第39章

HamelmetKinsleyshortlybeforeoneo’clockthefollowingafternoon，intheloungeoftheRoyalHotelatNorwich。 “Yougotmywire，then？“thelatterasked，asheheldouthishand。 “IhaditsentbyspecialmessengerfromWells。“ “Itarriveddirectlyafterbreakfast，“Hamelreplied。“Itwasn’ttheeasiestmattertogethere，eventhen，forthereareonlyabouttwotrainsaday，andIdidn’twanttoborrowacarfromMr。 Fentolin。“ “Quiteright，“Kinsleyagreed。“Iwantedyoutocomeabsolutelyonyourown。Let’sgetintothecoffee-roomandhavesomelunchnow。 Iwanttocatchtheafternoontrainhacktotown。“ “Doyoumeantosaythatyou’vecomeallthewaydownheretotalktomeforhalfanhourorso？“Hameldemanded，astheytooktheirplacesatatable。 “Allthewayfromtown，“Kinsleyassented，“anduptotheeyesinworkweare，too。Dick，whatdoyouthinkofMilesFentolin？“ “HangedifIknow！“Hamelanswered，withasigh。 “Nothingdefinitetotellus，then？“Nothing！“ “WhataboutMr。JohnP。Dunster？“ “Heleftyesterdaymorning，“Hamelsaid。“Isawhimgo。Helookedveryshaky。IunderstoodthatMr。FentolinsenthimtoYarmouth。“ “DidMr。Fentolinknowthattherewasanenquiryonfootaboutthisman’sdisappearance？“Kinsleyasked。 “Certainly。IheardLordSaxthorpetellhimthatthepolicehadreceivedorderstoscourthecountryforhim，andthattheywerecomingtoSt。David’sHall。“ Kinsley，foramoment，wassingularlyandeloquentlyprofane。 “That’swhyMr。Fentolinlethimgo，then。IfSaxthorpehadonlyheldhistongue，orifthoseinfernalpolicehadn’tgotchatteringwiththemagistrates，wemighthavemadeacoup。Asitis，thegame’sup。Mr。DunsterleftforYarmouth，yousay，yesterdaymorning？“ “Isawhimgomyself。Helookedveryshakyandill，buthewasabletosmokeabigcigarandwalkdown-stairsleaningonthedoctor’sarm。“ “Idon’tdoubt，“Kinsleyremarked，“butthatyousawwhatyousayyousaw。Atthesametime，youmaybesurprisedtohearthatMr。 Dunsterhasdisappearedagain。“ “Disappearedagain？“Hamelmuttered。 “Itlooksverymuch，“Kinsleycontinued，“asthoughyourfriendMilesFentolinhasbeenplayingwithhimlikeacatwithamouse。 Hehasbeenobligedtoturnhimoutofonehiding-place，andhehassimplytransferredhimtoanother。“ Hamellookeddoubtful。 “Mr。Dunsterleftquitealoneinthecar，“hesaid。“Hewasonhisguardtoo，forMr。Fentolinandhehadhadwords。1reallycan’tseehowitwaspossibleforhimtohavegotintoanymoretrouble。“ “Whereishe，then？“Kinsleydemanded。“Come，Iwillletyoualittlefurtherintoourconfidence。Wehavereasontobelievethathecarrieswithhimawrittenmessagewhichispracticallytheonlychancewehaveofavoidingdisasterduringthenextfewdays。ThatwrittenmessageisaddressedtothedelegatesatTheHague，whoarenowsitting。NothinghadbeenheardofDunsterorthedocumenthecarries。NowordhascomefromhimofanysortsinceheleftSt。 David’sHall。“ “Haveyoutriedtotracehimfromthere？“Hamelasked。 “Tracehim？“Kinsleyrepeated。“Byheavens，youdon’tseemtounderstand，Dick，theimmense，theextraordinaryimportanceofthismantous！ThecleverestdetectiveinEnglandspentyesterdayunderyournoseatSt。David’sHall。Thereareadozenothersworkinguponthejobashardastheycan。Allthereportsconfirmwhatyousay-thatDunsterleftSt。David’sHallathalf-pastnineyesterdaymorning，andhecertainlyarrivedinYarmouthatalittlebeforetwelve。Fromthereheseems，however，tohavecompletelydisappeared。ThecarwentbacktoSt。David’sHallempty；themanonlystayedlongenoughinYarmouth，infact，tohavehisdinner。 Wecannotfindasinglesmackownerwhowasapproachedinanywayforthehireofaboat。Yarmouthhasbeenransackedinvain。HecertainlyhasnotarrivedatTheHagueorweshouldhaveheardnewsatonce。Asalastresource，Irandownheretoseeyouonthechanceofyourhavingpickedupanyinformation。“ Hamelshookhishead。 “YouseemtoknowagooddealmorethanIdo，already，“hesaid。 “WhatdoyouthinkofMr。Fentolin？Youhavestayedinhishouse。 Youhavehadanopportunityofstudyinghim。“ “Sofarasmyimpressionsgo，“Hamelreplied，“everythingwhichyouhavesuggestedmightverywellbetrue。Ithinkthateitheroutofsheerloveofmischief，orfromsomesubtlermotive，heiscapableofanything。Everyoneintheplace，exceptonepoorwoman，seemstolookuponhimasasortofsupernaturalbeing。Hegivesmoneyawaytoworthlesspeoplewithbothhands。YetIshareyouropinionofhim。Ibelievethatheisacreaturewithoutconscienceormorals。 Ihavesatathistableandshiveredwhenhehassmiled。“ “AreyoustayingatSt。David’sHallnow？“ “Ileftyesterday。“ “Whereareyounow，then？“ “IamatSt。David’sTower-thelittleplaceItoldyouofthatbelongedtomyfather-butIdon’tknowwhetherIshallbeabletostopthere。Mr。Fentolin，forsomereasonorother，verymuchresentedmyleavingtheHallandwasveryannoyedatmyinsistinguponclaimingtheTower。WhenIwentdowntothevillagetogetsomeonetocomeupandlookafterme，therewasn’tawomantherewhowouldcome。Itdidn’tmatterwhatIoffered，theywereallthesame。Theyallmutteredsomeexcuseorother，andseemedonlyanxioustoshowmeout。Atthevillageshoptheyseemedtohatetoservemewithanything。ItwasallIcoulddotogetapacketoftobaccoyesterdayafternoon。YouwouldreallythinkthatIwasthemostunpopularpersonwhoeverlived，anditcanonlybebecauseofMr。Fentolin’sinfluence。“ “Mr。Fentolinevidentlydoesn’tliketohaveyouinthelocality，“ Kinsleyremarkedthoughtfully。 “HewasallrightsolongasIwasatSt。David’sHall，“Hamelobserved。 “What’sthislittleplacelike-St。David’sTower，youcallit？“ Kinsleyasked。 “Justalittlestonebuildingactuallyonthebeach，“Hamelexplained。“ThereisalargeshedwhichMr。Fentolinkeepslockedup，andthehabitableportionconsistsjustofabedroomandsitting-room。FromwhatIcansee，Mr。Fentolinhasbeenmakingasortofhobbyoftheplace。Thereistelephoniccommunicationwiththehouse，andheseemstohaveusedthesitting-roomasasortofstudio。Hepaintsseapicturesandreallypaintsthemerywell。“ Amancameintothecoffee-room，madesomeenquiryofthewaiterandwentoutagain。Hamelstaredathiminapuzzledmanner。Forthemomenthecouldonlyrememberthatthefacewasfamiliar。Thenhesuddenlygaveventtoalittleexclamation。 “AnyonewouldthinkthatIhadbeenfollowed，“heremarked。“ThemanwhohasjustlookedintotheroomisoneofMr。Fentolin’sparasitesorbodyguards，orwhateveryoucallthem。“ “Youprobablyhave，“Kinsleyagreed。“Whatpostdoesheholdinthehousehold？“ “Ihavenoidea，“Hamelreplied。“IsawhimthefirstdayIarrivedandnotsince。Sortofsecretary，Ishouldthink。“ “Heisaqueer-lookingfellow，anyway，“Kinsleymuttered。“Lookout，Dick。Herehecomesbackagain。“ Mr。Ryanapproachedthetablealittlediffidently。 “Ihopeyouwillforgivetheliberty，sir，“hesaidtoHamel。“Yourememberme，Itrust-Mr。Ryan。IamthelibrarianatSt。David’sHall。“ Hamelnodded。 “IthoughtI’dseenyouthere。“ “Iwaswondering，“themancontinued，“whetheryouhadacarofMr。 Fentolin’sinNorwichto-day，andifso，whetherImightbegaseatbackincaseyouwerereturningbeforethefiveo’clocktrain？I cameinearlythismorningtogothroughsomemanuscriptsatasecond-handbookseller’shere，andIhaveunfortunatelymissedthetrainback。“ Hamelshookhishead。 “Icameinbytrainmyself，orIwouldhavegivenyoualiftback，withpleasure，“hesaid。 Mr。Ryanexpressedhisthanksbrieflyandlefttheroom。Kinsleywatchedhimfromoverthetopofanewspaper。 “SothatisoneofMr。Fentolin’screatures，too，“heremarked。 “KeepinghiseyeonyouinNorwich，eh？Tellme，Dick，by-the-by，howdoyougetonwiththerestofMr。Fentolin’shousehold，andexactlyofwhomdoesitconsist？“ “Thereishissister-in-law，“Hamelreplied，“Mrs。SeymourFentolin。