the drums of jeopardy-第6部分

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〃Emeralds；　green　as　an　English　lawn　in　May　after　a　shower；　Kitty。
By　the　way；　do　you　mind　if　I　call　you　Kitty？　　I　used　to。〃

〃And　I've　always　thought　of　you　as　Cutty。　　Fifty…fifty。〃

〃It's　a　bargain。　　Well；　the　drums　to　my　thinking　are　the　finest　two
examples　of　the　green　beryl　in　the　world。　　Polished；　of　course；　as
emeralds　always　should　be。　　I　should　say　that　they　were　about　the
size　of　those　peppermint　chocolate　drops　there。〃

〃Have　one？〃　said　Kitty。

〃No。　　Spoil　the　taste　of　the　pipe。〃

〃You　ought　to　spoil　that　taste　once　in　a　while；〃　was　Burlingame's
observation。　　〃But　go　on。〃

〃I　suppose　originally　there　was　a　single　stone；　later　cut　into
halves；　because　they　are　perfect　matches。　　The　drums　proper　are
exquisitely　carved　ivory　statuettes；　of　Hindu　or　Mohammedan　drummers；
squatting；　the　golden　base　of　the　drums　between　the　knees；　and　the
drumheads　the　emeralds。　　Lord；　how　they　got　to　me！　　I　wanted　to　run
off　with　them。　　The　history　of　murder　and　loot　they　could　tell！
Some　Delhi　mogul　owned　them　first。　　Then　Nadir　Shah　carried　them　off
to　Persia；　along　with　the　famous　peacock　throne。　　I　saw　them　in　a
palace　on　the　Caspian　in　1912。　　Russia　was　very　strong　in　Persia　at
one　time。　　Perhaps　they　were　gifts；　perhaps　they　were　stolen　…　these
emeralds。　　Anyhow；　I'd　never　heard　of　them　until　that　year。　　And　I
travelled　all　the　way　up　from　Constantinople　to　get　a　glimpse　of
them　if　it　were　possible。　　I　had　to　do　some　mighty　fine　wire…pulling。
For　one　of　those　stones　I　would　give　half　of　all　I　own。　　To　see　them
in　the　possession　of　another　man　would　be　a　supreme　test　to　my　honesty。〃

〃You　old　pirate！〃　said　Burlingame。

〃But　why　the　word　jeopardy？〃　persisted　Kitty；　who　was　intrigued　by
the　phrase。

〃Probably　some　Hindu　trick。　　It　is　a　language　of　flowery　metaphors。
It　means；　I　suppose；　that　when　you　touch　the　drums　they　bite。　　In
journeying　from　one　spot　to　another　they　always　leave　misfortune
behind；　as　I　understand　it。　　Just　coincidence；　but　you　couldn't
drive　that　into　an　Oriental　skull。　　This　is　what　makes　the　study　of
precious　stones　so　interesting。　　There　is　always　some　enchantment；
some　evil　spell。　　To　handle　the　drums　is　to　invite　a　minor　accident。
Call　it　twaddle；　probably　is；　and　yet　I　have　reason　to　believe　that
there's　something　to　the　superstition。〃

Burlingame　sniffed。

〃I　can　prove　it；〃　Cutty　declared。　　〃I　held　those　drums　in　my　hands
one　day。　　I　carried　them　to　a　window　the　better　to　observe　them。
On　my　return　to　the　hotel　I　was　knocked　down　by　a　horse　and　laid
up　in　bed　for　a　week。　　That　same　night　someone　tried　to　kill　the
man　who　showed　me　the　emeralds。　　Coincidence？　　Perhaps。　　But　these
days　I'm　shying　at　thirteen；　the　wrong　side　of　the　street；　ladders；
and　religious　curses。〃

〃An　old　hard…boiled　egg　like　you？〃　Burlingame　threw　up　his　hands
in　mock　despair。

〃I　laugh；　too；　but　I　duck；　nevertheless。　　The　chap　who　showed　me
the　stones　was　what　you'd　call　the　honorary　custodian；　a　privileged
character　because　of　his　genius。　　Before　approaching　him　I　sent　him
a　copy　of　my　monograph　on　green　stones。　　I　found　that　he　was　quite
as　crazy　over　green　as　I。　　That　brought　us　together；　and　while　I
drew　him　out　I　kept　wondering　where　I　had　seen　him　before。　　Both　his
name　and　his　face　were　vaguely　familiar。　　lt　seems　a　superstition
had　come　along　with　the　stones；　from　India　to　Persia；　from　there　to
Russia。　　A　maid　fortunate　enough　to　see　the　drums　would　marry　and
be　happy。　　The　old　fellow　confessed　that　occasionally　he　secretly
admitted　a　peasant　maid　to　gaze　upon　the　stones。　　But　he　never　let
the　male　inmates　of　the　palace　find　this　out。　　He　knew　them　a　little
too　intimately。　　A　bad　lot。〃

