the clue of the twisted candle-第11部分

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tures　in　the　marshes　behind　St。　Sebastian　Bay　and　journeys　up　the　Guarez　Celman　river；　of　nights　spent　in　primeval　forests　and　ended　in　a　geological　survey；　wherein　the　commercial　value　of　syenite；　porphyry；　trachite　and　dialite　were　severally　canvassed。

The　article　was　signed　〃G。　G。〃　　It　is　said　of　T。　X。　that　his　greatest　virtue　was　his　curiosity。　　He　had　at　the　tip　of　his　fingers　the　names　of　all　the　big　explorers　and　author…travellers；　and　for　some　reason　he　could　not　place　〃G。　G。〃　to　his　satisfaction；　in　fact　he　had　an　absurd　desire　to　interpret　the　initials　into　〃George　Grossmith。〃　　His　inability　to　identify　the　writer　irritated　him；　and　his　first　act　on　reaching　his　office　was　to　telephone　to　one　of　the　literary　editors　of　the　Times　whom　he　knew。

〃Not　my　department；〃　was　the　chilly　reply；　〃and　besides　we　never　give　away　the　names　of　our　contributors。　　Speaking　as　a　person　outside　the　office　I　should　say　that　〃G。　G。〃　was　'George　Gathercole'　the　explorer　you　know；　the　fellow　who　had　an　arm　chewed　off　by　a　lion　or　something。〃

〃George　Gathercole！〃　repeated　T。　X。　〃What　an　ass　I　am。〃

〃Yes；〃　said　the　voice　at　the　other　end　the　wire；　and　he　had　rung　off　before　T。　X。　　could　think　of　something　suitable　to　say。

Having　elucidated　this　little　side…line　of　mystery；　the　matter　passed　from　the　young　Commissioner's　mind。　　It　happened　that　morning　that　his　work　consisted　of　dealing　with　John　Lexman's　estate。

With　the　disappearance　of　the　couple　he　had　taken　over　control　of　their　belongings。　　It　had　not　embarrassed　him　to　discover　that　he　was　an　executor　under　Lexman's　will；　for　he　had　already　acted　as　trustee　to　the　wife's　small　estate；　and　had　been　one　of　the　parties　to　the　ante…nuptial　contract　which　John　Lexman　had　made　before　his　marriage。

The　estate　revenues　had　increased　very　considerably。　　All　the　vanished　author's　books　were　selling　as　they　had　never　sold　before；　and　the　executor's　work　was　made　the　heavier　by　the　fact　that　Grace　Lexman　had　possessed　an　aunt　who　had　most　in　inconsiderately　died；　leaving　a　considerable　fortune　to　her　〃unhappy　niece。〃

〃I　will　keep　the　trusteeship　another　year；〃　he　told　the　solicitor　who　came　to　consult　him　that　morning。　　〃At　the　end　of　that　time　I　shall　go　to　the　court　for　relief。〃

〃Do　you　think　they　will　ever　turn　up？〃　asked　the　solicitor；　an　elderly　and　unimaginative　man。

〃Of　course；　they'll　turn　up！〃　said　T。　X。　impatiently；　〃all　the　heroes　of　Lexman's　books　turn　up　sooner　or　later。　　He　will　discover　himself　to　us　at　a　suitable　moment；　and　we　shall　be　properly　thrilled。〃

That　Lexman　would　return　he　was　sure。　　It　was　a　faith　from　which　he　did　not　swerve。

He　had　as　implicit　a　confidence　that　one　day　or　other　Kara；　the　magnificent；　would　play　into　his　hands。

There　were　some　queer　stories　in　circulation　concerning　the　Greek；　but　on　the　whole　they　were　stories　and　rumours　which　were　difficult　to　separate　from　the　malicious　gossip　which　invariably　attaches　itself　to　the　rich　and　to　the　successful。

One　of　these　was　that　Kara　desired　something　more　than　an　Albanian　chieftainship；　which　he　undoubtedly　enjoyed。　　There　were　whispers　of　wider　and　higher　ambitions。　　Though　his　father　had　been　born　a　Greek；　he　had　indubitably　descended　in　a　direct　line　from　one　of　those　old　Mprets　of　Albania；　who　had　exercised　their　brief　authority　over　that　turbulent　land。

