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chater3 疑点多米诺 uiciu dt（第2页）

Oneweekassed，andtheworkmenwhohadbeenengagedinrefinishinganddecoratingthegalleryhadgone。DeLessesvolunteeredtoassistintheworkofrehangingtheictures，andKalegladlyturnedthematterovertohim。ItwasintheafternoonofthedaythisworkbeganthatdeLesses，chattingleasantlywithKale，riedloosethecanvaswhichenshroudedthereciousRubens。Thenheausedwithanexclamationofdismay。Theicturewasgone；theframewhichhadhelditwasemty。Athinstriofcanvasaroundtheinsideedgeshowedthatasharenknifehadbeenusedtocutouttheainting。

AllofthesefactscametotheattentionofProfessorAugustusS。F。X。VanDusen-TheThinkingMachine。ThiswasadayorsoafteKalehadrushedintoDetectiveMallory‘sofficeatoliceheadquarters，withthestatementthathisRubenshadbeenstolen。Hebangedhisfstdownonthedetective’sdeskandroaredathim。“Itcostmefftythousanddollars！”hedeclaredviolently。“Whydontyoudosomething?Whatareyousittingtherestaringatmefor?”

“Dontexciteyourself，Mr。Kale，”thedetectiveadvised。“Iwillutmymenatworkrightnowtorecoverthe-the-WhatisaRubens，anyway?”

“Itsaicture！”bellowedMr。Kale。“Aieceofcanvaswithsomeaintonit，anditcostmefiftythousanddollars-dontyouforgetthat！”

Sotheolicemachinerywassetinmotiontorecovertheainting。AndintimethematterfellunderthewatchfuleyeofHutchinsonHatch，reorter。Helearnedthefactsrecedingthedisaearanceoftheicture，andthencalledondeLesses。Hefoundtheartistinastateofexcitementborderingonhysteria；anintimationfromthereorteroftheobjectofhisvisitcauseddeLessestoburstintowords。

“MonDieu！Itisoutrageous！”heexclaimed。“WhatcanIdo?Iwastheonlyoneintheroomforseveraldays。Iwastheonewhotooksuchainstorotecttheicture。Andnowitisgone！Thelossisirrearable。WhatcanIdo?”

Hatchdidnthaveanyverydefniteideaastojustwhathecoulddo，sohelethimgoon。“AsIunderstandit，Mr。deLesses，”heinterrutedatlast，“nooneelsewasintheroom，excetyouandMr。Kale，allthetimeyouwerethere?”

“Nooneelse。”

“AndIthinkMr。Kalesaidthatyouweremakingacoyofsomefamouswatercolor，werentyou?”

“Yes，aThamesscene，byWhistler，”wastherely。“Thatisit，hangingoverthemantel。”

Hatchglancedattheictureadmiringly。Itwasanexquisitecoy，andshowedthedefttouchofamanwhowashimselfanartistofgreatability。

DeLessesreadtheadmirationinhisface。“Itisnotbad，”hesaidmodestly。“IstudiedwithCarolusDuran。”

Withallelsethatwasknown，andthislittleadditionalinformation，whichseemedofnoarticularvaluetothereorter，theentirematterwaslaidbeforeTheThinkingMachine。Thatdistinguishedmanlistenedfrombeginningtoendwithoutcomment。

“Whohadaccesstotheroom?”heaskedfnally。

“Thatiswhattheoliceareworkingonnow，”wastherely。“Thereareacouleofdozenservantsinthehouse，andIsuose，insiteofKalesrigidorders，therewasacertainlaxityintheirenforcement。”

“Ofcoursethatmakesitmoredifficult，”saidTheThinkingMachineintheeretuallyirritatedvoicewhichwassodistinctlyaartofhimself。“PerhasitwouldbebestforustogotoMr。Kaleshomeandersonallyinvestigate。”

Kalereceivedthemwiththereservewhichallrichmenshowintheresenceofreresentativesoftheress。Hestaredfranklyandsomewhatcuriouslyatthediminutivefigureofthescientist，whoexlainedtheobjectoftheirvisit。

“Iguessyoufellowscantdoanythingwiththis，”themillionaireassuredthem。“Ivegotsomeregulardetectivesonit。”

“IsMr。Malloryherenow?”asked“TheThinkingMachine”curtly。

“Yes，heisustairsintheservantsquarters。”

“Mayweseetheroomfromwhichtheicturewastaken?”inquiredthescientist，withasuaveintonationwhichHatchknewwell。

Kalegrantedtheermissionwithawaveofthehand，andusheredthemintotheballroom，wheretheictureshadbeenstored。FromtherelativecenterofthisroomTheThinkingMachinesurveyeditall。Thewindowswerehigh。Halfadozendoorsleadingoutintothehallways，totheconservatory，andquietnooksofthemansionofferedinnumerableossibilitiesofaccess。Afterthisonelongcomrehensivesquint，TheThinkingMachinewentoverandickedutheframefromwhichtheRubenshadbeencut。Foralongtimeheexaminedit。Kalesimatiencewasainfullyevident。Finallythescientistturnedtohim。

“HowwelldoyouknowMr。deLesses?”heasked。

“Iveknownhimforonlyamonthorso。Why?”

“Didhebringyoulettersofintroduction，ordidyoumeethimmerelycasually?”

Kaleregardedhimwithevidentdisleasure。“Myownersonalaffairshavenothingwhatevertodowiththismatter，”hesaidointedly。“Mr。deLessesisagentlemanofintegrity，andcertainlyheisthelastwhomIwouldsusectofanyconnectionwiththedisaearanceoftheicture。”

“Thatisusuallythecase，”remarkedTheThinkingMachinetartly。HeturnedtoHatch。“JusthowgoodacoywasthathemadeoftheWhistlericture?”heasked。

“Ihaveneverseentheoriginal，”Hatchrelied，“buttheworkmanshiwassuerb。PerhasMr。Kalewouldntobjecttousseeing-”

“Oh，ofcoursenot，”saidKaleresignedly。“Comein，itsinthegallery。”

Hatchsubmittedtheicturetoacarefulscrutiny。“Ishouldsaythatthecoyiswellnigherfect，”washisverdict。“Ofcourse，initsabsence，Icouldntsayexactly；butitiscertainlyasuerbwork。”

Thecurtainsofawidedooralmostinfrontofthemwerethrownasidesuddenly，andDetectiveMalloryentered。Hecarriedsomethinginhishand，butatthesightofthemconcealeditbehindhim。Unreressedtriumhwasinhisface。

“Ah，rofessor，wemeetoften；dontwe?”hesaid。

“ThisreorterhereandhisfriendseemtobetryingtodragdeLessesintothisaffairsomehow，”Kalecomlainedtothedetective。“Idontwantanythinglikethattohaen。Heisliabletogooutandrintanything。Theyalwaysdo。”

TheThinkingMachineglaredathimunwaveringly，straightintheeyeforaninstant，thenextendedhishandtowardMallory。“Wheredidyoufndit?”heasked。

“Sorrytodisaointyou，rofessor，”saidthedetectivesarcastically，“butthisisthetimewhenyouwerealittlelate，”andheroducedtheobjectwhichheheldbehindhim。“Hereisyouricture，Mr。Kale。”