the drums of jeopardy-第15部分

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then　shut　in　his　face。

〃I　did　not　recognize　you　at　all！〃　she　cried；　standing　off。　　〃I
shouldn't　have　known　you　on　the　street。　　And　it　is　so　simple。　　What
a　wonderful　man　you　are！〃

〃For　an　old　codger？〃　Cutty's　heart　registered　another　sizable　bump。

Kitty　laughed。　　〃Never　call　yourself　old　to　me　again。　　Are　you
always　doing　these　things？〃

〃Well；　I　keep　moving。　　I　suspected　something　like　this　might　happen。
Those　two　will　go　to　the　Tombs　to　await　deportation　if　they　are
aliens。　　Perhaps　we　can　dig　something　out　of　them　relative　to　this
man　Gregor。　　Anyhow；　we'll　try。〃

〃Cutty；　I　saw　a　man　in　the　court　with　a　pocket　lamp　before　I　went
to　bed。　　He　was　hunting　for　something。〃

〃I　didn't　find　anything　but　a　lot　of　fresh　food　someone　had　thrown
out。〃

〃It　was　you；　then？〃

〃Yes。　　There　was　a　vague　possibility　that　your　protege　might　have
thrown　out　something　valuable　during　the　struggle。〃

〃What？〃

〃Lord　knows！　　A　queer　business；　Kitty；　you've　lugged　me　into　…　my
own！　　And　there　is　one　thing　I　want　you　to　remember　particularly：
Life　means　nothing　to　the　men　opposed；　neither　chivalry　nor　ethics。
Annihilation　is　their　business。　　They　don't　want　civilization；　they
want　chaos。　　They　have　lost　the　sense　of　comparisons　or　they　would
not　seek　to　thrust　Bolshevism　down　the　throats　of　the　rest　of　the
world。　　They　say　democracy　has　failed；　and　their　substitute　is　murder
and　loot。　　Kitty；　I　want　you　to　leave　this　roost。〃

〃I　shall　stay　until　my　lease　expires。〃

〃Why？　　In　the　face　of　real　danger？〃

〃Because　I　intend　to；　Cutty　…　unless　you　kidnap　me。〃

〃Have　you　any　good　reason？〃

〃You'll　laugh；　but　something　tells　me　to　stay　here。〃

But　Cutty　did　not　laugh。　　〃Very　well。　　Tomorrow　an　assistant　janitor
will　be　installed。　　His　name　is　Antonio　Bernini。　　Every　night　he
will　whistle　up　the　tube。　　Whistle　back。　　If　you　are　going　out　for
the　evening　notify　him　where　you　intend　to　go　and　when　you　expect
to　be　back。　　A　wire　from　your　bed　to　his　cot　will　be　installed。　　In
danger；　press　the　button。　　That's　the　best　I　can　do　for　you；　since
you　decide　to　stick。　　I　don't　believe　anything　more　will　happen
to…night；　but　from　now　on　you　will　be　watched。　　Never　come　directly
to　my　apartment。　　Break　your　journey　two　or　three　times　with　taxis。
Always　use　Elevator　Four。　　The　boy　is　mine；　belongs　to　the　service。
So　our　Bolshevik　friends　won't　gather　anything　about　you　from　him。〃

As　a　matter　of　fact；　Cutty　had　now　come　to　the　conviction　that　it
would　be　well　to　let　Kitty　remain　here　as　a　lure。　　He　had　urged　her
to　leave；　and　she　had　refused；　so　his　conscience　was　tolerably　clear。
Besides；　she　would　henceforth　be　guarded　with　a　ceaseless　efficiency
second　only　to　that　which　encompasses　a　President　of　the　United
States。　　Always　some　man　of　the　service　would　be　watching　those
who　watched　her。　　This　was　going　to　develop　into　a　game　of　small
nets；　one　or　two　victims　at　a　time。　　Because　these　enemies　of
civilization　lacked　coherence　in　action　there　would　be　slim　chance
of　rounding　them　up　in　bulk。　　But　from　now　on　men　would　vanish　…　one
here；　a　pair　there；　perhaps　on　occasion　four　or　five。　　And　those　who
had　known　them　would　know　them　no　more。　　The　policy　would　be　that
employed　by　the　British　in　the　submarine　campaign　…　mysterious
silence　after　the　evanishment。

〃It's　all　so　exciting！〃　said　Kitty。　　〃But　that　poor　old　man　Gregor！
He　had　a　wonderful　violin；　Cutty；　and　sometimes　I　used　to　hear　him
play　folklore　music　…　sad；　haunting　melodies。〃

