第11章

AquarterofanhourofratherfastridingbroughtthemintoatangleofstreetsontheEastside。AsGeorgenoticedtheswarmingsidewalksandlistenedtothenoisesincidenttoanover-populatedquarter，hecouldnotforbear，despitetheinjunctionhehadreceived，toexpresshissurpriseatthedirectionoftheirsearch。

Surely，”saidhe，”thegentlemanIhavedescribedcanhavenofriendshere。”Then，bethinkinghimself，headded：”Butifhehasreasonstofearthelaw，naturallyhewouldseektolosehimselfinaplaceasdifferentaspossiblefromhisusualhaunts。””Yes，thatwouldbesomemen’sway，”wasthecurt，almostindifferent，answerhereceived。Sweetwaterwaslookingthiswayandthatfromthewindowbesidehim，andnow，leaningoutgavesomedirectionstothedriverwhichalteredtheircourse。

Whentheystopped，whichwasinafewminutes，hesaidtoGeorge：”Weshallhavetowalknowforablockortwo。I’manxioustoattractnoattention，norisitdesirableforyoutodoso。Ifyoucanmanagetoactasifyouwereaccustomedtotheplaceandjustleaveallthetalkingtome，weoughttogetalongfirst-rate。

Don’tbeastonishedatanythingyousee，andtrustmefortherest；

that’sall。”

Theyalighted，andhedismissedthetaxicab。Someclockintheneighbourhoodstruckthehouroften。”Good！weshallbeintime，”

mutteredthedetective，andledthewaydownthestreetandroundacornerorso，tilltheycametoablockdarkerthantherest，andmuchlessnoisy。

Ithadasinisterlook，andGeorge，whoisbraveenoughunderallordinarycircumstances，wasgladthathiscompanionworeabadgeandcarriedawhistle。Hewasalsorelievedwhenhecaughtsightoftheburlyformofapolicemanintheshadowofoneofthedoorways。Yetthehouseshesawbeforehimwerenotsoverydifferentfromthosetheyhadalreadypassed。Hisuneasinesscouldnothavesprungfromthem。Theyhadevenanairofpositiverespectability，asthoughinhabitedbyindustriousworkmen。Then，whatwasitwhichmadetheclosecompanionshipofamemberofthepolicesouncommonlywelcome?Wasitacertainaspectofsolitarinesswhichclungtotheblock，orwasitthesuddenappearancehereandthereofstrangelyglidingfigures，whichnosoonerloomedupagainstthesnowyperspective，thantheydisappearedagaininsomeunseendoorway?”There’sameetingonto-night，oftheAssociatedBrotherhoodoftheAwl，thePlaneandtheTrowel(whateverthatmeans)，anditisthespeakerwewanttosee；themanwhoistoaddressthempromptlyatteno’clock。Doyouobjecttomeetings?””Isthisasecretone?””Itwasn’tadvertised。””Arewecarpentersormasonsthatwecancountonadmittance?””Iamacarpenter。Don’tyouthinkyoucanbeamasonfortheoccasion?””Idoubtit，but-””Hush！Imustspeaktothisman。”

Georgestoodback，andafewwordspassedbetweenSweetwaterandashadowyfigurewhichseemedtohavesprungupoutofthesidewalk。”Balkedattheoutset，”weretheencouragingwordswithwhichthedetectiverejoinedGeorge。”Itseemsthatapass-wordisnecessary，andmyfriendhasbeenunabletogetit。Willthespeakerpassoutthisway?”heinquiredoftheshadowyfigurestilllingeringintheirrear。”Hedidn’tgoinbyit；yetIbelievehe’ssafeenoughinside，”wasthemutteredanswer。

Sweetwaterhadnorelishfordisappointmentsofthischaracter，butitwasnotlongbeforehestraightenedupandallowedhimselftoexchangeafewmorewordswiththismysteriousperson。Theseappearedtobeofamoreencouragingnaturethanthelast，foritwasnotlongbeforethedetectivereturnedwithrenewedalacritytoGeorge，and，wheelinghimabout，begantoretracehisstepstothecorner。”Arewegoingback?Areyougoingtogiveupthejob?”Georgeasked。”No；we’regoingtotakehimfromtherear。There’sabreakinthefence-Oh，we’lldoverywell。Trustme。

Georgelaughed。Hewasgrowingexcited，butnotaltogetheragreeablyso。Hesaysthathehasseenmomentsofmorepleasantanticipation。

Evidently，mygoodhusbandisnotcutoutfordetectivework。

Wheretheywentunderthisofficer’sguidance，hecannottell。Thetortuoustangleofalleysthroughwhichhenowfelthimselfledwasdarkasthenetherregionstohisunaccustomedeyes。Therewassnowunderhisfeetandnowandthenhebrushedagainstsomeobtrudingobject，orstumbledagainstalowfence；butbeyondtheseslightmiscalculationsonhisownpart，hewasamereautomatoninthehandsofhiseagerguide，andonlybecamehisownmanagainwhentheysuddenlysteppedintoanopenyardandhecoulddiscernplainlybeforehimthedarkwallsofabuildingpointedoutbySweetwaterastheirprobabledestination。Yetevenheretheyencounteredsomeimpedimentwhichprohibitedacloseapproach。Awallorshedcutofftheirviewofthebuilding’slowerstorey；andthoughsomewhatstartledatbeingleftunceremoniouslyaloneafterjustawhisperedwordofencouragementfromtheeverreadydetective，Georgecouldquiteunderstandthenecessitywhichthatpersonmustfeelforaquietreconnoiteringofthesurroundingsbeforethetwoofthemventuredfurtherforwardintheirpossiblyhazardousundertaking。

