登陆注册
15419800000044

第44章

"So I hear," he said, in a kindly yet somehow formal voice, "Ihear, madam, that my friends have been trying to rescue you.But without success.""No one, naturally, knows my faults better than you," answered the lady with a high colour."But you have not found me guilty of treachery.""I willingly attest it, madam," replied Basil, in the same level tones, "and the fact is that I am so much gratified with your exhibition of loyalty that I permit myself the pleasure of exercising some very large discretionary powers.You would not leave this room at the request of these gentlemen.But you know that you can safely leave it at mine."The captive made another reverence."I have never complained of your injustice," she said."I need scarcely say what I think of your generosity."And before our staring eyes could blink she had passed out of the room, Basil holding the door open for her.

He turned to Greenwood with a relapse into joviality."This will be a relief to you," he said.

"Yes, it will," replied that immovable young gentleman with a face like a sphinx.

We found ourselves outside in the dark blue night, shaken and dazed as if we had fallen into it from some high tower.

"Basil," said Rupert at last, in a weak voice, "I always thought you were my brother.But are you a man? I mean--are you only a man?""At present," replied Basil, "my mere humanity is proved by one of the most unmistakable symbols--hunger.We are too late for the theatre in Sloane Square.But we are not too late for the restaurant.Here comes the green omnibus!" and he had leaped on it before we could speak.

------------------------------------------------------------------------As I said, it was months after that Rupert Grant suddenly entered my room, swinging a satchel in his hand and with a general air of having jumped over the garden wall, and implored me to go with him upon the latest and wildest of his expeditions.He proposed to himself no less a thing than the discovery of the actual origin, whereabouts, and headquarters of the source of all our joys and sorrows--the Club of Queer Trades.I should expand this story for ever if I explained how ultimately we ran this strange entity to its lair.The process meant a hundred interesting things.The tracking of a member, the bribing of a cabman, the fighting of roughs, the lifting of a paving stone, the finding of a cellar, the finding of a cellar below the cellar, the finding of the subterranean passage, the finding of the Club of Queer Trades.

I have had many strange experiences in my life, but never a stranger one than that I felt when I came out of those rambling, sightless, and seemingly hopeless passages into the sudden splendour of a sumptuous and hospitable dining-room, surrounded upon almost every side by faces that I knew.There was Mr Montmorency, the Arboreal House-Agent, seated between the two brisk young men who were occasionally vicars, and always Professional Detainers.There was Mr P.G.Northover, founder of the Adventure and Romance Agency.There was Professor Chadd, who invented the dancing Language.

As we entered, all the members seemed to sink suddenly into their chairs, and with the very action the vacancy of the presidential seat gaped at us like a missing tooth.

"The president's not here," said Mr P.G.Northover, turning suddenly to Professor Chadd.

"N--no," said the philosopher, with more than his ordinary vagueness."I can't imagine where he is.""Good heavens," said Mr Montmorency, jumping up, "I really feel a little nervous.I'll go and see." And he ran out of the room.

An instant after he ran back again, twittering with a timid ecstasy.

"He's there, gentlemen--he's there all right--he's coming in now,"he cried, and sat down.Rupert and I could hardly help feeling the beginnings of a sort of wonder as to who this person might be who was the first member of this insane brotherhood.Who, we thought indistinctly, could be maddest in this world of madmen: what fantastic was it whose shadow filled all these fantastics with so loyal an expectation?

Suddenly we were answered.The door flew open and the room was filled and shaken with a shout, in the midst of which Basil Grant, smiling and in evening dress, took his seat at the head of the table.

同类推荐
  • 凌临灵方

    凌临灵方

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。
  • 集验背疽方

    集验背疽方

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。
  • 咏史诗·鸿沟

    咏史诗·鸿沟

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。
  • 锦州府志

    锦州府志

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。
  • The Complete Plays

    The Complete Plays

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。
热门推荐
  • NBA的北境之王

    NBA的北境之王

    提起03一代谁还记得那曾经的榜眼秀?所有人都忘记了我的名字,只知道我是史上最差的榜眼秀没有之一!如今,我要高调的说出我的名字!我是达科·米利西奇!NBA的北境之王!
  • 糊涂虫的不糊涂人生

