The Evil Genius. Wilkie Collins

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СКАЧАТЬ couldn’t help me, if I did.”

      “Marry me, and I can help you to a fortune.”

      He eyed her attentively and saw that she was in earnest. “What do you call a fortune?” he asked.

      “Five thousand pounds,” she answered.

      His eyes opened; his mouth opened; he scratched his head. Even his impenetrable nature proved to be capable of receiving a shock. Five thousand pounds! He asked faintly for “a drop of brandy.”

      She had a bottle of brandy ready for him.

      “You look quite overcome,” she said.

      He was too deeply interested in the restorative influence of the brandy to take any notice of this remark. When he had recovered himself he was not disposed to believe in the five thousand pounds.

      “Where’s the proof of it?” he said, sternly.

      She produced her husband’s letter. “Did you read the Trial of Westerfield for casting away his ship?” she asked.

      “I heard of it.”

      “Will you look at this letter?”

      “Is it long?”

      “Yes.”

      “Then suppose you read it to me.”

      He listened with the closest attention while she read. The question of stealing the diamonds (if they could only be found) did not trouble either of them. It was a settled question, by tacit consent on both sides. But the value in money of the precious stones suggested a doubt that still weighed on his mind.

      “How do you know they’re worth five thousand pounds?” he inquired.

      “You dear old stupid! Doesn’t Westerfield himself say so in his letter?”

      “Read that bit again.”

      She read it again: “After the two calamities of the loss of the ship, and the disappearance of the diamonds—these last being valued at five thousand pounds—I returned to England.”

      Satisfied so far, he wanted to look at the cipher next. She handed it to him with a stipulation: “Yours, Jemmy, on the day when you marry me.”

      He put the slip of paper into his pocket. “Now I’ve got it,” he said, “suppose I keep it?”

      A woman who has been barmaid at a public-house is a woman not easily found at the end of her resources.

      “In that case,” she curtly remarked, “I should first call in the police, and then telegraph to my husband’s employers in Liverpool.”

      He handed the cipher back. “I was joking,” he said.

      “So was I,” she answered.

      They looked at each other. They were made for each other—and they both felt it. At the same time, James kept his own interests steadily in view. He stated the obvious objection to the cipher. Experts had already tried to interpret the signs, and had failed.

      “Quite true,” she added, “but other people may succeed.”

      “How are you to find them?”

      “Leave me to try. Will you give me a fortnight from to-day?”

      “All right. Anything else?”

      “One thing more. Get the marriage license at once.”

      “Why?”

      “To show that you are in earnest.”

      He burst out laughing. “It mightn’t be much amiss,” he said, “if I took you back with me to America; you’re the sort of woman we want in our new saloon. I’ll get the license. Good-night.”

      As he rose to go, there was a soft knock at the door. A little girl, in a shabby frock, ventured to show herself in the room.

      “What do you want here?” her mother asked sharply.

      Syd held out a small thin hand, with a letter in it, which represented her only excuse. Mrs. Westerfield read the letter, and crumpled it up in her pocket. “One of your secrets?” James asked. “Anything about the diamonds, for instance?”

      “Wait till you are my husband,” she said, “and then you may be as inquisitive as you please.” Her amiable sweetheart’s guess had actually hit the mark. During the year that had passed, she too had tried her luck among the Experts, and had failed. Having recently heard of a foreign interpreter of ciphers, she had written to ask his terms. The reply (just received) not only estimated his services at an extravagantly high rate, but asked cautious questions which it was not convenient to answer. Another attempt had been made to discover the mystery of the cipher, and made in vain.

      James Bellbridge had his moments of good-humor, and was on those rare occasions easily amused. He eyed the child with condescending curiosity. “Looks half starved,” he said—as if he were considering the case of a stray cat. “Hollo, there! Buy a bit of bread.” He tossed a penny to Syd as she left the room; and took the opportunity of binding his bargain with Syd’s mother. “Mind! if I take you to New York, I’m not going to be burdened with both your children. Is that girl the one you leave behind you?”

      Mrs. Westerfield smiled sweetly, and answered: “Yes, dear.”

      7.—The Cipher.

      An advertisement in the newspapers, addressed to persons skilled in the interpretation of ciphers, now represented Mrs. Westerfield’s only chance of discovering where the diamonds were hidden. The first answer that she received made some amends for previous disappointment. It offered references to gentlemen, whose names were in themselves a sufficient guarantee. She verified the references nevertheless, and paid a visit to her correspondent on the same day.

      His personal appearance was not in his favor—he was old and dirty, infirm and poor. His mean room was littered with shabby books. None of the ordinary courtesies of life seemed to be known to him; he neither wished Mrs. Westerfield good-morning nor asked her to take a seat. When she attempted to enter into explanations relating to her errand, he rudely interrupted her.

      “Show me your cipher,” he said; “I don’t promise to study it unless I find it worth my while.”

      Mrs. Westerfield was alarmed.

      “Do you mean that you want a large sum of money?” she asked.

      “I mean that I don’t waste my time on easy ciphers invented by fools.”

      She laid the slip of paper on his desk.

      “Waste your time on that,” she said satirically, “and see how you like it!”

      He examined it—first with his bleared red-rimmed eyes; then with a magnifying-glass. The only expression of opinion that escaped him was indicated by his actions. He shut up his book, and gloated over the signs and characters before СКАЧАТЬ