登陆注册
15517200000022

第22章 III. THE SOUL OF THE SCHOOLBOY(6)

"Oh," replied Fisher, soothingly, "I dare say it was painted with silver a little."There was a heavy silence, and at last Harold March said, "But where is the real relic?""Where it has been for five years," replied Horne Fisher, "in the possession of a mad millionaire named Vandam, in Nebraska. There was a playful little photograph about him in a society paper the other day, mentioning his delusion, and saying he was always being taken in about relics."Harold March frowned at the tablecloth; then, after an interval, he said: "I think I understand your notion of how the thing was actually done; according to that, Morris just made a hole and fished it up with a magnet at the end of a string. Such a monkey trick looks like mere madness, but I suppose he was mad, partly with the boredom of watching over what he felt was a fraud, though he couldn't prove it. Then came a chance to prove it, to himself at least, and he had what he called 'fun' with it. Yes, I think I see a lot of details now. But it's just the whole thing that knocks me. How did it all come to be like that?"Fisher was looking at him with level lids and an immovable manner.

"Every precaution was taken," he said. "The Duke carried the relic on his own person, and locked it up in the case with his own hands."March was silent; but Twyford stammered. "I don't understand you. You give me the creeps. Why don't you speak plainer?""If I spoke plainer you would understand me less,"said Horne Fisher.

"All the same I should try," said March, still without lifting his head.

"Oh, very well," replied Fisher, with a sigh; "the plain truth is, of course, that it's a bad business.

Everybody knows it's a bad business who knows anything about it. But it's always happening, and in one way one can hardly blame them. They get stuck on to a foreign princess that's as stiff as a Dutch doll, and they have their fling. In this case it was a pretty big fling."The face of the Rev. Thomas Twyford certainly suggested that he was a little out of his depth in the seas of truth, but as the other went on speaking vaguely the old gentleman's features sharpened and set.

"If it were some decent morganatic affair I wouldn't say; but he must have been a fool to throw away thousands on a woman like that. At the end it was sheer blackmail; but it's something that the old ass didn't get it out of the taxpayers. He could only get it out of the Yank, and there you are."The Rev. Thomas Twyford had risen to his feet.

"Well, I'm glad my nephew had nothing to do with it," he said. "And if that's what the world is like, Ihope he will never have anything to, do with it.""I hope not," answered Horne Fisher. "No one knows so well as I do that one can have far too much to do with it."For Summers Minor had indeed nothing to do with it; and it is part of his higher significance that he has really nothing to do with the story, or with any such stories. The boy went like a bullet through the tangle of this tale of crooked politics and crazy mockery and came out on the other side, pursuing his own unspoiled purposes. From the top of the chimney he climbed he had caught sight of a new omnibus, whose color and name he had never known, as a naturalist might see a new bird or a botanist a new flower. And he had been sufficiently enraptured in rushing after it, and riding away upon that fairy ship.

同类推荐
  • 火吽轨别录

    火吽轨别录

    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。
  • 竹林寺女科

    竹林寺女科

    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。
  • 文献集

    文献集

    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。
  • 送赵六贞固

    送赵六贞固

    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。
  • 小螺庵病榻忆语

    小螺庵病榻忆语

    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
  • 旧梦阑珊

    旧梦阑珊

    这是一个平淡而又离奇的故事。讲述了一个女人漫长的一生里遇到的种种悲欢离合。正如我们的生活一样,有时候你以为它波澜不惊,却不知道有些事情或许是暗藏玄机。
  • 英雄辈起

    英雄辈起

    宋安平身为英雄的后人,在那个乱世当中却处处遭到排挤和陷害,他在无奈之后走向了另一条曲线护国之路,他用自己的意志和精神感化了众多梁山后人们心中对于朝廷的仇视,带领大家踏上了护国抗金之路。
  • 创始传记

    创始传记

    仙人何府邸?世人莫问之。冥殿九幽下,逍遥自在天。吆喝闹市处,青山绿水边。晨露湿衣襟,静坐承对天。人世百态相,存乎一心间。玄妙大自然,道心阴阳关。参悟混沌始,九宫归一源。
  • 宇宙漫游日记

    宇宙漫游日记

    “往古来今谓之宙,四方上下谓之宇”---《淮南子》犹如中大奖般,俺被外星人绑架了,然后被迫开始了一场惊心动魄的宇宙漫游之旅。PS:想知道人类的起源吗?想明白生命的意义吗?想看看宇宙的尽头吗?......来看本书吧,以上所说的东西,全都.......没有......
  • 音乐天才特工嫡女

    音乐天才特工嫡女

    她,是特工中顶尖的杀手,但是在一夜之间她最爱的人背叛了她和她最好的闺蜜在一起了,原来这一切都是骗局,突然下起了小雨,“呵,老天你是在同情我吗?不过我不需要任何同情!”突然一道雷正好劈中了她,“靠!说不要你同情你还真不同情啊!还用一道雷劈我,诶等等话说这里是哪里?”阴差阳错,她不小心穿越了,只是这场穿越,是偶然……还是必然?
  • 天灵至尊道

    天灵至尊道

    天灵诸界,凡界与极乐界超然世外;而修仙界自远古以来,人、妖、魔三族之间杀戮不断。万物欲求长生,但资源有限,为了让修为提升得更快,不得不杀人夺宝,抢夺资源修炼。而我们的小主人公紫凌天因天生废脉被歧视,最后无意听到了李家和王家的计划遭遇杀害,却冥冥之中使得隐藏的天灵之脉觉醒,从此走上了一条逆天之路,逆天夺取气运,一路上杀神弑魔,一步步升仙成神;三生已断,入至尊,得永生。
  • 冰樱魔法师:甜蜜一吻定未来

    冰樱魔法师:甜蜜一吻定未来

    一个新来的魔法屋实习生,上面就给了一个超级奇葩的任务:在人间寻找爱之宝石。谁都不知道这个爱之宝石竟然流落在一个放荡不羁的男生的家族里面。她一步步靠近他,却没想到她接触到他之后糊涂把自己的心给丢了。谁说一个魔法使者就没法与人类在一起吗?她偏偏要打破历史,做一回自己!
  • 寒星纪

    寒星纪

    “也许,你们认为这是可笑的,但对我来说,这是我要真正用一生守护的东西。”
  • 旅游经济学

    旅游经济学

    旅游经济学是研究旅游活动及其发展规律的一门新兴的综合性经济科学。 研究旅游经济活动过程中的各种经济关系和旅游业发展规律的学科。它和农业经济学、工业经济学、商业经济学、物资经济学一样,是研究国民经济中某一部门的经济学科。旅游经济学区别于旅游饭店管理学、旅游市场学、旅行社管理、旅游地理学等学科。这些学科是以旅游业中某一具体业务做为研究对象,而旅游经济学是从整个旅游经济活动全过程进行研究的。有诸多该学科教材及论著。
  • 热血之校园争霸

    热血之校园争霸

    不屈少年在被无限欺辱后的爆发,打开了他与兄弟们的校园争霸之门。喜欢本书的朋友加Q群217442842,大家一起讨论,建议