children of the whirlwind-第65部分

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〃I've　told　you　all　I　am　going　to　tell。　All　the　important　'dope'　you'll　get　first…hand　by　being　present　when　the　thing　happens。　The　place　to　come　is　the　Hotel　Granthamroom　eleven…forty…twoat　eight…thirty　sharp。〃

To　this　Barlow　grudgingly　agreed。　He　might　have　exulted　inwardly；　but　he　would　have　shown　no　outer　graciousness　if　a　committee　of　citizens　had　handed　him　a　reward　of　a　million　dollars　and　an　engrossed　testimonial　to　his　unprecedented　services。　Barlow　did　not　know　how　to　thank　any　one。

Five　minutes　after　she　left　Headquarters　Maggie　was　in　the　back　room　of　the　Duchess's　pawnshop；　which　her　rapid　planning　had　fixed　upon　as　the　next　station　at　which　she　should　stop。　She　did　not　waste　a　moment　in　coming　to　the　point　with　the　Duchess。

〃Red　Hannigan　is　really　the　most　important　of　Larry's　old　friends　who　are　out　to　get　him；　isn't　he？　〃　she　asked。

〃Yesin　a　way。　I　mean　among　those　who　honestly　think　Larry　has　turned　stool　and　squealer。　He　trusted　Larry　more　than　any　one　elseand　now　he　hates　Larry　more　than　any　one　else。　Rather　natural；　since　he　was　two　months　in　the　Tombs　before　he　could　get　bailbecause　he　thinks　Larry　squealed　on　him。〃

〃How's　he　stand　with　his　crowd？〃

〃No　one　higher。　They'd　all　take　his　word　for　anything。〃

〃Can　you　find　him　at　once？〃　Maggie　pursued　breathlessly。

That　was　a　trifling　question　to　ask　the　Duchess；　since　all　the　news　of　her　shadowy　world　came　to　her　ears　in　some　swift　obscure　manner。

〃Yes。　If　it　is　necessary。〃

〃It's　terribly　necessary！　If　I　can't　get　him；　the　whole　thing　may　fail！〃

〃What　thing？〃　demanded　the　Duchess。

〃It　might　all　sound　impossibly　foolish！〃　cried　the　excited；　desperate　Maggie。　〃You　might　tell　me　soand　discourage　meand　I　simply　must　go　ahead！　I　feel　rather　likelike　a　juggler　who's　trying　for　the　first　time　to　keep　a　lot　of　new　things　going　in　the　air　all　at　once。　But　I　think　there's　a　chance　that　I　may　succeed！　I'll　tell　you　just　one　thing。　It　all　has　to　do　with　Larry。　I　think　I　may　help　Larry。〃

〃I'll　get　Red　Hannigan；〃　the　Duchess　said　briefly。　〃What　do　you　want　with　him？〃

〃Have　him　come　to　the　Hotel　Granthamroom　eleven…forty…twoat　eight…fifteen　sharp！〃

〃He'll　be　there；〃　said　the　Duchess。

There　followed　a　swirling　taxi…ride　back　to　the　Grantham；　and　a　rapid　change　into　her　most　fetching　evening　gown　（she　had　not　even　a　thought　of　dinner）　to　play　her　bold　part　in　the　drama　which　she　was　excitedly　writing　in　her　mind　and　for　which　she　had　just　engaged　her　cast。　She　was　on　fire　with　terrible　suspense：　would　the　other　actors　play　their　parts　as　she　intended　they　should？would　her　complicated　drama　have　the　ending　she　was　hoping　for？

Had　she　been　in　a　more　composed；　matter…of…fact　state　of　mind；　this　play　which　she　was　staging　would　have　seemed　the　crudest；　most　impossible　melodramaa　thing　both　too　absurd　and　too　dangerous　for　her　to　risk。　But　Maggie　was　just　then　living　through　one　of　the　highest　periods　of　her　life；　she　cared　little　what　happened　to　her。　And　it　is　just　such　moods　that　transform　and　elevate　what　otherwise　would　be　absurd　to　the　nobly　serious；　that　changes　the　impossible　into　the　possible；　just　as　an　exalted　mood　or　mind　is；　or　was；　the　primary　difference　between　Hamlet；　or　Macbeth；　or　Lear；　and　any　of　the　forgotten　Bowery　melodramas　of　a　generation　now　gone。

