The twelfth of August saw us, as usual, at Seldon Castle, Ross-shire. It is part of Charles's restless, roving temperament that, on the morning of the eleventh, wet or fne, he must set out from London, whether the House is sitting or not, in defiance of the most urgent three-line whips；and at dawn on the twelfth he must be at work on his moors, shooting down the young birds with might and main, at the earliest possible legal moment.

He goes on like Saul, slaying his thousands, or, like David, his tens of thousands, with all the guns in the house to help him, till the keepers warn him he has killed as many grouse as they consider desirable；and then, having done his duty, as he thinks, in this respect, he retires precipitately with fying colours to Brighton, Nice, Monte Carlo, or elsewhere. He must be always“on the trek”；when he is buried, I believe he will not be able to rest quiet in his grave：his ghost will walk the world to terrify old ladies.

“At Seldon, at least，”he said to me, with a sigh, as he stepped into his Pullman，“I shall be safe from that impostor！”

And indeed, as soon as he had begun to tire a little of counting up his hundreds of brace per diem, he found a trifing piece of fnancial work cut ready to his hand, which amply distracted his mind for the moment from Colonel Clay, his accomplices, and his villainies.

Sir Charles, I ought to say, had secured during that summer avery advantageous option in a part of Africa on the Transvaal frontier, rumoured to be auriferous. Now, whether it was auriferous or not before, the mere fact that Charles had secured some claim on it naturally made it so；for no man had ever the genuine Midas-touch to a greater degree than Charles Vandrift：whatever he handles turns at once to gold, if not to diamonds.Therefore, as soon as my brother-in-law had obtained this option from the native vendor（a most respected chief, by name Montsioa），and promoted a company of his own to develop it, his great rival in that region, Lord Craig-Ellachie（formerly Sir David Alexander Granton），immediately secured a similar option of an adjacent track, the larger part of which had pretty much the same geological conditions as that covered by Sir Charles's right of pre-emption.

We were not wholly disappointed, as it turned out, in the result. A month or two later, while we were still at Seldon, we received a long and encouraging letter from our prospectors on the spot, who had been hunting over the ground in search of gold-reefs.They reported that they had found a good auriferous vein in a corner of the tract, approachable by adit-levels；but, unfortunately, only a few yards of the lode lay within the limits of Sir Charles's area.The remainder ran on at once into what was locally known as Craig-Ellachie's section.

However, our prospectors had been canny, they said；though young Mr. Granton was prospecting at the same time, in the self-same ridge, not very far from them, his miners had failed to discover the auriferous quartz；so our men had held their tongues about it, wisely leaving it for Charles to govern himself accordingly.

“Can you dispute the boundary?”I asked.

“Impossible，”Charles answered.“You see, the limit is a meridian of longitude. There's no getting over that.Can't pretend to deny it.Nobuying over the sun！No bribing the instruments！Besides, we drew the line ourselves.We've only one way out of it, Sey.Amalgamate！Amalgamate！”

Charles is a marvellous man！The very voice in which he murmured that blessed word“Amalgamate！”was in itself a poem.

“Capital！”I answered.“Say nothing about it, and join forces with Craig-Ellachie.”

Charles closed one eye pensively.

That very same evening came a telegram in cipher from our chief engineer on the territory of the option：“Young Granton has somehow given us the slip and gone home. We suspect he knows all.But we have not divulged the secret to anybody.”

“Seymour，”my brother-in-law said impressively，“there is no time to be lost. I must write this evening to Sir David—I mean to My Lord.Do you happen to know where he is stopping at present?”

“The Morning Post announced two or three days ago that he was at Glen-Ellachie，”I answered.