The　man's　passion　was　for　power。　　To　this　end　he　did　not　spare　himself。　　It　was　said　that　he　utilized　his　vast　wealth　for　this　reason；　and　none　other；　and　that　whatever　might　have　been　the　irregularities　of　his　youth　…　and　there　were　adduced　concrete　instances　…　he　was　working　toward　an　end　with　a　singleness　of　purpose；　from　which　it　was　difficult　to　withhold　admiration。

T。　X。　kept　in　his　locked　desk　a　little　red　book；　steel　bound　and　triple　locked；　which　he　called　his　〃Scandalaria。〃　　In　this　he　inscribed　in　his　own　irregular　writing　the　titbits　which　might　not　be　published；　and　which　often　helped　an　investigator　to　light　upon　the　missing　threads　of　a　problem。　　In　truth　he　scorned　no　source　of　information；　and　was　conscienceless　in　the　compilation　of　this　somewhat　chaotic　record。

The　affairs　of　John　Lexman　recalled　Kara；　and　Kara's　great　reception。　　Mansus　would　have　made　arrangements　to　secure　a　verbatim　report　of　the　speeches　which　were　made；　and　these　would　be　in　his　hands　by　the　night。　　Mansus　did　not　tell　him　that　Kara　was　financing　some　very　influential　people　indeed；　that　a　certain　Under…secretary　of　State　with　a　great　number　of　very　influential　relations　had　been　saved　from　bankruptcy　by　the　timely　advances　which　Kara　had　made。　　This　T。　X。　had　obtained　through　sources　which　might　be　hastily　described　as　discreditable。　　Mansus　knew　of　the　baccarat　establishment　in　Albemarle　Street；　but　he　did　not　know　that　the　neurotic　wife　of　a　very　great　man　indeed；　no　less　than　the　Minister　of　Justice；　was　a　frequent　visitor　to　that　establishment；　and　that　she　had　lost　in　one　night　some　6；000　pounds。　　In　these　circumstances　it　was　remarkable；　thought　T。　X。；　that　she　should　report　to　the　police　so　small　a　matter　as　the　petty　pilfering　of　servants。　　This；　however；　she　had　done　and　whilst　the　lesser　officers　of　Scotland　Yard　were　interrogating　pawnbrokers；　the　men　higher　up　were　genuinely　worried　by　the　lady's　own　lapses　from　grace。

It　was　all　sordid　but；　unfortunately；　conventional；　because　highly　placed　people　will　always　do　underbred　things；　where　money　or　women　are　concerned；　but　it　was　necessary；　for　the　proper　conduct　of　the　department　which　T。　X。　directed；　that；　however　sordid　and　however　conventional　might'　be　the　errors　which　the　great　ones　of　the　earth　committed；　they　should　be　filed　for　reference。

The　motto　which　T。　X。　went　upon　in　life　was；　〃You　never　know。〃

The　Minister　of　Justice　was　a　very　important　person；　for　he　was　a　personal　friend　of　half　the　monarchs　of　Europe。　　A　poor　man；　with　two　or　three　thousand　a　year　of　his　own；　with　no　very　definite　political　views　and　uncommitted　to　the　more　violent　policies　of　either　party；　he　succeeded　in　serving　both；　with　profit　to　himself；　and　without　earning　the　obloquy　of　either。　　Though　he　did　not　pursue　the　blatant　policy　of　the　Vicar　of　Bray；　yet　it　is　fact　which　may　be　confirmed　from　the　reader's　own　knowledge；　that　he　served　in　four　different　administrations；　drawing　the　pay　and　emoluments　of　his　office　from　each；　though　the　fundamental　policies　of　those　four　governments　were　distinct。

Lady　Bartholomew；　the　wife　of　this　adaptable　Minister；　had　recently　departed　for　San　Remo。　　The　newspapers　announced　the　fact　and　spoke　vaguely　of　a　breakdown　which　prevented　the　lady　from　fulfilling　her　social　engagements。

T。　X。；　ever　a　Doubting　Thomas；　could　trace　no　visit　of　nerve　specialist；　nor　yet　of　the　family　practitioner；　to　the　official　residence　in　Downing　Street；　and　therefore　he　drew　conclusions。　In　his　own　〃Who's　Who〃　T。　X。　noted　the　hobbies　of　his　victims　which；　by　the　way；　did　not　always　coincide　with　the　innocent　occupations　set　against　their　names　in　the　more　pretentious　volume。　　Their　follies　and　their　weaknesses　found　a　place　and　were　recorded　at　a　length　（as　it　might　seem　to　the　uninformed　observer）　beyond　the　limit　which　charity　allowed。