    糊涂虫的不糊涂人生

    糊涂终于出关了,重新整合了一下,改为《无上传说》大家可以去搜一下!!!书号:2953448,希望大家喜欢!!!别忘了收藏哦!!!
  • 邪王的双面帅妃

    邪王的双面帅妃

    丑女配瘸子,绝配?大小姐和凌王爷扼腕,叹息世人不长眼。两人联手教训了人渣姨娘,收拾了无良三皇兄,摇身一变,一个成了温雅莫公子,一个成了冷情凤楼主,在凤岐城玩翻了天!世人恍悟:王爷王妃并肩而立,如同龙点睛虎添翼,权倾天下,绝代风华!某玄衣男卧榻:“楼下的女花痴,隔壁的七殿下,楼顶的掠风神偷,莫园主,你很有魅力嘛。”某白衣女摇扇:“温柔的七皇妹,体贴的太傅千金,妖娆的邻国公主,凤楼主,你也不差!”“既然如此,还不动手?”“做什么?”某男一挑眉:“灭桃花!”
  • 他和猫

    他和猫

    从前,车马邮件都慢,一生,只够爱一个人。
  • X偶像

    X偶像

    他用超能力守护国家,他要成为国家偶像,还要杀了那个美女!本文为轻度小清新+重度血腥系。书籍内容未满八十岁请在家长的陪同下观看。卍卍卍卍卍卍卍卍卍卍卍给你一个不一样的X偶像。
  • 福妻驾到

    福妻驾到

    现代饭店彪悍老板娘魂穿古代。不分是非的极品婆婆?三年未归生死不明的丈夫?心狠手辣的阴毒亲戚?贪婪而好色的地主老财?吃上顿没下顿的贫困宭境?不怕不怕,神仙相助,一技在手,天下我有!且看现代张悦娘,如何身带福气玩转古代,开面馆、收小弟、左纳财富,右傍美男,共绘幸福生活大好蓝图!!!!快本新书《天媒地聘》已经上架开始销售,只要3.99元即可将整本书抱回家,你还等什么哪,赶紧点击下面的直通车,享受乐乐精心为您准备的美食盛宴吧!)
  • 灭绝江湖

    灭绝江湖

    少年南宫或,自幼出生武林世家,以上古后羿射日后所留神箭所制的一把“后羿剑”,称雄江湖,被称为“后羿剑客”,因助刀尊之女探明其父生死之因,却在途中被神秘的无面人暗袭身受重伤,被一代奇人天剑所救,不但习得被武林人士称为剑术之巅的天剑绝学,还明白江湖上的种种仇杀及阴谋,是因一本无上剑道秘笈“灭绝剑谱”所引起,复出江湖力屠青城掌门,夺回灭绝剑谱之“异式”。与此同时,因其剑谱面世,武林正邪各派纷纷骚动,而南宫世家也却因此引起家族惊变,巧幸少侠得到能吸功力的后羿神剑之助,使得内劲大增,又以自己的天生智慧终发现江湖上的种种祸端奇源便是已归隐武林的“沧浪八卫”之首所为……
  • 废材逆天:绝世控魂师

    废材逆天:绝世控魂师

    她本是二十一世纪仅存的控魂师。被人暗杀,一朝穿越。穿越到一个丧心病狂的世界。简单来说。就是面如冠玉的爷爷。傻里傻气的未婚夫。和n个未出场的人物
  • 世纪之约

    世纪之约

    本应是天真烂漫的年纪,林萧熙却陷入了一场深深的危机。孤身离家远行,除了随身简陋的行李,她所有的,只是心上人的一个约定。当约定之人赴约而来时,她却愕然发现,本为逃避而离家远行的她,反而跳进了这场风暴的中心。三大势力的争夺,两代人的恩怨,一场巨大的阴谋。所有人都是网中的鱼。挣扎、抗争,摆脱命运的锁链。一切的一切,都将终结。雷雨风暴之后,鲜血和泪水沃灌的花朵,终将绽放。到了那时,请你记得,当初那份,两人的约定。
  • 我的武侠之旅

    我的武侠之旅

    方逸飞在玩一款武侠游戏时,意外被系统附身,成了游戏中一个帮派的普通弟子。通过游戏系统,他可以自由出入射雕、神雕、倚天、笑傲、天龙等诸多武侠位面,而且只要他达到特定等级,还可以带着武侠人物重回现实。左手牵着周芷若,右手拉着王语嫣,方逸飞开始了性福的武侠生活……