〃We'll　know　in　a　little　while　what's　become　of　him。　　I　doubt　there
is　a　foreign　organization　in　the　city　that　hasn't　one　or　more　of
our　men　on　the　inside。　　A　word　will　be　dropped　somewhere。　　I'm
rarely　active　on　this　side　of　the　Atlantic；　and　what　I'm　doing　now
is　practically　due　to　interest。　　But　every　active　operative　in　New
York；　Boston；　Philadelphia；　and　Chicago　is　on　the　lookout　for　a
man　who；　if　left　free；　will　stir　up　a　lot　of　trouble。　　He　has
leadership；　this　Boris　Karlov；　a　former　intimate　here　of　Trotzky's。
We　have　reason　to　believe　that　he　slipped　through　the　net　in　San
Francisco。　　Probably　under　a　cleverly　forged　passport。　　Now　please
describe　the　man　who　came　in　with　the　policeman。　　I　haven't　had
time　to　make　inquiries　at　the　precinct；　where　they　will　have　a
minute　description　of　him。〃

〃He　made　me　think　of　a　gorilla；　just　as　I　told　you。　　His　face　was
pretty　well　banged　up。　　Naturally　I　did　not　notice　any　scar。　　A
dreadfully　black　beard；　shaven。〃

〃Squat；　powerful；　like　a　gorilla。　　Lord；　I　wish　I'd　had　a　glimpse
of　him！　　He's　one　of　the　few　topnotchers　I　haven't　met。　　He's　the
spark；　the　hand　on　the　plunger。　　The　powder　is　all　ready　in　this
land　of　ours；　our　job　is　to　keep　off　the　sparks　until　we　can　spread
the　stuff　so　it　will　only　go　puff　instead　of　bang。　　This　man　Karlov
is　bad　medicine　for　democracy。　　Poor　devil！〃

〃Why　do　you　say　that？〃

〃Because　I'm　honestly　sorry　for　them。　　This　fellow　Karlov　has
suffered。　　He　is　now　a　species　of　madman　nothing　will　cure。　　He　and
his　kind　have　gained　their　ends　in　Russia；　but　the　impetus　to　kill
and　burn　and　loot　is　still　unchecked。　　Sorry；　yes；　but　we　can't　have
them　here。　　They　remind　me　of　nothing　so　much　as　those　blind　deep…sea
monsters　in　one　of　Kipling's　tales；　thrown　up　into　air　and　sunlight
by　a　submarine　volcano；　slashing　and　bellowing。　　But　we　can't　have
them　here　any　longer。　　Keep　those　revolvers　under　your　pillow。　　All
you　have　to　do　is　to　point。　　Nobody　will　know　that　you　can't　shoot。
And　always　remember；　we're　watching　over　you。　　Good…night。〃

〃Mouquin's　for　lunch？〃

〃Well；　I'll　be　hanged！　　But　it　can't　be；　Kitty。　　You　and　I　must　not
be　seen　in　public。　　If　that　was　Karlov　you　will　be　marked；　and　so
will　any　one　who　travels　with　you。〃

〃Good　gracious！〃

〃Fact。　　But　come　up　to　the　roost　…　changing　taxis　…　to…morrow　at
five　and　have　tea。〃

Down　in　the　street　Cutty　bore　into　the　slanting　rain；　no　longer　a
drizzle。　　With　his　hands　jammed　in　his　side　pockets　and　his　gaze
on　the　sparkling　pavement　he　continued　downtown；　in　a　dangerously
ruminative　frame　of　mind；　dangerous　because　had　he　been　followed　he
would　not　have　known　it。

Molly　Conover's　girl！　　That　afternoon　it　had　been　Tommy　Conover's
girl；　now　she　was　Molly's。　　It　occurred　to　him　for　the　first　time
that　he　was　one　of　those　unfortunate　individuals　who　are　always　able
to　open　the　door　to　Paradise　for　others　and　are　themselves　forced　to
remain　outside。　　Hadn't　he　introduced　Conover　to　Molly；　and　hadn't
they　fallen　in　love　on　the　spot？　　Too　old　to　be　a　hero　and　not　old
enough　to　die。　　He　grinned。　　Some　day　he　would　use　that　line。

Of　course　it　wasn't　Kitty　who　set　this　peculiar　cogitation　in　motion。
It　wasn't　her　arms　and　the　perfume　of　her　hair。　　The　actual　thrill
had　come　from　a　recrudescence　of　a　vanished　passion；　anyhow；　a
passion　that　had　been　held　suspended　all　these　years。　　Still；　it
offered　a　disquieting　prospect。　　He　was　sensible　enough　to　realize
that　he　would　be　in　for　some　confusion　in　trying　to　disassociate　the
phantom　from　the　quick。

