下载辰思小说免费APP
Brothersonwasunusuallyactiveandalertthatevening。Hewasanxioustofitonedelicatebitofmechanismintoanother，andhewascontinuallyinterruptedbyvisitors。Somebigeventwasoninthesocialisticworld，andhispresencewaseagerlydemandedbyonebrotherhoodafteranother。Sweetwater，postedathisloop-hole，heardtheargumentsadvancedbyeachseparatespokesman，followedbyBrotherson’sunvaryingreply：thatwhenhisworkwasdoneandhehadprovedhisrighttoapproachthemwithamessage，theymightlooktohearfromhimagain；butnotbefore。Hispatiencewasinexhaustible，butheshowedhimselfrelievedwhenthehourgrewtoolateforfurtherinterruption。Hebegantowhistle-atokenthatallwasgoingwellwithhim，andSweetwater，whohadcometounderstandsomeofhismoods，lookedforwardtoanhourortwoofcontinuousworkonBrotherson’spartandofdrearyandimpatientwaitingonhisown。But，assomanytimesbefore，hemisreadtheman。Earlierthancommon-muchearlier，infact，Mr。Brothersonlaiddownhistoolsandgavehimselfuptoarestlesspacingofthefloor。Thiswasnotusualwithhim。Nordidheoftenindulgehimselfinplayingonthepianoashedidto-night，beginningwithafewheavenlystrainsandendingwithabangthatmadethekey-boardjump。Certainlysomethingwasamissinthequarterwherepeacehadhithertoreignedundisturbed。Hadthedepthsbeguntoheave，orwerephysicalcausesaloneresponsiblefortheseunwontedebullitionsoffeeling?
Thequestionwasimmaterial。EitherwouldformanexcellentpreparationforthecoupplannedbySweetwater；andwhen，afteranotherhourofuncertainty，perfectsilencegreetedhimfromhisneighbour’sroom，hopehadsoaredagainonexultantwing，faraboveallformerdiscouragements。
Mr。Brotherson’sbedwasinaremotecornerfromtheloop-holemadebySweetwater；butinthestillnessnowpervadingthewholebuilding，thelattercouldhearhisevenbreathingverydistinctly。Hewasinadeepsleep。
Theyoungdetective’smomenthadcome。
Takingfromhisbreastasmallbox，heplaceditonashelfcloseagainstthepartition。Aninstantofquietlistening，thenhetouchedaspringinthesideoftheboxandlaidhisear，inhaste，tohisloop-hole。
Astrainofwell-knownmusicbrokesoftly，fromtheboxandsentitsvibrationsthroughthewall。
Itwasansweredinstantlybyastirwithin；then，asthenobleaircontinued，awakeningmemoriesofthatfatalinstantwhenitcrashedthroughthecorridorsoftheHotelClermont，drowningMissChalloner’scryifnotthesoundofherfall，awordburstfromthesleepingman’slipswhichcarrieditsownmessagetothelisteningdetective。
ItwasEdith！MissChalloner’sfirstname，andthetonebespokeashakensoul。
Sweetwater，gaspingwithexcitement，caughttheboxfromtheshelfandsilencedit。IthaddoneitsworkanditwasnopartofSweetwater’splantohavethisstrainlocated，oreventobethoughtreal。ButitsechostilllingeredinBrotherson’sotherwiseunconsciousears；foranother”Edith！”escapedhislips，followedbyasmotheredbutforcefulutteranceofthesefivewords，”YouknowIpromisedyou-”
Promisedherwhat?Hedidnotsay。Wouldhehavedonesohadthemusiclastedatriflelonger?Wouldheyetcompletehissentence?
Sweetwatertrembledwitheagernessandlistenedbreathlesslyforthenextsound。Brothersonwasawake。Hewastossinginhisbed。
Nowhehasleapedtothefloor。Sweetwaterhearshimgroan，thencomesanothersilence，brokenatlastbythesoundofhisbodyfallingbackuponthebedandthetroubledejaculationof”GoodGod！”
wrungfromlipsnotorturecouldhaveforcedintocomplaintunderanydaytimeconditions。
Sweetwatercontinuedtolisten，buthehadheardall，andaftersomefewminuteslongeroffruitlesswaiting，hewithdrewfromhispost。
Theepisodewasover。Hewouldhearnomorethatnight。
Washesatisfied?Certainlytheevent，puerileasitmightseemtosome，hadopenedupstrangevistastohisarousedimagination。Thewords”Edith，youknowIpromisedyou-”wereinthemselvesprovocativeofstrangeanddoubtfulconjectures。HadthesleeperundertheinfluenceofastrainofmusicindissolublyassociatedwiththedeathofMissChalloner，
后续内容为VIP可读请开通VIP，或购买此章节
