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非洲的百万富翁|Millionaire in Africa

第二章　钻石链扣|Chapter II The Episode of the Diamond Links

属类： 双语小说 【分类】双语小说 -[作者: 格兰特-艾伦] 阅读：[13546]
《非洲的百万富翁》讲述了骗子克雷上校与查尔斯爵士斗智斗勇的故事.克雷上校通过伪装成不同的身份,如墨西哥先知,小牧师理查德·佩普洛·布拉巴宗,施莱尔马赫教授等欺骗查尔斯,令查尔斯防不胜防.而案情的揭露则是通过克雷上校在事后给查尔斯发来的羞辱信,把他实施作案的过程揭露出来的.最终,克雷上校受到了法律的制裁
《 字+字- 行+行- 页+页- 字+字- 行+行- 页+页- 》
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“咱们去瑞士旅行吧。”凡德里夫特夫人提议。于是，我们果真去瑞士旅行了。对于了解艾米莉亚的人来说，这没什么值得大惊小怪的。这世上除了艾米莉亚，没有谁能说服查尔斯爵士，至于艾米莉亚，谁也说服不了她。

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我们一开始就遇到了些麻烦，因为我们没有提前在酒店订好房间，刚好又是旅游旺季。不过，这些问题在一贯的贿赂面前最终迎刃而解，我们如期舒舒服服地住进了位于卢塞恩的施维泽霍夫大酒店，这是全欧洲最舒适的酒店。

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我们一行四人，两男两女——查尔斯爵士和艾米莉亚，我和伊莎贝尔。房间很大，很漂亮，在二楼，俯瞰着湖泊。那种旅行初期的狂热劲儿，主要是不顾一切地想去爬陡得要命，还到处是雪的大山，还好我们中间谁都丝毫没有这种念头，因此我可以大胆而肯定地讲，我们都玩儿得很开心。我们比较明智，大部分时间都坐在小蒸汽船上，在湖面上惬意地漂荡着；也爬过一次山，记不清是瑞吉山还是皮拉图斯山——不过，我们是坐车上去的。

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同平时一样，在酒店，大量各色人等都对我们热情似火，极为殷勤。要是你想看看人性中友善和迷人的一面，就试着当一个星期的众所周知的百万富翁吧，这样你就能略为体验一二。不管查尔斯爵士走到哪儿，总会被一群讨人喜爱、大公无私的人围着。这些人都急切地想结识他，他们要么都熟知几个不错的投资项目，要么就是知道几个需要基督教慈善事业救助的对象。我作为查尔斯的妹夫兼秘书，有责任去婉言谢绝那些不错的投资项目，还得巧妙地给那些需要救济的泼些冷水。甚至连我自己，做了这位大人物的施赈人员，也常常被这些人穷追不舍。他们常常不经意间在我面前讲起些朴实的故事，“温特沃斯先生，你也了解，坎伯兰郡的那些穷牧师”，或者是康沃尔郡的寡妇，再或者是面对书桌上的史诗却身无分文的诗人，再者就是一些年轻的画家，只需有位赞助人金口一开，便能帮他们打开心仪的学院之门。我一边面带微笑，摆出一副已经知晓的神情，一边给他们泼了少许冷水。这些我都没给查尔斯说，除非有些罕见或者从未听说过的情况，并且觉得其中确实另有隐情。

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查尔斯爵士天生谨慎，自打在尼斯经历了先知那件小事后，他变得比平时更为小心，以提防那些可能出现的骗子。这时，我们在施维泽霍夫酒店吃客饭（艾米莉亚突发奇想，要在施维泽霍夫酒店吃客饭，说是受不了和“那么多家人”天天待在私人房间里），刚好对面就坐着这么一位，看起来不像是什么好人，黑头发，黑眼睛，一副浓眉十分惹眼。我之所以开始注意到那眉毛，是因为我们旁边坐着一位和善的小副牧师，他发现那人的眉毛又粗又硬，还说达尔文认为这遗传自我们那些猴子祖先。这位年轻的小副牧师面目清秀，十分开朗活泼，正和他漂亮的小娇妻在蜜月旅行，她是位苏格兰姑娘，说起话来有些口音，十分悦耳。

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我仔细地端详着那眉毛，接着突然冒出一个念头。“你觉得那眉毛是天生的吗？”我问那小副牧师，“是不是粘上去的——只是某种伪装？看起来可真像。”

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“莫非你觉得——”查尔斯张口道，突然又止住。

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“对，我觉得是，”我答道，“那位先知。”接着，我意识到自己犯了大错，不好意思地低下了头。因为，说实话，查尔斯老早就直接嘱咐过我，关于在尼斯的那段痛苦的小插曲，不要在艾米莉亚面前提到任何字眼。怕她一旦听说此事，就会天天把这事挂在嘴边。

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“什么先知？”小副牧师带着出于自己职业的那种好奇心问道。

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我注意到那位浓眉男子一惊，有些可疑。查尔斯的目光紧紧地盯着我，我不知该如何回答。

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“哦，是去年同我们一起待在尼斯的一个人，”我结结巴巴地说，尽量看上去一副若无其事的样子，“是当地人谈论的一个家伙，就是这样。”接着，我便转移了话题。

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但那个小副牧师蠢得像头驴，不愿让我转换话题。

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“他就是那种眉毛吗？”他低声问道。我真的很生气，要是那人真的是克雷上校，这位小副牧师很明显给了他个暗示。现在，我们也许已经暴露出要抓他的信号了，这样一来，要抓他就更难了。

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“不是的，”我不耐烦地答道，“我只是随便说说，这个人不是他，我认错人了，认错了。”我用胳膊肘轻轻推了他一下。

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小副牧师信以为真。“哦，我明白了。”他答道，自作聪明地使劲点头。接着，他转向妻子，做了个明显的鬼脸，那个浓眉的家伙肯定注意到了。

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还好，饭桌隔着几个座位之外的地方，有人正谈论着政治，声音传过来，暂时转移了我们的注意力，格莱斯顿这个神奇的名字解救了我们。查尔斯勃然大怒，我却满心欢喜，因为我看到艾米莉亚此时已经控制不住自己的好奇心了。

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饭后，在台球室里，那位浓眉男子从一边凑过来，跟我搭话。如果他就是克雷上校的话，那么很明显，他对上次从我们这骗走五千英镑并不在意。他还准备伺机再骗我们五千。这一次，他立刻说自己是赫克托·麦克弗森博士，从巴西政府手中获得一大块广袤土地的开采权，就在亚马孙河的上游，他是唯一的受让人。他立刻开门见山地同我谈到了他在巴西地产里那丰富的矿产资源——白银、铂金，已经发现的红宝石，还有那些可能会发现的钻石。我边听边微笑，知道他接下来要说些什么。要开发这片价值连城的土地，他只需要再投入一点资金。就因为缺少几百英镑加以适当地开发，那些价值成千上万英镑的铂金，还有一车车的红宝石，只能碎在土地中或被河水冲走，想一想都难受。要是知道目前谁有钱投资，他就会推荐——不对，是双手奉上一个赚钱的机会，回报率百分之四十，而且绝对安全。

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“不是所有人都可以来做，”赫克托·麦克弗森博士把身子凑过来说道，“不过，要是我看中了哪位手上有现金的主，我就会让他的钱袋子迅速地鼓起来，那速度绝无仅有。”

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“你可真够大公无私的。”我讽刺道，眼睛盯着他的眉毛。

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此时，小副牧师正在同查尔斯爵士打台球。他目光随着我，也看了一会儿那猴毛似的眉毛。

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“假的，很明显是假的。”他用嘴型示意道。说实话，我从没见过谁能只靠口型就把话说得这么好，虽然没出声，但你能知道他说的每一个字。

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那天晚上余下的时间，赫克托·麦克弗森博士一直像芥末膏药一样贴着我，都快让人恼火了。听到亚马孙河上游这个字眼，我就打心底厌烦。我早已在红宝石矿山中（我的意思是，在矿山的售股章程中）劳神费时太久，到后来，一看到红宝石就反感至极。有一次，查尔斯爵士一反常态，慷慨地送了他妹妹伊莎贝尔（我有幸娶之为妻）一条红宝石项链（次品），我让伊莎贝尔换成了蓝宝石和紫水晶的，理由很明智：后者同她的肤色更般配（顺便提一句，因为考虑到了伊莎贝尔的肤色，我这次把她说服了）。到睡觉的时候，我早就想好了，准备将亚马孙河上游这个地方沉到海底，再把那位手握土地开采权、贴着假眉毛的男子用刀刺，用枪打，用药毒，再或者，把他折磨得体无完肤。

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在接下来的三天里，他仍时不时地过来缠我。他说的那些铂金和红宝石把我烦得要死。他不愿意让哪位有钱的主儿单独开发这些宝藏，而是希望能够让自己独自来做，然后给投资人一些自己胡编乱造出来的公司的优惠债券，外加土地开采权抵押产生的利息。一开始，我边听边微笑，然后打哈欠，之后有点暴躁，最后根本不去听了，但他还在那儿叨叨个没完。有一天，我在蒸汽船上睡着了，十分钟后醒来，听到他还在絮叨：“经认证，每吨里面铂金的产量是——”我记不得是几磅，还是几盎司，还是几本尼威特了。化验分析的这些细节，再也激不起我的兴趣：就像“不相信有鬼”的人，这一套我见得太多了。

