棒子文学网

蓝宝石十字架 The Blue Cross（第2页）

&ivewasosettledandstid。Hehadalreadydecidedthatintheuniversaldarknessofhismindhelyfollowthefirstoddfipoihisfingerwasoddenough。Payinghisbillandgtheglassdoorsbehindhim，hewassoonswingingroundireet。

Itwasfortueveninsuchfeveredmomentshiseyewasdquiethinginashop-frobyhimlikeamereflash;yethewentbacktolookatit。Theshopulargreengrodfruiterer’s，anarrayofgoodssetoutintheopenairandplaihtheirnamesahetwomostpromies，esandofively。Oslayascrapofcardboard，onritteninbold，bluechalk，“Besttangerienny。”eswastheequallydexactdes，“FiBrazilnuts，4d。alb。”M。Valehesetwopladfathishighlysubtleformofhumourbefore，andthatsomewhatretly。Hedrewtheattentionofthered-facedfruiterer，whowaslookingrathersullenlyupanddowhisinahisadvertisemeerersaidnothing，butsharplyputeatoitsproperplace。Thedetective，lealyonhiswalkiiosizetheshop。Atlasthesaid，“Prayexcusemyapparentirrelevance，mygoodsir，butIshouldliketoaskyouaquestioalpsydtheassoofideas。”

Thered-faahaneyeofmeheuedgaily，swinginghise，“Why，”hepursued，“whyaretwotiglyplaagreengrocer’sshoplikeashovelhatthathasetoLondonforaholiday?Or，imakemyselfclear，whatisthemysticalassowhiectstheideaofnutsmarkedaseswiththeideaoftwymeallahershort?”

&hetradesmanstoodoutofhisheadlikeasnail’s;hereallyseemedforaninstaoflihestralasthestammeredangrily:“Idon’tknowwhatyouhavetodowithit，butifyou’reoheirfriends，youtellthemfrommethatI’llknocktheirsillyheadsoff，parsonsornoparsomyapplesagain。”

“Indeed?”askedthedetective，athy。“Didtheyupsetyourapples?”

&hemdid，”saidtheheatedshopmahemalloverthestreet。I’dhavecaughtthefotopickthemup。”

“Whichwaydidtheseparsonsgo?”askedValentin。

“Upthatsedroado-hahenacrossthesquare，”saidtheotherpromptly。

“Thanks，”repliedValentin，andvanishedlikeafairy。Ohersideofthesedsquarehefoundapolidsaid:“Thisisurgent，stable，haveyouseentwymes?”

Thepolibegantochuckleheavily。“Ihave，sir;andifyouaskme，ohemwasdruoodinthemiddleoftheroadthatbewilderedthat……”

“Whichwaydidtheygo?”sin。

&ookoneofyellowbusesoverthere，”ahemagotoHampstead。”

&inproducedhisofficialdsaidveryrapidly:“Calluptwoofyourmehmeinpursuit，”aheroadwithsutagiythattheponderouspoliwasmovedtoalmostagileobedienaminuteandahalftheFreivewasjoiepavementbyaorandamaninplainclothes。

“Well，sir，”begantheformer，withsmilingimportand>

&inpoihhise。“I’lltellyouohatomnibus，”hesaid，andwasdartinganddodgingacrossthetaraffiallthreesankpantisoftheyellowvehicle，theiorsaid:“Weesasquiataxi。”

“Quitetrue，”repliedtheirleaderplacidly，“ifweonlyhadanideaoferegoing。”

“Well，whereareyougoiher，staring。

&insmlyforafewse，removinghiscigarette，hesaid:“Ifyouknowwhataman’sdoiinfrontofhim;butifyouwahe’sdoing，keepbehindhim。Straywherays;stopwheravelasslowlyashe。Thenyoumayseewhathesawandmayactasheacted。Allwedoistokeepoureyesskinnedf。”

“Whatsortdoyoumeaheior。

“Anysort，”ain，aoobstinatesilence。

Theyellowomnibuscrawledupthenorthernroadsforwhatseemedlikehoursodetectivewouldnotexplainfurther，andperhapshisassistaasilentandgrowingdoubtofhiserrand。Perhaps，also，theyfeltasilentandgrowingdesireforlunch，forthehpastthenormallunhour，andthelongroadsoftheNorthLondonsuburbsseemedtoshootoutierlengthlikeaelescope。ItwasohosejourneysonetuallyfeelsthatnowatlasthemusthaveetotheendoftheuhenfindshehasohebeginningofTufnellPark。Londondiedawayiavernsanddrearysdthenwasunatablybaininblazinghighstreetsandblataassingthroughthirteeevulgarcitiesalljusttougeachother。Butthoughtheasalreadythreateningtheroadaheadofthem，theParisiaillsatsilentandwatchful，eyeiageofthestreetsthatslidbyoherside。BythetimetheyhadleftTowhepoliwerenearlyasleep;atleast，theygavesomethinglikeajumpasVale，strudonea’sshoulder，ahedrivertostop。

&umbleddowheroadwithwhytheyhadbeeheylookedrhteheyfouriumphantlypointinghisfioosideoftheroad。Itwasalargewindpartofthelongfacadeofagiltandpalatialpublic-house;itartreservedforrespeing，aaurant。”Thiswiherestaleofthehotel，wasoffrostedandfiguredglass;butinthemiddleofitwasabig，blacksmash，likeastarintheice。

“Ourcueatlast，”criedValentin，wavinghisstick;“theplacewiththebrokenwindow。”

“hatcue?”askedhisprincipalassistant。“roofistherethatthishasanythingtodowiththem?”

&inalmostbrokehisbamboostick>

“ProodGod!themanislookingforproof!Why，ofcourse，thecesaretwehassomethingtodowiththem。Butwhatelsewedo?Doeitherfollowonewildpossibilityohometobed?”Hebangedhiswayi，followedbyhispanions，andtheyweresooalatelualittletable，ahestarofsmashedglassfromtheihatitwasveryihemeventhen。

“Gotyourwindowbroken，Isee，”saidValentierashepaidthebill。

“Yes，sir，”aendant，bendingbusilyoverthege，towhitilyaddedaip。Thewaiterstraightehmildbutunmistakableanimation。

“Ah，yes，sir，”hesaid。“Veryoddthing，that，sir。”

&ellusaboutit，“saidthedetectivewithcarelesscuriosity。