迪文小说

chater3 疑点多米诺 uiciu dt（第1页）

名画失窃案ProblemoftheStolenRubens

雅克·福特雷尔

JacquesFutrelle

雅克·福特雷尔（JacquesFutrelle，1875—1912），美国推理小说家。在他的推理短篇小说中，最著名的是《思想机器》。脍炙人口的侦探小说为他在侦探小说界赢得了较高的声誉。

MatthewKalemadefftymilliondollarsoutofaxlegrease，afterwhichhebegantoatronizethehigharts。Itwassimleenough：hehadthemoney，andEuroehadtheoldmasters。Hismethodofbuyingwassimlicityitself。Therewerefivethousandsquareyards，moreorless，inthehugegalleryofhismarblemansionwhichweretobecovered，soheboughtfvethousandsquareyards，moreorless，ofart。Someofitwasgood，someofitfair，andmuchofitbad。ThechiefictureofthecollectionwasaRubens，whichhehadickeduinRomeforfftythousanddollars。

Soonafteracquiringhiscollection，Kaledecidedtomakecertainalterationsinthevastroomwheretheictureshung。Theywerealltakendownandstoredintheballroom，equallyvast，withtheirfacestowardthewall。MeanwhileKaleandhisfamilytookrefugeinanearbyhotel。

ItwasatthishotelthatKalemetJulesdeLesses。DeLesseswasdistinctlyFrench，thesortofFrenchmanwhoseconversationresemblescalisthenics。Hewasnervous，quick，andagile，andhetoldKaleinconfidencethathewasnotonlyaainterhimself，butwasaconnoisseurinthehigharts。Pomousintherideofossession，KalewenttoagooddealoftroubletoexhibithisrivatecollectionfordeLesses‘delectation。Ithaenedintheballroom，andthetrueartist’sdelightshoneintheFrenchmanseyesashehandledtheieceswhichweregood。Someoftheothersmadehimsmile，butitwasaninoffensivesortofsmile。

WithhisownhandsKaleliftedthereciousRubensandhelditbeforetheFrenchmanseyes。Itwasa“MadonnaandChild，”oneofthosewonderfulcreationswhichhaveenduredthroughtheyearswithallthesarkleandcolorbeautyoftheirristinedays。KaleseemeddisaointedbecausedeLesseswasnotarticularlyenthusiasticaboutthisicture。

“Why，itsaRubens！”heexclaimed。

“Yes，Isee，”relieddeLesses。

“Itcostmefftythousanddollars。”

“Itiserhasworthmorethanthat，”andtheFrenchmanshruggedhisshouldersasheturnedaway。

Kalelookedathiminchagrin。CoulditbethatdeLessesdidnotunderstandthatitwasaRubens，andthatRubenswasaainter?Orwasitthathehadfailedtohearhimsaythatitcosthimfftythousanddollars。Kalewasaccustomedtoseeingeolebobtheirheadsandoentheireyeswhenhesaidfftythousanddollars；therefore，“Dontyoulikeit?”heasked。

“Verymuchindeed，”relieddeLesses，“butIhaveseenitbefore。IsawitinRomejustaweekorsobeforeyouurchasedit。”

Theyrummagedthroughtheictures，andatlastaWhistlerwasturnedufortheirinsection。ItwasoneofthefamousThamesseries，awatercolor。DeLessesfaceradiatedexcitement，andseveraltimesheglancedfromthewatercolortotheRubensasifmentallycomaringtheexquisitelyenciledandcoloredmodernworkwiththebold，masterlytechnicoftheold。

Kalemisunderstoodthesilence。“Idontthinkmuchofthisonemyself，”heexlainedaologetically。“It‘saWhistler，andallthat，anditcostmefvethousanddollars，andIsortofhadtohaveit，butstillitisn’tjustthekindofthingthatIlike。Whatdoyouthinkofit?”

