a thief in the night-第30部分

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　Nelson　Relics　we've　heard　about；　and　here　are　mine！〃　　　　〃Which　I　wish　to　goodness　we　could　see；〃　I　added；　longingly。　　Next　moment　I　was　sorry　I　had　spoken。　　Raffles　was　looking　at　me　across　the　magazine。　　There　was　a　smile　on　his　lips　that　I　knew　too　well；　a　light　in　his　eyes　that　I　had　kindled。

〃What　an　excellent　idea？　　he　exclaimed；　quite　softly；　as　though　working　it　out　already　in　his　brain。

〃I　didn't　mean　it　for　one；〃　I　answered；　〃and　no　more　do　you。〃

〃Certainly　I　do；〃　said　Raffles。　　〃I　was　never　more　serious　in　my　life。〃

〃You　would　march　into　Scotland　Yard　in　broad　daylight？〃

〃In　broad　lime…light；〃　he　answered；　studying　the　magazine　again；　〃to　set　eyes　on　my　own　once　more。　　Why　here　they　all。　are；　Bunny　　…　you　never　told　me　there　was　an　illustration。　　That's　the　chest　you　took　to　your　bank　with　me　inside；　and　those　must　be　my　own　rope…ladder　and　things　on　top。　　They　produce　so　badly　in　the　baser　magazines　that　it's　impossible　to　swear　to　them；　there's　nothing　for　it　but　a　visit　of　inspection。〃

〃Then　you　can　pay　it　alone；〃　said　I　grimly。　　〃You　may　have　altered；　but　they'd　know　me　at　a　glance。〃

〃By　all。　means；　Bunny；　if　you'll　get　me　the　pass。〃

〃A　pass？　　I　cried　triumphantly。　　〃Of　course　we　should　have　to　get　one；　and　of　course　that　puts　an　end　to　the　whole　idea。　　Who　on　earth　would　give　a　pass　for　this　show；　of　all。　others；　to　an　old　prisoner　like　me？〃

Raffles　addressed　himself　to　the　reading　of　the　magazine　with　a　shrug　that　showed　some　temper。

〃The　fellow　who　wrote　this　article　got　one；〃　said　he　shortly。　　〃He　got　it　from　his　editor；　and　you　can　get　one　from　yours　if　you　tried。　But　pray　don't　try；　Bunny：　it　would　be　too　terrible　for　you　to　risk　a　moment's　embarrassment　to　gratify　a　mere　whim　of　mine。　　And　if　I　went　instead　of　you　and　got　spotted；　which　is　so　likely　with　this　head　of　hair；　and　the　general　belief　in　my　demise；　the　consequences　to　you　would　be　too　awful　to　contemplate！　　Don't　contemplate　them；　my　dear　fellow。　　And　do　let　me　read　my　magazine。〃

Need　I　add　that　I　set　about　the　rash　endeavor　without　further　expostulation？　　I　was　used　to　such　ebullitions　from　the　altered　Raffles　of　these　later　days；　and　I　could　well　understand　them。　　All。　the　inconvenience　of　the　new　conditions　fell　on　him。　　I　had　purged　my　known　offences　by　imprisonment；　whereas　Raffles　was　merely　supposed　to　have　escaped　punishment　in　death。　　The　result　was　that　I　could　rush　in　where　Raffles　feared　to　tread；　and　was　his　plenipotentiary　in　all。　honest　dealings　with　the　outer　world。　　It　could　not　but　gall　him　to　be　so　dependent　upon　me；　and　it　was　for　me　to　minimize　the　humiliation　by　scrupulously　avoiding　the　least　semblance　of　an　abuse　of　that　power　which　I　now　had　over　him。　Accordingly；　though　with　much　misgiving；　I　did　his　ticklish　behest　in　Fleet　Street；　where；　despite　my　past；　I　was　already　making　a　certain　lowly　footing　for　myself。　　Success　followed　as　it　will　when　one　longs　to　fail；　and　one　fine　evening　I　returned　to　Ham　Common　with　a　card　from　the　Convict　Supervision　Office；　New　Scotland　Yard；　which　I　treasure　to　this　day。　　I　am　surprised　to　see　that　it　was　undated；　and　might　still　almost　〃Admit　Bearer　to　see　the　Museum；〃　to　say　nothing　of　the　bearer's　friends；　since　my　editor's　name　〃and　party〃　is　scrawled　beneath　the　legend。

〃But　he　doesn't　want　to　come；〃　as　I　explained　to　Raffles。　　〃And　it　means　that　we　can　both　go；　if　we　both　like。〃

