elizabethpeters.thegoldenone-第5部分

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ed　in　some　way　with　the　group　Smith　directed；　whatever　it　may　have　been。　Secretiveness　is　second　nature　to　such　persons；　they　may　and　do　claim　it　is　necessary；　but　in　my　opinion　they　revel　in　being　mysterious。
　I　did　not　mention　this　conjecture　to　Emerson；　for　that　would　have　inflamed　his　temper　even　more。
　〃The　devil　with　Smith；〃　he　declared。　〃What　I　want　to　know　is　…　confound　it；　young　man；　what　are　you　doing？〃
　〃Serving　the　next　course；〃　I　said；　as　the　youth　fumbled　with　the　plates。　〃That　is　his　job；　Emerson。　Stop　terrorizing　him。〃
　〃Oh。　Well。　Sorry；　my　boy；〃　he　added；　addressing　the　waiter；　who　went　pale　with　horror。
　I　groaned。　〃And　don't　apologize　to　him！〃
　It　has　proved　impossible　to　train　Emerson　in　the　proper　ways　of　dealing　with　servants。　He　treats　prince　and　peasant；　basket　carrier　and　archaeologist　the　same　…　that　is；　he　shouts　at　them　when　he　is　out　of　temper　and　begs　their　pardon　when　he　has　been　unjust。　The　waiter　ought　to　have　been　trained　in　the　proper　way　of　dealing　with　Emerson；　whose　peculiarities　are　well　known　to　the　staff　at　Shepheard's；　but　he　was　very　young　and　apparently　he　had　not　taken　the　warnings　to　heart。
　With　the　assistance　of　the　headwaiter　he　managed　to　get　the　soup　plates　off　the　table　and　the　fish　course　served；　and　Emerson；　who　was　unaware　of　having　done　anything　unusual；　resumed　where　he　had　left　off。　〃What's　Sethos　doing　in　Cairo？　What　was　the　point　of　that　impertinent　encounter？　Was　it　a　challenge　or　a　warning　or　…〃
　〃Why　should　it　have　been　either？〃　Nefret　asked。　〃We　haven't　heard　from　him　for　months；　and　he　knows　we　have　good　reason　to　be　concerned　about　him。　Perhaps　it　was　only　his　way　of　telling　us　he　is　alive　and　well。〃
　〃Bah；〃　said　Emerson。
　Nefret　laughed；　and　I　said；　〃Now；　Emerson；　you　mustn't　hold　a　grudge；　my　dear。〃
　〃Grudge！　It　is　petty…minded；　no　doubt；　to　resent　a　man　because　he　tried　to　kill　me　and　seduce　my　wife　and　steal　my　antiquities。〃
　〃That　was　all　in　the　past。　The　services　he　has　rendered　us　and　his　country　in　the　past　few　years　attest　to　the　sincerity　of　his　reformation；　and　his　recent　…　er　…　arrangement　with　another　lady　should　be　sufficient　assurance　of　his　abandonment　of　an　attachment　that　was；　I　do　not　doubt；　occasioned　as　much　by　his　resentment　of　you　as　by　his　interest　in　me。〃
　I　paused　to　draw　a　deep　breath；　and　Emerson；　who　had　been　stabbing　at　his　fish；　placed　his　fork　on　the　table。　〃Peabody；〃　he　said　mildly；　〃that　was　even　more　pompous　and　pedantic　than　your　usual　declarations。　Do　not　suppose　that　the　plexity　of　your　syntax　can　conceal　the　inaccuracy　of　your　conclusions。　He　has　not　reformed。　He　as　good　as　said　so　last　year。　As　for　his　arrangement　with　Miss　Minton；　for　all　you　know　that　came　to　an　end　almost　as　soon　as　it　began。　Your　attempts　to　municate　with　the　lady　this　past　summer　were　unsuccessful；　weren't　they？　Don't　deny　that　you　tried；　for　I　know　you　did。〃
　At　this　point　he　had　to　pause　in　order　to　breathe。　〃Ha！〃　I　exclaimed。　〃You　did　the　same。　And　you　learned；　as　did　I；　that　after　being　inmunicado　for　several　months　she　had　been　accredited　as　a　war　correspondent　and　was　in　France。　You　also　tried　to　get　information　about　him　from　the　War　Office　…　without　success；　as　you　ought　to　have　anticipated。　Why　won't　you　admit　that　you　care　about　the　man？　After　all；　he　is　…〃
　〃Mother；　please！〃　Nefret　said。　〃You　are　being　heated。　And　so　are　you；　Father。　Perhaps　you　might　allow　someone　else　to　offer　an　opinion。〃
　〃Well？〃　Emerson　demanded　of　his　daughter。　〃What　have　you　to　say？〃
　〃Nothing；　really。〃
　〃Ah；〃　said　Emerson。　〃Ramses？〃
　He　had　remained　silent；　only　smiling　faintly　as　he　looked　from　one　speaker　（Emerson）　to　the　other　（me）。　Now　he　shrugged。　〃Speculation　about　the　motives　of　my　uncle　are　surely　a　waste　of　time。　One　never　knows　what　he　will　do　until　he　does　it。〃　Reddening；　Emerson　started　to　speak。　Ramses　raised　his　voice　a　trifle。　〃Thus　far；　all　he　has　done　is　greet　you。　An　encounter　of　that　sort　would　appeal　to　his　peculiar　sense　of　humor；　and　he　couldn't　risk　a　face…to…face　meeting；　not　if　he　is　still　working　undercover。〃
