第 27 节
作者:孤独半圆      更新:2021-02-24 22:24      字数:9321
  vicinity?     This    manof    world…wide      fame;   and   reputed    to  possess    an
  almost miraculous instinct in the unraveling of criminal mysteriesmight
  be even now on the trail of Lady Agatha。             If so; he was Cleggett's enemy。
  When it came to a choice between the championship of Lady Agatha and
  the defiance of Wilton Barnstable; and all that he represented; Cleggett did
  not hesitate for an instant。
  There    were    still  some   aspects   of  the  situation    in  which   he   found
  himself that were as puzzling as ever to Cleggett。               It is true that he now
  knew why Loge's men had been in the hold of the vessel; they had been
  there; no doubt; in an attempt to get possession of the oblong; unpainted
  box which had caused Loge's explosion of wrath; the box which was the
  real thing Loge had tried to buy from Cleggett when he dickered for the
  purchase of the Jasper B。         But why this box should have been in the hold
  of the vessel; Cleggett could not understand。              And how Loge's men had
  been   able   to   get   into   and   out   of   the   hold   without   his   knowledge   still
  perplexed him。
  The    motive    behind    the  attempt    to  dynamite     the  vessel   was   clear。
  Having failed to purchase it; having failed to recover the box from it; Loge
  had sought to destroy it with all on board。             But the strange character of
  this explosion still defied his powers of analysis。            And then there was the
  tenth Earl of Claiborne's signet ring on the dead hand。 Beyond the fact that
  it   was   a   circumstance   which   connected   his   fortunes   with   those   of   Lady
  Agatha; he could make nothing at all of the signet ring。                What; he asked
  himself     again   and   again;   was   the  connection     of  the   criminal   gang    at
  Morris's with the proudest Earl in England?
  Loge himself was a puzzle to Cleggett。            The man was a counterfeiter。
  That he knew。        The 〃queer〃 twenty…dollar bill; which he had practically
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  acknowledged;         left  no   doubt     of  that。    But     he   was    more    than    a
  counterfeiter。     Cleggett believed him to be also an anarchist。              At least he
  was associated with anarchists。
  But counterfeiting and anarchy are not ordinarily found together。                 The
  anarchist is not a criminal in the more sordid sense。               He is the enemy of
  society   as   at   present   organized。    He   considers   society   to   be   built   on   a
  thieving   basis;   he   is   not   himself   a   thief。 He   scorns   and   hates   society;
  wishes to see it overturned; and believes himself superior to it。                 He will
  commit the most savage atrocities for the cause and cheerfully die for his
  principles。     The anarchist is not a crook。         He is an idealist。
  Convinced that the unpainted oblong box would furnish a clew to the
  man's     real   personality;    Cleggett;    assisted    by   Lady     Agatha    and    Dr。
  Farnsworth; opened it in the cabin。
  They first took out a number of plates; some broken; some intact; for
  the   manufacture   of   counterfeit   notes   of   various   denominations。         There
  was some of the fibrous paper used in this process。               There was a quantity
  of the apparatus essential to engraving the plates。               This stuff more  than
  half filled the box。      Then there were a number of books。
  〃Elementary textbooks;〃 said   Dr。 Farnsworth;  glancing at   them。                On
  the   flyleaf   of   one   of   them   was   written   in   a   bold;   firm   hand: 〃Logan
  Black。〃
  〃Logeor      Logan     Black;〃    said   Dr。  Farnsworth;      〃has   been    giving
  himself an education in the manufacture of high explosives。〃
  〃But THESE aren't textbooks;〃 said Lady Agatha; who had pulled out
  three   long;   narrow   volumes   from  the   pile。     〃They're   in   manuscript;   and
  they look more like account books。〃
  The first of them; in Loge's handwriting; contained a series of notes;
  mostly unintelligible to Cleggett; dealing with experiments in two sorts of
  manufacture:       first;  the  preparation     of  counterfeit    money;     second;    the
  production of dynamite bombs。
  The   second   of   the   manuscript   books   was   in   cipher。   Cleggett   might
  have deciphered it without assistance; for he was skilled in these matters;
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  THE CRUISE OF THE JASPER B。
  but the labor was not necessary。           The book was for Loge's own eye。               A
  loose sheet of paper folded between the leaves gave the key。
  The book showed that Loge had been employed as an expert operator;
  in the pay of a certain radical organization; to pull off dynamiting jobs in
  various     parts   of  the   country。    This    was    his  account     book    with   the
  organization。      He had done his work and taken his pay as methodically as
  a   plumber   might。      And   he   had   been   paid   well。   Cleggett   guessed   that
  Loge was not particularly interested in the work in its relationship to the
  revolutionary cause; it was the money to be made in this way; and not any
  particular sympathy with his employers; which attracted Loge; so Cleggett
  divined。     Cleggett was astonished at the number of jobs which Loge had
  engineered。       The  book threw  light on   mysterious   explosions   which   had
  occurred throughout a period of five years。
  But it was the third manuscript book which displayed the real Logan
  Black。
  This was also in cipher。         Dr。 Farnsworth and Cleggett had translated
  but   a   few   lines   of   it   when   they   perceived   that   it   was   a   diary。 With   a
  vanity   almost   inconceivable   to   those   who   have   not   reflected   upon   the
  criminal nature; Loge had written here the tale of his own life; for his own
  reading。     He had written it in loving detail。          It was; in fact; the book in
  which he looked when he wished to admire himself。
  〃It is odd;〃 said Cleggett; 〃that so clever a man should write down his
  own story in this way。〃
  〃This   book;〃   said   Farnsworth;   〃would   be   a   boon   to   a   psychologist
  interested in criminology。         You say it is odd。       But with a certain type of
  criminal; it is almost usual。        The human soul is full of strange impulses。
  One of the strangest is towards just this sort of record。              Cunning; and the
  vanity which destroys cunning; often exist side by side。                The criminal of
  a certain type almost worships himself; he is profoundly impressed with
  his own cleverness。 He is a braggart; he swaggers; he defeats himself。                    A
  strange idiocy mingles with his cleverness。〃
  〃Even   people   who   are   not   criminals   do   just   that   sort   of   thing;〃   said
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  Lady Agatha。        〃Look at Samuel Pepys。           He was one of the most timid of
  beings。   And   he   valued   his   place   in   the   world   mightily。    But   he   wrote
  down the story of his own disgrace in his diaryit had to come out of him!
  And then; timid and cautious as he was; he did not destroy the book!                      He
  let it get out of his possession。〃
  It   was   an   evil;   a   monstrous   personality   which   leered   out   of   Logan
  Black's diary。      Boastful of his own iniquity; swaggering in his wickedness;
  fatuous     with    self…love;   he   recounted     his   deeds    with   gusto    and   with
  particularity。     They did not read a quarter of this terrible autobiography at
  the time; but they read enough to see the man in the process of building up
  a   criminal     organization     of   his  own;    with    ramifications     of   the  most
  surprising nature。
  〃This   man;〃   said   Dr。   Farnsworth;   with   a   shudder;   〃actually   has   the
  ambition to be the head of nothing less than a crime trust。〃
  〃It seems to be something more than an ambition;〃 said Cleggett。                     〃It
  seems to be almost an accomplished fact。〃
  〃Ugh!〃 said Lady Agatha; with a gesture of disgust; 〃he's like a great
  horrid spider spinning webs!〃
  Interested in anarchy only on its practical side; as the paid dynamiter
  of   the   inner   circle   of   radicals;   Logan   Black   in   his   diary   jeered   at   and
  mocked the cause he served。           And more than that; the man seemed to take
  a   perverted