第46章

“’Mabel，cometomeatoncewiththebearer。Theytellmethattheycannottakemehome。’Itlookslikemyownwriting。“ “Lookslikeit！ItISyourwriting。“ “Itlookslikeit——andwrittenwithashakypen。“ “Mydearchild，one’shandwouldshakeatsuchamomentasthat。“ “Mabel，wheredidyougetthis？“ “ItwasbroughttomeinCaneandWilson’s。“ “Whobroughtit？“ “Whobroughtit？Why，themanyousent。“ “ThemanIsent！“Alightburstupontheduke’sbrain。Hefellbackapace。“It’sthedecoy！“ Hergraceechoedthewords: “Thedecoy？“ “Thescoundrel！Tosetatrapwithsuchabait！Mypoorinnocentdarling，didyouthinkitcamefromme？Tellme，Mabel，wheredidhecutoffyourhair？“ “Cutoffmyhair？“ Hergraceputherhandtoherheadasiftomakesurethatherhairwasthere。 “Wheredidhetakeyouto？“ “HetookmetoDraper’sBuildings。“ “Draper’sBuildings？“ “IhaveneverbeenintheCitybefore，buthetoldmeitwasDraper’sBuildings。Isn’tthatneartheStockExchange？“ “NeartheStockExchange？“ Itseemedratheracuriousplacetowhichtotakeakidnapedvictim。Theman’saudacity！ “HetoldmethatyouwerecomingoutoftheStockExchangewhenavanknockedyouover。HesaidthathethoughtitwasaPickford’svan——wasitaPickford’svan？“ “No，itwasnotaPickford’svan。Mabel，wereyouinDraper’sBuildingswhenyouwrotethatletter？“ “Wrotewhatletter？“ “Haveyouforgottenitalready？IdonotbelievethatthereisawordinitwhichwillnotbebrandedonmybrainuntilIdie。“ “Hereward！Whatdoyoumean？“ “Surelyyoucannothavewrittenmesuchaletterasthat，andthenhaveforgottenitalready？“ Hehandedhertheletterwhichhadarrivedinthesecondcommunication。Sheglancedatit，askance。Thenshetookitwithalittlegasp。 “Hereward，ifyoudon’tmind，IthinkI’lltakeachair。“Shetookachair。“Whatever——whatever’sthis？“Asshereadtheletterthevaryingexpressionswhichpassedacrossherfacewere，inthemselves，astudyinpsychology。“Isitpossiblethatyoucanimaginethat，underanyconceivablecircumstances，Icouldhavewrittensuchaletterasthis？“ “Mabel！“ Sherosetoherfeetwithemphasis。 “Hereward，don’tsaythatyouthoughtthiscamefromme！“ “Notfromyou？“HerememberedKnowles’sdiplomaticreceptionoftheepistleonitsfirstappearance。“Isupposethatyouwillsaynextthatthisisnotalockofyourhair？“ “Mydearchild，whatbeehaveyougotinyourbonnet？Thisalockofmyhair！Why，it’snotintheleastbitlikemyhair！“ Whichwascertainlyinaccurate。Asfarascolorwasconcerneditwasanalmostperfectmatch。TheduketurnedtoMr。Dacre。 “Ivor，I’vehadtogothroughagooddealthisafternoon。IfI havetogothroughmuchmore，somethingwillcrack！“Hetouchedhisforehead。“Ithinkit’smyturntotakeachair。“Nottheonewhichtheduchesshadvacated，butonewhichfacedit。Hestretchedouthislegsinfrontofhim；hethrusthishandsintohistrouserspockets；hesaid，inatonewhichwasnotgloomybutabsolutelygrewsome: “MightIask，Mabel，ifyouhavebeenkidnaped？“ “Kidnaped？“ “ThewordIusedwas’kidnaped。’ButIwillspellitifyoulike。 OrIwillgetadictionary，thatyoumayseeitsmeaning。“ Theduchesslookedasifshewasbeginningtobenotquitesureifshewasawakeorsleeping。SheturnedtoIvor。 “Mr。Dacre，hastheaccidentaffectedHereward’sbrain？“ Theduketookthewordsoutofhiscousin’smouth。 “Onthatpoint，mydear，letmeeaseyourmind。Idon’tknowifyouareundertheimpressionthatIshouldbethesameshapeafteraPickford’svanhadrunovermeasIwasbefore；but，inanycase，IhavenotbeenrunoverbyaPickford’svan。SofarasIamconcernedtherehasbeennoaccident。