“Then I'll ask him to come over and thrash the matter out with me，”my brother-in-law went on.“A very rich reef, they say. I must have my fnger in it！”

We adjourned into the study, where Sir Charles drafted, I must admit, a most judicious letter to the rival capitalist. He pointed out that the mineral resources of the country were probably great, but as yet uncertain.That the expense of crushing and milling might be almost prohibitive.That access to fuel was costly, and its conveyance difficult.That water was scarce, and commanded by our section.That two rival companies, if they happened to hit upon ore, might cut one another's throats by erecting two sets of furnaces or pumping plants, and bringing two separate streamsto the spot, where one would answer.In short—to employ the golden word—that amalgamation might prove better in the end than competition；and that he advised, at least, a conference on the subject.

I wrote it out fair for him, and Sir Charles, with the air of a Cromwell, signed it.

“This is important, Sey，”he said.“It had better be registered, for fear of falling into improper hands. Don't give it to Dobson；let Césarine take it over to Fowlis in the dog-cart.”

It is the drawback of Seldon that we are twelve miles from a railway station, though we look out on one of the loveliest frths in Scotland.

Césarine took it as directed—an invaluable servant, that girl！Meanwhile, we learned from the Morning Post next day that young Mr.Granton had stolen a march upon us.He had arrived from Africa by the same mail with our agent’s letter, and had joined his father at once at Glen-Ellachie.

Two days later we received a most polite reply from the opposing interest. It ran after this fashion：—

“CRAIG-ELLACHIE LODGE，

“GLEN-ELLACHIE, INVERNESS-SHIRE.

“DEAR SIR CHARLES VANDRIFT—Thanks for yours of the 20th.In reply, I can only say I fully reciprocate your amiable desire that nothing adverse to either of our companies should happen in South Africa.With regard to your suggestion that we should meet in person, to discuss the basis of a possible amalgamation, I can only say my house is at present full of guests—as is doubtless your own—and I should therefore find it practically impossible to leave Glen-Ellachie.Fortunately, however, my son David is now at home on a brief holiday

from Kimberley；and it will give him great pleasure to come over and hear what you have to say in favour of an arrangement which certainly, on some grounds, seems to me desirable in the interests of both our concessions alike.He will arrive to-morrow afternoon at Seldon, and he is authorised, in every respect, to negotiate with full powers on behalf of myself and the other directors.With kindest regards to your wife and sons, I remain, dear Sir Charles, yours faithfully，

“CRAIG-ELLACHIE.”

“Cunning old fox！”Sir Charles exclaimed, with a sniff.“What's he up to now, I wonder?Seems almost as anxious to amalgamate as we ourselves are, Sey.”A sudden thought struck him.“Do you know，”he cried, looking up，“I really believe the same thing must have happened to both our exploring parties. They must have found a reef that goes under our ground, and the wicked old rascal wants to cheat us out of it！”

“As we want to cheat him，”I ventured to interpose.

Charles looked at me fixedly.“Well, if so, we're both in luck，”he murmured, after a pause；“though we can only get to know the whereabouts of their fnd by joining hands with them and showing them ours. Still, it's good business either way.But I shall be cautious—cautious.”

“What a nuisance！”Amelia cried, when we told her of the incident.“I suppose I shall have to put the man up for the night—a nasty, raw-boned, half-baked Scotchman, you may be certain.”

On Wednesday afternoon, about three, young Granton arrived. He was a pleasant-featured, red-haired, sandy-whiskered youth, not unlike his father；but, strange to say, he dropped in to call, instead of bringing his luggage.

“Why, you're not going back to Glen-Ellachie to-night, surely?”Charles exclaimed, in amazement.“Lady Vandrift will be so disappointed！Besides, this business can't be arranged between two trains, do you think, Mr. Granton?”

Young Granton smiled. He had an agreeable smile—canny, yet open.

“Oh no，”he said frankly.“I didn't mean to go back. I've put up at the inn.I have my wife with me, you know—and, I wasn't invited.”

