the clue of the twisted candle-第30部分

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〃It　was　he　who　gave　me　this　scar；〃　John　Lexman　pointed　to　his　cheek。　　〃In　his　master's　absence　he　took　upon　himself　the　task　of　conducting　a　clumsy　imitation　of　Kara's　persecution。　　He　gave　me；　too；　the　only　glimpse　I　ever　had　of　the　torture　poor　Grace　underwent。　　She　hated　dogs；　and　Kara　must　have　come　to　know　this　and　in　her　sleeping　room　…　she　was　apparently　better　accommodated　than　I　…　he　kept　four　fierce　beasts　so　chained　that　they　could　almost　reach　her。

〃Some　reference　to　my　wife　from　this　low　brute　maddened　me　beyond　endurance　and　I　sprang　at　him。　　He　whipped　out　his　knife　and　struck　at　me　as　I　fell　and　I　escaped　by　a　miracle。　　He　evidently　had　orders　not　to　touch　me；　for　he　was　in　a　great　panic　of　mind；　as　he　had　reason　to　be；　because　on　Kara's　return　he　discovered　the　state　of　my　face；　started　an　enquiry　and　had　Salvolio　taken　to　the　courtyard　in　the　true　eastern　style　and　bastinadoed　until　his　feet　were　pulp。

〃You　may　be　sure　the　man　hated　me　with　a　malignity　which　almost　rivalled　his　employer's。　　After　Grace's　death　Kara　went　away　suddenly　and　I　was　left　to　the　tender　mercy　of　this　man。　Evidently　he　had　been　given　a　fairly　free　hand。　　The　principal　object　of　Kara's　hate　being　dead；　he　took　little　further　interest　in　me；　or　else　wearied　of　his　hobby。　　Salvolio　began　his　persecutions　by　reducing　my　diet。　　Fortunately　I　ate　very　little。　Nevertheless　the　supplies　began　to　grow　less　and　less；　and　I　was　beginning　to　feel　the　effects　of　this　starvation　system　when　there　happened　a　thing　which　changed　the　whole　course　of　my　life　and　opened　to　me　a　way　to　freedom　and　to　vengeance。

〃Salvolio　did　not　imitate　the　austerity　of　his　master　and　in　Kara's　absence　was　in　the　habit　of　having　little　orgies　of　his　own。　　He　would　bring　up　dancing　girls　from　Durazzo　for　his　amusement　and　invite　prominent　men　in　the　neighbourhood　to　his　feasts　and　entertainments；　for　he　was　absolutely　lord　of　the　palazzo　when　Kara　was　away　and　could　do　pretty　well　as　he　liked。　On　this　particular　night　the　festivities　had　been　more　than　usually　prolonged；　for　as　near　as　I　could　judge　by　the　day…light　which　was　creeping　in　through　my　window　it　was　about　four　o'clock　in　the　morning　when　the　big　steel…sheeted　door　was　opened　and　Salvolio　came　in；　more　than　a　little　drunk。　　He　brought　with　him；　as　I　judged；　one　of　his　dancing　girls；　who　apparently　was　privileged　to　see　the　sights　of　the　palace。

〃For　a　long　time　he　stood　in　the　doorway　talking　incoherently　in　a　language　which　I　think　must　have　been　Turkish；　for　I　caught　one　or　two　words。

〃Whoever　the　girl　was；　she　seemed　a　little　frightened；　I　could　see　that；　because　she　shrank　back　from　him　though　his　arm　was　about　her　shoulders　and　he　was　half　supporting　his　weight　upon　her。　There　was　fear；　not　only　in　the　curious　little　glances　she　shot　at　me　from　time　to　time；　but　also　in　the　averted　face。　　Her　story　I　was　to　learn。　　She　was　not　of　the　class　from　whence　Salvolio　found　the　dancers　who　from　time　to　time　came　up　to　the　palace　for　his　amusement　and　the　amusement　of　his　guests。　　She　was　the　daughter　of　a　Turkish　merchant　of　Scutari　who　had　been　received　into　the　Catholic　Church。

〃Her　father　had　gone　down　to　Durazzo　during　the　first　Balkan　war　and　then　Salvolio　had　seen　the　girl　unknown　to　her　parent；　and　there　had　been　some　rough　kind　of　courtship　which　ended　in　her　running　away　on　this　very　day　and　joining　her　ill…favoured　lover　at　the　palazzo。　　I　tell　you　this　because　the　fact　had　some　bearing　on　my　own　fate。

