起进入甜甜的梦乡——就这样一夜一夜,直到孩子渐渐长大。
  • 落玉恋

    落玉恋

    曾经的六皇子蓝梓玉在大家眼里就是文武双全,貌比天仙,京城中女子把他视做梦中情人,男子把他视做学习榜样。然而自从他拒绝了宰相女儿并忍受不了她的骚扰而当街修理她后。他的名声一落千丈,最后六皇子以大把年纪了还没有嫁人,皇上、皇后都很着急啊,正在这个时候,凤凰国第一首富沐云落表示她对六皇子一见钟情,并且非六皇子不娶,而六皇子则表示他不嫁,那么沐云落只好开启她的追夫之路了!
  • 先秦学术概论

    先秦学术概论

    本书为吕思勉先生之代表作,亦为我国论先秦学术之名著。全书既详叙各家学术之要旨,细探其发展之源流,亦深究诸派相互之错综关系,力辨其主要著作之真伪。尤为可贵之处在于,本书诸多探索性论述,均为后来之考古发现所确证。本书论证精当可靠,稳健之中又每有新见,是欲了解先秦学术者之必读且易读之书。
  • 小幽默大智慧大全集(超值金版)

    小幽默大智慧大全集(超值金版)

    生活中不能没有幽默,幽默是人生的智慧之花,聪明人不一定善于幽默,但幽默的人一定聪明。我们不要抱怨自己没有幽默感,其实,只要留意一下,我们都在有意无意地创造幽默佳境。有了幽默,在人生困惑纷至而来中,它会帮你变被动为主动,以轻松的微笑代替沉重的叹息;当你在严重的沮丧中不能自拔时,它会给你心灵的翅膀,让你精神得以超越。幽默也许从来没有登上大雅之堂,至多不过是博人一笑。但其中的智慧又有谁深深地体悟?其中的道理又有谁静静地反思?
  • 民国枭雄杜月笙

    民国枭雄杜月笙

    本书主要描写杜月笙的生平事迹,提到杜月笙,不得不让我们想到他所处的那个时代——清末民初。由于清廷当局的无能、软弱和妥协,使得全中国被外国殖民统治者侵犯和蹂躏。举国上下官商勾结、民不聊生,社会动荡,百姓俨然处在一片水深火热之中。在当时的大城市中,繁华璀璨依旧的首属上海了,堪称商业军事重镇的上海滩成了冒险家的天堂。19世纪末20世纪初的上海滩,潜伏着光怪陆离、千差百异的危险信号,满足了那些冒险家对于刺激和挑战的追寻和需求。上海滩从来没有平静过,相较于黄浦江的风平浪静而言,更是具有浓烈的角逐厮杀气息。
  • 幸孕太子妃:殿下,太腹黑

    幸孕太子妃:殿下,太腹黑

    她,现代神医,隐世家族少主,穿成个假孕太子妃?不行!必须跑路!太子:跑?她最多从榻上跑到榻下……“殿下这病甚是凶猛,无药可治,只能弃情断爱,远离女人方可保命。”话落,手一勾,她偷撒药粉,某太子瞬间上吐下泻。“你看,真不能靠近女人。”这下,该远离她了吧?哪知,太子大手一挥:“代价都付了,不尝点甜头太亏了。”“喂!干啥你!不要命了?”太子殿下笑得很贼:“横竖治不好,索性早点留个后……”
  • 妃常逆袭:傻王枭宠废柴妻

    妃常逆袭:傻王枭宠废柴妻

    前生,她是侯府嫡女,宽以待人,处处忍让,却惨遭毒害,受尽耻辱而亡。重生,她变成了自己曾想保护的痴傻小妹,立下血誓,绝不白活!斗渣娘,折庶妹,往日之仇,加倍来报。舌战朝堂,指点江山,谁还敢说她痴傻无能?本该逍遥快活,可谁能告诉她,她和那个傻王爷的婚约该怎么办?什么?傻子不傻?不傻,不嫁!
  • 人生的资本全集

    人生的资本全集

    本书最大的特点就是具有实用性和可读性。它挖掘了不同背景、不同条件下客观存在于人们身上的每一种资本,以我们身边和大家熟知的成功人士的真实故事来说明这些资本对人生的重要性以及运用这些资本走向成功的可能性和必然性。通过这些实例,我们可以从中得到一些启发,借鉴一些经验,为每位渴望成功的人士指出一条通向成功的捷径。