pgw.piccadillyjim-第26部分

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She　was　fond　of　Mr。　Chester　in　much　the　same　unemotional；　detached　way　that　he　was　fond　of　her；　but　she　was　perfectly　well　aware　of　the　futility　of　expecting　counsel　from　him。　She　said　good…bye　to　him　at　the　boat；　fussed　over　his　fort　for　awhile　in　a　motherly　way；　and　then　drove　slowly　back。　For　the　first　time　in　her　life　she　was　feeling　uncertain　of　herself。　When　she　had　left　for　England；　she　had　practically　made　up　her　mind　to　accept　Lord　Wisbeach；　and　had　only　deferred　actual　acceptance　of　him　because　in　her　cool　way　she　wished　to　re…examine　the　position　at　her　leisure。　Second　thoughts　had　brought　no　revulsion　of　feeling。　She　had　not　wavered　until　her　arrival　in　New　York。　Then；　for　some　reason　which　baffled　her；　the　idea　of　marrying　Lord　Wisbeach　had　bee　vaguely　distasteful。　And　now　she　found　herself　fluctuating　between　this　mood　and　her　former　one。
　She　reached　the　house　on　Riverside　Drive；　but　did　not　slacken　the　speed　of　the　machine。　She　knew　that　Lord　Wisbeach　would　be　waiting　for　her　there；　and　she　did　not　wish　to　meet　him　just　yet。　She　wanted　to　be　alone。　She　was　feeling　depressed。　She　wondered　if　this　was　because　she　had　just　departed　from　her　father；　and　decided　that　it　was。　His　swift　entrances　into　and　exits　from　her　life　always　left　her　temporarily　restless。　She　drove　on　up　the　river。　She　meant　to　decide　her　problem　one　way　or　the　other　before　she　returned　home。
　Lord　Wisbeach；　meanwhile；　was　talking　to　Mrs。　Pett　and　Willie；　its　inventor；　about　Partridgite。　Willie；　on　hearing　himself　addressed；　had　turned　slowly　with　an　air　of　absent　self…importance；　the　air　of　a　great　thinker　disturbed　in　mid…thought。　He　always　looked　like　that　when　spoken　to；　and　there　were　thoseMr。　Pett　belonged　to　this　school　of　thoughtwho　held　that　there　was　nothing　to　him　beyond　that　look　and　that　he　had　built　up　his　reputation　as　a　budding　mastermind　on　a　foundation　that　consisted　entirely　of　a　vacant　eye；　a　mop　of　hair　through　which　he　could　run　his　fingers；　and　the　fame　of　his　late　father。
　Willie　Partridge　was　the　son　of　the　great　inventor；　Dwight　Partridge；　and　it　was　generally　understood　that　the　explosive；　Partridgite；　was　to　be　the　result　of　a　continuation　of　experiments　which　his　father　had　been　working　upon　at　the　time　of　his　death。　That　Dwight　Partridge　had　been　trying　experiments　in　the　direction　of　a　new　and　powerful　explosive　during　the　last　year　of　his　life　was　mon　knowledge　in　those　circles　which　are　interested　in　such　things。　Foreign　governments　were　understood　to　have　made　tentative　overtures　to　him。　But　a　sudden　illness；　ending　fatally；　had　finished　the　budding　career　of　Partridgite　abruptly；　and　the　world　had　thought　no　more　of　it　until　an　interview　in　the　Sunday　Chronicle；　that　store…house　of　information　about　interesting　people；　announced　that　Willie　was　carrying　on　his　father's　experiments　at　the　point　where　he　had　left　off。　Since　then　there　had　been　vague　rumours　of　possible　sensational　developments；　which　Willie　had　neither　denied　nor　confirmed。　He　preserved　the　mysterious　silence　which　went　so　well　with　his　appearance。
　Having　turned　slowly　so　that　his　eyes　rested　on　Lord　Wisbeach's　ingenuous　countenance；　Willie　paused；　and　his　face　assumed　the　expression　of　his　photograph　in　the　Chronicle。
　〃Ah；　Wisbeach！〃　he　said。
　Lord　Wisbeach　did　not　appear　to　resent　the　patronage　of　his　manner。　He　plunged　cheerily　into　talk。　He　had　a　pleasant；　simple　way　of　porting　himself　which　made　people　like　him。
　〃I　was　just　telling　Mrs。　Pett；〃　he　said；　〃that　I　shouldn't　be　surprised　if　you　were　to　get　an　offer　for　your　stuff　from　our　fellows　at　home　before　long。　I　saw　a　lot　of　our　War　Office　men　when　I　was　in　England；　don't　you　know。　Several　of　them　mentioned　the　stuff。〃
　Willie　resented　Partridgite　as　being　referred　to　as　〃the　stuff；〃　but　he　made　allowance。　All　Englishmen　talked　that　way；　he　supposed。
　〃Indeed？〃　he　said。
　〃Of　course；〃　said　Mrs。　Pett；　〃Willie　is　a　patriot　and　would　have　to　give　our　own　authorities　the　first　chance。〃
　〃Rather！〃
　〃But　you　know　what　officials　are　all　over　the　world。　They　are　so　sceptical　and　they　move　so　slowly。〃