　〃I　don't　give　a　curse　about　that；〃　Emerson　declared　forcibly；　if　not　entirely　accurately。　〃What　I　want　to　know　is　whether　he　is　still　in　the　antiquities　game。　Ramses；　supposing　you　and　I　make　the　rounds　of　the　cafés　tonight　and　interrogate　the　dealers。　If　'the　Master'　is　back　in　business　…〃
　〃They　won't　tell　you；〃　I　said。
　〃No；〃　Nefret　agreed。　After　the　waiter　had　removed　the　plates　without　incident　（Emerson's　attention　being　otherwise　engaged）；　she　planted　her　elbows　on　the　table　and　leaned　forward；　her　blue　eyes　sparkling。　〃Your　methods　are　too　direct；　Father。　Do　you　remember　Ali　the　Rat　and　his　…　er　…　young　friend？〃
　Emerson　choked　on　a　sip　of　wine；　and　I　said　uneasily；　〃Ramses　can't　be　Ali　the　Rat　again；　Nefret。　His　masquerade　was　discovered。〃
　〃But　the　people　who　knew　of　it　are　dead；〃　Nefret　argued。　〃And　I　made　a　very　pretty　boy；　didn't　I；　Ramses？〃
　She　turned　to　look　him　squarely　in　the　eyes。　He　did　not　respond　at　once。　Then　he　said　equably；　〃Very　pretty。　I'd　prefer　not　to　risk　Ali；　in　case　some　of　the　old　crowd　are　still　hanging　about；　but　we　might　try　a　variation　of　the　same　thing。〃
　I　had　been　afraid　of　this；　though　I　had　not　expected　matters　would　e　to　a　head　quite　so　soon。　Nefret　was　as　courageous　and　capable　as　any　man；　and　utterly　devoted　to　her　husband。　He　was　equally　devoted　to　her；　and　I　could　only　imagine　what　a　struggle　it　must　have　been　for　him　to　admit　she　had　the　right　to　share　his　adventures　and　his　danger。　Naturally　I　was　in　full　agreement　with　her　demand　for　equality；　had　I　not　demanded　and　（more　or　less）　received　the　same　from　Emerson？　That　did　not　mean　I　liked　Nefret's　doing　it。　Principles　do　not　hold　up　well　when　they　are　challenged　by　personal　affection。
　To　my　relief；　Ramses　went　on；　〃Not　tonight；　though。　It　will　take　me　a　while　to　collect　the　appropriate　disguises。〃
　〃Certainly　not　tonight；〃　I　said。　〃It　has　been　a　long　day。　We　should　retire　early。〃
　〃An　excellent　suggestion；〃　said　Emerson；　cheering　up。
　〃Yes；　Mother；〃　said　Ramses。
　We　had　a　little　private　conversation；　Emerson　and　I；　sitting　cozily　side　by　side　before　the　dying　fire　in　the　sitting　room　and　sipping　a　last　whiskey　and　soda。　I　summed　it　up　by　saying；　〃So　it　is　agreed　that　we　leave　Cairo　as　soon　as　possible？〃
　Emerson　nodded　emphatic　agreement。　〃It　is　worrisome　enough　having　Ramses　prowling　the　suks　and　the　coffeeshops　looking　for　criminals；　without　her　going　with　him。〃
　〃Not　so　worrisome　as　having　him　take　on　another　filthy　job　from　the　War　Office。　Smith's　presence　this　evening　was　highly　suspicious；　Emerson。〃
　〃Nonsense；〃　said　Emerson。　〃However　。　。　。　Good　Gad；　what　with　the　intelligence　services　and　my　devious　brother；　Cairo　is　no　place　for　a　family　of　harmless　archaeologists。　But　you　are　worrying　unnecessarily；　my　love。　There　is　no　way　on　earth　Ramses　could　be　persuaded　to　take　on　another　assignment。〃
　Emerson's　tender　affection　did　not　miss　the　slight　shiver　that　ran　through　my　limbs。　〃Damnation；　Peabody；〃　he　snarled；　〃if　you　are　having　one　of　your　famous　forebodings；　I　don't　want　to　hear　about　it！　e　to　bed　at　once。〃
　
　While　we　breakfasted　in　our　rooms；　Emerson　looked　through　the　post　（distractions　of　various　kinds　having　prevented　him　from　doing　so　earlier）　and　came　upon　a　letter　from　Cyrus　Vandergelt　that　aroused　such　indignation　he　leaped　to　his　feet；　rushed　to　the　door；　and　would　have　bolted　out　in　his　dressing　gown　had　I　not　caught　hold　of　him。
　〃For　pity's　sake；　Emerson；　where　are　you　going？〃
　Emerson　waved　the　close…written　pages　at　me。　〃They're　at　it　again。　Another　tomb。　Looted。　The　artifacts　already　at　the　Luxor　dealers。　Damnation！　Ramses　…〃
　〃If　you　want　to　share　this　with　Ramses；〃　I　said；　interpreting　his　incoherent　ments　with　the　skill　of　long　experience；　〃I　will　send　the　sufragi　to　invite　him　and　Nefret　to　join　us。　Sit　down；　Emerson；　or；　if　you　prefer；　put　on　your　clothes。　A　few　more　minutes'　delay　cannot　worsen　a　situation　which　…〃
　〃Curse　it；〃　said　Emerson；　heading　for　the　dressing　room。　He　took　the　letter　with　him。　Being　accustomed　to　my　husband's　impetuous　behavior；　I　dispatched　the　sufragi　on　his　errand　and　went　on　with　my　breakfast。
　The　child