〃And　this　palace？〃　asked　Kitty。

〃Not　one　stone　on　another。　　The　proletariat　rose　up　and　destroyed
it。　　To　mobs　anything　beautiful　is　offensive。　　Palaces　looted；　banks；
museums；　houses。　　The　ignorant　toying　with　hand　grenades；　thinking
them　sceptres。　　All　the　scum　in　the　world　boiling　to　the　top。　　After
the　Red　Day　comes　the　Red　Night。〃

〃Whatever　will　become　of　them　…　the　little　kings　and　princes　and
dukes？〃　　After　all；　thought　Kitty；　they　were　human　beings；　they　would
not　suffer　any　the　less　because　they　had　been　born　to　the　purple。

〃Maybe　they'll　go　to　work；〃　said　Cutty；　dryly。　　〃Sooner　or　later；
all　parasites　will　have　to　work　if　they　want　bread。　　And　yet　I've
met　some　men　among　them；　big　in　the　heart　and　the　mind；　who　would
have　made　bully　farmers　and　professors。　　The　beautiful　thing　about
the　Anglo…Saxon　education　is　that　the　whole　structure　is　based　upon
fair　play。　　In　eastern　and　southeastern　Europe　few　of　them　can　play
solitaire　without　cheating。　　But　I　would　give　a　good　deal　to　know
what　has　happened　to　those　emeralds　…　the　drums　of　jeopardy。　　They'll
probably　be　broken　up　and　sold　in　carat　weights。　　The　whole　family
was　wiped　out　in　a　night。。。。　　I　say；　will　you　take　lunch　with　me
to…morrow？〃

〃Gladly。〃

〃All　right。　　I'll　drop　in　here　at　half　after　twelve。　　Here's　my
telephone　number；　should　anything　alter　your　plans。　　If　I'm　going
to　be　godfather　I　might　as　well　start　right　in。〃

〃The　drums　of　jeopardy；　what　a　haunting　phrase！〃

〃Haunting　stones；　too；　Kitty。　　For　picking　them　up　in　my　hands　I
went　to　bed　with　a　banged…up　leg。　　I　can't　forget　that。　　We
Occidentals　laugh　at　Orientals　and　their　superstitions。　　We　don't
believe　in　the　curse。　　And　yet；　by　George；　those　emeralds　were
accursed！〃

〃Piffle！〃　snorted　Burlingame。　　〃Mush！　　It's　greed；　pure　and　simple；
that　gives　precious　stones　their　sinister　histories。　　You'd　have
been　hit　by　that　horse　if　you　had　picked　up　nothing　more　valuable
than　a　rhinestone　buckle。　　Take　away　the　gold　lure；　and　precious
stones　wouldn't　sell　at　the　price　of　window　glass。〃

〃Is　that　so？　　How　about　me？　　It　isn't　because　a　stone　is　worth　so
much　that　makes　me　want　it。　　I　want　it　for　the　sheer　beauty；　I　want
it　for　the　tremendous　panorama　the　sight　of　it　unfolds　in　my　mind。
I　imagine　what　happened　from　the　hour　the　stone　was　mined　to　the
hour　it　came　into　my　possession。　　To　me　…　to　all　genuine　collectors
　…　the　intrinsic　value　is　nil。　　Can't　you　see？　　It　is　for　me　what
Balzac's　La　Peau　de　Chagrin　would　be　to　you　if　you　had　fallen　on　it
for　the　first　time　…　money；　love；　tragedy；　death。〃

An　interruption　came　in　the　form　of　one　of　the　office　boys。　　The
chief　was　on　the　wire　and　wanted　Cutty　at　once。

〃At　half　after　twelve；　Kitty。　　And　by　the　way；〃　added　Cutty　as　he
rose；　〃they　say　about　the　drums　that　a　beautiful　woman　is　immune　to
their　danger。〃

〃There's　your　chance；　Kitty；〃　said　Burlingame。

〃Am　I　beautiful？〃　asked　Kitty；　demurely。

〃Lord　love　the　minx！〃　shouted　Cutty。　　〃A　corner　in　Mouquin's。〃

〃Rain　or　shine。〃　　After　Cutty　had　departed　Kitty　said：　〃He's　the
most　fascinating　man　I　know。　　What　fun　it　would　be　to　jog　round　the
world　with　a　man　like　that；　who　knew　everybody　and　everything。
As　a　little　girl　I　was　violently　in　love　with　him；　but　don't　you
ever　dare　give　me　away。〃

