jamesclavell.noblehouse-第57部分

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　〃At　that　time；　very；　I'm　afraid。　Yes。　That　bank　ruined　quite　a　lot　of　important　businesses　and　people；　caused　an　enormous　amount　of　grief　and　loss　of　face。　Still；〃　he　said　with　a　smile；　〃we　all　benefited　by　their　leaving。　A　couple　of　years　ago　they　had　the　effrontery　to　apply　to　the　financial　secretary　for　a　new　charter！〃
　Richard　Kwang　added　jovially；　〃That's　one　charter　that'll　never　be　renewed！　You　see；　Miss　Tchelek；　all　foreign　banks　operate　on　a　renewable　yearly　charter。　Certainly　we　can　do　very　well　without　that　one；　or　for　that　matter　any　other　American　bank。　They're　such　。。。　well；　you'll　find　the　Victoria；　Blacs　or　the　Ho…Pak；　perhaps　all　three　Miss　K。C。；　can　fulfill　all　Par…Con's　needs　perfectly。　If　you　and　Mr。　Bartlett　would　like　to　chat　。。。〃
　〃I'd　be　glad　to　visit　with　you；　Mr。　Kwang。　Say　tomorrow？　Initially　I　handle　most　of　our　banking　needs。　Maybe　sometime　in　the　morning？〃
　〃Yes；　yes　of　course。　You'll　find　us　petitive；〃　Richard　Kwang　said　without　a　flicker。　〃At　ten？〃
　〃Great。　We're　at　the　V　and　A；　Kowloon。　If　ten's　not　good　for　you　just　let　me　know；〃　she　said。　〃I'm　pleased　to　meet　you　personally　too；　Mr。　Havergill。　I　presume　our　appointment　for　tomorrow　is　still　in　order？〃
　〃Of　course。　At　four；　isn't　it？　I　look　forward　to　chatting　at　length　with　Mr。　Bartlett　。。。　and　you；　of　course；　my　dear。〃　He　was　a　tall；　lean　man　and　she　noticed　his　eyes　rise　from　her　cleavage。　She　dismissed　her　immediate　dislike。　I　may　need　him；　she　thought；　and　his　bank。
　〃Thank　you；〃　she　said　with　the　right　amount　of　deference　and　turned　her　charm　on　Lady　Joanna。　〃What　a　pretty　dress；　Lady　Joanna；〃　she　said；　loathing　it　and　the　row　of　small　pearls　that　circled　the　woman's　scrawny　neck。
　〃Oh；　thank　you；　my　dear。　Is　yours　from　Paris　too？〃
　〃Indirectly。　It's　a　Balmain　but　I　got　it　in　New　York。〃　She　smiled　down　at　Richard　Kwang's　wife；　a　solid；　well…preserved　Cantonese　lady　with　an　elaborate　coiffure；　very　pale　skin　and　narrow　eyes。　She　was　wearing　an　immense　imperial　jade　pendant　and　a　seven…carat　diamond　ring。　〃Pleased　to　meet　you；　Mrs。　Kwang；〃　she　said；　awed　by　the　wealth　that　the　jewelry　represented。　〃We　were　looking　for　Linc　Bartlett。　Have　you　seen　him？〃
　〃Not　for　a　while；〃　Havergill　volunteered。　〃I　think　he　went　into　the　east　wing。　Believe　there's　a　bar　there。　He　was　with　Adryon　…　Dunross's　daughter。〃
　〃Adryon's　turned　out　to　be　such　a　pretty　girl；〃　Lady　Joanna　said。　〃They　make　such　a　nice　couple　together。　Charming　man；　Mr。　Bartlett。　He's　not　married；　is　he；　dear？〃
　〃No；〃　Casey　said；　equally　pleasantly；　adding　Lady　Joanna　Temple…Smith　to　her　private　list　of　loathsome　people。　〃Linc's　not　married。〃
