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malvina of brittany-第20章

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behaving quite correctly。  Replying to his salutation with a cold
and distant bow; she rose; and; turning to Mr。 Parable; observed
that she thought it was perhaps time for them to be going。

The gentleman; who had taken his pipe from his mouth; saidagain in
a sarcastic tonethat he thought so too; and offered the lady his
arm。

〃I don't think we need trouble you;〃 said Mr。 Parable; and stepped
between them。

To describe what followed I; being a lady; am hampered for words。  I
remember seeing Mr。 Parable's hat go up into the air; and then the
next moment the florid gentleman's head was lying on my counter
smothered in cigarettes。  I naturally screamed for the police; but
the crowd was dead against me; and it was only after what I believe
in technical language would be termed 〃the fourth round〃 that they
appeared upon the scene。

The last I saw of Mr。 Parable he was shaking a young constable who
had lost his helmet; while three other policemen had hold of him
from behind。  The florid gentleman's hat I found on the floor of my
kiosk and returned to him; but after a useless attempt to get it on
his head; he disappeared with it in his hand。  The lady was nowhere
to be seen。


Miss Jenks thinks she would know her again。  She was wearing a hat
trimmed with black chiffon and a spray of poppies; and was slightly
freckled。

                    *          *          *

Superintendent S。 Wade; in answer to questions put to him by our
representative; vouchsafed the following replies:

Yes。  I was in charge at the Vine Street Police Station on the night
of Thursday; the twenty…seventh。

No。  I have no recollection of a charge of any description being
preferred against any gentleman of the name of Parable。

Yes。  A gentleman was brought in about ten o'clock charged with
brawling at the Earl's Court Exhibition and assaulting a constable
in the discharge of his duty。

The gentleman gave the name of Mr。 Archibald Quincey; Harcourt
Buildings; Temple。

No。  The gentleman made no application respecting bail; electing to
pass the night in the cells。  A certain amount of discretion is
permitted to us; and we made him as comfortable as possible。

Yes。  A lady。

No。  About a gentleman who had got himself into trouble at the
Earl's Court Exhibition。  She mentioned no name。

I showed her the charge sheet。  She thanked me and went away。

That I cannot say。  I can only tell you that at nine…fifteen on
Friday morning bail was tendered; and; after inquiries; accepted in
the person of Julius Addison Tupp; of the Sunnybrook Steam Laundry;
Twickenham。

That is no business of ours。

The accused who; I had seen to it; had had a cup of tea and a little
toast at seven…thirty; left in company with Mr。 Tupp soon after ten。


Superintendent Wade admitted he had known cases where accused
parties; to avoid unpleasantness; had stated their names to be other
than their own; but declined to discuss the matter further。

Superintendent Wade; while expressing his regret that he had no more
time to bestow upon our representative; thought it highly probable
that he would know the lady again if he saw her。

Without professing to be a judge of such matters; Superintendent
Wade thinks she might be described as a highly intelligent young
woman; and of exceptionally prepossessing appearance。

                    *          *          *

From Mr。 Julius Tupp; of the Sunnybrook Steam Laundry; Twickenham;
upon whom our representative next called; we have been unable to
obtain much assistance; Mr。 Tupp replying to all questions put to
him by the one formula; 〃Not talking。〃

Fortunately; our representative; on his way out through the drying
ground; was able to obtain a brief interview with Mrs。 Tupp。

Mrs。 Tupp remembers admitting a young lady to the house on the
morning of Friday; the twenty…eighth; when she opened the door to
take in the milk。  The lady; Mrs。 Tupp remembers; spoke in a husky
voice; the result; as the young lady explained with a pleasant
laugh; of having passed the night wandering about Ham Common; she
having been misdirected the previous evening by a fool of a railway
porter; and not wishing to disturb the neighbourhood by waking
people up at two o'clock in the morning; which; in Mrs。 Tupp's
opinion; was sensible of her。

Mrs。 Tupp describes the young lady as of agreeable manners; but
looking; naturally; a bit washed out。  The lady asked for Mr。 Tupp;
explaining that a friend of his was in trouble; which did not in the
least surprise Mrs。 Tupp; she herself not holding with Socialists
and such like。  Mr。 Tupp; on being informed; dressed hastily and
went downstairs; and he and the young lady left the house together。
Mr。 Tupp; on being questioned as to the name of his friend; had
called up that it was no one Mrs。 Tupp would know; a Mr。 Quinceit
may have been Quincey。

