Тридцать девять ступеней
Chapter 4
”Butifhewaslukewarmpoliticallyhehadstrongviewsonotherthings.HefoundoutIknewabitabouthorses,andjawedawayabouttheDerbyentries;andhewasfullofplansforimprovinghisshooting.Altogether,averyclean,decent,callowyoungman.
Aswepassedthroughalittletowntwopolicemensignalledustostop,andflashedtheirlanternsonus.
“Begpardon,SirHarry,”saidone.“We’vegotinstructionstolookoutforacar,andthedescription’snounlikeyours.”
“Right-o,”saidmyhost,whileIthankedProvidenceforthedeviouswaysIhadbeenbroughttosafety.Afterthathespokenomore,forhismindbegantolabourheavilywithhiscomingspeech.Hislipskeptmuttering,hiseyewandered,andIbegantopreparemyselfforasecondcatastrophe.Itriedtothinkofsomethingtosaymyself,butmymindwasdryasastone.ThenextthingIknewwehaddrawnupoutsideadoorinastreet,andwerebeingwelcomedbysomenoisygentlemenwithrosettes.
Thehallhadaboutfivehundredinit,womenmostly,alotofbaldheads,andadozenortwoyoungmen.Thechairman,aweasellyministerwithareddishnose,lamentedCrumpleton’sabsence,soliloquizedonhisinfluenza,andgavemeacertificateasa“trustedleaderofAustralianthought”.Thereweretwopolicemenatthedoor,andIhopedtheytooknoteofthattestimonial.ThenSirHarrystarted.
Ineverheardanythinglikeit.Hedidn’tbegintoknowhowtotalk.Hehadaboutabushelofnotesfromwhichheread,andwhenheletgoofthemhefellintooneprolongedstutter.