Raffles　looked　at　me　with　a　wry　smile；　he　was　in　good　enough　humor　now。

〃It　would　be　rather　dangerous；　Bunny。　　If　they　spotted　you；　they　might　think　of　me。〃

〃But　you　say　they'll　never　know　you　now。〃

〃I　don't　believe　they　will。　　I　don't　believe　there's　the　slightest　risk；　but　we　shall　soon　see。　　I've　set　my　heart　on　seeing；　Bunny；　but　there's　no　earthly　reason　why　I　should　drag　you　into　it。〃

〃You　do　that　when　you　present　this　card；〃　I　pointed　out。　　〃I　shall　hear　of　it　fast　enough　if　anything　happens。〃

〃Then　you　may　as　well　be　there　to　see　the　fun？〃

〃It　will　make　no　difference　if　the　worst　comes　to　the　worst。〃

〃And　the　ticket　is　for　a　party；　isn't　it？〃

〃It　is。〃

〃It　might　even　look　peculiar　if　only　one　person　made　use　of　it？〃

〃It　might。〃

〃Then　we're　both　going；　Bunny！　　And　I　give　you　my　word；〃　cried　Raffles；　〃that　no　real　harm　shall　come　of　it。　　But　you　mustn't　ask　to　see　the　Relics；　and　you　mustn't　take　too　much　interest　in　them　when　you　do　see　them。　　Leave　the　questioning　to　me：　it　really　will　be　a　chance　of　finding　out　whether　they've　any　suspicion　of　one's　resurrection　at　Scotland　Yard。　　Still　I　think　I　can　promise　you　a　certain　amount　of　fun；　old　fellow；　as　some　little　compensation　for　your　pangs　and　fears？　　　　The　early　afternoon　was　mild　and　hazy；　and　unlike　winter　but　for　the　prematurely　low　sun　struggling　through　the　haze；　as　Raffles　and　I　emerged　from　the　nether　regions　at　Westminster　Bridge；　and　stood　for　one　moment　to　admire　the　infirm　silhouettes　of　Abbey　and　Houses　in　flat　gray　against　a　golden　mist。　　Raffles　murmured　of　Whistler　and　of　Arthur　Severn；　and　threw　away　a　good　Sullivan　because　the　smoke　would　curl　between　him　and　the　picture。　　It　is　perhaps　the　picture　that　I　can　now　see　clearest　of　all。　the　set　scenes　of　our　lawless　life。　　But　at　the　time　I　was　filled　with　gloomy　speculation　as　to　whether　Raffles　would　keep　his　promise　of　providing　an　entirely　harmless　entertainment　for　my　benefit　at　the　Black　Museum。

We　entered　the　forbidding　precincts；　we　looked　relentless　officers　in　the　face；　and　they　almost　yawned　in　ours　as　they　directed　us　through　swing　doors　and　up　stone　stairs。　　There　was　something　even　sinister　in　the　casual　character　of　our　reception。　　We　had　an　arctic　landing　to　ourselves　for　several　minutes；　which　Raffles　spent　in　an　instinctive　survey　of　the　premises；　while　I　cooled　my　heels　before　the　portrait　of　a　late　commissioner。

〃Dear　old　gentleman？　　exclaimed　Raffles；　joining　me。　　〃I　have　met　him　at　dinner；　and　discussed　my　own　case　with　him；　in　the　old　days。　But　we　can't　know　too　little　about　ourselves　in　the　Black　Museum；　Bunny。　　I　remember　going　to　the　old　place　in　Whitehall；　years　ago；　and　being　shown　round　by　one　of　the　tip…top　'tecs。　　And　this　may　be　another。〃

But　even　I　could　see　at　a　glance　that　there　was　nothing　of　the　detective　and　everything　of　the　clerk　about　the　very　young　man　who　had　joined　us　at　last　upon　the　landing。　　His　collar　was　the　tallest　I　have　ever　seen；　and　his　face　was　as　pallid　as　his　collar。　　He　carried　a　loose　key；　with　which　he　unlocked　a　door　a　little　way　along　the　passage；　and　so　ushered　us　into　that　dreadful　repository　which　perhaps　has　fewer　visitors　than　any　other　of　equal　interest　in　the　world。　　The　place　was　cold　as　the　inviolate　vault；　blinds　had　to　be　drawn　up；　and　glass　cases　uncovered；　before　we　could　see　a　thing　except　the　row　of　murderers'　death…masks　…　　the　placid　faces　with　the　swollen　necks　…　that　stood　out　on　their　shelves　to　give　us　ghostly　greeting。