She　had　been　dressed　for　perhaps　ten　nervous　minutes　when　the　bell　rang。　She　admitted　a　slight；　erect；　well…dressed；　middle…aged　man　with　a　lean；　thin…lipped　face　and　a　cold；　hard；　conservative　eye：　a　man　of　the　type　that　you　see　by　the　dozens　in　the　better　hotels　of　New　York；　and　seeing　them　you　think；　if　you　think　of　them　at　all；　that　here　is　the　canny　president　of　some　fair…sized　bank　who　will　not　let　a　client　borrow　a　dollar　beyond　his　established　credit；　or　that　here　is　the　shrewd　but　unobtrusive　power　behind　some　great　industry　of　the　Middle　West。

〃I'm　Hannigan；〃　he　announced　briefly。　〃I　know　you're　Old　Jimmie　Carlisle's　girl。　The　Duchess　told　me　you　wanted　me　on　something　big。　What's　the　idea？〃

〃You　want　to　get　Larry　Brainard；　don't　you？or　whoever　it　was　that　squealed　on　you？〃

There　was　a　momentary　gleam　in　the　hard；　gray　eyes。　〃I　do。〃

〃That's　why　you're　here。　In　a　little　over　an　hour；　if　you　stay　quiet　in　the　background；　you'll　have　what　you　want。〃

〃You've　got　a　swell…looking　lay…out　here。　What's　going　to　be　pulled　off？〃

〃It's　not　what　I　might　tell　you　that's　going　to　help　you。　It's　what　you　hear　and　see。〃

〃All　right；〃　said　the　thin…lipped　man。　〃I'll　pass　the　questions；　since　the　Duchess　told　me　to　do　as　you　said。　She's　square；　even　if　she　does　have　a　grandson　who's　a　stool。　I　suppose　I'm　to　be　out　of　sight　during　whatever　happens？〃

〃Yes。〃

In　the　room　there　were　two　spacious　closets；　as　is　not　infrequent　　in　the　better　class　of　modern　hotels；　and　it　had　been　these　two　closets　which　had　been　the　practical　starting…point　of　Maggie's　development　of　Dick　Sherwood's　proposition。　To　one　of　these　she　led　Hannigan。

〃You'll　be　out　of　sight　here；　and　you'll　get　every　word。〃

He　stepped　inside；　and　she　closed　the　door。　Also　she　took　the　precaution　of　locking　it。　She　wished　Hannigan　to　hear；　but　she　wished　no　such　contretemps　as　Hannigan　bursting　forth　and　spoiling　her　play　when　it　had　reached　only　the　middle　of　its　necessary　action。

Barlow　came　promptly　at　half…past　eight。　He　brought　news　which　for　a　few　moments　almost　completely　upset　Maggie's　delicately　balanced　structure。

〃I　know　who　you　are　now；〃　he　said　brusquely。　〃And　part　of　your　game's　cold　before　you　start。〃

〃Why？What　part？〃

〃Just　after　you　left　Headquarters　Officer　Gavegan　showed　up。　He　had　this　Larry　Brainard　in　towhad　pinched　him　out　on　Long　Island。〃

This　announcement　staggered　Maggie；　for　the　moment　made　all　her　strenuous　planning　seem　to　have　lost　its　purpose。　In　her　normal　condition　she　might　either　have　given　up　or　betrayed　her　real　intent。　But　just　now；　in　her　super…excited　state；　in　which　she　felt　she　was　fighting　desperately　for　others；　she　was　acting　far　above　her　ordinary　capacity；　and　she　was　making　decisions　so　swift　that　they　hardly　seemed　to　proceed　from　conscious　thought。　So　Barlow；　vigilant　watcher　of　faces　that　he　was；　saw　nothing　unusual　in　her　expression　or　manner。

〃What　did　you　do　with　him？〃　she　asked。

〃Left　him　with　Gaveganand　with　Casey；　who　had　just　come　in。　Trailing　with　Brainard　was　a　swell　named　Hunt；　cussing　mad。　He　was　snorting　around　about　being　pals　with　most　of　the　magistrates；　and　swore　he'd　have　Brainard　out　on　bail　inside　an　hour。　But　what　he　does　don't　make　any　difference　to　me。　Your　proposition　seems　to　me　dead　cold；　since　I've　already　got　Brainard；　and　got　him　right。　I　wouldn't　have　bothered　to　have　come　here　at　all　except　for　something　you　let　drop　about　the　pals　he　might　have　been　working　with　these　last　few　months。〃

〃That's　exactly　it；〃　she　caught　him　up。　〃I　never　thought　that　you'd　catch　Larry　Brainard　here。　How　could　I；　when；　if　you　know　me　as　you　say；　you　also　know　that　he　and　I　are　in　different　campsare　fighting　each　other？　What's　going　to　happen　here　is　something　that　will　show　you　the　people　Larry　Brainard's　been　mixed　up　withthat　will　turn　up　for　you　the　people　you　want。〃

〃But　what's　going　to　happen？〃　B