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然而面目清秀的小副牧师，还有他妻子，则完全是另外一种类型。他是牛津人，打板球；而她是位活泼的苏格兰姑娘，散发着苏格兰高地那蓬勃的气息。我叫她“白石南花”。他们姓布拉巴宗。由于百万富翁们习惯了形形色色贪得无厌的人的纠缠，因而，当碰到一对心地单纯的年轻夫妇时，他们会对这纯粹的人际关系感到欢喜。我们多次同这对度蜜月的年轻人一起野餐，在周围游玩。他们对彼此的爱慕毫不掩饰，也不怕别人打趣他们，我们都非常喜欢他们俩。不过，每当我称那位漂亮的小姑娘“白石南花”时，她总是看起来很震惊，然后叫道：“啊！温特沃斯先生！”不过，我们仍是关系最好的朋友。一天，在湖上，小副牧师主动要为我们划船，而这时，那位苏格兰姑娘则向我们保证，她能和他划得一样稳。不过，我们没有接受他们的好意，因为划船对艾米莉亚的消化系统不太好。

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“那个姓布拉巴宗的，是个不错的小伙子，”一天，我和查尔斯爵士沿着码头散步时，他对我说，“绝口不提什么受俸牧师推荐权，也不提以后的圣职推荐。他好像根本不在乎什么晋升提拔。他说，他对于自己副牧师这一职位十分满意，薪俸足够家用，再也别无他求；他妻子有一点点，非常少的一点点积蓄。我问了问他教区里的穷人怎么样，想故意试探他一下：这些牧师总是绞尽脑汁，想为教区里的穷人骗点什么。有人说，穷人总是无处不在，处在我这种位置的人深知此话不假。说出来你也许不会相信，他说他的教区里没有穷人，都是些富足的农民，还有些身强力健的劳工，他唯一害怕的是哪天来个人，想试着把他们变穷。‘要是哪位做慈善的今天给我五十英镑，让我在艾宾汉姆花掉，’他说，‘查尔斯先生，我敢保证，我都不知道该怎么花。我觉得，该给杰西买些新衣服，但她的情况和村里其他人差不多——也就是说，根本不需要。’西，老弟，这牧师正是你所欣赏的类型。多希望我们在塞尔登也能有一位他这样的牧师。”

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“他绝对没打算从你身上算计点什么。”我答道。

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那天晚上吃晚饭时，发生了一个奇怪的小插曲。那名浓眉的男子，像往常一样开始隔着桌子对着我说话，张口闭口全是亚马孙河上游那块让人厌烦的土地的开采权。我打算尽可能委婉地让他闭嘴，这时我注意到了艾米莉亚的眼睛。她的表情引起了我的兴趣。她示意自己身旁的查尔斯，让他去观察小副牧师那不同寻常的袖口链扣。我扫了一眼，立即意识到，这么一个不起眼的人物有这么一对链扣，是有点奇怪。每条链扣都有一短片金条，通过一条小金链连着钻石。以我相当丰富的经验来看——那是一颗最上等的钻石。钻石相当大，外形、光泽、切割也都堪称精品。我立刻明白了艾米莉亚的意思。她有一条钻石项链，据说来自印度，不过还差两颗钻石，才能把她那相当丰满的脖子围上一圈。她早就打算再要两颗同样的钻石，同自己的项链配成一套，但她的钻石形状奇特，切割样式过时，所以一直没能配成她心仪的项链。要做成这条项链，最起码得有一块相当大的极品钻石，从上面切割掉相当一部分。

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那位苏格兰姑娘此刻也注意到了艾米莉亚的目光，突然绽放出了愉快、甜美的微笑。“迪克，亲爱的，又俘获了一个人，”她转向丈夫，欢快地大声说道，“凡德里夫特夫人正盯着你的钻石链扣呢！”

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“钻石相当不错。”艾米莉亚没多想便脱口而出。（要是她打算买的话，刚说出的这话就不太明智了。）

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不过和蔼的小副牧师心地太单纯，没有顺着她脱口而出的话往下说。“的确很不错，”他答道，“就各方面而言，都相当不错。但实话告诉你，它们根本不是什么钻石，只不过是上等的东方老式铅玻璃。在塞林伽巴丹之围后，我曾祖父花了几个卢比从一个印度兵手里买来的，而那印度兵则是从提普苏丹的王宫里掳掠来的。他和你一样，觉得自己得了个宝，但事实是，经过专家的检测，它们只不过是铅玻璃做的——极好的铅玻璃。据说都瞒过了提普本人，因为仿制得太像了。但它们也就值——嗯，大概最多五十先令。”

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就在他说话的当儿，查尔斯盯着艾米莉亚，艾米莉亚也望着查尔斯。他们四目相对，目光中来回传递着大量讯息。她的项链据说也曾经是提普的藏物。两人立刻得出了一致的结论：这两颗钻石和艾米莉亚的是一样的，很有可能在占领印度王宫的打斗中被扯断了，所以就此同其他部分失散开来。

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“你能把它们取下来吗？”查尔斯爵士平静地问道。他说话的语气中流露出一些买卖的意味。

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“当然可以，”小副牧师笑着，答道，“把它们取下来，我也习惯了。它们总会引起别人的注意。自从那次围攻之后，它们就一直放在家中，算是件无价的传家宝。原因嘛，你也知道，就是那背后的传奇故事。别人和你一样，谁见了都要仔细地检验一下。一开始，甚至把专家都瞒过了。不过，虽然这样，但它们就是铅玻璃，彻头彻尾的东方铅玻璃。”

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小副牧师把两个链扣都取了下来，递给查尔斯。说到鉴别珠宝，全英国没有谁能比得上我内兄。我眯着眼睛看着他，他仔细地检查着链扣，先是用肉眼看，接着又用他口袋里随身携带的放大镜看。“相当不错的赝品，”他咕哝道，将其递给艾米莉亚，“怪不得它们能瞒过一些没经验的人。”

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不过，从他说这话的语气来看，我立刻明白，他十分高兴，因为这是真正的价值不菲的珠宝。查尔斯做买卖的方式，我再清楚不过了。他递给艾米莉亚的眼神仿佛在说：“这正是你长久以来苦苦寻求的钻石。”

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那位苏格兰姑娘欢快地笑了出来。“迪克，他看出来了，”她大声嚷道，“我敢保证，查尔斯爵士肯定是位鉴定钻石的专家。”

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艾米莉亚将链扣翻来覆去地把玩。我也了解艾米莉亚，从她看链扣的眼神中可以看出，她打算把它们弄到手。要是艾米莉亚打算把什么东西弄到手，那些想阻止她的人最好还是省省心，不要白费功夫了。

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那两颗钻石很漂亮。后来我们才发现，小副牧师的话说得不错：它们同艾米莉亚的宝石项链确实都来自同一条项链，那条为提普的爱妃打造的项链。她大概也同我那位亲爱的舅嫂一样，有着同样奢华的个人饰品。再也没有见过比这更完美的钻石了。不论是盗贼，还是鉴赏家，都对之赞叹不已。事后，艾米莉亚告诉我，传说一位印度兵在洗劫王宫时偷走了那条项链，后来为了争这条项链，又同另一位印度兵大打出手。据说两人在扭打中丢了两颗钻石，却被一名旁观的第三者捡到卖掉了，那人根本不了解他自己所捡到的物品的价值。艾米莉亚几年来一直在寻找它们，想配成一条完整的项链。

38
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“这是些极好的铅玻璃，”查尔斯一边把链扣还回去，一边评论道，“只有一流的行家才能将它与真品鉴别开来。凡德里夫特夫人也有一条质地大致相同的项链，不过她的是真钻石。既然它们这么相仿，从外表上看，也刚好能配成她的项链，那我出十英镑买你这一对，也就不计较了。”

39
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布拉巴宗夫人看起来挺高兴。“哎，迪克，卖给他们，”她大声说，“再用这钱给我买枚胸针！你戴一对普通的链扣也一样。两块铅玻璃能卖十英镑，这钱已经相当多了！”

40
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她说话的声音很甜美，带着悦耳的苏格兰口音，我无法想象迪克怎能狠下心拒绝她。但不管怎样，他就是这么做了。

41
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“不行，杰西，亲爱的，”他答道，“我知道它们不值什么钱，但对我来讲，它们却有着一种情感价值，我也经常这么给你说。我那亲爱的母亲在世的时候，把它们当耳环戴；她一去世，我就把它们做成了链扣，这样就能时时刻刻把它们带在身边。不仅这样，它们还牵扯一些历史以及家族因素于其中。传家宝，哪怕一分不值，也终究是传家宝。”

42
-

赫克托·麦克弗森博士朝这边看过来，打断了我们：“我那片土地上有一块地方，我们有理由相信能开发出另一个完美的金伯利。查尔斯爵士，要是我的钻石发掘出来，不论什么时候您愿意赏光想看一眼，我都会将它们交到您手中，这会是我此生莫大的荣幸。”

