the riverman-第62部分
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call it: criminal conspiracy; or something of that sort; I suppose。
So far from handing over to you the bulk of my property; I can send
you to the penitentiary。〃
〃Nonsense;〃 rejoined Newmark; leaning forward in his turn。 〃I know
you too well; Jack Orde。 You're a fool of more kinds than I care to
count; and this is one of the kinds。 Do you seriously mean to say
that you dare try to prosecute me? Just as sure as you do; I'll put
Heinzman in the pen too。 I've got it on him; COLD。 He's a bribe
giverand somewhat of a criminal conspirator himself。〃
〃Well;〃 said Orde。
Newmark leaned back with an amused little chuckle。 〃If the man
hadn't come to you and given the whole show away; you'd have lost
every cent you owned。 He did you the biggest favour in his power。
And for your benefit I'll tell you what you can easily substantiate;
I forced him into this deal with me。 I had this bribery case on
him; and in addition his own affairs were all tied up。〃
〃I knew that;〃 replied Orde。
〃What had the man to gain by telling you?〃 pursued Newmark。
〃Nothing at all。 What had he to lose? Everything: his property;
his social position; his daughter's esteem; which the old fool holds
higher than any of them。 You could put me in the pen; perhapswith
Heinzman's testimony。 But the minute Heinzman appears on the stand;
I'll land him high and dry and gasping; without a chance to flop。〃
He paused a moment to puff at his cigar。 Finding it had gone out;
he laid the butt carefully on the ash tray at his elbow。
〃I'm not much used to giving advice;〃 he went on; 〃least of all when
it is at all likely to be taken。 But I'll offer you some。 Throw
Heinzman over。 Let him go to the pen。 He's been crooked; and a
fool。〃
〃That's what you'd do; I suppose;〃 said Orde。
〃Exactly that。 You owe nothing to Heinzman; but something to what
you would probably call repentance; but which is in reality a
mawkish sentimentality of weakness。 However; I know you; Jack Orde;
from top to bottom; and I know you're fool enough not to do it。 I'm
so sure of it that I dare put it to you straight; you could never
bring yourself to the point of destroying a man who had sacrificed
himself for you。〃
〃You seem to have this game all figured out;〃 said Orde with
contempt。
Newmark leaned back in his chair。 Two bright red spots burned in
his ordinarily sallow cheeks。 He half closed his eyes。
〃You're right;〃 said he with an ill…concealed satisfaction。 〃If you
play a game; play it through。 Each man is different; for each a
different treatment is required。 The game is infinite; wonderful;
fascinating to the skilful。〃 He opened his eyes and looked over at
Orde with a mild curiosity。 〃I suppose men are about all of one
kind to you。〃
〃Two;〃 said Orde grimly; 〃the honest men and the scoundrels。〃
〃Well;〃 said the other; 〃let's settle this thing。 The fact remains
that the firm owes a note to Heinzman; which it cannot pay。 You owe
a note to the firm which you cannot pay。 All this may be slightly
irregular; but for private reasons you do not care to make public
the irregularity。 Am I right so far?〃
Orde; who had been watching him with a slightly sardonic smile;
nodded。
〃Well; what I want out of this〃
〃You might hear the other side;〃 interrupted Orde。 〃In the first
place;〃 said he; producing a bundle of papers; 〃I have the note and
the mortgage in my possession。〃
〃Whence Heinzman will shortly rescue them; as soon as I get to see
him;〃 countered Newmark。 〃You acknowledge that I can force
Heinzman; and you can hardly refuse him。〃
〃If you force Heinzman; he'll land you;〃 Orde pointed out。
〃There is Canada for me; with no extradition。 He travels with
heavier baggage。 I have the better trumps。〃
〃You'd lose everything。〃
〃Not quite;〃 smiled Newmark。 〃And; as usual; you are forgetting the
personal equation。 Heinzman isHeinzman。 And I am I。〃
〃Then I suppose this affidavit from Heinzman as to the details of
all this is useless for the same reason?〃
Newmark's thin lips parted in another smile。
〃Correct;〃 said he。
〃But you're ready to compromise below the face of the note?〃
〃I am。〃
〃Why?〃
Newmark hesitated。
〃I'll tell you;〃 said he; 〃because I know you well enough to realise
that there is a point where your loyalty to Heinzman would step
aside in favour of your loyalty to your family。〃
〃And you think you know where that point is?〃
〃It's the basis of my compromise。〃
Orde began softly to laugh。 〃Newmark; you're as clever as the
devil;〃 said he。 〃But aren't you afraid to lay out your cards this
way?〃
〃Not with you;〃 replied Newmark; boldly; 〃with anybody else on
earth; yes。 With you; no。〃
Orde continued to laugh; still in the low undertone。