Lady　Mary　Bartholomew's　name　appeared　not　once；　but　many　times；　in　the　erratic　records　which　T。　X。　kept。　　There　was　a　plain　matter…of…fact　and　wholly　unobjectionable　statement　that　she　was　born　in　1874；　that　she　was　the　seventh　daughter　of　the　Earl　of　Balmorey；　that　she　had　one　daughter　who　rejoiced　in　the　somewhat　unpromising　name　of　Belinda　Mary；　and　such　further　information　as　a　man　might　get　without　going　to　a　great　deal　of　trouble。

T。　X。；refreshing　his　memory　from　the　little　red　book；　wondered　what　unexpected　tragedy　had　sent　Lady　Bartholomew　out　of　London　in　the　middle　of　the　season。　　The　information　was　that　the　lady　was　fairly　well　off　at　this　moment；　and　this　fact　made　matters　all　the　more　puzzling　and　almost　induced　him　to　believe　that；　after　all；　the　story　was　true；　and　a　nervous　breakdown　really　was　the　cause　of　her　sudden　departure。　　He　sent　for　Mansus。

〃You　saw　Lady　Bartholomew　off　at　Charing　Cross；　I　suppose？〃

Mansus　nodded。

〃She　went　alone？〃

〃She　took　her　maid；　but　otherwise　she　was　alone。　　I　thought　she　looked　ill。〃

〃She　has　been　looking　ill　for　months　past；〃　said　T。　X。；　without　any　visible　expression　of　sympathy。

〃Did　she　take　Belinda　Mary？〃

Mansus　was　puzzled。　　〃Belinda　Mary？〃　he　repeated　slowly。　　〃Oh；　you　mean　the　daughter。　　No；　she's　at　a　school　somewhere　in　France。〃

T。　X。　whistled　a　snatch　of　a　popular　song；　closed　the　little　red　book　with　a　snap　and　replaced　it　in　his　desk。

〃I　wonder　where　on　earth　people　dig　up　names　like　Belinda　Mary？〃　he　mused。　　〃Belinda　Mary　must　be　rather　a　weird　little　animal　…　the　Lord　forgive　me　for　speaking　so　about　my　betters！　　If　heredity　counts　for　anything　she　ought　to　be　something　between　a　head　waiter　and　a　pack　of　cards。　　Have　you　lost　anything'？〃

Mansus　was　searching　his　pockets。

〃I　made　a　few　notes；　some　questions　I　wanted　to　ask　you　about　and　Lady　Bartholomew　was　the　subject　of　one　of　them。　　I　have　had　her　under　observation　for　six　months；　do　you　want　it　kept　up？〃

T。　X。　thought　awhile；　then　shook　his　head。

〃I　am　only　interested　in　Lady　Bartholomew　in　so　far　as　Kara　is　interested　in　her。　　There　is　a　criminal　for　you；　my　friend！〃　he　added；　admiringly。

Mansus　busily　engaged　in　going　through　the　bundles　of　letters；　slips　of　paper　and　little　notebooks　he　had　taken　from　his　pocket；　sniffed　audibly。

〃Have　you　a　cold？〃　asked　T。　X。　politely。

〃No；　sir；〃　was　the　reply；　〃only　I　haven't　much　opinion　of　Kara　as　a　criminal。　　Besides；　what　has　he　got　to　be　a　criminal　about？　He　has　all　that　he　requires　in　the　money　department；　he's　one　of　the　most　popular　people　in　London；　and　certainly　one　of　the　best…looking　men　I've　ever　seen　in　my　life。　　He　needs　nothing。〃

T。　X。　regarded　him　scornfully。

〃You're　a　poor　blind　brute；〃　he　said；　shaking　his　head；　don't　you　know　that　great　criminals　are　never　influenced　by　material　desires；　or　by　the　prospect　of　concrete　gains？　　The　man；　who　robs　his　employer's　till　in　order　to　give　the　girl　of　his　heart　the　25…pearl　and　ruby　brooch　her　soul　desires；　gains　nothing　but　the　glow　of　satisfaction