43
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查尔斯再也受不了了。“先生，”查尔斯用最严厉的目光盯着他，说道，“要是你的土地里真的满是钻石，就像水手辛巴达的山谷那样，我是不会不去看的。这种挂羊头卖狗肉、言过其实的事情，我见得多了。”他盯着那位浓眉男子，像是要把他活吃了一样。可怜的赫克托·麦克弗森博士立刻闭了嘴。我们稍后才知道，他精神有问题，但并没什么恶意。他满世界到处跑，如影随形的还有他那一块块满是红宝石矿山、铂金矿脉的土地。因为他之前被这些项目的投机活动搞得家破人亡，自己也疯了，现在成天臆想着从缅甸、巴西或者脑袋里随时蹦出来的某个地方的政府手中获得的土地，借此聊以自慰。对了，还有他那眉毛，是天生的。发生这件事，我们非常抱歉。不过，处于查尔斯这种地位的人，就是无赖们的目标，要是不及时采取些手段保护自己，就会一直被他们骗来骗去。

44
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我们当天晚上回到客厅，艾米莉亚就一屁股坐在沙发上。“查尔斯，”她突然爆发了，一副如同悲剧女演员的腔调，“那可是真钻石，要是不把它们弄到手，我是永远不会开心的。”

45
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“确实是真钻石，”查尔斯应道，“艾米莉亚，你会弄到手的。那钻石至少值三千英镑，不过我要慢慢地把价格加上去。”

46
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于是，第二天，查尔斯开始同那位小副牧师讨价还价，但布拉巴宗不愿卖掉它们。他说自己不是个贪财的人，即使查尔斯出价一百英镑，他还是不愿舍弃母亲遗留给他的这份礼物，这份家族的传承。查尔斯眼睛一亮，试探地说道：“我出两百英镑呢？多好的机会！这样，你就能给村子的校舍再盖上一个新的侧厅了！”

47
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“我们的校舍足够了，”副牧师答道，“算了，我是不会卖的。”

48
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不过，他说话的声音有些支吾，接着低头犹疑不定地盯着那链扣。

49
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查尔斯有些过于急躁。

50
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“多一百英镑少一百英镑，对我而言没什么区别，”他说，“我妻子铁了心要得到它们。哄妻子开心，是每个男人的责任——我说的对不对，布拉巴宗夫人？——我出三百英镑。”

51
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那位苏格兰小姑娘紧扣着双手。

52
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“三百英镑！迪克，想想咱们能做多少开心的事啊，想想咱们能用它做多少好事啊！卖给他吧！”

53
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她那语气让人难以拒绝，但小副牧师还是摇摇头。

54
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“不行，”他答道，“这是我母亲的耳环！要是知道我把它们卖了，奥布里舅舅会大发雷霆的。我还怎么敢去见他？”

55
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“他会从奥布里舅舅那里继承一笔财产吗，”查尔斯爵士问，“白石南花？”

56
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布拉巴宗夫人笑道：“奥布里舅舅！哎，亲爱的，别想了。可怜的老奥布里舅舅！哎，他那位亲爱的老舅舅，除了养老金外，一个子儿都给他留不下。他以前是上校舰长，退休了。”她笑道，声音很悦耳，很招人喜爱。

57
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“这么说，我就不用考虑奥布里舅舅的感受了。”查尔斯爵士果断地说。

58
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“不行，不行，”副牧师答道，“可怜的老奥布里舅舅！不管怎样，我是不会惹他生气的。他肯定迟早会发现的。”

59
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我们回去见艾米莉亚。“有没有买到手？”她问道。

60
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“还没有，”查尔斯爵士回答道，“不过，我觉得他就快要卖了。现在他正犹豫不决，自己倒是想卖，就是担心那位叫‘奥布里’的舅舅会说三道四。他妻子会劝劝他，让他不必去考虑奥布里舅舅的感受。明天咱们就能把这笔生意敲定了。”

61
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第二天早上，我们在客厅待到很晚，通常在那儿吃早饭。直到快到早饭的时间，我们才下楼到大厅，因为我和查尔斯一起忙着处理大量待办的信件。我们下楼时，门房走上前来，递给艾米莉亚一张女性用的短笺，小小的，折了起来。她接过来，看了看，脸沉了下来。“这下好了，查尔斯，”她把短笺递给他，大声吼道，“你让机会溜掉了。我再也开心不起来了！他们带着钻石离开了。”

62
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查尔斯一把抓过短笺，看了看，接着递给了我。内容很短，但已无可挽回：

63
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星期四，早上六点

64
-

亲爱的凡德里夫特夫人：

65
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未及说声再见，我们就匆匆而别，请勿见怪。刚刚电报传来噩耗，迪克心爱的妹妹在巴黎身患热病，病情严重。我本想与您握手道别——您对我们一向很友善——但无奈得乘坐早班列车出发，早得有些荒唐，因此不愿搅扰您。也许我们有朝一日会再次相逢——不过这已不大可能，因为我们深居于北方村落。无论如何，我将永远珍惜这段记忆，并心怀感激。

66
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您亲爱的，

67
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杰西·布拉巴宗

68
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附——代我向查尔斯以及亲爱的温特沃斯夫妇问好。吻你，恕我冒昧。

69
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“她连去了哪里都没说。”艾米莉亚叫道，很生气。

70
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“也许门房知道。”伊莎贝尔一边从我身后探过头来看，一边提醒道。

71
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我们于是到门房打听。

72
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找到了，他的地址是诺森伯兰郡，艾宾汉姆村，霍姆布什村舍，理查德·佩普洛·布拉巴宗牧师。

73
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在巴黎有没有地址可以立即写信寄过去？

74
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歌剧院大街，德蒙大酒店。接下来的十天会用这个地址，如有变更，会另行通知。

75
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艾米莉亚立刻拿定了主意。

76
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“要趁热打铁，”她叫道，“在他们快度完蜜月时，这突如其来的疾病，再加上在这么昂贵的酒店多待上十天，很可能让小副牧师经济上感到捉襟见肘。现在他肯定乐于出手了，花三百英镑就能买到。查尔斯真蠢，一开始不应该出那么高的价的。不过既然出了这个价，当然就得坚持这个价。”

77
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“你觉得该怎么办？”查尔斯问道，“写信还是发电报？”

78
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“唉，男人们真糊涂！”艾米莉亚大声吼道，“这种事是写信能解决得了的吗？还发什么电报！不行，西摩必须立即动身，坐夜间的火车去巴黎，一下车就和那位副牧师或者布拉巴宗夫人碰面商量此事。最好和布拉巴宗夫人商量。她不会傻乎乎地谈什么感情，跟你说什么奥布里舅舅的一些废话。”

79
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做钻石掮客并不是秘书的职责。不过，一旦艾米莉亚下定了决心，就是铁了心了——关于这一点，她不愿重申。于是，当天晚上，我就老老实实坐上火车赶往巴黎，第二天一早在斯特拉斯堡站下了那舒适的卧铺车。我的任务就是要千方百计把那两颗钻石装进口袋，带回卢塞恩。价格要多少，就给多少，但最多不超过两千五百英镑，要立即买到手。

80
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到了德蒙大酒店，我看到可怜的小副牧师夫妇俩都十分坐立不安。他们说他俩整夜坐着，陪着那位生病的妹妹，坐了长时间的火车，接着又是失眠，又是担心，影响了身体。两人都面色苍白，十分疲惫，尤其是布拉巴宗夫人，看起来像是病了，满面愁容——太像白石南花了。这种时候，要是再拿钻石的事情搅扰他们，我感到非常难为情。不过我突然意识到，也许艾米莉亚说得对——他们目前应该把去大陆旅行的预算也花得差不多了，或许正盼望能立刻得到点现金。

81
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我小心地引向了正题。我说，凡德里夫特夫人一时性起，一心想要这些没用的小玩意儿，没有它们不行，她必须要把它们买到手。但副牧师很执拗，还是拿奥布里舅舅说事。三百？——不行，肯定不行！这是母亲的礼物，不可能的事情，亲爱的杰西！杰西又是祈求又是祷告，说自己特别喜欢凡德里夫特夫人，但副牧师压根不听。我试探着把价格出到四百，他还是忧郁地摇摇头，说不是钱多钱少的问题，是情感。看到此路不通，我就另辟一条新径。“我觉得有必要告诉你们，”我说，“这两颗钻石是真的，这一点查尔斯爵士敢确定。像你这种职业、这种身份的人戴着一对这么大的钻石，价值几百英镑，只把它当成普通链扣来戴，你觉得合适吗？如果是女人戴呢？——我说合适。但对于男人来说，像个男人吗？再说，你还是个打板球的！”

82
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他看着我，笑了出来。“说什么你能信呢？”他大声说道，“有六位珠宝商都检验过了，我们都知道这只是铅玻璃。不管我多想卖，但不能用欺骗的手段把它们卖给你，这是不义之举。我不能这么做。”