Dismissthatdelusionfromyourmind。“ “Oh！“ “Youappearsurprised。Onemighteventhinkthatyouweresorry。 ButmayInowaskwhatyoudidwhenyouarrivedatDraper’sBuildings？“ “Did！Ilookedforyou！“ “Indeed！Andwhenyouhadlookedinvain，whatwasthenextiteminyourprogramme？“ Theladyshrankstillfartherfromhim。 “Hereward，haveyoubeenhavingajestatmyexpense？Canyouhavebeensocruel？“Tearsstoodinhereyes。 Rising，thedukelaidhishanduponherarm。 “Mabel，tellme——whatdidyoudowhenyouhadlookedformeinvain？“ “Ilookedforyouupstairsanddownstairsandeverywhere。Itwasquitealargeplace，ittookmeeversuchatime。IthoughtthatI shouldgodistracted。Nobodyseemedtoknowanythingaboutyou，oreventhattherehadbeenanaccidentatall——itwasalloffices。I couldn’tmakeitoutintheleast，andthepeopledidn’tseemtobeabletomakemeouteither。SowhenIcouldn’tfindyouanywhereI camestraighthomeagain。“ Thedukewassilentforamoment。ThenwithfunerealgravityheturnedtoMr。Dacre。Heputtohimthisquestion: “Ivor，whatareyoulaughingat？“ Mr。Dacredrewhishandacrosshismouthwithratherasuspiciousgesture。 “Mydearfellow，onlyasmile！“ Theduchesslookedfromonetotheother。 “Whathaveyoutwobeendoing？Whatisthejoke？“ Withanairofpreternaturalsolemnitytheduketooktwolettersfromthebreastpocketofhiscoat。 “Mabel，youhavealreadyseenyourletter。Youhavealreadyseenthelockofyourhair。Justlookatthis——andthat。“ Hegaveherthetwoverysingularcommunicationswhichhadarrivedinsuchamysteriousmanner，andsoquicklyoneaftertheother。 Shereadthemwithwide-openeyes。 “Hereward！Whereverdidthesecomefrom？“ Thedukewasstandingwithhislegsapart，andhishandsinhistrouserspockets。“Iwouldgive——Iwouldgiveanotherfivehundredpoundstoknow。ShallItellyou，madam，whatIhavebeendoing？ Ihavebeenpresentingfivehundredgoldensovereignstoaperfectstranger，withatophat，andagardeniainhisbuttonhole。“ “Whateverfor？“ “Ifyouhaveperusedthosedocumentswhichyouhaveinyourhand，youwillhavesomefaintidea。Ivor，whenit’syourfuneral，I’LL smile。Mabel，DuchessofDatchet，itisbeginningtodawnuponthevacuumwhichrepresentsmybrainthatI’vebeenthevictimofoneoftheprettiestthingsinpracticaljokesthateveryetwasplanned。WhenthatfellowbroughtyouthatcardatCaneandWilson’s——which，Ineedscarcelytellyou，nevercamefromme——someonewalkedoutofthefrontentrancewhowassoexactlylikeyouthatbothBarnesandMoyseytookherforyou。Moyseyshowedherintothecarriage，andBarnesdroveherhome。Butwhenthecarriagereachedhomeitwasempty。Yourdoublehadgotoutupontheroad。“ Theduchessutteredasoundwhichwashalfgasp，halfsigh。 “Hereward！“ “BarnesandMoysey，withbeautifulandchildlikeinnocence，whentheyfoundthattheyhadbroughtthethinghomeempty，camestraightwayandtoldmethatYOUhadjumpedoutofthebroughamwhileithadbeendrivingfullpeltthroughthestreets。WhileI wasdigestingthatpieceofinformationtherecamethefirstepistle，withthelockofyourhair。BeforeIhadtimetodigestthattherecamethesecondepistle，withyoursinside。“ “Itseemsincredible！“ “Itsoundsincredible；butunfathomableisthefollyofman，especiallyofamanwholoveshiswife。“ThedukecrossedtoMr。 Dacre。“Idon’twant，Ivor，tosuggestanythinginthewayofbriberyandcorruption，butifyoucouldkeepthismattertoyourself，andnotmentionittoyourfriends，ourwhite-hattedandgardenia-buttonholedacquaintanceiswelcometohisfivehundredpounds，and——Mabel，whatonearthareyoulaughingat？