04-01-04-三十九级台阶 [20]
“咱们瞧瞧这个笔记本，”瓦尔特爵士说。
我们花了一个小时看了一遍。我解释着暗语，他很快就明白了。完事之后，好半天他坐着一声不吭。
“我不全懂，”他最后说。“有一件事他说对了，就是十五号的会议。但别人怎么可能知道呢？而关于战争、黑石这一切——听起来非常离奇。斯卡德尔确实喜欢把事情搞得看起来不同一般而又撩拨人心。”
“黑石，”他重复说。“似乎像粗制滥造的侦探小说。而关于卡罗里德斯，这一切都不可能是真的。即使我们都死了，卡罗里德斯还会活着。不对。这点斯卡德尔搞错了。近来让人讨厌的事连续不断。斯卡德尔发现了某件事。他因此被杀。但是关于盗窃海军作战计划等等这一切……我简直不能相信。”
恰好仆人进来了。
“先生，伦敦给您来的电话。”
瓦尔特爵士出去了。五分钟后回屋来，脸色煞白。“我得向斯卡德尔道歉，”他低声说，然后看着我。“卡罗里德斯今天晚上七点钟被枪杀了。”
■ 8 The coming of the black stone
Ⅰ came down to breakfast the next morning and found Sir Walter reading a coded message. He seemed less re－laxed than yesterday.
I was very busy for an hour after you went to bed，'he said. 'I've arranged for the Frenchman， Royer，to come a day early. He will be in London at five o'clock. I don't think the change of day will help very much. If our enemies already knew he was coming，they will probably find out that the plans have changed. I would love to know how the news of his visit escaped. '
While I ate，he continued to talk. I was surprised that he was telling me all these important secrets.
'Can't the Navy's war plans be changed？'I asked.
'They could，'he said. 'But we want to avoid that. It would be very difficult，and some changes would be impossible. But the big problem is that they're not going to steal the plans in the street. They'll try to get the details without anybody knowing，and Royer will return to Paris thinking that every-thing is still secret. '
'Then we must stay at Royer's side until he is home again，'I said.
'Royer will meet us after dinner at my house in London：there'll be Whittaker from the Navy， myself，Sir Arthur Drew， and General Winstanley. The First Sea Lord，the head of the Navy，has been ill， and may not be able to come. Whittaker will give Royer the important papers， and then Royer will be driven to Portsmouth where a Navy ship will take him to France. He will be watched until he is back there. Whittaker will be watched while he has the papers before he meets Royer. It's the best we can do， and I don't see what can go wrong. But I'm very nervous because of the murder of Karolides. '
After breakfast he asked me to be his driver for the day. 'You know what these people are like， and I don't want to take risks. '
In London we went first to Scotland Yard where we met an important-looking policeman.
'I've brought you the Langham Place murderer，'said Sir Walter. The policeman smiled. 'I wish you had. I imagine you are Mr Hannay. We were very interested in you for a few days. '
'Mr Hannay will interest you again， MacGillivray， but his story must wait twenty-four hours. But I would like you to tell Mr Hannay that you don't want to arrest him any more. '
'Of course we don't. 'The policeman turned to me. 'Your flat and your servant are waiting for you， although you may not want to return there. '
As Sir Walter and I left， he said I was free for the rest of the day. 'Come and see me tomorrow， Hannay. I don't need to tell you to keep everything secret. You had better stay out of sight. If your Black Stone friends see you， there might be trouble. '
* * *
I didn't know what to do. It was strange to be a free man. I went to a very good restaurant for lunch，but I was still feeling nervous. When anybody looked at me， I wondered if they were thinking about the murder. I walked around London，thinking. I knew that by now Royer would be in England，and I felt sure that something terrible was going to happen and that only I could stop it. But it was not my business now.
I didn't want to go back to my flat. I had to go back some time， but I decided to stay at a hotel tonight.
I had supper in another restaurant， and thought that after that I would go to Sir Walter's house. He might not want me there， but I would feel happier if I went.
As I walked through London towards his house， I met a group of young men. One of them was Marmaduke Jopley.
'It's the murderer！' he cried. ' Stop him！ That's Hannay， the Langham Place murderer！'He took hold of my arm， and the others crowded round me.