83
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“这样吧，”我说，把价位稍稍抬了一下，让他满意，“咱们这么说：这些珠宝确实是铅玻璃做的，但凡德里夫特夫人不知什么原因，就是一心想得到它们。钱对她而言没什么大不了，况且她还是你妻子的朋友。就算私下里帮个忙，愿不愿意一千英镑卖给她呢？”

84
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他摇摇头，说：“这是不义之举，还有可能是违法行为。”

85
-

“我们这边来承担一切风险。”我大声说。

86
-

他太固执，答道：“我是神职人员，我觉得不能做这种事。”

87
-

“布拉巴宗夫人，你能不能劝劝他？”我问道。

88
-

漂亮的苏格兰小姑娘弯下身子，在他耳边低声劝说，又是哄又是骗，她这一套还挺奏效。我听不清她说了什么，不过他最终好像让步了。“我愿意把它们卖给凡德里夫特夫人，”她转向我，低声说道，“她太招人喜欢了！”接着把链扣从她丈夫的袖口上取下，递过来给我。

89
-

“多少钱？”我问。

90
-

“两千？”她试探着答道。价格一下涨得太多，但这毕竟是女人做事的风格。

91
-

“成交！”我答道，“你同意吗？”

92
-

副牧师抬起头，显得有点难为情。

93
-

“既然杰西想这样，”他缓缓说道，“我也同意。但是作为一名神职人员，为了避免以后的任何误会，我得让你给我写一份声明，上面注明你购买时，我已经明确告知你，它们是由铅玻璃做的——古老的东方铅玻璃——而不是真钻石；还有，如果出现了其他质量上的问题，我概不负责。”

94
-

我当即把钻石装进了钱包，很是高兴。

95
-

“一定。”我边说边取出一张纸。查尔斯凭他那准确无误的经商本能，早料到他会提这种要求，给了我一份签过名的协议，内容差不多。

96
-

“你要不要支票？”我问。

97
-

他犹疑了一下。

98
-

“最好还是给我法兰西银行的钞票吧。”他答道。

99
-

“好，”我答道，“我到外面给你取。”

100
-

有些人就是这么信任别人！他竟然答应让我出去——兜里揣着这些钻石出去！

101
-

查尔斯爵士给了我一张空白支票，额度不超过两千五百英镑。我把支票给了我们的代理人，兑换成了法兰西银行的钞票。副牧师高高兴兴地紧紧抓住这些钞票。当天晚上，我也高高兴兴地赶回卢塞恩，觉得自己以低于实际价值约一千英镑的价格，就把这些钻石买到手了！

102
-

艾米莉亚在卢塞恩车站接我，她显然很焦急。

103
-

“西摩，买回来了吗？”她问。

104
-

“买来了。”我答道，以一种胜利的姿态掏出“战果”。

105
-

“啊，太可怕了！”她叫道，往后一退，“你觉得它们是真品吗？确定他没骗你？”

106
-

“确定，”我一边打量着，一边回答，“说到钻石，没人能骗得了我。你究竟为什么怀疑它们不是真品？”

107
-

“我在酒店里同欧黑根夫人聊天，她说有一种非常知名的骗局——她是在书中看到的。骗子准备两套东西——一套真的，一套假的。他向你展示的是真品，但卖给你的却是假的，卖的时候还装得像是给了你什么特殊优惠。”

108
-

“不用担心，”我答道，“我是品鉴钻石的专家。”

109
-

“我还是不放心，”艾米莉亚低声道，“还是让查尔斯看看吧。”

110
-

我们一起回到酒店。当我把钻石交给查尔斯检验时，生平第一次看到艾米莉亚真的紧张起来。她的担心也影响到了我们。我自己也有点担心，查尔斯也许会发出一声简短而低沉的感叹，接着突然火冒三丈。事情出问题时，他经常会这样。不过，当我告诉他价钱时，他面带微笑地盯着它们。

111
-

“比实际价值便宜了八百英镑。”他心满意足地答道。

112
-

“你不怀疑它们是假的？”我问。

113
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“一点也不用怀疑，”他注视着它们，答道，“这都是真钻石，质地还有款式都同艾米莉亚的项链一模一样。”

114
-

艾米莉亚松了口气，缓缓说道：“我上楼把我的项链拿下来，让你们俩对比一下。”

115
-

一分钟后，艾米莉亚又冲了下来，上气不接下气。艾米莉亚可算不上不苗条，不过我还从未见过她的动作像现在这般伶俐。

116
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“查尔斯！查尔斯！”她大叫道，“知道发生了什么可怕的事了吗？我自己的钻石有两颗不见了！他从我项链上偷了两颗，然后又卖给了我！”

117
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她把项链拿了出来。一点都不错，果真少了两颗钻石——而这两颗刚好能嵌在空缺的地方！

118
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我突然灵光一闪，用手拍拍头。“我的天，”我大声叫道，“那位小副牧师是——克雷上校！”

119
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查尔斯的两只手来回不断地拍着前额，叫道：“杰西，白石南花——那位单纯的苏格兰小姑娘！虽然她说话有点悦耳的高地口音，不过我常从她的声音中听出些熟悉的味道。杰西就是——皮卡迪特夫人！”

120
-

我们当然没什么证据，但就跟尼斯的警长一样，我们凭直觉敢肯定事情就是这样。

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查尔斯下定决心要抓住这个无赖。这第二次上当让他铁下心来，说道：“这人最可恶的一点在于，他有一套手段，他不是上门来骗我们，而是让我们主动上钩。他下个套，我们就跌跌撞撞地钻了进去。西，明天我们必须紧随他去巴黎。”

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艾米莉亚向他解释了欧黑根夫人说的话，查尔斯以他一贯的精明，立刻豁然开朗，说道：“这就解释了，为什么那无赖会用这种把戏一步步来引诱我们。要是我们怀疑，他就可以向我们展示钻石是真的，这样就逃过了检验。这只是一种掩饰，把我们的注意力从抢劫这件事上转移开。他动身去巴黎，是为了在事迹败露后逃之夭夭，比我们提前整整一天动身。这个无赖真够高明的！接连骗了我两次！”

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“可是，他是如何拿到我的珠宝盒的？”艾米莉亚高声问道。

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“这是个问题，”查尔斯回答，“先不管这个了！”

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“还有，他为什么不把整条项链都偷走，然后把钻石卖掉？”我问。

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“这人太狡猾了，”查尔斯答道，“不过他目前的这种做法会更好。要处理掉那么一大件珠宝并非易事。首先，那些钻石很大，价值不菲；其次，谁都知道这些钻石——每位做珠宝生意的都听说过凡德里夫特家的宝石项链，看过它们外观的照片。可以这么说，这些钻石都是标了记号的。他不会去这么做，但玩的手段更高明——从上面取下两颗钻石，然后卖给世上唯一有可能买，而且不会起疑心的人。他到这儿就是为了实施这个骗局，他提前按照钻石的形状准备好了一副链扣，之后偷来钻石，镶到预留的位置上。一场相当精明的骗局。我发誓，我自己都有点佩服这个家伙了。”

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因为查尔斯自己是位商人，他能够察知他人的生意头脑。

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克雷上校是如何知道那条项链，又是如何偷走两颗钻石的，我们直到很久以后才知道。在此我也就不提前透露了。一时专一事，这是生活中的金科玉律。现在，他把我们所有人都骗了。

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我们紧跟他赶到巴黎，提前给法兰西银行发了电报，让他们拒绝承兑这些票据。可是已经太晚了。就在我支付后半小时内，钞票已经兑换成了现金。我们发现，副牧师夫妇在当天下午已经离开德蒙大酒店，不知去了哪里。同克雷上校平日一样，他们凭空蒸发了，没留下任何线索。换句话说，他们肯定又改变了伪装，当天晚上以另外某种身份出现在了其他某个地方。不管怎么说，此后再也没有听说过理查德·佩普洛·布拉巴宗牧师这个人——还有，实际上在诺森伯兰郡根本没有艾宾汉姆这个村庄。

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我们将情况告知了巴黎警方。他们一点同情心也没有。“肯定是克雷上校，”接见我们的警官说道，“但你们好像没什么正当的理由来指控他。据我所知，先生们，你们彼此也都是半斤八两。你，爵士先生，想用铅玻璃的价格把钻石买到手。你，夫人，害怕自己用买钻石的价格买到铅玻璃。你，秘书先生，想试着以半价从一位毫无戒备的人手中买这些钻石。那位勇敢的橡皮脸上校，把你们都骗了——可谓强中自有强中手。”

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当然，话虽没错，但听了之后，心里也没有觉得有所宽慰。

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我们回到格兰德大酒店，查尔斯火冒三丈，叫道：“太过分了，这个浑蛋真有种！不过，他休想再骗我，西。我倒希望他再骗我试试，我会抓住他的。我保证，下一次不管他怎么伪装，我一定能把他认出来。我接连两次这样被他骗，太荒唐了。只要我还有一口气，他就休想再得逞！休想！我把话放在这儿！”

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“闻所未闻！”附近大厅中一名送信人用法语低声应道。我们站在格兰德大酒店外廊下面，在宽敞的玻璃庭院中。我十分怀疑，那送信人就是乔装的克雷上校。

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也许，我们已经处处在怀疑他了。

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“Let us take a trip to Switzerland，”said Lady Vandrift. And any one who knows Amelia will not be surprised to learn that we did take a trip to Switzerland accordingly.Nobody can drive Sir Charles, except his wife.And nobody at all can drive Amelia.