YettheexperiencewasnonetoopleasingtoGeorge，andhewasverygladtohearSweetwater’swhisperagainathisear，andtofeelhimselfrescuedfromthepoolofslushinwhichhehadbeenlefttostand。”Theapproachisnotallthatcanbedesired，”remarkedthedetectiveastheyenteredwhatappearedtobealowshed。”Thebrokenboardhasbeenputbackandsecurelynailedinplace，andifIamnotverymuchmistakenthereisafellowstationedintheyardwhowillwantthepass-wordtoo。Looksshadytome。I’llhavesomethingtotellthechiefwhenIgetback。””Butwe！Whatarewegoingtodoifwecannotgetinfrontorrear?”We’regoingtowaitrighthereinthehopesofcatchingaglimpseofourmanashecomesout，”returnedthedetective，drawingGeorgetowardsalowwindowoverlookingtheyardhehaddescribedassentinelled。”Hewillhavetopassdirectlyunderthiswindowonhiswaytothealley，”Sweetwaterwentontoexplain，”andifIcanonlyraiseit-butthenoisewouldgiveusaway。Ican’tdothat。””Perhapsitswingsonhinges，”suggestedGeorge。”Itlookslikethatsortofawindow。””Ifitshould-well！itdoes。We’reingreatluck，sir。ButbeforeIpullitopen，rememberthatfromthemomentIunlatchit，everythingsaidordoneherecanbeheardintheadjoiningyard。

Sonowhispersandnounnecessarymovements。Whenyouhearhimcoming，assoonerorlateryoucertainlywill，fallcarefullytoyourkneesandleanoutjustfarenoughtocatchaglimpseofhimbeforehestepsdownfromtheporch。Ifhestopstolighthiscigarortopassafewwordswithsomeofthemenhewillleavebehind，youmaygetaplainenoughviewofhisfaceorfiguretoidentifyhim。Thelightisburninglowinthatrearhall，butitwilldo。

Ifitdoesnot，-ifyoucan’tseehimorifyoudo，don’thangoutofthewindowmorethanasecond。Duckafteryourfirstlook。I

don’twanttobecaughtatthisjobwithnobetteropportunityforescapethanwehavehere。Canyourememberallthat?”

Georgepinchedhisarmencouragingly，andSweetwater，withanamusedgrunt，softlyunlatchedthewindowandpulleditwideopen。

Afinesleetflewin，imperceptiblesaveforthesensationofdampitgave，andtheslighthazeitdiffusedthroughtheair。Enlargedbythishaze，thebuildingtheyweresettowatchroseinmagnifiedproportionsattheirleft。Theyardbetween，piledhighinthecentrewithsnow-heapsorotherheapscoveredwithsnow，couldnothavebeenmorethanfortyfeetsquare。Thewindowfromwhichtheypeered，washalf-waydownthisyard，sothatacomparativelyshortdistanceseparatedthemfromtheporchwhereGeorgehadbeentoldtolookforthemanhewasexpectedtoidentify。Allwasdarkthereatpresent，buthecouldhearfromtimetotimesomesoundsofrestlessmovement，astheguardpostedinsideshiftedinhisnarrowquarters，orstruckhisbenumbedfeetsoftlytogether。

Butwhatcametothemfromabovewasmoreinterestingthananythingtobeheardorseenbelow。Aman’svoice，raisedtoawonderfulpitchbythepassionoforatory，hadburstthebarriersoftheclosedhallinthattoweringthirdstoreyandwascarryingitstaletootherearsthanthosewithin。Haditbeensummerandthewindowsopen，bothGeorgeandSweetwatermighthaveheardeveryword；forthetoneswereexceptionallyrichandpenetrating，andthespeakerintentonlyontheimpressionhewasendeavouringtomakeuponhisaudience。Thathehadnotmistakenhispowerinthisdirectionwasevincedbytheapplausewhichrosefromtimetotimefrominnumerablehandsandfeet。Butthisuproarwouldbespeedilysilenced，andthemellowvoiceringoutagain，clearandcommanding。WhatcouldthesubjectbetorousesuchenthusiasmintheAssociatedBrotherhoodoftheAwl，thePlaneandtheTrowel?Therewasamomentwhenourlisteningfriendsexpectedtobeenlightened。Ashutterwasthrownbackinoneofthoseupperwindows，andthewindowhurriedly，raised，duringwhichwordstooktheplaceofsoundsandtheyheardenoughtowhettheirappetiteformore。Butonlythat。Theshutterwasspeedilyrestoredtoplace，andthewindowagainclosed。Awiseprecaution，orsothoughtGeorgeiftheywishedtokeeptheirdoubtfulproceedingssecret。

Atiradeagainsttherichandaloudcalltobattlecouldbegleanedfromthefewsentencestheyhadheard。Butitsvirulenceandpointedattackwasnotthatofthesecond-ratedemagogueorbusinessagent，butofamanwhoseintellectandculturerangineverytone，andinformedeachsentence。

Sweetwater，inwhomsatisfactionwasfasttakingtheplaceofimpatienceandregret，pushedthewindowtobeforeaskingGeorgethisquestion：”Didyouhearthevoiceofthemanwhoseactionattracted，yourattentionoutsidetheClermont?””No。””Didyounotejustnowthelargeshadowdancingontheceilingoverthespeaker’shead?””Yes，butIcouldjudgenothingfromthat。””Well，he’sarumone。Ishan’topenthiswindowagaintillhegivessignsofreachingtheendofhisspeech。It’stoocold。”