〃As　I　say；　the　girl　was　frightened　and　made　as　though　to　go　from　the　dungeon。　　She　was　probably　scared　both　by　the　unkempt　prisoner　and　by　the　drunken　man　at　her　side。　　He；　however；　could　not　leave　without　showing　to　her　something　of　his　authority。　　He　came　lurching　over　near　where　I　lay；　his　long　knife　balanced　in　his　hand　ready　for　emergencies；　and　broke　into　a　string　of　vituperations　of　the　character　to　which　I　was　quite　hardened。

〃Then　he　took　a　flying　kick　at　me　and　got　home　in　my　ribs；　but　again　I　experienced　neither　a　sense　of　indignity　nor　any　great　hurt。　　Salvolio　had　treated　me　like　this　before　and　I　had　survived　it。　　In　the　midst　of　the　tirade；　looking　past　him；　I　was　a　new　witness　to　an　extraordinary　scene。

〃The　girl　stood　in　the　open　doorway；　shrinking　back　against　the　door；　looking　with　distress　and　pity　at　the　spectacle　which　Salvolio's　brutality　afforded。　　Then　suddenly　there　appeared　beside　her　a　tall　Turk。　　He　was　grey…bearded　and　forbidding。　　She　looked　round　and　saw　him；　and　her　mouth　opened　to　utter　a　cry；　but　with　a　gesture　he　silenced　her　and　pointed　to　the　darkness　outside。

〃Without　a　word　she　cringed　past　him；　her　sandalled　feet　making　no　noise。　　All　this　time　Salvolio　was　continuing　his　stream　of　abuse；　but　he　must　have　seen　the　wonder　in　my　eyes　for　he　stopped　and　turned。

〃The　old　Turk　took　one　stride　forward；　encircled　his　body　with　his　left　arm；　and　there　they　stood　grotesquely　like　a　couple　who　were　going　to　start　to　waltz。　　The　Turk　was　a　head　taller　than　Salvolio　and；　as　I　could　see；　a　man　of　immense　strength。

〃They　looked　at　one　another；　face　to　face；　Salvolio　rapidly　recovering　his　senses　。　。　。　and　then　the　Turk　gave　him　a　gentle　punch　in　the　ribs。　　That　is　what　it　seemed　like　to　me；　but　Salvolio　coughed　horribly；　went　limp　in　the　other's　arms　and　dropped　with　a　thud　to　the　ground。　　The　Turk　leant　down　soberly　and　wiped　his　long　knife　on　the　other's　jacket　before　he　put　it　back　in　the　sash　at　his　waist。

〃Then　with　a　glance　at　me　he　turned　to　go；　but　stopped　at　the　door　and　looked　back　thoughtfully。　　He　said　something　in　Turkish　which　I　could　not　understand；　then　he　spoke　in　French。

〃'Who　are　you？'　he　asked。

〃In　as　few　words　as　possible　I　explained。　　He　came　over　and　looked　at　the　manacle　about　my　leg　and　shook　his　head。

〃'You　will　never　be　able　to　get　that　undone；'　he　said。

〃He　caught　hold　of　the　chain；　which　was　a　fairly　long　one；　bound　it　twice　round　his　arm　and　steadying　his　arm　across　his　thigh；　he　turned　with　a　sudden　jerk。　　There　was　a　smart　'snap'　as　the　chain　parted。　　He　caught　me　by　the　shoulder　and　pulled　me　to　my　feet。　〃　'Put　the　chain　about　your　waist；　Effendi；'　he　said；　and　he　took　a　revolver　from　his　belt　and　handed　it　to　me。

〃'You　may　need　this　before　we　get　back　to　Durazzo；'　he　said。　　His　belt　was　literally　bristling　with　weapons　…　I　saw　three　revolvers　beside　the　one　I　possessed　…　and　he　had；　evidently　come　prepared　for　trouble。　　We　made　our　way　from　the　dungeon　into　the　clean…smelling　world　without。

〃It　was　the　second　time　I　had　been　in　the　open　air　for　eighteen　months　and　my　knees　were　trembling　under　me　with　weakness　and　excitement。　　The　old　man　shut　the　prison　door　behind　us　and　walked　on　until　we　came　up　to　the　girl　waiting　for　us　by　the　lakeside。　She　was　weeping　softly　and　he　spoke　to　her　a　few　words　in　a　low　voice　and　her　weeping　ceased。