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There were difficulties at the outset, because we had not ordered rooms at the hotels beforehand, and it was well on in the season；but they were overcome at last by the usual application of a golden key；and we found ourselves in due time pleasantly quartered in Lucerne, at that most comfortable of European hostelries, the Schweitzerhof.

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We were a square party of four—Sir Charles and Amelia, myself and Isabel. We had nice big rooms, on the first floor, overlooking the lake；and as none of us was possessed with the faintest symptom of that incipient mania which shows itself in the form of an insane desire to climb mountain heights of disagreeable steepness and unnecessary snowiness, I will venture to assert we all enjoyed ourselves.We spent most of our time sensibly in lounging about the lake on the jolly little steamers；and when we did a mountain climb, it was on the Rigi or Pilatus—where an engine undertook all the muscular work for us.

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As usual, at the hotel, a great many miscellaneous people showed a burning desire to be specially nice to us. If you wish to see how friendlyand charming humanity is, just try being a well-known millionaire for a week, and you’ll learn a thing or two.Wherever Sir Charles goes he is surrounded by charming and disinterested people, all eager to make his distinguished acquaintance, and all familiar with several excellent investments, or several deserving objects of Christian charity.It is my business in life, as his brother-in-law and secretary, to decline with thanks the excellent investments, and to throw judicious cold water on the objects of charity.Even I myself, as the great man’s almoner, am very much sought after.People casually allude before me to artless stories of“poor curates in Cumberland, you know, Mr.Wentworth，”or widows in Cornwall, penniless poets with epics in their desks, and young painters who need but the breath of a patron to open to them the doors of an admiring Academy.I smile and look wise, while I administer cold water in minute doses；but I never report one of these cases to Sir Charles, except in the rare or almost unheard-of event where I think there is really something in them.

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Ever since our little adventure with the Seer at Nice, Sir Charles, who is constitutionally cautious, had been even more careful than usual about possible sharpers. And, as chance would have it, there sat just opposite us at table d’h?te at the Schweitzerhof—’tis a fad of Amelia’s to dine at table d’h?te；she says she can’t bear to be boxed up all day in private rooms with“too much family”—a sinister-looking man with dark hair and eyes, conspicuous by his bushy overhanging eyebrows.My attention was frst called to the eyebrows in question by a nice little parson who sat at our side, and who observed that they were made up of certain large and bristly hairs, which（he told us）had been traced by Darwin to our monkey ancestors.Very pleasant little fellow, this fresh-faced young parson, on his honeymoon tour with a nice wee wife, a bonnie Scotch lassie with acharming accent.

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I looked at the eyebrows close. Then a sudden thought struck me.“Do you believe they’re his own?”I asked of the curate；“or are they only stuck on—a make-up disguise?They really almost look like it.”

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“You don’t suppose—”Charles began, and checked himself suddenly.

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“Yes, I do，”I answered；“the Seer！”Then I recollected my blunder, and looked down sheepishly. For, to say the truth, Vandrift had straightly enjoined on me long before to say nothing of our painful little episode at Nice to Amelia；he was afraid if she once heard of it, he would hear of it for ever after.

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“What Seer?”the little parson inquired, with parsonical curiosity.

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I noticed the man with the overhanging eyebrows give a queer sort of start. Charles’s glance was fxed upon me.I hardly knew what to answer.

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“Oh, a man who was at Nice with us last year，”I stammered out, trying hard to look unconcerned.“A fellow they talked about, that’s all.”And I turned the subject.

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But the curate, like a donkey, wouldn’t let me turn it.

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“Had he eyebrows like that?”he inquired, in an undertone. I was really angry.If this was Colonel Clay, the curate was obviously giving him the cue, and making it much more diffcult for us to catch him, now we might possibly have lighted on the chance of doing so.

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“No, he hadn’t，”I answered testily；“it was a passing expression. But this is not the man.I was mistaken, no doubt.”And I nudged him gently.

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The little curate was too innocent for anything.“Oh, I see，”he replied, nodding hard and looking wise. Then he turned to his wife and made an obvious face, which the man with the eyebrows couldn’t fail to notice.

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Fortunately, a political discussion going on a few places farther down the table spread up to us and diverted attention for a moment. The magical name of Gladstone saved us.Sir Charles fared up.I was truly pleased, for I could see Amelia was boiling over with curiosity by this time.

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After dinner, in the billiard-room, however, the man with the big eyebrows sidled up and began to talk to me. If he was Colonel Clay, it was evident he bore us no grudge at all for the fve thousand pounds he had done us out of.On the contrary, he seemed quite prepared to do us out of five thousand more when opportunity offered；for he introduced himself at once as Dr.Hector Macpherson, the exclusive grantee of extensive concessions from the Brazilian Government on the Upper Amazons.He dived into conversation with me at once as to the splendid mineral resources of his Brazilian estate—the silver, the platinum, the actual rubies, the possible diamonds.I listened and smiled；I knew what was coming.All he needed to develop this magnificent concession was a little more capital.It was sad to see thousands of pounds’worth of platinum and car-loads of rubies just crumbling in the soil or carried away by the river, for want of a few hundreds to work them with properly.If he knew of anybody, now, with money to invest, he could recommend him—nay, offer him—a unique opportunity of earning, say，40 per cent on his capital, on unimpeachable security.

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“I wouldn’t do it for every man，”Dr. Hector Macpherson remarked, drawing himself up；“but if I took a fancy to a fellow who had command of ready cash, I might choose to put him in the way of feathering his nest with unexampled rapidity.”

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“Exceedingly disinterested of you，”I answered drily, fxing my eyes on his eyebrows.

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The little curate, meanwhile, was playing billiards with Sir Charles. His glance followed mine as it rested for a moment on the monkey-like hairs.

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“False, obviously false，”he remarked with his lips；and I’m bound to confess I never saw any man speak so well by movement alone；you could follow every word though not a sound escaped him.

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During the rest of that evening Dr. Hector Macpherson stuck to me as close as a mustard-plaster.And he was almost as irritating.I got heartily sick of the Upper Amazons.I have positively waded in my time through ruby mines（in prospectuses, I mean）till the mere sight of a ruby absolutely sickens me.When Charles, in an unwonted fit of generosity, once gave his sister Isabel（whom I had the honour to marry）a ruby necklet（inferior stones），I made Isabel change it for sapphires and amethysts, on the judicious plea that they suited her complexion better.（I scored one, incidentally, for having considered Isabel’s complexion.）By the time I went to bed I was prepared to sink the Upper Amazons in the sea, and to stab, shoot, poison, or otherwise seriously damage the man with the concession and the false eyebrows.

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For the next three days, at intervals, he returned to the charge. He bored me to death with his platinum and his rubies.He didn’t want a capitalist who would personally exploit the thing；he would prefer to do it all on his own account, giving the capitalist preference debentures of his bogus company, and a lien on the concession.I listened and smiled；I listened and yawned；I listened and was rude；I ceased to listen at all；but still he droned on with it.I fell asleep on the steamer one day, and woke up in ten minutes to hear him droning yet，“And the yield of platinum per ton was certifed to be—”I forget how many pounds, or ounces, or pennyweights.These details of assays have ceased to interest me：like the man who“didn’t believe in ghosts，”I have seen too many of them.

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The fresh-faced little curate and his wife, however, were quite different people. He was a cricketing Oxford man；she was a breezy Scotch lass, with a wholesome breath of the Highlands about her.I called her“White Heather.”Their name was Brabazon.Millionaires are so accustomed to being beset by harpies of every description, that when they come across a young couple who are simple and natural, they delight in the purely human relation.We picnicked and went excursions a great deal with the honeymooners.They were so frank in their young love, and so proof against chaff, that we all really liked them.But whenever I called the pretty girl“White Heather，”she looked so shocked, and cried：“Oh, Mr.Wentworth！”Still, we were the best of friends.The curate offered to row us in a boat on the lake one day, while the Scotch lassie assured us she could take an oar almost as well as he did.However, we did not accept their offer, as row-boats exert an unfavourable infuence upon Amelia’s digestive organs.

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“Nice young fellow, that man Brabazon，”Sir Charles said to me one day, as we lounged together along the quay；“never talks about advowsons or next presentations. Doesn’t seem to me to care two pins about promotion.Says he’s quite content in his country curacy；enough to live upon, and needs no more；and his wife has a little, a very little, money.I asked him about his poor to-day, on purpose to test him：these parsons are always trying to screw something out of one for their poor；men in my position know the truth of the saying that we have that class of the population always with us.Would you believe it, he says he hasn’t any poor at all in his parish！They’re all well-to-do farmers or else able-bodied labourers, and his one terror is that somebody will come and try to pauperise them.“If a philanthropist were to give me ffty pounds to-day for use at Empingham，”he said，“I assure you, Sir Charles, I shouldn’tknow what to do with it.I think I should buy new dresses for Jessie, who wants them about as much as anybody else in the village—that is to say, not at all.’There’s a parson for you, Sey, my boy.Only wish we had one of his sort at Seldon.”

