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hard cash-第101章

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At last in the blackness of the night a shadowy outline was visible; another tramp or two; it was upon them。

Now the cautious Mr。 Green had stipulated that the pocketbook should first be felt for; and; if not there; the matter should go no farther。 So Edward made a stumble and fell against Mr。 Hardie and felt his left breast: the pocket…book was there:〃Yes;〃 he whispered: and Mr。 Hardie; in the act of remonstrating at his clumsiness; was pinned behind; and his arms strapped with wonderful rapidity and dexterity。 Then first he seemed to awake to his hunger; and uttered a stentorian cry of terror; that rang through the night and made two of his three captors tremble。

〃Cut that〃 said Green sternly; 〃or you'll get into trouble。〃

Mr。 Hardie lowered his voice directly: 〃Do not kill me; do not hurt me;〃 he murmured; 〃I am but a poor man now。 Take my little money; it is in my waistcoat pocket; but spare my life。 You see I don't resist。〃

〃Come; stash your gab; my lad;〃 said Green contemptuously; addressing him just as he would any other of the birds he was accustomed to capture。 〃It's not your stiff that is wanted; but Captain Dodd's。〃

〃Captain Dodd's?〃 cried the prisoner with a wonderful assumption of innocence。

〃Ay; the pocket…book;〃 said Green; 〃here; this! this!〃 He tapped on the pocket…book; and instantly the prisoner uttered a cry of agony; and sprang into the road with an agility no one would have thought possible but Edward and Green soon caught him; and; the Doctor joining; they held him; and Green tore his coat open。

The pocket…book was not there。 He tore open his waistcoat; it was not in the waistcoat: but it was sewed to his very shirt on the outside。

Green wrenched it away; and bidding the other two go behind the prisoner and look over his shoulder; unseen themselves; slipped the shade of his lantern。

Mr。 Hardie had now ceased to struggle and to exclaim; he stood sullen; mute; desperate; while an agitated face peered eagerly over each of his shoulders at the open pocket…book in Green's hands; on which the lantern now poured a narrow but vivid stream of light。



CHAPTER XXXVI

THERE was not a moment to lose; so Green emptied the pocketbook into his hat; and sifted the contents in a turn of the hand; announcing each discovery in a whisper to his excited and peering associates。

〃A lot of receipts。〃

〃Of no use to any one but me;〃 said the prisoner earnestly。

〃Two miniatures; gold rims; pinchbeck backs。〃

〃They are portraits of my children when young: Heaven forgive me; I could not give them up to my creditors: surely; surely; you will not rob me of them。〃

〃Stash your gab;〃 said Mr。 Green roughly。 〃Here's a guinea; Queen Anne's reign。〃

〃It belonged to my great…grandfather: take it; but you will let me redeem it; I will give L。 5 for it poor as I am: you can leave it on my door…step; and I'll leave the L。 5。〃

〃Stow your gab。 Letters; papers covered with figures。 Stay; what is this? a lot of memoranda。〃

〃They are of the most private and delicate character。 Pray do not expose my family misfortunes。〃 And Mr。 Hardie; who of late had been gathering composure; showed some signs of agitation; the two figures glaring over his shoulder shared it; and his remonstrance only made Green examine the papers keenly: they might contain some clue to the missing money。 It proved a miscellaneous record: the price of Stocks at various days; notes of the official assignee's remarks in going over the books; &c。 At last; however; Green's quick eye fell upon a fainter entry in pencil; figures: 1; 4; yes; actually L。 14;000。 〃All right;〃 he said: and took the paper close to the lantern; and began to spell it out

〃'This day Alfred told me to my face I had L。 14;000 of Captain Dodd's。 We had an angry discussion。 What can he mean? Drs。 Wycherley and Osmond; this same day; afflicted me with hints that he is deranged; or partly。 I saw no signs of it before。 Wrote to my brother entreating him to give me L。 200 to replace the sum which I really have wronged this respectable and now most afflicted family of。 I had better withdraw'〃 Here Mr。 Hardie interrupted him with sorrowful dignity: 〃These are mere family matters; if you are a man; respect them。〃

Green went reading on like Fate: 〃'Better withdraw my opposition to the marriage; or else it seems my own flesh and blood will go about the place blackening my reputation。'〃

Mr。 Hardie stamped on the ground。 〃I tell you; on my honour as a gentleman; there's no money there but my grandfather's guinea。 My money is all in my waistcoat pocket; where you _will not_ look。〃