“Ithinkitiserfectlywonderful！”reliedtheFrenchmanenthusiastically。“Itistheessence，thesuerlative，ofmodernwork。Iwonderifitwouldbeossible，”andheturnedtofaceKale，“formetomakeacoyofthat?Ihavesomeslightskillinaintingmyself，anddaresayIcouldmakeafairlycreditablecoyofit。”

Kalewasflattered。Hewasmoreandmoreimressedeachmomentwiththeicture。“Why，certainly，”herelied。“Iwillhaveitsentutothehotel，andyoucan-”

“No，no，no！”interruteddeLessesquickly。“Iwouldntcaretoaccettheresonsibilityofhavingtheictureinmycharge。Thereisalwaysadangeroffre。Butifyouwouldgivemeermissiontocomehere-thisroomislargeandairyandlight，andbesidesitisquiet-”

“Justasyoulike，”saidKalemagnanimously。“Imerelythoughttheotherwaywouldbemostconvenientforyou。”

DeLessesdrewnear，andlaidonehandonthemillionairesarm。“Mydearfriend，”hesaidearnestly，“iftheseicturesweremyictures，Ishouldnttrytoaccommodateanybodywheretheywereconcerned。Idaresaythecollectionasitstandscostyou-”

“Sixhundredandeighty-seventhousanddollars，”volunteeredKaleroudly。

“Andsurelytheymustbewellrotectedhereinyourhouseduringyourabsence?”

“Thereareabouttwentyservantsinthehousewhiletheworkmenaremakingthealterations，”saidKale，“andthreeofthemdontdoanythingbutwatchthisroom。Noonecangoinoroutexcetbythedoorweentered-theothersarelockedandbarred-andthenonlywithmyermission，orawrittenorderfromme。No，sir，nobodycangetawaywithanythinginthisroom。”

“Excellent，excellent！”saiddeLessesadmiringly。Hesmiledalittlebit。“IamafraidIdidnotgiveyoucreditforbeingthefar-sightedbusinessmanthatyouare。”Heturnedandglancedoverthecollectionoficturesabstractedly。“Acleverthief，though，”heventured，“mightcutavaluableainting，forinstancetheRubens，outoftheframe，rollitu，concealitunderhiscoat，andescae。”

Kalelaughedleasantlyandshookhishead。

ItwasacouleofdayslateratthehotelthatdeLessesbroughtuthesubjectofcoyingtheWhistler。HewasrofuseinhisthankswhenKalevolunteeredtoaccomanyhimtothemansionandwitnessthereliminarystagesofthework。Theyausedattheballroomdoor。

“Jennings，”saidKaletotheliveriedservantthere，“thisisMr。deLesses。Heistocomeandgoashelikes。Heisgoingtodosomeworkintheballroomhere。Seethatheisntdisturbed。”

DeLessesnoticedtheRubensleaningcarelesslyagainstsomeotherictures，withtheholyfaceoftheMadonnatowardthem。“Really，Mr。Kale，”herotested，“thatictureistoovaluabletobeleftaboutlikethat。Ifyouwillletyourservantsbringmesomecanvas，Ishallwraitandlaceituonthetablehereoffthefoor。Suosethereweremicehere！”

Kalethankedhim。Thenecessaryordersweregiven，andfnallytheicturewascarefullywraedandlacedbeyondharmsreach，whereuondeLessesadjustedhimself，aer，easel，stool，andall，andbeganhisworkofcoying。ThereKalelefthim。

ThreedayslaterKalejusthaenedtodroin，andfoundtheartiststillathislabor。

“Ijustdroedby，”heexlained，“toseehowtheworkinthegallerywasgettingalong。Itwillbefnishedinanotherweek。IhoeIamnotdisturbingyou?”

“Notatall，”saiddeLesses，“Ihavenearlyfnished。SeehowIamgettingalong?”HeturnedtheeaseltowardKale。

Themillionairegazedfromthattowardtheoriginalwhichstoodonachairnearby，andfrankadmirationfortheartistseffortswasinhiseyes。“Why，itsfne！”heexclaimed。“It‘sjustasgoodastheotherone，andIbetyoudon’twantanyfvethousanddollarsforit-eh?”

Thatwasallthatwassaidaboutitatthetime。Kalewanderedaboutthehouseforanhourorso，thendroedintotheballroomwheretheartistwasjustgettinghisarahernaliatogether，andtheywalkedbacktothehotel。TheartistcarriedunderonearmhiscoyoftheWhistler，looselyrolledu。