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“He certainly doesn’t want to get anything out of you，”I answered.

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That evening at dinner a queer little episode happened. The man with the eyebrows began talking to me across the table in his usual fashion, full of his wearisome concession on the Upper Amazons.I was trying to squash him as politely as possible, when I caught Amelia’s eye.Her look amused me.She was engaged in making signals to Charles at her side to observe the little curate’s curious sleeve-links.I glanced at them, and saw at once they were a singular possession for so unobtrusive a person.They consisted each of a short gold bar for one arm of the link, fastened by a tiny chain of the same material to what seemed to my tolerably experienced eye—a first-rate diamond.Pretty big diamonds, too, and of remarkable shape, brilliancy, and cutting.In a moment I knew what Amelia meant.She owned a diamond rivière, said to be of Indian origin, but short by two stones for the circumference of her tolerably ample neck.Now, she had long been wanting two diamonds like these to match her set；but owing to the unusual shape and antiquated cutting of her own gems, she had never been able to complete the necklet, at least without removing an extravagant amount from a much larger stone of the frst water.

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The Scotch lassie’s eyes caught Amelia’s at the same time, and she broke into a pretty smile of good-humoured amusement.“Taken in another person, Dick, dear！”she exclaimed, in her breezy way, turning to her husband.“Lady Vandrift is observing your diamond sleeve-links.”

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“They’re very fine gems，”Amelia observed incautiously.（A most unwise admission if she desired to buy them.）

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But the pleasant little curate was too transparently simple a soul to take advantage of her slip of judgment.“They are good stones，”he replied；“very good stones—considering. They’re not diamonds at all, to tell you the truth.They’re best old-fashioned Oriental paste.My great-grandfather bought them, after the siege of Seringapatam, for a few rupees, from a Sepoy who had looted them from Tippoo Sultan’s palace.He thought, like you, he had got a good thing.But it turned out, when they came to be examined by experts, they were only paste—very wonderful paste；it is supposed they had even imposed upon Tippoo himself, so fne is the imitation.But they are worth—well, say, ffty shillings at the utmost.”

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While he spoke Charles looked at Amelia, and Amelia looked at Charles. Their eyes spoke volumes.The rivière was also supposed to have come from Tippoo’s collection.Both drew at once an identical conclusion.These were two of the same stones, very likely torn apart and disengaged from the rest in the mêlée at the capture of the Indian palace.

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“Can you take them off?”Sir Charles asked blandly. He spoke in the tone that indicates business.

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“Certainly，”the little curate answered, smiling.“I’m accustomed to taking them off. They’re always noticed.They’ve been kept in the family ever since the siege, as a sort of valueless heirloom, for the sake of the picturesqueness of the story, you know；and nobody ever sees them without asking, as you do, to examine them closely.They deceive even experts at frst.But they’re paste, all the same；unmitigated Oriental paste, for all that.”

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He took them both off, and handed them to Charles. No man in England is a fner judge of gems than my brother-in-law.I watched him narrowly.He examined them close, first with the naked eye, then withthe little pocket-lens which he always carries.“Admirable imitation，”he muttered, passing them on to Amelia.“I’m not surprised they should impose upon inexperienced observers.”

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But from the tone in which he said it, I could see at once he had satisfed himself they were real gems of unusual value. I know Charles’s way of doing business so well.His glance to Amelia meant，“These are the very stones you have so long been in search of.”

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The Scotch lassie laughed a merry laugh.“He sees through them now, Dick，”she cried.“I felt sure Sir Charles would be a judge of diamonds.”

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Amelia turned them over. I know Amelia, too；and I knew from the way Amelia looked at them that she meant to have them.And when Amelia means to have anything, people who stand in the way may just as well spare themselves the trouble of opposing her.

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They were beautiful diamonds. We found out afterwards the little curate’s account was quite correct：these stones had come from the same necklet as Amelia’s rivière, made for a favourite wife of Tippoo’s, who had presumably as expansive personal charms as our beloved sister-in-law’s.More perfect diamonds have seldom been seen.They have excited the universal admiration of thieves and connoisseurs.Amelia told me afterwards that, according to legend, a Sepoy stole the necklet at the sack of the palace, and then fought with another for it.It was believed that two stones got spilt in the scuffe, and were picked up and sold by a third person—a looker-on—who had no idea of the value of his booty.Amelia had been hunting for them for several years to complete her necklet.

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“They are excellent paste，”Sir Charles observed, handing them back.“It takes a frst-rate judge to detect them from the reality. Lady Vandrift has a necklet much the same in character, but composed of genuinestones；and as these are so much like them, and would complete her set, to all outer appearance, I wouldn’t mind giving you, say，10 pounds for the pair of them.”

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Mrs. Brabazon looked delighted.“Oh, sell them to him, Dick，”she cried，“and buy me a brooch with the money！A pair of common links would do for you just as well.Ten pounds for two paste stones！It’s quite a lot of money.”

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She said it so sweetly, with her pretty Scotch accent, that I couldn’t imagine how Dick had the heart to refuse her. But he did, all the same.

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“No, Jess, darling，”he answered.“They’re worthless, I know；but they have for me a certain sentimental value, as I’ve often told you. My dear mother wore them, while she lived, as earrings；and as soon as she died I had them set as links in order that I might always keep them about me.Besides, they have historical and family interest.Even a worthless heirloom, after all, is an heirloom.”

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Dr. Hector Macpherson looked across and intervened.“There is a part of my concession，”he said，“where we have reason to believe a perfect new Kimberley will soon be discovered.If at any time you would care, Sir Charles, to look at my diamonds—when I get them—it would afford me the greatest pleasure in life to submit them to your consideration.”

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Sir Charles could stand it no longer.“Sir，”he said, gazing across at him with his sternest air，“if your concession were as full of diamonds as Sindbad the Sailor’s valley, I would not care to turn my head to look at them. I am acquainted with the nature and practice of salting.”And he glared at the man with the overhanging eyebrows as if he would devour him raw.Poor Dr.Hector Macpherson subsided instantly.We learnt a little later that he was a harmless lunatic, who went about the world withsuccessive concessions for ruby mines and platinum reefs, because he had been ruined and driven mad by speculations in the two, and now recouped himself by imaginary grants in Burmah and Brazil, or anywhere else that turned up handy.And his eyebrows, after all, were of Nature’s handicraft.We were sorry for the incident；but a man in Sir Charles’s position is such a mark for rogues that, if he did not take means to protect himself promptly, he would be for ever overrun by them.

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When we went up to our salon that evening, Amelia fung herself on the sofa.“Charles，”she broke out in the voice of a tragedy queen，“those are real diamonds, and I shall never be happy again till I get them.”

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“They are real diamonds，”Charles echoed.“And you shall have them, Amelia. They’re worth not less than three thousand pounds.But I shall bid them up gently.”

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So, next day, Charles set to work to higgle with the curate. Brabazon, however, didn’t care to part with them.He was no money-grubber, he said.He cared more for his mother’s gift and a family tradition than for a hundred pounds, if Sir Charles were to offer it.Charles’s eye gleamed.“But if I give you two hundred！”he said insinuatingly.“What opportunities for good！You could build a new wing to your village school-house！”

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“We have ample accommodation，”the curate answered.“No, I don’t think I’ll sell them.”

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Still, his voice faltered somewhat, and he looked down at them inquiringly.

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Charles was too precipitate.

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“A hundred pounds more or less matters little to me，”he said；“and my wife has set her heart on them. It’s every man’s duty to please his wife—isn’t it, Mrs.Brabazon?—I offer you three hundred.”

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The little Scotch girl clasped her hands.

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“Three hundred pounds！Oh, Dick, just think what fun we could have, and what good we could do with it！Do let him have them.”

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Her accent was irresistible. But the curate shook his head.

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“Impossible，”he answered.“My dear mother’s ear-rings！Uncle Aubrey would be so angry if he knew I’d sold them. I daren’t face Uncle Aubrey.”

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“Has he expectations from Uncle Aubrey?”Sir Charles asked of White Heather.

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Mrs. Brabazon laughed.“Uncle Aubrey！Oh, dear, no.Poor dear old Uncle Aubrey！Why, the darling old soul hasn’t a penny to bless himself with, except his pension.He’s a retired post captain.”And she laughed melodiously.She was a charming woman.

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“Then I should disregard Uncle Aubrey’s feelings，”Sir Charles said decisively.

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“No, no，”the curate answered.“Poor dear old Uncle Aubrey！I wouldn’t do anything for the world to annoy him. And he’d be sure to notice it.”

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We went back to Amelia.“Well, have you got them?”she asked.

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“No，”Sir Charles answered.“Not yet. But he’s coming round, I think.He’s hesitating now.Would rather like to sell them himself, but is afraid what‘Uncle Aubrey’would say about the matter.His wife will talk him out of his needless consideration for Uncle Aubrey’s feelings；and to-morrow we’ll fnally clench the bargain.”