〃'This　daughter　of　mine　will　show　us　the　way；'　he　said；　'I　do　not　know　this　part　of　the　country　…　she　knows　it　too　well。'

〃To　cut　a　long　story　short；〃　said　Lexman；　〃we　reached　Durazzo　in　the　afternoon。　　There　was　no　attempt　made　to　follow　us　up　and　neither　my　absence　nor　the　body　of　Salvolio　were　discovered　until　late　in　the　afternoon。　　You　must　remember　that　nobody　but　Salvolio　was　allowed　into　my　prison　and　therefore　nobody　had　the　courage　to　make　any　investigations。

〃The　old　man　got　me　to　his　house　without　being　observed；　and　brought　a　brother…in…law　or　some　relative　of　his　to　remove　the　anklet。　　The　name　of　my　host　was　Hussein　Effendi。

〃That　same　night　we　left　with　a　little　caravan　to　visit　some　of　the　old　man's　relatives。　　He　was　not　certain　what　would　be　the　consequence　of　his　act；　and　for　safety's　sake　took　this　trip；　which　would　enable　him　if　need　be　to　seek　sanctuary　with　some　of　the　wilder　Turkish　tribes；　who　would　give　him　protection。

〃In　that　three　months　I　saw　Albania　as　it　is　…　it　was　an　experience　never　to　be　forgotten！

〃If　there　is　a　better　man　in　God's　world　than　Hiabam　Hussein　Effendi；　I　have　yet　to　meet　him。　　It　was　he　who　provided　me　with　money　to　leave　Albania。　　I　begged　from　him；　too；　the　knife　with　which　he　had　killed　Salvolio。　　He　had　discovered　that　Kara　was　in　England　and　told　me　something　of　the　Greek's　occupation　which　I　had　not　known　before。　　I　crossed　to　Italy　and　went　on　to　Milan。　There　it　was　that　I　learnt　that　an　eccentric　Englishman　who　had　arrived　a　few　days　previously　on　one　of　the　South　American　boats　at　Genoa；　was　in　my　hotel　desperately　ill。

〃My　hotel　I　need　hardly　tell　you　was　not　a　very　expensive　one　and　we　were　evidently　the　only　two　Englishmen　in　the　place。　　I　could　do　no　less　than　go　up　and　see　what　I　could　do　for　the　poor　fellow　who　was　pretty　well　gone　when　I　saw　him。　　I　seemed　to　remember　having　seen　him　before　and　when　looking　round　for　some　identification　I　discovered　his　name　I　readily　recalled　the　circumstance。

〃It　was　George　Gathercole；　who　had　returned　from　South　America。　He　was　suffering　from　malarial　fever　and　blood　poisoning　and　for　a　week；　with　an　Italian　doctor；　I　fought　as　hard　as　any　man　could　fight　for　his　life。　　He　was　a　trying　patient；〃　John　Lexman　smiled　suddenly　at　the　recollection；　〃vitriolic　in　his　language；　impatient　and　imperious　in　his　attitude　to　his　friends。　　He　was；　for　example；　terribly　sensitive　about　his　lost　arm　and　would　not　allow　either　the　doctor　or　my…self　to　enter　the　room　until　he　was　covered　to　the　neck；　nor　would　he　eat　or　drink　in　our　presence。　Yet　he　was　the　bravest　of　the　brave；　careless　of　himself　and　only　fretful　because　he　had　not　time　to　finish　his　new　book。　　His　indomitable　spirit　did　not　save　him。　　He　died　on　the　17th　of　January　of　this　year。　　I　was　in　Genoa　at　the　time；　having　gone　there　at　his　request　to　save　his　belongings。　　When　I　returned　he　had　been　buried。　　I　went　through　his　papers　and　it　was　then　that　I　conceived　my　idea　of　how　I　might　approach　Kara。

〃I　found　a　letter　from　the　Greek；　which　had　been　addressed　to　Buenos　Ayres；　to　await　arrival；　and　then　I　remembered　in　a　flash；　how　Kara　had　told　me　he　had　sent　George　Gathercole　to　South　America　to　report　upon　possible　gold　formations。　　I　was　determined　to　kill　Kara；　and　determined　to　kill　him　in　such　a　way　that　I　myself　would　cover　every　trace　of　my　complicity。

〃Even　as　he　had　planned　my　downfa