　〃He'll　be　gobbled　up　soon；　mark　my　words。　I　really　believe　Adryon's　quite　smitten。　Perhaps　you'd　like　to　e　to　tea　on　Thursday；　my　dear？　I'd　love　you　to　meet　some　of　the　girls。　That's　the　day　of　our　Over　Thirty　Club。〃
　〃Thank　you；〃　Casey　said。　〃I　don't　qualify　…　but　I'd　love　to　e　anyway。〃
　〃Oh　I'm　sorry；　dear！　I'd　presumed　。。。　I'll　send　a　car　for　you。　Quillan；　are　you　staying　for　dinner？〃
　〃No；　can't。　Got　pressing　business。〃
　〃Pity。〃　Lady　Joanna　smiled　and　showed　her　bad　teeth。
　〃If　you'll　excuse　us　…　just　want　to　find　Bartlett　and　then　I　have　to　leave。　See　you　Saturday。〃　Gornt　took　Casey's　arm　and　guided　her　away。
　They　watched　them　leave。　〃She's　quite　attractive　in　a　mon　sort　of　way；　isn't　she？〃　Lady　Joanna　said。　〃Chuluk。　That's　Middle　European；　isn't　it？〃
　〃Possibly。　It　could　be　Mideastern；　Joanna；　you　know；　Turkish；　something　like　that；　possibly　the　Balkans。　。。。〃　Havergill　stopped。　〃Oh；　I　see　what　you　mean。　No；　I　don't　think　so。　She　certainly　doesn't　look　Jewish。〃
　〃One　really　can't　tell　these　days；　can　one？　She　might　have　had　her　nose　fixed　…　they　do　marvelous　things　these　days；　don't　they？〃
　〃Never　occurred　to　me　to　look。　Hum！　Do　you　think　so？〃
　Richard　Kwang　passed　Casey's　card　over　to　his　wife　who　read　it　instantly　and　got　the　same　message　instantly。　〃Paul；　her　card　says　treasurer　and　executive　VP　of　the　holding　pany　。。。　that's　quite　impressive；　isn't　it？　Par…Con's　a　big　pany。〃
　〃Oh　my　dear　fellow；　but　they're　American。　They　do　extraordinary　things　in　America。　Surely　it's　just　a　title　…　that's　all。〃
　〃Giving　his　mistress　face？〃　Joanna　asked。
　
　12
　
　9：00　P。M。　：
　The　billiard　cue　struck　the　white　ball　and　it　shot　across　the　green　table　and　slashed　the　red　into　a　far　pocket　and　stopped　perfectly　behind　another　red。
　Adryon　clapped　gleefully。　〃Oh　Linc；　that　was　super！　I　was　sure　you　were　just　boasting。　Oh　do　it　again！〃
　Linc　Bartlett　grinned。　〃For　one　dollar　that　red　around　the　table　and　into　that　pocket　and　the　white　here。〃　He　marked　the　spot　with　a　flick　of　chalk。
　〃Done！〃
　He　leaned　over　the　table　and　sighted　and　the　white　stopped　within　a　millimeter　of　his　mark；　the　red　sunk　with　marvelous　inevitability。
　〃Ayeeyah！　I　haven't　got　a　dollar　with　me。　Damn！　Can　I　owe　it　to　you？〃
　〃A　lady　…　however　beautiful　…　has　to　pay　her　gambling　debts　at　once。〃
　〃I　know。　Father　says　the　same。　Can　I　pay　you　tomorrow？〃
　He　watched　her；　enjoying　her；　pleased　that　his　skill　pleased　her。　She　was　wearing　a　knee…length　black　skirt　and　the　lovely　silk　blouse。　Her　legs　were　long；　very　long；　and　perfect。　〃Nope！〃　He　pretended　ill　humor　and　then　they　laughed　together　in　the　huge　room；　the　vast　lights　low　over　the　full…size　billiard　table；　the　rest　of　the　room　dark　and　intimate　but　for　the　shaft　of　light　from　the　open　door。
