pgw.psmith,journalist-第23部分

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e　street　it　would　have　been　perfectly　legitimate；　even　praiseworthy；　but　in　a　dance…hall　belonging　to　a　neutral　power　it　was　unpardonable。
　What　he　did　was　to　produce　his　〃canister〃　and　pick　off　the　unsuspecting　Mr。　Dawson　just　as　that　exquisite　was　preparing　to　get　in　some　more　good　work　with　the　beer…mug。　The　leader　of　the　Table　Hillites　fell　with　a　crash；　shot　through　the　leg；　and　Spider　Reilly；　together　with　Mr。　Coston　and　others　of　the　Three　Points；　sped　through　the　doorway　for　safety；　fearing　the　wrath　of　Bat　Jarvis；　who；　it　was　known；　would　countenance　no　such　episodes　at　the　dance…hall　which　he　had　undertaken　to　protect。
　Mr。　Dawson；　meanwhile；　was　attended　to　and　helped　home。　Willing　informants　gave　him　the　name　of　his　aggressor；　and　before　morning　the　Table　Hill　camp　was　in　ferment。　Shooting　broke　out　in　three　places；　though　there　were　no　casualties。　When　the　day　dawned　there　existed　between　the　two　gangs　a　state　of　war　more　bitter　than　any　in　their　record；　for　this　time　it　was　no　question　of　obscure　nonentities。　Chieftain　had　assaulted　chieftain；　royal　blood　had　been　spilt。
　〃rade　Windsor；〃　said　Psmith；　when　Master　Maloney　had　spoken　his　last　word；　〃we　must　take　careful　note　of　this　little　matter。　I　rather　fancy　that　sooner　or　later　we　may　be　able　to　turn　it　to　our　profit。　I　am　sorry　for　Dude　Dawson；　anyhow。　Though　I　have　never　met　him；　I　have　a　sort　of　instinctive　respect　for　him。　A　man　such　as　he　would　feel　a　bullet　through　his　trouser…leg　more　than　one　of　mon　clay　who　cared　little　how　his　clothes　looked。〃
　
　CHAPTER　XIX
　IN　PLEASANT　STREET
　
　CAREFUL　inquiries；　conducted　incognito　by　Master　Maloney　among　the　denizens　of　Pleasant　Street；　brought　the　information　that　rents　in　the　tenements　were　collected　not　weekly　but　monthly；　a　fact　which　must　undoubtedly　cause　a　troublesome　hitch　in　the　campaign。　Rent…day；　announced　Pugsy；　fell　on　the　last　day　of　the　month。
　〃I　rubbered　around；〃　he　said；　〃and　did　de　sleut'　act；　and　I　finds　t'ings　out。　Dere's　a　feller　es　round　'bout　supper　time　dat　day；　an'　den　it's　up　to　de　fam'lies　what　lives　in　de　tenements　to　dig　down　into　deir　jeans　fer　de　stuff；　or　out　dey　goes　dat　same　night。〃
　〃Evidently　a　hustler；　our　nameless　friend；〃　said　Psmith。
　〃I　got　dat　from　a　kid　what　knows　anuder　kid　what　lives　dere；〃　explained　Master　Maloney。　〃Say；〃　he　proceeded　confidentially；　〃dat　kid's　in　bad；　sure　he　is。　Dat　second　kid；　de　one　what　lives　dere。　He's　a　wop　kid；　an〃
　〃A　what；　rade　Maloney？〃
　〃A　wop。　A　Dago。　Why；　don't　you　get　next？　Why；　an　Italian。　Sure；　dat's　right。　Well；　dis　kid；　he　is　sure　to　de　bad；　'cos　his　father　e　over　from　Italy　to　work　on　de　Subway。〃
　〃I　don't　see　why　that　puts　him　in　bad；〃　said　Billy　Windsor　wonderingly。
　〃Nor　I；〃　agreed　Psmith。　〃Your　narratives；　rade　Maloney；　always　seem　to　me　to　suffer　from　a　certain　lack　of　construction。　You　start　at　the　end；　and　then　you　go　back　to　any　portion　of　the　story　which　happens　to　appeal　to　you　at　the　moment；　eventually　winding　up　at　the　beginning。　Why　should　the　fact　that　this　stripling's　father　has　e　over　from　Italy　to　work　on　the　Subway　be　a　misfortune？〃
　〃Why；　sure；　because　he　got　fired　an'　went　an'　swatted　de　foreman　one　on　de　coco；　an'　de　magistrate　gives　him　t'oity　days。〃
　〃And　then；　rade　Maloney？　This　thing　is　beginning　to　get　clearer。　You　are　like　Sherlock　Holmes。　After　you've　explained　a　thing　from　start　to　finishor；　as　you　prefer　to　do；　from　finish　to　startit　bees　quite　simple。〃
　〃Why；　den　dis　kid's　in　bad　for　fair；　'cos　der　ain't　nobody　to　pungle　de　bones。〃
　〃Pungle　de　what；　rade　Maloney？〃
　〃De　bones。　De　stuff。　Dat's　right。　De　dollars。　He's　all　alone；　dis　kid；　so　when　de　rent…guy　blows　in；　who's　to　slip　him　over　de　simoleons？　It'll　be　outside　for　his；　quick。〃
　Billy　warmed　up　at　this　tale　of　distress　in　his　usual　way。　〃Somebody　ought　to　do　something。　It's　a　vile　shame　the　kid　being　turned　out　like　that。〃
　〃We　will　see　to　it；　rade　Windsor。　Cosy　Moments　shall　step　in。　We　will　bine　business　with　pleasure；　paying　the　stripling's　rent　and　corralling　the　rent…collector　at　the　same　time。　What　is　today？　How　long　before　the　end　of　the　month？　Another　week！　A　murrain　on　it；　rade　Windsor。　Two　murrains。　This　delay　may　undo　us。〃