A flutter of uneasiness seemed to come over the detective: he darkened his lantern; and replaced the pocket…book hurriedly in the prisoner's breast; felt him all over in a minute; and to keep up the farce; robbed him。

〃Only eight yellow boys;〃 said he contemptuously to his mates。 He then shipped the money back into Hardie's coat…pocket; and conducted him to his own gate; tied him to it by the waist; and ordered him not to give the alarm for ten minutes on pain of death。

〃I consent;〃 said Mr。 Hardie; 〃and thank you for abstaining from violence。〃

〃All right; my tulip;〃 said Mr。 Green cheerfully; and drew his companions quietly away。 But the next moment he began to run; and making a sudden turn; dived into a street then into a passage; and so winded and doubled till he got to a small public…house: he used some flash word; and they were shown a private room。 〃Wait here an hour for me;〃 he whispered; 〃I must see who liberates him; and whether he is really as innocent as he reads; or we have been countermined by the devil's own tutor。〃

The unexpected turn the evidence had takenevidence of their own choosing; toocleared Mr。 Hardie with the unprofessionals。 Edward embraced this conclusion as a matter of course; and urged the character of that gentleman's solitary traducer: Alfred was a traitor; and therefore why not a slanderer?

Even Sampson; on the whole; inclined to a similar conclusion。

At this crisis of the discussion a red…haired pedlar; with very large whiskers and the remains of a black eye; put his head in; and asked whether Tom Green was there。 〃No;〃 said the Doctor stoutly; not desiring company of this stamp。 〃Don't know the lad。〃

The pedlar laughed: 〃There is not many that do know him at all hours; however; he _is_ here; sir。〃 And he whipped off the red hair; and wiped off the black eye; and ho; Green _ipse。_ He received their compliments on his Protean powers; and told them he had been just a minute too late。 Mr。 Hardie was gone; and so he had lost the chance of seeing who came to help him; and of hearing the first words that passed between the two。 This; he said; was a very great pity; for it would have shown him in one moment whether certain suspicions of his were correct。 Pressed as to what these suspicions were; he begged to be excused saying any more for the present。 The Doctor; however; would not let him off so; but insisted on his candid opinion。

〃Well; sir;〃 said Green; 〃I never was more puzzled in my life; owing to not being near hand when he was untied。 It looks all square; however。 There's one little thing that don't fit somehow。〃

They both asked in a breath what that was。

〃The sovs。 were all marked。〃

They asked how he knew; and had he got them in his pocket to show?

Green uttered a low chuckling laugh: 〃What; me fake the beans; now I live on this side of the hedge? Never knew a cove mix his liquors that way but it hurt his health soon or late。 No; I took them out of one pocket and felt of them as I slipped them into the other。 Ye see; gents; to do any good on my lay; a man must train his senses as well as his mind: he must have a hare's ear; and a hawk's eye; a bloodhound's nose; and a lady's hand with steel fingers and a silk skin。 Now look at that bunch of fives;〃 continued the master; and laid a hand white and soft as a duchess's on the table: 〃it can put the bracelets on a giant; or find a sharper's nail…mark on the back of the knave of clubs。 The beans were marked。 Which it is a small thing; but it don't fit the rest。 Here's an unsuspicious gent took by surprise; in moonlight meditation fancy free; and all his little private family matters found in his innocent bosom; quite promiscuous; but his beans marked。 That don't dovetail nohow。 Gents; did ever you hear of the man that went to the bottom of the bottomless pit to ease his mind? Well; he was the head of my family。 I must go to the bottom whether there's one or not。 And just now I see but one way。〃

〃And what is that?〃 inquired both his companions in some alarm。

〃Oh; I mustn't threaten it;〃 said Green; 〃or I shall never have the stomach to do it。 But dear me; this boozing ken is a very unfit place for you;you are champagne…gents; not dog's nose ones。 Now you part and make tracks for home; one on foot and one in a fly。 You won't see me; nor hear of me again; till I've something fresh。〃

And so the confederates parted; and Sampson and Edward met at Albion Villa; and Edward told his mother what they had done; and his conviction that Mr。 Hardie was innocent; and Alfred a slanderer as well as a traitor: 〃And indeed;〃 said he; 〃if we had but stopped to reflect; we should have seen how 
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