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Next morning we stayed late in our salon, where we always breakfasted, and did not come down to the public rooms till just before déje?ner, Sir Charles being busy with me over arrears of correspondence.When we did come down the concierge stepped forward with a twisted little feminine note for Amelia.She took it and read it.Her countenancefell.“There, Charles，”she cried, handing it to him，“you’ve let the chance

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slip. I shall never be happy now！They’ve gone off with the diamonds.”

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Charles seized the note and read it. Then he passed it on to me.It was short, but fnal：—

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“Thursday，6 a. m.

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“Dear Lady Vandrift—Will you kindly excuse our having gone off hurriedly without bidding you good-bye?We have just had a horrid telegram to say that Dick’s favourite sister is dangerously ill of fever in Paris.I wanted to shake hands with you before we left—you have all been so sweet to us—but we go by the morning train, absurdly early, and I wouldn’t for worlds disturb you.Perhaps some day we may meet again—though, buried as we are in a North-country village, it isn’t likely；but in any case, you have secured the grateful recollection of Yours very cordially，

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Jessie Brabazon.

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“P.S.—Kindest regards to Sir Charles and those dear Wentworths, and a kiss for yourself, if I may venture to send you one.”

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“She doesn’t even mention where they’ve gone，”Amelia exclaimed, in a very bad humour.

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“The concierge may know，”Isabel suggested, looking over my shoulder.

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We asked at his offce.

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Yes, the gentleman’s address was the Rev. Richard Peploe Brabazon, Holme Bush Cottage, Empingham, Northumberland.

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Any address where letters might be sent at once, in Paris?

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For the next ten days, or till further notice, H?tel des Deux Mondes, Avenue de l’Opéra.

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Amelia’s mind was made up at once.

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“Strike while the iron’s hot，”she cried.“This sudden illness, coming at the end of their honeymoon, and involving ten days’more stay at an expensive hotel, will probably upset the curate’s budget. He’ll be glad to sell now.You’ll get them for three hundred.It was absurd of Charles to offer so much at frst；but offered once, of course we must stick to it.”

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“What do you propose to do?”Charles asked.“Write, or telegraph?”

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“Oh, how silly men are！”Amelia cried.“Is this the sort of business to be arranged by letter, still less by telegram?No. Seymour must start off at once, taking the night train to Paris；and the moment he gets there, he must interview the curate or Mrs.Brabazon.Mrs.Brabazon’s the best.She has none of this stupid, sentimental nonsense about Uncle Aubrey.”

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It is no part of a secretary’s duties to act as a diamond broker. But when Amelia puts her foot down, she puts her foot down—a fact which she is unnecessarily fond of emphasising in that identical proposition.So the self-same evening saw me safe in the train on my way to Paris；and next morning I turned out of my comfortable sleeping-car at the Gare de Strasbourg.My orders were to bring back those diamonds, alive or dead, so to speak, in my pocket to Lucerne；and to offer any needful sum, up to two thousand fve hundred pounds, for their immediate purchase.

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When I arrived at the Deux Mondes I found the poor little curate and his wife both greatly agitated. They had sat up all night, they said, with their invalid sister；and the sleeplessness and suspense had certainly told upon them after their long railway journey.They were pale and tired, Mrs.Brabazon, in particular, looking ill and worried—too much like White Heather.I was more than half ashamed of bothering them about the diamonds at such a moment, but it occurred to me that Amelia was probably right—they would now have reached the end of the sum setapart for their Continental trip, and a little ready cash might be far from unwelcome.

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I broached the subject delicately. It was a fad of Lady Vandrift’s, I said.She had set her heart upon those useless trinkets.And she wouldn’t go without them.She must and would have them.But the curate was obdurate.He threw Uncle Aubrey still in my teeth.Three hundred?—no, never！A mother’s present；impossible, dear Jessie！Jessie begged and prayed；she had grown really attached to Lady Vandrift, she said；but the curate wouldn’t hear of it.I went up tentatively to four hundred.He shook his head gloomily.It wasn’t a question of money, he said.It was a question of affection.I saw it was no use trying that tack any longer.I struck out a new line.“These stones，”I said，“I think I ought to inform you, are really diamonds.Sir Charles is certain of it.Now, is it right for a man of your profession and position to be wearing a pair of big gems like those, worth several hundred pounds, as ordinary sleeve-links?A woman?—yes, I grant you.But for a man, is it manly?And you a cricketer！”

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He looked at me and laughed.“Will nothing convince you?”he cried.“They have been examined and tested by half a dozen jewellers, and we know them to be paste. It wouldn’t be right of me to sell them to you under false pretences, however unwilling on my side.I couldn’t do it.”

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“Well, then，”I said, going up a bit in my bids to meet him，“I’ll put it like this. These gems are paste.But Lady Vandrift has an unconquerable and unaccountable desire to possess them.Money doesn’t matter to her.She is a friend of your wife’s.As a personal favour, won’t you sell them to her for a thousand?”

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He shook his head.“It would be wrong，”he said，—“I might even add, criminal.”

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“But we take all risk，”I cried.

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He was absolute adamant.“As a clergyman，”he answered，“I feel I cannot do it.”

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“Will you try, Mrs. Brabazon?”I asked.

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The pretty little Scotchwoman leant over and whispered. She coaxed and cajoled him.Her ways were winsome.I couldn’t hear what she said, but he seemed to give way at last.“I should love Lady Vandrift to have them，”she murmured, turning to me.“She is such a dear！”And she took out the links from her husband’s cuffs and handed them across to me.

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“How much?”I asked.

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“Two thousand?”she answered, interrogatively. It was a big rise, all at once；but such are the ways of women.

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“Done！”I replied.“Do you consent?”

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The curate looked up as if ashamed of himself.

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“I consent，”he said slowly，“since Jessie wishes it. But as a clergyman, and to prevent any future misunderstanding, I should like you to give me a statement in writing that you buy them on my distinct and positive declaration that they are made of paste—old Oriental paste—not genuine stones, and that I do not claim any other qualities for them.”

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I popped the gems into my purse, well pleased.

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“Certainly，”I said, pulling out a paper. Charles, with his unerring business instinct, had anticipated the request, and given me a signed agreement to that effect.

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“You will take a cheque?”I inquired.

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He hesitated.

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“Notes of the Bank of France would suit me better，”he answered.

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“Very well，”I replied.“I will go out and get them.”

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How very unsuspicious some people are！He allowed me to go off—with the stones in my pocket！

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Sir Charles had given me a blank cheque, not exceeding two thousand fve hundred pounds. I took it to our agents and cashed it for notes of the Bank of France.The curate clasped them with pleasure.And right glad I was to go back to Lucerne that night, feeling that I had got those diamonds into my hands for about a thousand pounds under their real value！

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At Lucerne railway station Amelia met me. She was positively agitated.

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“Have you bought them, Seymour?”she asked.

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“Yes，”I answered, producing my spoils in triumph.

104

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“Oh, how dreadful！”she cried, drawing back.“Do you think they’re real?Are you sure he hasn’t cheated you?”

105

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“Certain of it，”I replied, examining them.“No one can take me in, in the matter of diamonds. Why on earth should you doubt them?”

106

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“Because I’ve been talking to Mrs. O’Hagan, at the hotel, and she says there’s a well-known trick just like that—she’s read of it in a book.A swindler has two sets—one real, one false；and he makes you buy the false ones by showing you the real, and pretending he sells them as a special favour.”

107

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“You needn’t be alarmed，”I answered.“I am a judge of diamonds.”

108

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“I shan’t be satisfied，”Amelia murmured，“till Charles has seen them.”

109

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We went up to the hotel. For the frst time in her life I saw Amelia really nervous as I handed the stones to Charles to examine.Her doubt was contagious.I half feared, myself, he might break out into a deep monosyllabic interjection, losing his temper in haste, as he often does when things go wrong.But he looked at them with a smile, while I told him the price.

110

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“Eight hundred pounds less than their value，”he answered, wellsatisfed.

111

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“You have no doubt of their reality?”I asked.

112

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“Not the slightest，”he replied, gazing at them.“They are genuine stones, precisely the same in quality and type as Amelia’s necklet.”

113

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Amelia drew a sigh of relief.“I’ll go upstairs，”she said slowly，“and bring down my own for you both to compare with them.”

114

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One minute later she rushed down again, breathless. Amelia is far from slim, and I never before knew her exert herself so actively.

115

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“Charles, Charles！”she cried，“do you know what dreadful thing has happened?Two of my own stones are gone. He’s stolen a couple of diamonds from my necklet, and sold them back to me.”

116

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She held out the rivière.It was all too true.Two gems were missing—and these two just ftted the empty places！

117

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A light broke in upon me. I clapped my hand to my head.“By Jove，”I exclaimed，“the little curate is—Colonel Clay！”

118

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Charles clapped his own hand to his brow in turn.“And Jessie，”he cried，“White Heather—that innocent little Scotchwoman！I often detected a familiar ring in her voice, in spite of the charming Highland accent. Jessie is—Madame Picardet！”

119

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We had absolutely no evidence；but, like the Commissary at Nice, we felt instinctively sure of it.