I didn't want trouble，but I was feeling angry. A policeman came up
我们花了一个小时看了一遍。我解释着暗语，他很快就明白了。完事之后，好半天他坐着一声不吭。
“我不全懂，”他最后说。“有一件事他说对了，就是十五号的会议。但别人怎么可能知道呢？而关于战争、黑石这一切——听起来非常离奇。斯卡德尔确实喜欢把事情搞得看起来不同一般而又撩拨人心。”
“黑石，”他重复说。“似乎像粗制滥造的侦探小说。而关于卡罗里德斯，这一切都不可能是真的。即使我们都死了，卡罗里德斯还会活着。不对。这点斯卡德尔搞错了。近来让人讨厌的事连续不断。斯卡德尔发现了某件事。他因此被杀。但是关于盗窃海军作战计划等等这一切……我简直不能相信。”
恰好仆人进来了。
“先生，伦敦给您来的电话。”
瓦尔特爵士出去了。五分钟后回屋来，脸色煞白。“我得向斯卡德尔道歉，”他低声说，然后看着我。“卡罗里德斯今天晚上七点钟被枪杀了。”
■ 8 The coming of the black stone
Ⅰ came down to breakfast the next morning and found Sir Walter reading a coded message. He seemed less re－laxed than yesterday.
I was very busy for an hour after you went to bed，'he said. 'I've arranged for the Frenchman， Royer，to come a day early. He will be in London at five o'clock. I don't think the change of day will help very much. If our enemies already knew he was coming，they will probably find out that the plans have changed. I would love to know how the news of his visit escaped. '
While I ate，he continued to talk. I was surprised that he was telling me all these important secrets.
'Can't the Navy's war plans be changed？'I asked.
'They could，'he said. 'But we want to avoid that. It would be very difficult，and some changes would be impossible. But the big problem is that they're not going to steal the plans in the street. They'll try to get the details without anybody knowing，and Royer will return to Paris thinking that every-thing is still secret. '
'Then we must stay at Royer's side until he is home again，'I said.
'Royer will meet us after dinner at my house in London：there'll be Whittaker from the Navy， myself，Sir Arthur Drew， and General Winstanley. The First Sea Lord，the head of the Navy，has been ill， and may not be able to come. Whittaker will give Royer the important papers， and then Royer will be driven to Portsmouth where a Navy ship will take him to France. He will be watched until he is back there. Whittaker will be watched while he has the papers before he meets Royer. It's the best we can do， and I don't see what can go wrong. But I'm very nervous because of the murder of Karolides. '
After breakfast he asked me to be his driver for the day. 'You know what these people are like， and I don't want to take risks. '
In London we went first to Scotland Yard where we met an important-looking policeman.
'I've brought you the Langham Place murderer，'said Sir Walter. The policeman smiled. 'I wish you had. I imagine you are Mr Hannay. We were very interested in you for a few days. '
'Mr Hannay will interest you again， MacGillivray， but his story must wait twenty-four hours. But I would like you to tell Mr Hannay that you don't want to arrest him any more. '
'Of course we don't. 'The policeman turned to me. 'Your flat and your servant are waiting for you， although you may not want to return there. '
As Sir Walter and I left， he said I was free for the rest of the day. 'Come and see me tomorrow， Hannay. I don't need to tell you to keep everything secret. You had better stay out of sight. If your Black Stone friends see you， there might be trouble. '
* * *
I didn't know what to do. It was strange to be a free man. I went to a very good restaurant for lunch，but I was still feeling nervous. When anybody looked at me， I wondered if they were thinking about the murder. I walked around London，thinking. I knew that by now Royer would be in England，and I felt sure that something terrible was going to happen and that only I could stop it. But it was not my business now.
I didn't want to go back to my flat. I had to go back some time， but I decided to stay at a hotel tonight.
I had supper in another restaurant， and thought that after that I would go to Sir Walter's house. He might not want me there， but I would feel happier if I went.
As I walked through London towards his house， I met a group of young men. One of them was Marmaduke Jopley.
'It's the murderer！' he cried. ' Stop him！ That's Hannay， the Langham Place murderer！'He took hold of my arm， and the others crowded round me.
I didn't want trouble，but I was feeling angry. A policeman came up