Amelia was of opinion, when we told her this episode, that David Granton wouldn't stop at Seldon because he was an Honourable. Isabel was of opinion he wouldn't stop because he had married an unpresentable young woman somewhere out in South Africa.Charles was of opinion that, as representative of the hostile interest, he put up at the inn, because it might tie his hands in some way to be the guest of the chairman of the rival company.And I was of opinion that he had heard of the castle, and knew it well by report as the dullest country-house to stay at in Scotland.

However that may be, young Granton insisted on remaining at the Cromarty Arms, though he told us his wife would be delighted to receive a call from Lady Vandrift and Mrs. Wentworth.So we all returned with him to bring the Honourable Mrs.Granton up to tea at the Castle.

She was a nice little thing, very shy and timid, but by no means unpresentable, and an evident lady. She giggled at the end of every sentence；and she was endowed with a slight squint, which somehow seemed to point all her feeble sallies.She knew little outside South Africa；but of that she talked prettily；and she won all our hearts, in spite of the cast in her eye, by her unaffected simplicity.

Next morning Charles and I had a regular debate with young Granton about the rival options. Our talk was of cyanide processes, reverberatories, pennyweights, water-jackets.But it dawned upon us soon that, in spite of his red hair and his innocent manners, our friend, the Honourable DavidGranton, knew a thing or two.Gradually and gracefully he let us see that Lord Craig-Ellachie had sent him for the beneft of the company, but that he had come for the beneft of the Honourable David Granton.

“I'm a younger son, Sir Charles，”he said；“and therefore I have to feather my nest for myself. I know the ground.My father will be guided implicitly by what I advise in the matter.We are men of the world.Now, let's be business-like.You want to amalgamate.You wouldn't do that, of course, if you didn't know of something to the advantage of my father's company—say, a lode on our land—which you hope to secure for yourself by amalgamation.Very well；I can make or mar your project.If you choose to render it worth my while, I’ll induce my father and his directors to amalgamate.If you don’t, I won't.That’s the long and the short of it！”

Charles looked at him admiringly.

“Young man，”he said，“you're deep, very deep—for your age. Is this candour—or deception?Do you mean what you say?Or do you know some reason why it suits your father's book to amalgamate as well as it suits mine?And are you trying to keep it from me?”He fngered his chin.“If I only knew that，”he went on，“I should know how to deal with you.”

Young Granton smiled again.“You're a financier, Sir Charles，”he answered.“I wonder, at your time of life, you should pause to ask another financier whether he's trying to fill his own pocket—or his father's. Whatever is my father's goes to his eldest son—and I am his youngest.”

“You are right as to general principles，”Sir Charles replied, quite affectionately.“Most sound and sensible. But how do I know you haven't bargained already in the same way with your father?You may have settled with him, and be trying to diddle me.”

The young man assumed a most candid air.“Look here，”he said, leaning forward.“I offer you this chance. Take it or leave it.Do you wishto purchase my aid for this amalgamation by a moderate commission on the net value of my father's option to yourself—which I know approximately?”

“Say fve per cent，”I suggested, in a tentative voice, just to justify my presence.

He looked me through and through.“Ten is more usual，”he answered, in a peculiar tone and with a peculiar glance.

Great heavens, how I winced！I knew what his words meant. They were the very words I had said myself to Colonel Clay, as the Count von Lebenstein, about the purchase-money of the schloss—and in the very same accent.I saw through it all now.That beastly cheque！This was Colonel Clay；and he was trying to buy up my silence and assistance by the threat of exposure！

My blood ran cold. I didn't know how to answer him.What happened at the rest of that interview I really couldn't tell you.My brain reeled round.I heard just faint echoes of“fuel”and“reduction works.”What on earth was I to do?If I told Charles my suspicion—for it was only a suspicion—the fellow might turn upon me and disclose the cheque, which would suffce to ruin me.If I didn't, I ran a risk of being considered by Charles an accomplice and a confederate.

The interview was long. I hardly know how I struggled through it.At the end young Granton went off, well satisfed, if it was young Granton；and Amelia invited him and his wife up to dinner at the castle.