120

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Sir Charles was determined to catch the rogue. This second deception put him on his mettle.“The worst of the man is，”he said，“he has a method.He doesn’t go out of his way to cheat us；he makes us go out of ours to be cheated.He lays a trap, and we tumble headlong into it.To-morrow, Sey, we must follow him on to Paris.”

121

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Amelia explained to him what Mrs. O’Hagan had said.Charles took it all in at once, with his usual sagacity.“That explains，”he said，“why therascal used this particular trick to draw us on by.If we had suspected him he could have shown the diamonds were real, and so escaped detection.It was a blind to draw us off from the fact of the robbery.He went to Paris to be out of the way when the discovery was made, and to get a clear day’s start of us.What a consummate rogue！And to do me twice running！”

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“How did he get at my jewel-case, though?”Amelia exclaimed.

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“That’s the question，”Charles answered.“You do leave it about so！”

124

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“And why didn’t he steal the whole rivière at once, and sell the gems?”I inquired.

125

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“Too cunning，”Charles replied.“This was much better business. It isn’t easy to dispose of a big thing like that.In the frst place, the stones are large and valuable；in the second place, they’re well known—every dealer has heard of the Vandrift rivière, and seen pictures of the shape of them.They’re marked gems, so to speak.No, he played a better game—took a couple of them off, and offered them to the only one person on earth who was likely to buy them without suspicion.He came here, meaning to work this very trick；he had the links made right to the shape beforehand, and then he stole the stones and slipped them into their places.It’s a wonderfully clever trick.Upon my soul, I almost admire the fellow.”

126

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For Charles is a business man himself, and can appreciate business capacity in others.

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How Colonel Clay came to know about that necklet, and to appropriate two of the stones, we only discovered much later. I will not here anticipate that disclosure.One thing at a time is a good rule in life.For the moment he succeeded in baffing us altogether.

128

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However, we followed him on to Paris, telegraphing beforehand to the Bank of France to stop the notes. It was all in vain.They had been cashed within half an hour of my paying them.The curate and his wife, we found, quitted the H?tel des Deux Mondes for parts unknown that same afternoon.And, as usual with Colonel Clay, they vanished into space, leaving no clue behind them.In other words, they changed their disguise, no doubt, and reappeared somewhere else that night in altered characters.At any rate, no such person as the Reverend Richard Peploe Brabazon was ever afterwards heard of—and, for the matter of that, no such village exists as Empingham, Northumberland.

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We communicated the matter to the Parisian police. They were most unsympathetic.“It is no doubt Colonel Clay，”said the offcial whom we saw；“but you seem to have little just ground of complaint against him.As far as I can see, messieurs, there is not much to choose between you.You, Monsieur le Chevalier, desired to buy diamonds at the price of paste.You, madame, feared you had bought paste at the price of diamonds.You, monsieur the secretary, tried to get the stones from an unsuspecting person for half their value.He took you all in, that brave Colonel Caoutchouc—it was diamond cut diamond.”

130

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Which was true, no doubt, but by no means consoling.

131

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We returned to the Grand Hotel. Charles was fuming with indignation.“This is really too much，”he exclaimed.“What an audacious rascal！But he will never again take me in, my dear Sey.I only hope he’ll try it on.I should love to catch him.I’d know him another time, I’m sure, in spite of his disguises.It’s absurd my being tricked twice running like this.But never again while I live！Never again, I declare to you！”

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“Jamais de la vie！”a courier in the hall close by murmured responsive. We stood under the verandah of the Grand Hotel, in the big glass courtyard.And I verily believe that courier was really Colonel Clay himself in one of his disguises.

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But perhaps we were beginning to suspect him everywhere.

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序号 英文/音标 中文解释 更多操作

Amelia

[eɪˈmiːlɪə]

n.阿米莉亚(女子名)

Lucerne

[luː'sɜːn]

n.紫苜蓿

muscular

['mʌskjələ(r)]

adj.肌肉的;肌肉发达的

unheard-of

[ʌn'hɜːdɒv]

adj.前所未闻的

lassie

[ˈlæsɪ]

n.少女;姑娘;恋人

disguise

[dɪs'ɡaɪz]

vt.掩饰;假装;假扮

parson

['pɑːsn]

n.教区牧师

queer

[kwɪə(r)]

a. 古怪的，奇怪的;

unconcerned

[ˌʌnkən'sɜːnd]

adj.不关心的;不忧虑的

curate

['kjʊərət]

n.副牧师;助理牧师;瑕瑜互见之物

nudge

[nʌdʒ]

vt.轻推;轻触;推进

unimpeachable

[ˌʌnɪm'piːtʃəbl]

adj.无懈可击的;无可指责的;可靠的

rapidity

[rə'pɪdəti]

n.迅速;急速

drily

['draɪli]

adv.幽默而不形于色地;冷淡地;干燥地

billiard

['bɪliəd]

adj.台球的

concession

[kən'seʃn]

n.让步;特许权;租界;妥协

assay

[ə'seɪ]

n.化验;分析

extravagant

[ɪk'strævəɡənt]

adj.奢侈的;浪费的;过度的;大量的

breezy

['briːzi]

adj.有微风的;轻松活泼的

unwise

[ˌʌn'waɪz]

adj.不明智的;愚笨的

utmost

['ʌtməʊst]

adj.极度的;最大限度的

disengage

[ˌdɪsɪn'ɡeɪdʒ]

v.解除;解开;使脱离

bland

[blænd]

adj.温和的;不油腻的;引不起兴趣的;平淡无奇的

paste

[peɪst]

n.浆糊

inexperienced

[ˌɪnɪk'spɪəriənst]

adj.无经验的;不熟练的

felted

['feltɪd]

v. 把 ... 制成毡(使 ... 粘结)

necklet

['neklɪt]

n.小首饰;皮围巾

Dick

[dɪk]

n.家伙;侦探;阴茎

heirloom

['eəluːm]

n.传家宝;〈法律〉动产继承物

overrun

[ˌəʊvə'rʌn]

v.超越;侵占;泛滥;流行于

insinuating

[ɪn'sɪnjʊeɪtɪŋ]

adj.曲意巴结的;暗示的,

inquiringly

[ɪnk'waɪərɪŋlɪ]

adv.诧异地怀疑地.

precipitate

[prɪ'sɪpɪteɪt]

vt. 猛抛；猛然扔下；使...突然陷入(某种形势或状态);

clasp

[klɑːsp]

n.扣子;钩;紧握;握手

Heather

['heðə(r)]

n.石南属植物

melodious

[mə'ləʊdiəs]

adj.旋律美妙的;悦耳的

disregard

[ˌdɪsrɪ'ɡɑːd]

vt.不顾;忽视

clench

[klentʃ]

v.紧握;紧咬;牢牢地抓住;确定

cordial

['kɔːdiəl]

n.兴奋剂;补品

Jessie

['dʒesi]

n.杰西(女子名)

Richard

['ritʃəd]

n.理查德(男子名)

Paris

['pærɪs]

n.巴黎;重楼(百合科植物);帕里斯(姓氏)

honeymoon

['hʌnimuːn]

n.蜜月;初始的热火时期

telegraph

['telɪɡrɑːf]

n.电报

sentimental

[ˌsentɪ'mentl]

adj.感伤的;感情的;多愁善感的

needful

['niːdfl]

adj.必需的;需要的

unwelcome

[ʌn'welkəm]

adj.不受欢迎的;讨厌的

cricketer

['krɪkɪtə(r)]

n.板球队员;玩板球者

unwilling

[ʌn'wɪlɪŋ]

adj.不愿意的

unaccountable

[ˌʌnə'kaʊntəbl]

adj.无法解释的;不能理解的;不负责任的

clergyman

['klɜːdʒimən]

n.牧师;教士;神职人员

cuff

[kʌf]

n.袖口;手铐

interrogative

[ˌɪntə'rɒɡətɪv]

adj.疑问的

gem

[dʒem]

n.宝石;珍品;受到宠爱或评价很高的人;松糕

unerring

[ʌn'ɜːrɪŋ]

adj.不犯错误的;一贯准确的;万无一失的

unsuspicious

['ʌnsəs'pɪʃəs]

adj.无怀疑的;不可疑的;无疑虑的

agitate

['ædʒɪteɪt]

v.煽动;搅动;焦虑

dreadful

['dredfl]

adj.可怕的;糟糕的

swindler

['swɪndlə(r)]

n.骗子

murmur

['mɜːmə(r)]

n. 低沉连续的声音(如风的沙沙声、流水的淙淙声等);

interjection

[ˌɪntə'dʒekʃn]

n.感叹词;插入语;插话

Colonel

['kɜːnl]

n.上校

Madame

['mædəm]

n.夫人

instinctive

[ɪn'stɪŋktɪv]

adj.本能的;天性的;直觉的

rogue

[rəʊɡ]

恶棍， 流氓， 小淘气;

Caoutchouc

['kaʊtʃʊk]

n.弹性橡皮

console

[kən'səʊl]

vt.安慰;慰藉

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