elizabethpeters.thegoldenone-第4部分

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ce　again　in　the　ambience　that　had　provided　the　prelude　to　so　many　remarkable　experiences。　The　villain　Vincey　（and　his　cat）　searching　our　luggage　in　the　bedroom；　the　Master　Criminal；　aka　Sethos；　aka　（had　I　but　known）　my　brother…in…law；　slipping　a　sleeping　potion　into　my　wine　in　the　dining　saloon　。　。　。
　〃What's　he　up　to　now？〃　Emerson　demanded；　as　the　servants　carried　in　our　bags　and　the　manager　advanced　to　wele　us。
　〃Do　stop　shouting；　Emerson；〃　I　implored。　〃Wait　until　we　are　in　private。〃
　We　had　been　given　our　old　rooms　on　the　third　floor。　By　the　time　we　had　got　everyone　settled　in　and　I　had　convinced　Sennia　that　she　must　have　an　early　supper　with　Basima　instead　of　joining　us　for　dinner；　the　sky　was　darkening　and　the　lights　of　Cairo　were　twinkling　through　the　dusk。　The　private　discussion　I　had　promised　Emerson　would　have　to　wait　a　little　longer；　Gargery　was　not　to　be　got　rid　of。　Fully　recovered　and　officious　as　usual；　he　was　determined　to　carry　out　the　duties　of　a　valet。　Emerson　did　not　employ　a　valet；　nor　should　the　Reader　suppose　that　under　ordinary　circumstances　we　would　have　taken　a　servant　as　useless　as　a　butler　with　us　to　an　archaeological　dig。　Gargery　was　something　more　and　perhaps　something　less　than　a　butler；　however；　he　had　taken　part　in　several　of　our　criminal　investigations　and　had　proved　himself　ready　and　willing　to　employ　any　methods　he　deemed　necessary　to　protect　us　…　and　most　particularly；　Sennia。
　I　pleted　my　toilette　and　retired　to　the　sitting　room；　where　I　found　that　the　sufragi　had　delivered　a　number　of　messages　and　letters。　I　glanced　through　them；　entertained　by　the　growls　and　curses　ing　from　the　dressing　room。　Finally　Emerson　emerged；　looking　sullen　but　very　handsome　in　black　tie；　and　after　admiring　his　handiwork　and　requesting　my　approval；　Gargery　retired。
　Emerson　said；　〃Now；　Peabody；　curse　it　…〃
　〃No；　my　dear；　not　now。　We　will　want　to　hear　what　the　children　have　to　say　about　this。〃
　Nefret　and　Ramses　were　late　in　joining　us　in　the　dining　saloon；　so　I　took　advantage　of　the　interlude　to　see　if　there　was　anyone　present　from　whom　I　could　extract　useful　information。　Pickings；　as　Emerson　remarked；　appeared　to　be　slim。　Many　of　our　fellow　archaeologists　had　left　Egypt　for　war　duties。　I　had　hoped　to　see　Howard　Carter；　who　led　a　peripatetic　existence；　running　back　and　forth　between　Luxor；　where　he　excavated　in　a　rather　random　manner；　and　Cairo；　where　he　carried　out　certain　mysterious　activities　on　behalf　of　the　War　Office。　However；　he　was　not　there。
　There　was　one　familiar　face　among　those　present　…　one　I　would　rather　not　have　seen。　He　was　looking　directly　at　me；　and　I　was　not　quick　enough　to　avoid　meeting　his　eyes；　the　thin　lips　pressed　between　a　pointed　nose　and　chin　parted　in　a　smile　and　he　rose　to　his　feet。
　〃Curse　it！〃　said　Emerson。　〃It's　that　bastard　Smith。〃
　〃That　is　only　his　nom　d'espionnage；　Emerson。〃
　〃His　what？〃
　〃You　know　what　I　mean。　I　thought　it　a　rather　clever　term。〃
　Emerson's　expression　indicated　that　he　did　not　agree。　〃His　name　is　Boisgirdle…Bracedragon；〃　I　added。　〃Or　is　it　Bracegirdle…Boisdragon？　The　reason　I　have　difficulty　in　remembering　is；　of　course；　because　I　dislike　the　fellow　so　thoroughly。　It　is　a　well…known　psychological　…〃
　〃Don't　talk　psychology　to　me；　Peabody。　It　is　a　damned　ridiculous　name　in　any　case。　If　we　must　refer　to　him　at　all；　Smith　is　good　enough。　He　isn't　going　to　have　the　infernal　gall　to　speak　to　us；　is　he？〃
　If　Smith　had　intended　to　do　so；　Emerson's　concentrated　scowl　made　him　think　better　of　it。　He　sank　back　into　his　chair。　I　kept　an　unobtrusive　eye　on　him；　though；　and　when　Ramses　and　Nefret　joined　us　a　few　minutes　later；　he　again　rose；　and　this　time；　he　bowed　in　our　direction。
　Ramses　misses　very　little；　and　this　overture　would　have　been　difficult　to　overlook。　His　bland　expression　did　not　change；　but　Nefret　let　out　a　muffled　swearword。　She　looked　very　beautiful　in　her　favorite　cornflower　blue；　with　pearls　and　sapphires　as　her　ornaments　and　her　gold…red　hair　coiled　into　a　coronet　around　her　head；　but　her　pretty　face　had　assumed　a　scowl　almost　as　forbidding　as　that　of　Emerson。
　〃What's　he　doing　here？〃　she　demanded。
　〃One　must　suppose　he　is　dining；〃　said　Ramses　coolly。
　〃Here？〃
　Nefret　had　a　point。　Shepheard's　was　no　longer　the　hotel　favored　by　the　smart　set　of　Cairo。　〃Smith〃　was　a　member　of　that　group　of　silly　women　and　pompous　officials；　the　majority　of　whom　were　probably　unaware　of　his　intelligence　activities；　believing　him　to　be　an　official　of　the　Department　of　Public　Works。　He　was　dining　alone　that　evening。
　It　would　not　have　been　difficult　for　interested　parties　to　learn　the　date　of　our　arrival　and　the　name　of　the　hotel　where　we　had　booked　rooms。　Some　of　those　interested　parties　were　in　London；　and　I　did　not　doubt　that　their　particular　interest　was　in　my　son。　At　the　behest　of　his　superiors；　Smith　had　tried　once　before　to　recruit　Ramses　for　a　dangerous　mission。　Would　he　try　again？　Or　…　the　idea　had　just　occurred　to　me　…　did　his　presence　have　something　to　do　with　the　reappearance　of　Emerson's　brother？　Sethos　had　been　connected　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　accura