Whatever else they were, they were capital company. They stopped for three days more at the Cromarty Arms.And Charles debated and discussed incessantly.He couldn't quite make up his mind what to do in the affair；and I certainly couldn't help him.I never was placed in such a fx in my life.I did my best to preserve a strict neutrality.

Young Granton, it turned out, was a most agreeable person；and so, in her way, was that timid, unpretending South African wife of his. She was naively surprised Amelia had never met her mamma at Durban.They both talked delightfully, and had lots of good stories—mostly with points that told against the Craig-Ellachie people.Moreover, the Honourable David was a splendid swimmer.He went out in a boat with us, and dived like a seal.He was burning to teach Charles and myself to swim, when we told him we could neither of us take a single stroke；he said it was an accomplishment incumbent upon every true Englishman.But Charles hates the water；while, as for myself, I detest every known form of muscular exercise.

However, we consented that he should row us on the Firth, and made an appointment one day with himself and his wife for four the next evening.

That night Charles came to me with a very grave face in my own bedroom.“Sey，”he said, under his breath，“have you observed?Have you watched?Have you any suspicions?”

I trembled violently. I felt all was up.“Suspicions of whom?”I asked.“Not surely of Simpson?”（he was Sir Charles's valet）.

My respected brother-in-law looked at me contemptuously.

“Sey，”he said，“are you trying to take me in?No, not of Simpson：of these two young folks. My own belief is—they're Colonel Clay and Madame Picardet.”

“Impossible！”I cried.

He nodded.“I'm sure of it.”

“How do you know?”

“Instinctively.”

I seized his arm.“Charles，”I said, imploring him，“do nothing rash. Remember how you exposed yourself to the ridicule of fools over Dr.Polperro！”

“I've thought of that，”he answered，“and I mean to ca'caller.”（When in Scotland as laird of Seldon, Charles loves both to dress and to speak the part thoroughly.）“First thing to-morrow I shall telegraph over to inquire at Glen-Ellachie；I shall fnd out whether this is really young Granton or not；meanwhile, I shall keep my eye close upon the fellow.”

Early next morning, accordingly, a groom was dispatched with a telegram to Lord Craig-Ellachie. He was to ride over to Fowlis, send it off at once, and wait for the answer.At the same time, as it was probable Lord Craig-Ellachie would have started for the moors before the telegram reached the Lodge, I did not myself expect to see the reply arrive much before seven or eight that evening.Meanwhile, as it was far from certain we had not the real David Granton to deal with, it was necessary to be polite to our friendly rivals.Our experience in the Polperro incident had shown us both that too much zeal may be more dangerous than too little.Nevertheless, taught by previous misfortunes, we kept watching our man pretty close, determined that on this occasion, at least, he should neither do us nor yet escape us.

About four o'clock the red-haired young man and his pretty little wife came up to call for us. She looked so charming and squinted so enchantingly, one could hardly believe she was not as simple and innocent as she seemed to be.She tripped down to the Seldon boat-house, with Charles by her side, giggling and squinting her best, and then helped her husband to get the skiff ready.As she did so, Charles sidled up to me.“Sey，”he whispered，“I'm an old hand, and I'm not readily taken in.I've been talking to that girl, and upon my soul I think she's all right.She’s a charming little lady.We may be mistaken after all, of course, about youngGranton.In any case, it’s well for the present to be courteous.A most important option！If it’s really he, we must do nothing to annoy him or let him see we suspect him.”

I had noticed, indeed, that Mrs. Granton had made herself most agreeable to Charles from the very beginning.And as to one thing he was right.In her timid, shrinking way she was undeniably charming.That cast in her eye was all pure piquancy.

We rowed out on to the Firth, or, to be more strictly correct, the two Grantons rowed while Charles and I sat and leaned back in the stern on the luxurious cushions. They rowed fast and well.In a very few minutes they had rounded the point and got clear out of sight of the Cockneyfed towers and false battlements of Seldon.