〃The worst of it is; I believe you're right;〃 said he at last。 〃You
have the thing sized up; and there isn't a flaw in your reasoning。
I always said that you were the brains of this concern。 If it were
not for one thing; I'd compromise sure; and that one thing was
beyond your power to foresee。〃
He paused。 Newisark's eyes half…closed again; in a quick d'arting
effort of his brain to run back over all the elements of the game he
was playing。 Orde waited in patience for him to speak。
〃What is it?〃 asked Newmark at last。 〃Heinzman died of smallpox at
four o'clock this afternoon;〃 said Orde。
XLVIII
Newmark did not alter his attitude nor his expression; but his face
slowly went gray。 For a full minute he sat absolutely motionless;
his breath coming and going noisily through his contracted nostrils。
Then he arose gropingly to his feet; and started toward one of the
two doors leading from the room。
〃Where are you going?〃 asked Orde quietly。
Newmark steadied himself with an effort。
〃I'm going to get myself a drink in my bedroom;〃 he snapped。 〃Any
objections?〃
〃No;〃 replied Orde。 〃None。 After you get your drink; come back。 I
want to talk to you。〃
Newmark snarled at him: 〃You needn't be afraid I'll run away。 How'd
I get out of town?〃
〃I know it wouldn't pay you to run away;〃 said Orde。
Newmark passed out through the door。 Orde looked thoughtfully at
Heinzman's affidavit; which; duly disinfected; had been handed him
by Dr。 McMullen as important; and thrust it and the other papers
into his inside pocket。 Then he arose to his feet and glided softly
across the room to take a position close to the door through which
Newmark had departed in quest of his drink。 For a half minute he
waited。 Finally the door swung briskly inward。 Like a panther; as
quickly and as noiselessly; Orde sprang forward。 A short but
decisive struggle ensued。 In less than ten seconds Orde had
pinioned Newmark's arms to his side where he held them immovable
with one of his own。 The other hand he ran down Newmark's right arm
to the pocket。 There followed an instant of silent resistance。
Then with a sharp cry of mingled anger and pain Newmark snatched his
hand out and gazed a trifle amazedly at the half crushed fingers。
Orde drew forth the revolver Newmark had grasped concealed in the
coat pocket。
Without hesitation he closed and locked the bedroom door; turned the
key in the lock of the other; tried and fastened the window。 The
revolver he opened; spilled out the cartridges into his hand; and
then tossed the empty weapon to Newmark; who had sunk into the chair
by the lamp。
〃There's your plaything;〃 said he。 〃So you wanted that affidavit;
did you? Now we have the place to ourselves; and we'll thresh this
matter out。〃
He paused; collecting his thoughts。
〃I don't need to tell you that I've got you about where you live;〃
said he finally。 〃Nor what I think of you。 The case is open and
shut; and I can send you over the road for the best part of your
natural days。 Also I've got these notes and the mortgage。〃
〃Quit it;〃 growled Newmark; 〃you've got me。 Send me up; and be
damned。〃
〃That's the question;〃 went on Orde slowly。 〃I've been at it three
days; without much time off for sleep。 You hurt me pretty bad; Joe。
I trusted you; and I thought of you as a friend。〃
Newmark stirred slightly with impatience。
〃I had a hard time getting over that part of it; and about three…
quarters of what was left in the world looked mighty like ashes for
awhile。 Then I began to see this thing a little clearer。 We've
been together a good many years now; and as near as I can make out
you've been straight as a string with me for eight of them。 Then I
suppose the chance came and before you knew it you were in over your
neck。〃
He looked; half…pleading toward Newmark。 Newmark made no sign。
〃I know that's the way it might be。 A man thinks he's mighty brave;
and so he is; as long as he can see what's coming; and get ready for
it。 But some day an emergency just comes up and touches him on the
shoulder; and he turns around and sees it all of a sudden。 Then he
finds he's a coward。 It's pretty hard for me to understand
dishonesty; or how a man can be dishonest。 I've tried; but I can't
do it。 Crookedness isn't my particular kind of fault。 But I do
know this: that we every one of us have something to be forgiven for
by some one。 I guess I've got a temper that makes me pretty sorry
sometimes。 Probably you don't see how it's possible for a man to
get crazy mad about little things。 That isn't your particular kind
of fault。〃
〃Oh; for God's sake; drop that preaching。 It makes me sick!〃 broke
out Newmark。
Orde smiled whimsically。
〃I'm not preaching;〃 he said; 〃and even if I were; I've paid a good
many thousands of dollars; it seems; to buy the right to say