“ Theduchessappeared，allatonce，tobeseizedwithinextinguishablelaughter。 “Hereward，“shecried，“justthinkhowthatmanmustbelaughingatyou！“ AndtheDukeofDatchetthoughtofit。 TheMinorCanonItwasMonday，andintheafternoon，asIwaswalkingalongtheHighStreetofMarchbury，Iwasmetbyadistinguished-lookingpersonwhomIhadobservedattheservicesinthecathedralonthepreviousday。NowitchancedonthatSundaythatIwassingingtheservice。Properlyspeaking，itwasnotmyturn；but，asmybrotherminorcanonswereeitherawayfromMarchburyorillinbed，Iwastheonlyonelefttoperformthenecessaryduty。Thedistinguished-lookingpersonwasatall，bigmanwitharoundfatfaceandsmallfeatures。Hiseyes，hishairandmustache(hisfacewasbarebutforasmallmustache)werequiteblack，andhehadaverypleasantandgenialexpression。Heworeatallhat，setratherjauntilyonhishead，andhewasdressedinblackwithalongfrockcoatbuttonedacrossthechestandfittinghimclosetothebody。Ashecame，withahalfsaunter，halfswagger，alongthestreet，Iknewhimagainatoncebyhisappearance；and，ashecamenearer，Isawfromhismannerthathewasintendingtostopandspeaktome，forheslightlyraisedhishatandinasoft，melodiousvoicewithacolonial“twang“whichwasfarfrombeingdisagreeable，andwhich，indeed，tomyeargaveacertainadditionalinteresttohisremarks，hesalutedmewith“Goodday，sir！“ “Goodday，“Ianswered，withjustalittlereserveinmytone。 “Ihope，sir，“hebegan，“youwillexcusemystoppingyouinthestreet，butIwishtotellyouhowverymuchIenjoyedthemusicatyourcathedralyesterday。IamanAustralian，sir，andwehavenosuchmusicinmycountry。“ “Isupposenot，“Isaid。 “No，sir，“hewenton，“nothingnearlysofine。Iamveryfondofmusic，andasmybusinessbroughtmeinthisdirection，IthoughtI wouldstopatyourcityandtaketheopportunityofpayingavisittoyourgrandcathedral。AndIamdelightedIcame；sopleased，indeed，thatIshouldliketoleavesomememorialofmyvisitbehindme。Ishouldlike，sir，todosomethingforyourchoir。“ “Iamsureitisverykindofyou，“Ireplied。 “Yes，IshouldcertainlybegladifyoucouldsuggesttomesomethingImightdointhisway。Asregardsmoney，ImaysaythatIhaveplentyofit。Iamtheownerofamostvaluableproperty。 Mybusinessrelationsextendthroughouttheworld，andifIamasfortunateintheprojectsofthefutureasIhavebeeninthepast，Ishallprobablyonedayachievetheproudpositionofbeingtherichestmanintheworld。“ Ididnotliketoundertakemyselftheresponsibilityofadvisingorsuggesting，soIsimplysaid: “Icannotventuretosay，offhand，whatwouldbethemostacceptablewayofshowingyourgreatkindnessandgenerosity，butI shouldcertainlyrecommendyoutoputyourselfincommunicationwiththedean。“ “Thankyou，sir，“saidmyAustralianfriend，“Iwilldoso。Andnow，sir，“hecontinued，“letmesayhowmuchIadmireyourvoice。 Itis，withoutexception，theveryfinestandclearestvoiceIhaveeverheard。“ “Really，“Ianswered，quiteovercomewithsuchunqualifiedpraise，“reallyitisverygoodofyoutosayso。“ “Ah，butIfeelit，mydearsir。Ihavebeenroundtheworld，fromSydneytoFrisco，acrossthecontinentofAmerica“(hecalleditAmerrker)“toNewYorkCity，thenontoEngland，andto-morrowI shallleaveyourcitytocontinuemytravels。ButinallmyexperienceIhaveneverheardsograndavoiceasyourown。“ Thisandagreatdealmorehesaidinthesamestrain，whichmodestyforbidsmetoreproduce。