Most　pretty　young　women　were　flitter…flutters；　unstable；　shallow；
immature。　　But　this　little　lady　had　depth；　the　sense　of　the　living
drama；　and；　Lord；　she　was　such　a　beauty！　　Wanted　a　man　who　would
laugh　when　he　was　happy　and　when　he　was　hurt。　　A　bull's…eye　…　bang；
like　that！　　For　the　only　breed　worth　its　salt　was　the　kind　that
laughed　when　happy　and　when　hurt。

The　average　young　woman；　rushing　into　his　arms　the　way　she　had；
would　not　have　stirred　him　in　the　least。　　And　immediately　upon　the
heels　of　this　thought　came　a　taste　of　the　confusion　he　saw　in　store
for　himself。　　Was　it　the　phantom　or　Kitty？　　He　jumped　to　another
angle　to　escape　the　impasse。　　Kitty's　coming　to　him　in　that　fashion
raised　an　unpalatable　suggestion。　　He　evidently　looked　fatherly；　no
matter　how　he　felt。　　Hang　these　fifty…two　years；　to　come　crowding
his　doorstep　all　at　once！

He　raised　his　head　and　laughed。　　He　suddenly　remembered　now。　　At
nine　that　night　he　had　been　scheduled　to　deliver　a　lecture　on　the
Italo…Jugoslav　muddle　before　a　distinguished　audience　in　the
ballroom　of　a　famous　hotel！　　He　would　have　some　fancy　apologizing
to　do　in　the　morning。

He　stepped　into　a　doorway；　then　peered　out　cautiously。　　There　was
not　a　single　pedestrian　in　sight。　　No　need　of　hiking　any　further
in　this　rain；　so　he　hunted　for　a　taxi。　　To…morrow　he　would　set　the
wires　humming　relative　to　old　Stefani　Gregor。　　Boris　Karlov；　if
indeed　it　were　he；　would　lead　the　way。　　Hadn't　Stefani　and　Boris
been　boyhood　friends；　and　hadn't　Stefani　betrayed　the　latter　in
some　political　affair？　　He　wasn't　sure；　but　a　glance　among　his
1912　notes　would　clear　up　the　fog。

But　that　young　chap！　　Who　was　he？　　Cutty　set　his　process　of　logical
deduction　moving。　　Karlov　…　always　supposing　that　gorilla　was
Karlov　…　had　come　in　from　the　west。　　So　had　the　young　man。　　Gregor's
inclinations　had　been　toward　the　aristocracy；　at　least；　that　had
been　the　impression。　　A　Bolshevik　would　not　seek　haven　with　a　man
like　Gregor；　as　this　young　man　had。　　But　Two…Hawks　bothered　him；
the　name　bothered　him；　because　it　had　no　sense　either　in　English　or
in　Russian。　　And　yet　he　was　sure　he　had　heard　it　somewhere。　　Perhaps
his　notes　would　throw　some　light　on　that　subject；　too。

When　he　arrived　home　Miss　Frances；　the　nurse；　informed　him　that　the
patient　was　babbling　in　an　outlandish　tongue。　　For　a　long　time
Cutty　stood　by　the　bedside；　translating。

〃Olga！　。　。　。　Olga！　。　。　。　And　she　gave　me　food；　Stefani；　this
charming　American　girl。　　Never　must　we　forget　that。　　I　was　hungry；
and　she　gave　me　food。。。。　　But　I　paid　for　it。　　You；　gone；　there　was
no　one　else。。。。　　And　she　is　poor。。。。　　The　torches！　。。。　I　am　burning；
burning！　。。。　Olga！〃

〃What　does　he　say？〃　asked　the　nurse。

〃It　is　Russian。　　Is　it　a　crisis？〃　he　evaded。

〃Not　necessarily。　　Doctor　Harrison　said　he　would　probably　return　to
consciousness　sometime　to…morrow。　　But　he　must　have　absolute　quiet。
No　visitors。　　A　bad　blow；　but　not　of　fatal　consequence。　　I've　seen
hundreds　of　cases　much　worse　pull　out　in　a　fortnight。　　You'd　better
go　to　bed；　sir。〃

〃All　right；〃　said　Cutty；　gratefully。　　He　was　tired。　　The　ball　did
not　rebound　as　it　used　to