　〃I　know。　Our　men　at　home　are　just　the　same　as　a　rule。　I've　got　a　pal　who　invented　something…or…other；　I　forget　what；　but　it　was　a　most　decent　little　contrivance　and　very　useful　and　all　that；　and　he　simply　can't　get　them　to　say　Yes　or　No　about　it。　But；　all　the　same；　I　wonder　you　didn't　have　some　of　them　trying　to　put　out　feelers　to　you　when　you　were　in　London。〃
　〃Oh；　we　were　only　in　London　a　few　hours。　By　the　way；　Lord　Wisbeach；　my　sister〃Mrs。　Pett　paused；　she　disliked　to　have　to　mention　her　sister　or　to　refer　to　this　subject　at　all；　but　curiosity　impelled　her〃my　sister　said　that　you　are　a　great　friend　of　her　step…son；　James　Crocker。　I　didn't　know　that　you　knew　him。〃
　Lord　Wisbeach　seemed　to　hesitate　for　a　moment。
　〃He's　not　ing　over；　is　he？　Pity！　It　would　have　done　him　a　world　of　good。　Yes；　Jimmy　Crocker　and　I　have　always　been　great　pals。　He's　a　bit　of　a　nut；　of　course；　。　。　。　I　beg　your　pardon！　。　。　。　I　mean　。　。　。〃　He　broke　off　confusedly；　and　turned　to　Willie　again　to　cover　himself。　〃How　are　you　getting　on　with　the　jolly　old　stuff？〃　he　asked。
　If　Willie　had　objected　to　Partridgite　being　called　〃the　stuff；〃　he　was　still　less　in　favour　of　its　being　termed　〃the　jolly　old　stuff。〃　He　replied　coldly。
　〃I　have　ceased　to　get　along　with　the　jolly　old　stuff。〃
　〃Struck　a　snag？〃　enquired　Lord　Wisbeach　sympathetically。
　〃On　the　contrary；　my　experiments　have　been　entirely　successful。　I　have　enough　Partridgite　in　my　laboratory　to　blow　New　York　to　bits！〃
　〃Willie！〃　exclaimed　Mrs。　Pett。　〃Why　didn't　you　tell　me　before？　You　know　I　am　so　interested。〃
　〃I　only　pleted　my　work　last　night。〃
　He　moved　off　with　an　important　nod。　He　was　tired　of　Lord　Wisbeach's　society。　There　was　something　about　the　young　man　which　he　did　not　like。　He　went　to　find　more　congenial　pany　in　a　group　by　the　window。
　Lord　Wisbeach　turned　to　his　hostess。　The　vacuous　expression　had　dropped　from　his　face　like　a　mask。　A　pair　of　keen　and　intelligent　eyes　met　Mrs。　Pett's。
　〃Mrs。　Pett；　may　I　speak　to　you　seriously？〃
　Mrs。　Pett's　surprise　at　the　alteration　in　the　man　prevented　her　from　replying。　Much　as　she　liked　Lord　Wisbeach；　she　had　never　given　him　credit　for　brains；　and　it　was　a　man　with　brains　and　keen　ones　who　was　looking　at　her　now。　She　nodded。
　〃If　your　nephew　has　really　succeeded　in　his　experiments；　you　should　be　awfully　careful。　That　stuff　ought　not　to　lie　about　in　his　laboratory；　though　no　doubt　he　has　hidden　it　as　carefully　as　possible。　It　ought　to　be　in　a　safe　somewhere。　In　that　safe　in　your　library。　News　of　this　kind　moves　like　lightning。　At　this　very　moment；　there　may　be　people　watching　for　a　chance　of　getting　at　the　stuff。〃
　Every　nerve　in　Mrs。　Pett's　body；　every　cell　of　a　brain　which　had　for　years　been　absorbing　and　giving　out　sensational　fiction；　quivered　irrepressibly　at　these　words；　spoken　in　a　low；　tense　voice　which　gave　them　additional　emphasis。　Never　had　she　misjudged　a　man　as　she　had　misjudged　Lord　Wisbeach。
　〃Spies？〃　she　quavered。
　〃They　wouldn't　call　themselves　that；〃　said　Lord　Wisbeach。　〃Secret　Service　agents。　Every　country　has　its　men　whose　only　duty　it　is　to　handle　this　sort　of　work。〃
　〃They　would　try　to　steal　Willie's？〃　Mrs。　Pett's　voice　failed。
　〃They　would　not　look　on　it　as　stealing。　Their　motives　would　be　patriotic。　I　tell　you；　Mrs。　Pett；　I　have　heard　stories　from　friends　of　mine　in　the　English　Secret　Service　which　would　amaze　you。　Perfectly　straight　men　in　private　life；　but　absolutely　unscrupulous　when　at　work。　They　stick　at　nothingnothing。　If　I　were　you；　I　should　suspect　every　one；　especially　every　stranger。〃　He　smiled　engagingly。　〃You　are　thinking　that　that　is　odd　advice　from　one　who　is　practically　a　stranger　like　myself。　Never　mind。　Suspect　me；　too；　if　you　like。　Be　on　the　safe　side。〃
　〃I　would　not　dream　of　doing　such　a　thing；　Lord　Wisbeach；〃　said　Mrs。　Pett　horrified。　〃I　trust　you　implicitly。　Even　supposing　such　a　thing　were　possible；　would　you　have　warned　me　like　this；　if　you　had　been？〃
　〃That's　true；〃　said　Lord　Wisbeach。　〃I　never　thought　of　that。　Well；　let　me　say；　suspect　everybody　but　me。〃　He　stopped　abruptly。　〃Mrs。　Pett；〃　he　whispered；　〃don't　look　round　for