Chapter3 疑点多米诺 Suspicious Domint（第3页）

“Sorrytodisappointyou，professor，”saidthedetectivesarcastically，“butthisisthetimewhelelate，”andheproducedtheobjectwhichheheldbehindhim。“Hereisyourpicture，Mr。Kale。”

Kalegaspedalittleio，ahevaswithbothha。“Fihedetective。“I‘llseethatyoudohingbythis。Why，thatthihousanddollars！”Kaledidogetoverthat。

&hinkingMaedforwardtosquintattheupperrighthahevas。“Wheredidyoufndit?”heaskedagain。

“Rolleduptight，ahebottomofatrunkintheroomofos，”explainedMallory。“TheservantsnameisJennings。Heis。”

“Jennings！”exclaimedKale。“Why，hehasbeenwithmeforyears。”

“Didhefess?”askedthestistimperturbably。

“Ofallory。“Hesayssomeoftheotherservantsmusthavehiddenitthere。”

&hinkingMaoddedatHatkperhapsthatisall，”heremarked。“Igratulateyou，Mr。Mallory，upthemattertosuchaquidsatisfa。”

&eslatertheyleftthehouseandcaughtacarforthestistshome。Hatchwasalittleedattheuerminationoftheaffair，andwasthoughtfullysilentforatime。

“Mallorydoesshowanoofhumanintelligehe?”hesaidatlastquizzically。

“NotthatIevernoticed，”remarkedTheThinkiily。

“Buthefouure，”Hatsisted。

“Ofcoursehefoundit。Itutthereforhimtofnd。”

“Putthereforhimtofihereporter。“Didealit?”

“Ifhedid，hesafool。”

“Well，ifhedid，whoputitthere?”

“DeLesseps。”

“DeLesseps！”echoedHatch。“Whythedeucedidhestealafftythousand-dollarpidputitirunktobefound?”

&hinkiedaroundiahiment。“Attimes，Mr。Hatch，Iamabsolutelyamazedatyourstupidity，”hesaidfrankly。“IderstanditinamanlikeMallory，butIhavealwaysgivefanastute，quick->

Hatchsmiledatthereproach。Itwasimehehadheardofit。ButnothingbearingontheprobleminhandwassaiduntiltheyreachedTheThinkiments。

“Theoioninmymind，Mr。Hatch，”saidthestisttheherornotIshouldtakethetroubletorestoreMr。Kalespictureatall。Heisperfectlysatisfed，andwillprobablyhedifference。So-”

ði！”heexclaimed。“DoyoumeaurethatMalloryfound>

“Acopyinal，”supplemeist。“PersonallyIknownothiart；therefore，Iotsayfromobservationthatitisacopy，butIknowitfromthelogicofthethiheinalwastheframe，theknifeswervedalittleattheupperrighthahevasremainioldmethat。ThepicturethatMr。Malloryfounddidnotdihthetheframe。Theisobvious。”

“AnddeLessepshastheinal?”

DeLessepshastheinal。Howdidhegetit?Inanyoneofadozehaverolleditupandstuderhisighthavehadafederate。ButIdontthinkthatanyordiheftealedtohim。Iamgivifclever，asImustthe>

Forinstance，heaskedforpermissiontocopytheWhistler，whichyousawwasthesamesizeastheRubens。Itwasgranted。Hecopieditpractiderguard，alwayswiththecethatMr。Kalehimselfwoulddropin。Ittookhimthreedaystocopyit，sohesays。Hewasaloheroomallthattime。HekMr。Kalehadideaadva，whatwouldhavebeeohavecopiedtheRubensinoil?Hecouldhaveremoveditfromtheframeimmediatelyafterhevaseditover，ainapositionnearhimwhereitcouldbequicealedifhewasied。Remember，thepictureisworthfftythousanddollars；therefore，wasworththetrouble。

“DeLessepsisanartist-weknowthat-ahamahi，hehadnofears。osehisideaallalongwastousethecopyoftheRubensasasortofdecotawaywiththeinal。YousawthatMallorydidn‘tknowthedifferewassafeforhimtosupposethatMr。Kalewouldn’t。Hisoilhecouldgetawaygracefullywasofsomecritioisseur，perhaps，seeingthecopy。Hisboldnessweseereadilyihathepermittedhimselftodiscoverthetheft；thathediscovereditafterhehadvoluoassistMr。Kaleinthegeneralwthepithegallery。JusthowheputthepiJenning‘strunkIdooknow。Weemanyways。”Helaybahisispeakieadilyturnedupward，fngersplacedpreciselytiptotip。

&hingremainingistogogetthepicture。ItisindeLessepsroomnow-youtoldmethat-aissafe。Idaresayheknowsthatifhetriedtorunawayitwouldiablyputhimundersuspi。”

“ButhowdidhetakethepitheKaleshome?”askedHatch。

&withhimprobablyunderhisarmthedayheleftthehousewithMr。Kale，”wastheastonishingreply。

Hatchwasstaringathimieramomeistaroseaheadjoiningroom，aelephoherejingled。Whehepickeduphishataogether。

DeLessepswasiheirtup，aheyversedoftheerallyfortenminutes，whilethestistseyeswereturnedinquirihereabouttheroom。Atlastthereothedoor。

“ItisDetectiveMallory，Mr。Hatch，”remarkedTheThinkihedoorforhim。”

DeLessepsseemedstartledforjusto，thenquialloryseyeswerefullofquestioered。

“Ishouldlike，Mr。Mallahinkily，“tocallyourattentiontothisr。Kale‘spicturebyWhistler-overthemaitext?Youhaveseentheinal?”