　〃You　play　incredibly　well；〃　she　said。
　〃Don't　tell　anyone　but　I　made　my　living　in　the　Army　playing　pool。〃
　〃In　Europe？〃
　〃No。　Pacific。〃
　〃My　father　was　a　fighter　pilot。　He　got　six　planes　before　he　was　shot　down　and　grounded。〃
　〃I　guess　that　made　him　an　ace；　didn't　it？〃
　〃Were　you　part　of　those　awful　landings　against　the　Japs？〃
　〃No。　I　was　in　construction。　We　came　in　when　everything　was　secured。〃
　〃Oh。〃
　〃We　built　bases；　airfields　in　Guadalcanal；　and　islands　all　over　the　Pacific。　My　war　was　easy　…　nothing　like　your　dad's。〃　As　he　went　over　to　the　cue　rack；　he　was　sorry　for　the　first　time　that　he　had　not　been　in　the　Marines。　Her　expression　when　he　had　said　construction　made　him　feel　unmanned。　〃We　should　go　look　for　your　boyfriend。　Maybe　he's　here　by　now。〃
　〃Oh　he's　not　important！　He's　not　a　real　boyfriend；　I　just　met　him　a　week　or　so　ago　at　a　friend's　party。　Martin's　a　journalist　on　the　China　Guardian。　He's　not　a　lover。〃
　〃Are　all　young　English　ladies　so　open　about　their　lovers？〃
　〃It's　the　pill。　It's　released　us　from　masculine　servitude　forever。　Now　we're　equal。〃
　〃Are　you？〃
　〃I　am。〃
　〃Then　you're　lucky。〃
　〃Yes　I　know　I'm　very　lucky。〃　She　watched　him。　〃How　old　are　you；　Linc？〃
　〃Old。〃　He　snapped　the　cue　into　its　rack。　It　was　the　first　time　in　his　life　that　he　had　not　wanted　to　tell　his　age。　Goddamn；　he　thought；　curiously　unsettled。　What's　your　problem？
　None。　There's　no　problem。　Is　there？
　〃I'm　nineteen；〃　she　was　saying。
　〃When's　your　birthday？〃
　〃October　27　…　I'm　a　Scorpio。　When's　yours？〃
　〃October　1。〃
　〃Oh　it's　not！　Tell　me　honestly！〃
　〃Cross　my　heart　and　hope　to　die。〃
　She　clapped　her　hands　with　delight。　〃Oh　that's　marvelous！　Father's　the　tenth。　That's　marvelous　…　a　good　omen。〃
　〃Why？〃
　〃You'll　see。〃　Happily　she　opened　her　handbag　and　found　a　crumpled　cigarette　package　and　a　battered　gold　lighter。　He　took　the　lighter　and　flicked　it　for　her　but　it　did　not　light。　A　second　and　a　third　time　but　nothing。
　〃Bloody　thing；〃　she　said。　〃Bloody　thing's　never　worked　properly　but　Father　gave　it　to　me。　I　love　it。　Of　course　I　dropped　it　a　couple　of　times。〃
　He　peered　at　it；　blew　the　wick　and　fiddled　a　moment。　〃You　shouldn't　smoke　anyway。〃
　〃That's　what　Father　always　says。〃
　〃He's　right。〃
　〃Yes。　But　I　like　smoking　for　the　time　being。　How　old　are　you；　Linc？〃
　〃Forty。〃
　〃Oh！〃　He　saw　the　surprise。　〃Then　you're　the　same　age　as　Father！　Well；　almost。　He's　forty…one。〃
　〃Both　were　great　years；〃　Linc　said　dryly；　and　he　thought；　Whichever　way　you　figure　it；　Adryon；　I　really　am　old　enough　to　be　your　father。
　Another　frown　creased　her　brow。　〃It's　funny；　you　don't　seem　the　same　age　at　all。〃　Then　she　added　in　a　rush；　〃In　two　years　I'll　be　twenty…one　and　that's　practically　over　the　hill；　I　just　can't　imagine　being　twenty…five　let　alone　thi