Mrs。 Tupp is aware that Mr。 Parable is also a Socialist; and is
acquainted with the saying about thieves hanging together。  But has
worked for Mr。 Parable for years and has always found him a most
satisfactory client; and; Mr。 Tupp appearing at this point; our
representative thanked Mrs。 Tupp for her information and took his
departure。

                    *          *          *

Mr。 Horatius Condor; Junior; who consented to partake of luncheon in
company with our representative at the Holborn Restaurant; was at
first disinclined to be of much assistance; but eventually supplied
our representative with the following information:

My relationship to Mr。 Archibald Quincey; Harcourt Buildings;
Temple; is perhaps a little difficult to define。

How he himself regards me I am never quite sure。  There will be days
together when we will be quite friendly like; and at other times he
will be that offhanded and peremptory you might think I was his
blooming office boy。

On Friday morning; the twenty…eighth; I didn't get to Harcourt
Buildings at the usual time; knowing that Mr。 Quincey would not be
there himself; he having arranged to interview Mr。 Parable for the
Daily Chronicle at ten o'clock。  I allowed him half an hour; to be
quite safe; and he came in at a quarter past eleven。

He took no notice of me。  For about ten minutesit may have been
lesshe walked up and down the room; cursing and swearing and
kicking the furniture about。  He landed an occasional walnut table
in the middle of my shins; upon which I took the opportunity of
wishing him 〃Good morning;〃 and he sort of woke up; as you might
say。

〃How did the interview go off?〃 I says。  〃Got anything interesting?〃

〃Yes;〃 he says; 〃quite interesting。  Oh; yes; decidedly
interesting。〃

He was holding himself in; if you understand; speaking with horrible
slowness and deliberation。

〃D'you know where he was last night?〃 he asks me。

〃Yes;〃 I says; 〃Caxton Hall; wasn't it?meeting to demand the
release of Miss Clebb。〃

He leans across the table till his face was within a few inches of
mine。

〃Guess again;〃 he says。

I wasn't doing any guessing。  He had hurt me with the walnut table;
and I was feeling a bit short…tempered。

〃Oh! don't make a game of it;〃 I says。  〃It's too early in the
morning。〃

〃At the Earl's Court Exhibition;〃 he says; 〃dancing the tango with a
lady that he picked up in St。 James's Park。〃

〃Well;〃 I says; 〃why not?  He don't often get much fun。〃  I thought
it best to treat it lightly。

He takes no notice of my observation。

〃A rival comes upon the scene;〃 he continues〃a fatheaded ass;
according to my informationand they have a stand…up fight。  He
gets run in and spends the night in a Vine Street police cell。〃

I suppose I was grinning without knowing it。

〃Funny; ain't it?〃 he says。

〃Well;〃 I says; 〃it has its humorous side; hasn't it?  What'll he
get?〃

〃I am not worrying about what HE is going to get;〃 he answers back。
〃I am worrying about what _I_ am going to get。〃

I thought he had gone dotty。

〃What's it got to do with you?〃 I says。

〃If old Wotherspoon is in a good humour;〃 he continues; 〃and the
constable's head has gone down a bit between now and Wednesday; I
may get off with forty shillings and a public reprimand。

〃On the other hand;〃 he goes onhe was working himself into a sort
of fit〃if the constable's head goes on swelling; and old
Wotherspoon's liver gets worse; I've got to be prepared for a month
without the option。  That is; if I am fool enough〃

He had left both the doors open; which in the daytime we generally
do; our chambers being at the top。  Miss Dortonthat's Mr。
Parable's secretarybarges into the room。  She didn't seem to
notice me。  She staggers to a chair and bursts into tears。

〃He's gone;〃 she says; 〃he's taken cook with him and gone。〃

〃Gone!〃 says the guv'nor。  〃Where's he gone?〃

〃To Fingest;〃 she says through her sobs〃to the cottage。  Miss
Bulstrode came in just after you had left;〃 she says。  〃He wants to
get away from everyone and have a few days' quiet。  And then he is
coming back; and he is going to do it himself。〃

〃Do what?〃 says the guv'nor; irritable like。

〃Fourteen days;〃 she wails。  〃It'll kill him。〃

〃But the case doesn't come on till Wednesday;〃 says the guv'nor。
〃How do you know it's going to b
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