Mrs. Granton pulled stroke.Even as she rowed she kept up a brisk undercurrent of timid chaff with Sir Charles, giggling all the while, half forward, half shy, like a school-girl who firts with a man old enough to be her grandfather.

Sir Charles was fattered. He is susceptible to the pleasures of female attention, especially from the young, the simple, and the innocent.The wiles of women of the world he knows too well；but a pretty little ingénue can twist him round her finger.They rowed on and on, till they drew abreast of Seamew’s island.It is a jagged stack or skerry, well out to sea, very wild and precipitous on the landward side, but shelving gently outward；perhaps an acre in extent, with steep gray cliffs, covered at that time with crimson masses of red valerian.Mrs.Granton rowed up close to it.“Oh, what lovely fowers！”she cried, throwing her head back and gazing at them.“I wish I could get some！Let’s land here and pick them.Sir Charles, you shall gather me a nice bunch for my sitting-room.”

Charles rose to it innocently, like a trout to a fy.

“By all means, my dear child, I—I have a passion for flowers；”which was a fower of speech itself, but it served its purpose.

They rowed us round to the far side, where is the easiest landing-place. It struck me as odd at the moment that they seemed to know it.Then young Granton jumped lightly ashore；Mrs.Granton skipped after him.I confess it made me feel rather ashamed to see how clumsily Charles and I followed them, treading gingerly on the thwarts for fear of upsetting the boat, while the artless young thing just few over the gunwale.So like White Heather！However, we got ashore at last in safety, and began to climb the rocks as well as we were able in search of the valerian.

Judge of our astonishment when next moment those two young people bounded back into the boat, pushed off with a peal of merry laughter, and left us there staring at them！

They rowed away, about twenty yards, into deep water. Then the man turned, and waved his hand at us gracefully.“Good-bye！”he said，“good-bye！Hope you'll pick a nice bunch！We're off to London！”

“Off！”Charles exclaimed, turning pale.“Off！What do you mean?You don't surely mean to say you're going to leave us here?”

The young man raised his cap with perfect politeness, while Mrs. Granton smiled, nodded, and kissed her pretty hand to us.“Yes，”he answered；“for the present.We retire from the game.The fact of it is, it's a trife too thin：this is a coup manqué.”

“A what?”Charles exclaimed, perspiring visibly.

“A coup manqué，”the young man replied, with a compassionate smile.“A failure, don’t you know；a bad shot；a fasco.I learn from my scouts that you sent a telegram by special messenger to Lord Craig-Ellachie this morning.That shows you suspect me.Now, it is a principle of my system never to go on for one move with a game when I findmyself suspected.The slightest symptom of distrust, and—I back out immediately.My plans can only be worked to satisfaction when there is perfect confidence on the part of my patient.It is a well-known rule of the medical profession.I never try to bleed a man who struggles.So now we’re off.Ta-ta！Good luck to you！”

He was not much more than twenty yards away, and could talk to us quite easily. But the water was deep；the islet rose sheer from I'm sure I don't know how many fathoms of sea；and we could neither of us swim.Charles stretched out his arms imploringly.“For Heaven's sake，”he cried，“don't tell me you really mean to leave us here.”

He looked so comical in his distress and terror that Mrs. Granton—Madame Picardet—whatever I am to call her—laughed melodiously in her prettiest way at the sight of him.“Dear Sir Charles，”she called out，“pray don't be afraid！It's only a short and temporary imprisonment.We will send men to take you off.Dear David and I only need just time enough to get well ashore and make—oh！—a few slight alterations in our personal appearance.”And she indicated with her hand, laughing, dear David's red wig and false sandy whiskers, as we felt convinced they must be now.She looked at them and tittered.Her manner at this moment was anything but shy.In fact, I will venture to say, it was that of a bold and brazen-faced hoyden.