〃This　fellow　isn't　formidable；〃　whispered　Raffles；　as　the　blinds　went　up；　〃still；　we　can't　be　too　careful。　　My　little　lot　are　round　the　corner；　in　the　sort　of　recess；　don't　look　till　we　come　to　them　in　their　turn。〃

So　we　began　at　the　beginning；　with　the　glass　case　nearest　the　door；　and　in　a　moment　I　discovered　that　I　knew　far　more　about　its　contents　than　our　pallid　guide。　　He　had　some　enthusiasm；　but　the　most　inaccurate　smattering　of　his　subject。　　He　mixed　up　the　first　murderer　with　quite　the　wrong　murder；　and　capped　his　mistake　in　the　next　breath　with　an　intolerable　libel　on　the　very　pearl　of　our　particular　tribe。

〃This　revawlver；〃　he　began；　〃belonged　to　the　celebrited　burgular；　Chawles　Peace。　　These　are　his　spectacles；　that's　his　jimmy；　and　this　here　knife's　the　one　that　Chawley　killed　the　policeman　with。〃

Now　I　like　accuracy　for　its　own　sake；　strive　after　it　myself；　and　am　sometimes　guilty　of　forcing　it　upon　others。　　So　this　was　more　than　I　could　pass。

〃That's　not　quite　right；〃　I　put　in　mildly。　　〃He　never　made　use　of　the　knife。〃

The　young　clerk　twisted　his　head　round　in　its　vase　of　starch。

〃Chawley　Peace　killed　two　policemen；〃　said　he。

〃No；　he　didn't；　only　one　of　them　was　a　policeman；　and　he　never　killed　anybody　with　a　knife。〃

The　clerk　took　the　correction　like　a　lamb。　　I　could　not　have　refrained　from　making　it；　to　save　my　skin。　　But　Raffles　rewarded　me　with　as　vicious　a　little　kick　as　he　could　administer　unobserved。　〃Who　was　Charles　Peace？〃　he　inquired；　with　the　bland　effrontery　of　any　judge　upon　the　bench。

The　clerk's　reply　came　pat　and　unexpected。　　〃The　greatest　burgular　we　ever　had；〃　said　he；　〃till　good　old　Raffles　knocked　him　out！〃　　　　〃The　greatest　of　the　pre…Raffleites；〃　the　master　murmured；　as　we　passed　on　to　the　safer　memorials　of　mere　murder。　　There　were　misshapen　bullets　and　stained　knives　that　had　taken　human　life；　there　were　lithe；　lean　ropes　which　had　retaliated　after　the　live　letter　of　the　Mosaic　law。　　There　was　one　bristling　broadside　of　revolvers　under　the　longest　shelf　of　closed　eyes　and　swollen　throats。　There　were　festoons　of　rope…ladders　…　none　so　ingenious　as　ours　…　　and　then　at　last　there　was　something　that　the　clerk　knew　all。　about。　It　was　a　small　tin　cigarette…box；　and　the　name　upon　the　gaudy　wrapper　was　not　the　name　of　Sullivan。　　Yet　Raffles　and　I　knew　even　more　about　this　exhibit　than　the　clerk。

〃There；　now；〃　said　our　guide；　〃you'll　never　guess　the　history　of　that！　　I'll　give　you　twenty　guesses；　and　the　twentieth　will　be　no　nearer　than　the　first〃

〃I'm　sure　of　it；　my　good　fellow；〃　rejoined　Raffles；　a　discreet　twinkle　in　his　eye。　　〃Tell　us　about　it；　to　save　time。〃

And　he　opened；　as　he　spoke；　his　own　old　twenty…five　tin　of　purely　popular　cigarettes；　there　were　a　few　in　it　still；　but　between　the　cigarettes　were　jammed　lumps　of　sugar　wadded　with　cotton…wool。　　I　saw　Raffles　weighing　the　lot　in　his　hand　with　subtle　satisfaction。　But　the　clerk　saw　merely　the　mystification　which　he　desired　to　create。

〃I　thought　that'd　beat　you；　sir；〃　said　he。　　〃It　was　an　American　dodge。　　Two　smart　Yankees　got　a　jeweller　to　take　a　lot　of　stuff　to　a　private　room　at　Keliner's；　where　they　were　dining；　for　them　to　choose　from。　　When　it　came　to　paying；　there　was　some　bother　about　a　remittance；　but　they　soon　made　that　all。　right；　for　they　were　far　too　clever　to　suggest　taking　away　wh