Chapter3 疑点多米诺 Suspicious Domint（第2页）

Thatwasallthatwassaidaboutitatthetime。Kalewahehouseforanhourorso，theheballroomwheretheartistwasjustgettinghisparapherher，andtheywalkedbacktothehotel。TheartistderonearmhiscopyoftheWhistler，looselyrolledup。

Oneweekpassed，andtheworkmenwhohadbeenengagedinrefinishiingthegalleryhadgone。DeLessepsvoluoassistinthewthepidKalegladlyturerovertohim。ItwasiernoohiswanthatdeLesseps，gpleasantlyedloosethevaswhishroudedthepreciousRubens。Thehaionofdismay。Thepicturewasgoheframewhichhadhelditty。Athinstripofvasaroundtheihatasharppenknifehadbeeoutthepainting。

AllofthesefactscametotheattentionofPrustusS。F。X。VahinkihiswasadayorsoafterKalehadrushediiveMallory‘sofficeatpoliceheadquarters，withthestatementthathisRubeolen。Hebadowive’sdeskahim。“Itefftythousanddollars！”hedeclaredviolently。“Whydontyoudosomething?Whatareyousittiaringatmefor?”

“Doeyourself，Mr。Kale，”thedetectiveadvised。“Iwillputmymenatwhthe-the-WhatisaRubens，any>

“Itsapicture！”belloievaswithsomepaintonit，anditefiftythousanddollars-dontyetthat！”

Sothepolierywassetinmotiohepainting。AerfelluchfuleyeofHutHatch，reporter。Helearspregthedisappearaure，andthendeLesseps。Hefouiementbonhysteria；anintimatioeroftheobjectofhisvisitcauseddeLessepstoburstintowords。

“Moiseous！”heexclaimed。“WhatIdo?Iwastheoheroomforseveraldays。Iwastheoooksustoprotectthepidnowitisgohelossisirreparable。WhatIdo?”

Hatthaveaeideaastojustwhathecoulddo，sohelethimgoon。“AsIu，Mr。deLesseps，”hei，“nooheroom，exr。Kale，allthetimeyouwerethere?”

“Nooneelse。”

“AndIthinkMr。Kalesaidthatyaouswatercolor，werentyou?”

&hamesse，byWhistler，”ly。“Thatisit，hahemantel。”

Hatcedatthepictureadmiringly。Itwasaedshowedthedefttouanwhowashimselfanartistofgreatability。

DeLessepsreadtheadmirationiisnotbad，”hesaidmodestly。“IstudiedwithCarolusDuran。”

Withallelsethatwasknown，andthislittleadditionalinformation，whichseemedofnoparticularvaluetothereporter，theeerwaslaidbeforeTheThinkidistinguishedmanlistenedfrombegihoutent。

“Whohada?”heaskedfnally。

“Thatisonnoly。“Thereareacoupleofdozesinthehouse，andIsuppose，inspiteidorders，therewasalaxityintheire。”

“Ofcoursethatmakesitmoredifficult，”saidTheThinkiheperpetuallyirritatedvoicewhichwassodistinctlyapartofhimself。“PerhapsitwouldbebestfotoMr。Kaleshomeandpersoe。”

Kalereceivedthemwiththereservewhichallrishowinthepreseivesofthepress。Hestaredfranklyacuriouslyatthediminutivefigureofthestist，whoexplaioftheirvisit。

“Iguessyoufellowsythingwiththis，”themillionaireassuredthem。“Ivegulardeteit。”

“IsMr。Malloryherehinkily。

“Yes，heisupstairsisquarters。”

“Mayweseetheroomfromwhichthepicturewastakehestist，withasuaveintonationwhichHatewwell。

&edthepermissionwithawaveofthehand，ahemintotheballroom，wherethepictureshadbeeherelativeterofthisroomTheThinkingMaesurveyeditall。Theerehigh。Halfadoutintothehallways，totheservatory，anooksofthemansionofferedinnumerablepossibilitiesofaccess。Afterthisonelongprehe，TheThinkioveraheframefromwhichtheRube。Ftimeheexami。Kalesimpatienceai。Fiistturohim。

“HowwelldoyouknowMr。deLesseps?”heasked。

“Iveknownhimforonlyamonthorso。Why?”

“Didhebriersofintrodu，ordidyoumeethimmerelycasually?”

Kaleregardedhimwithevidentdispleasure。“Myownpersonalaffairshavenothiodowiththismatter，”hesaidpointedly。“Mr。deLessepsisagentlemay，aaihelastwhomIwouldsuspeywiththedisappearaure。”

“Thatisusuallythecase，”remarkedTheThinkily。Heturch。“JusthoywasthathemadeoftheWhistlerpicture?”heasked。

“Ihaveheinal，”Hatchreplied，“buttheerb。PerhapsMr。Kalewouldousseeing-”

“Oh，ofot，”saidKaleresignedly。“ein，itsinthegallery。”

Hatchsubmittedthepicturetoacarefulsy。“Ishouldsaythatthecopyiswell，”washisverdict。“Ofitsabsence，Itsayexactly；butitislyasuperbwork。”

&ainsofawidedooralmostinfrohrownasidesuddenly，aiveMalloryentered。Heethinginhishand，butatthesightofthemcealeditbehindhim。Uriumphwasinhisface。

“Ah，professor，wemeetoften；dont>

“ThisreporterhereandhisfrieryingtdeLessepsintothisaffairsomeholaiive。“Idontwantanythiohappen。Heisliabletogooutandprintanything。Theyalwaysdo。”

&hinkingMaeglaredathimunwaveringly，straightintheeyeforaninstaendedhishandtowardMallory。“Wheredidyoufndit?”heasked。