　But　the　days　went　by　without　any　further　movement　on　the　part　of　the　enemy。　A　strange　quiet　seemed　to　be　brooding　over　the　other　camp。　As　a　matter　of　fact；　the　sudden　outbreak　of　active　hostilities　with　the　Table　Hill　contingent　had　had　the　effect　of　taking　the　minds　of　Spider　Reilly　and　his　warriors　off　Cosy　Moments　and　its　affairs；　much　as　the　unexpected　appearance　of　a　mad　bull　would　make　a　man　forget　that　he　had　e　out　butterfly…hunting。　Psmith　and　Billy　could　wait；　they　were　not　likely　to　take　the　offensive；　but　the　Table　Hillites　demanded　instant　attention。
　War　had　broken　out；　as　was　usual　between　the　gangs；　in　a　somewhat　tentative　fashion　at　first　sight。　There　had　been　sniping　and　skirmishes　by　the　wayside；　but　as　yet　no　pitched　battle。　The　two　armies　were　sparring　for　an　opening。　
　　　　　　　　　*　　　　*　　　　*
　The　end　of　the　week　arrived；　and　Psmith　and　Billy；　conducted　by　Master　Maloney；　made　their　way　to　Pleasant　Street。　To　get　there　it　was　necessary　to　pass　through　a　section　of　the　enemy's　country；　but　the　perilous　passage　was　safely　negotiated。　The　expedition　reached　its　unsavoury　goal　intact。
　The　wop　kid；　whose　name；　it　appeared；　was　Giuseppe　Orloni；　inhabited　a　small　room　at　the　very　top　of　the　building　next　to　the　one　Psmith　and　Mike　had　visited　on　their　first　appearance　in　Pleasant　Street。　He　was　out　when　the　party；　led　by　Pugsy　up　dark　stairs；　arrived；　and；　on　returning；　seemed　both　surprised　and　alarmed　to　see　visitors。　Pugsy　undertook　to　do　the　honours。　Pugsy　as　interpreter　was　energetic　but　not　wholly　successful。　He　appeared　to　have　a　fixed　idea　that　the　Italian　language　was　one　easily　mastered　by　the　simple　method　of　saying　〃da〃　instead　of　〃the；〃　and　tacking　on　a　final　〃a〃　to　any　word　that　seemed　to　him　to　need　one。
　〃Say；　kid；〃　he　began；　〃has　da　rent…a…man　e　yet…a？〃
　The　black　eyes　of　the　wop　kid　clouded。　He　gesticulated；　and　said　something　in　his　native　language。
　〃He　hasn't　got　next；〃　reported　Master　Maloney。　〃He　can't　git　on　to　me　curves。　Dese　wop　kids　is　all　boneheads。　Say；　kid；　look…a　here。〃　He　walked　out　of　the　room　and　closed　the　door；　then；　rapping　on　it　smartly　from　the　outside；　re…entered　and；　assuming　a　look　of　extreme　ferocity；　stretched　out　his　hand　and　thundered：　〃Unbelt…a！　Slip…a　me　da　stuff！〃
　The　wop　kid's　puzzlement　became　pathetic。
　〃This；〃　said　Psmith；　deeply　interested；　〃is　getting　about　as　tense　as　anything　I　ever　struck。　Don't　give　in；　rade　Maloney。　Who　knows　but　that　you　may　yet　win　through？　I　fancy　the　trouble　is　that　your　too　perfect　Italian　accent　is　making　the　youth　home…sick。　Once　more　to　the　breach；　rade　Maloney。〃
　Master　Maloney　made　a　gesture　of　disgust。　〃I'm　t'roo。　Dese　Dagoes　makes　me　tired。　Dey　don't　know　enough　to　go　upstairs　to　take　de　Elevated。　Beat　it；　you　mutt；〃　he　observed　with　moody　displeasure　to　the　wop　kid；　acpanying　the　words　with　a　gesture　which　conveyed　its　own　meaning。　The　wop　kid；　plainly　glad　to　get　away；　slipped　out　of　the　door　like　a　shadow。
　Pugsy　shrugged　his　shoulders。
　〃Gents；〃　he　said　resignedly；　〃it's　up　to　youse。〃
　〃I　fancy；〃　said　Psmith；　〃that　this　is　one　of　those　moments　when　it　is　necessary　for　me　to　unlimber　my　Sherlock　Holmes　system。　As　thus。　If　the　rent　collector　had　been　here；　it　is　certain；　I　think；　that　rade　Spaghetti；　or　whatever　you　said　his　name　was；　wouldn't　have　been。　That　is　to　say；　if　the　rent　collector　had　called　and　found　no　money　waiting　for　him；　surely　rade　Spaghetti　would　have　been　out　in　the　cold　night　instead　of　under　his　own　roof…tree。　Do　you　follow　me；　rade　Maloney？〃
　〃That's　right；〃　said　Billy　Windsor。　〃Of　course。〃
　〃Elementary；　my　dear　Watson；　elementary；〃　murmured　Psmith。
　〃So　all　we　have　to　do　is　to　sit　here　and　wait。〃
　〃All？〃　said　Psmith　sadly。　〃Surely　it　is　enough。　For　of　all　the　scaly　localities　I　have　struck　this　seems　to　me　the　scaliest。　The　architect　of　this　Stately　Home　of　America　seems　to　have　had　a　positive　hatred　for　windows。　His　idea　of　ventilation　was　to　leave　a　hole　in　the　wall　about　the　size　of　a　lima　bean　and　let　the　thing　go