〃You'll　probably　have　nightmare　to…night。　　And　honestly　you　ought
not　to　live　in　that　den　alone。　　But　Cutty　has　seen　things；〃
Burlingame　admitted；　〃things　no　white　man　ought　to　see。　　He's　been
shot　up；　mauled　by　animals；　marooned；　torpedoed　at　sea；　made
prisoner　by　old　Fuzzy…Wuzzy。　　An　ordinary　man　would　have　died　of
fatigue。　　Cutty　is　as　tough　and　strong　as　a　gorilla　and　as　active
as　a　cat。　　But　this　jewel　superstition　is　all　rot。　　Odd；　though；
he'll　travel　halfway　round　the　world　to　see　a　ruby　or　an　emerald。
He　says　no　true　collector　cares　a　cent　for　a　diamond。　　Says　they
are　vulgar。〃

〃Except　on　the　third　finger　of　a　lady's　left　hand；　and　then　they
are　just　perfectly　splendid！〃

〃Oho！　　Well；　when　you　get　yours　I　hope　it's　as　big　as　the
Koh…i…noor。〃

〃Thank　you！　　You　might　just　as　well　wish　a　brick　on　me！〃

Kitty　left　the　office　at　a　quarter　of　six。　　The　phrase　kept　running
through　her　head　…　the　drums　of　jeopardy。　　A　little　shiver　ran　up
her　spine。　　Money；　love；　tragedy；　death！　　This　terrible　and　wonderful
old　world；　of　which　she　had　seen　little　else　than　city　streets；
suddenly　exhibited　wide　vistas。　　She　knew　now　why　she　had　begun　to
save　…　travel。　　Just　as　soon　as　she　had　a　thousand　she　would　go
somewhere。　　A　great　longing　to　hear　native　drums　in　the　night。

Even　as　the　wish　entered　her　mind　a　new　sound　entered　her　ears。　　The
Subway　car　wheels　began　to　beat　…　tumpitum…tump！　　tumpitum…tump！
Fudge！　　She　opened　her　evening　paper　and　scanned　the　fashions；　the
dramatic　news；　and　the　comics。　　Being　a　woman　she　read　the　world
news　last。　　On　the　front　page　she　saw　a　queer　story；　dated　at　Albany：
Mysterious　guests　at　a　hotel；　how　they　had　fought　and　fled　in　the
early　morning。　　There　had　been　left　behind　a　case　with　foreign　orders
incrusted　with　several　thousand　dollars'　worth　of　gems。　　Bolsheviki；
said　the　police；　just　as　they　said　auto　bandits　a　few　years　ago　when
confronted　with　something　they　could　not　understand。　　The　orders　had
been　turned　over　to　the　Federal　authorities　from　whom　it　was　learned
that　they　were　all　royal　and　demi…royal。　　Neither　of　the　two　guests
had　returned　up　to　noon；　and　one　had　fled；　leaving　even　his　hat　and
coat。　　But　there　was　nothing　to　indicate　his　identity。

〃Loot！〃　murmured　Kitty。　　〃All　the　scum　in　the　world　rising　to　the
top〃　…　quoting　Cutty。　　〃Poor　things！〃　as　she　thought　of　the　gentle
ladies　who　had　died　horribly　in　bedrooms　and　cellars。

Kitty　was　beginning　to　cast　about　for　more　congenial　quarters。
There　were　too　many　foreigners　in　the　apartments；　and　none　of　them
especially　good　housekeepers。　　Always；　nowadays；　somebody　had　a
washing　out　on　the　line；　the　odour　of　garlic　was　continuously　in
the　air；　and　there　were　noisy　children　under　foot　in　the　halls。　　The
families　she　and　her　mother　had　known　were　all　gone；　and　Kitty　was
perhaps　the　oldest　inhabitant　in　the　block。

The　living…room　windows　faced　Eightieth　Street；　bedrooms；　dining
room；　and　kitchen　looked　out　upon　the　court。　　From　the　latter　windows
one　could　step　out　upon　the　fire…escape　platform；　which　ran　round
the　three　sides　of　the　court。

Among　the　present　tenants　she　knew　but　one；　an　old　man　by　the　name
of　Gregory；　who　lived　opposite。　　The　acquaintance　had