“Then you are Colonel Clay！”Sir Charles cried, mopping his brow with his handkerchief.

“If you choose to call me so，”the young man answered politely.“I'm sure it's most kind of you to supply me with a commission in Her Majesty's service. However, time presses, and we want to push off.Don't alarm yourselves unnecessarily.I will send a boat to take you away from this rock at the earliest possible moment consistent with my personalsafety and my dear companion's.”He laid his hand on his heart and struck a sentimental attitude.“I have received too many unwilling kindnesses at your hands, Sir Charles，”he continued，“not to feel how wrong it would be of me to inconvenience you for nothing.Rest assured that you shall be rescued by midnight at latest.Fortunately, the weather just at present is warm, and I see no chance of rain；so you will suffer, if at all, from nothing worse than the pangs of temporary hunger.”

Mrs. Granton, no longer squinting—'twas a mere trick she had assumed—rose up in the boat and stretched out a rug to us.“Catch！”she cried, in a merry voice, and fung it at us, doubled.It fell at our feet；she was a capital thrower.

“Now, you dear Sir Charles，”she went on，“take that to keep you warm！You know I am really quite fond of you. You're not half a bad old boy when one takes you the right way.You have a human side to you.Why, I often wear that sweetly pretty brooch you gave me at Nice, when I was Madame Picardet！And I'm sure your goodness to me at Lucerne, when I was the little curate's wife, is a thing to remember.We're so glad to have seen you in your lovely Scotch home you were always so proud of！Don't be frightened, please.We wouldn’t hurt you for worlds.We are so sorry we have to take this inhospitable means of evading you.But dear David—I must call him dear David still—instinctively felt that you were beginning to suspect us；and he can’t bear mistrust.He is so sensitive！The moment people mistrust him, he must break off with them at once.This was the only way to get you both off our hands while we make the needful little arrangements to depart；and we’ve been driven to avail ourselves of it.However, I will give you my word of honour, as a lady, you shall be fetched away to-night.If dear David doesn’t do it, why, I’ll do it myself.”And she blew another kiss to us.

Charles was half beside himself, divided between alternate terror and anger.“Oh, we shall die here！”he exclaimed.“Nobody'd ever dream of coming to this rock to search for me.”

“What a pity you didn't let me teach you to swim！”Colonel Clay interposed.“It is a noble exercise, and very useful indeed in such special emergencies！Well, ta-ta！I'm off！You nearly scored one this time；but, by putting you here for the moment, and keeping you till we're gone, I venture to say I've redressed the board, and I think we may count it a drawn game, mayn't we?The match stands at three, love—with some thousands in pocket?”

“You're a murderer, sir！”Charles shrieked out.“We shall starve or die here！”

Colonel Clay on his side was all sweet reasonableness.“Now, my dear sir，”he expostulated, one hand held palm outward，“do you think it probable I would kill the goose that lays the golden eggs, with so little compunction?No, no, Sir Charles Vandrift；I know too well how much you are worth to me. I return you on my income-tax paper as fve thousand a year, clear proft of my profession.Suppose you were to die！I might be compelled to fnd some new and far less lucrative source of plunder.Your heirs, executors, or assignees might not suit my purpose.The fact of it is, sir, your temperament and mine are exactly adapted one to the other.I understand you；and you do not understand me—which is often the basis of the firmest friendships.I can catch you just where you are trying to catch other people.Your very smartness assists me；for I admit you are smart.As a regular fnancier, I allow, I couldn't hold a candle to you.But in my humbler walk of life I know just how to utilise you.I lead you on, where you think you are going to gain some advantage over others；and by dexterously playing upon your love of a good bargain, your innate desireto best somebody else—I succeed in besting you.There, sir, you have the philosophy of our mutual relations.”

He bowed and raised his cap. Charles looked at him and cowered.Yes, genius as he is, he positively cowered.“And do you mean to say，”he burst out，“you intend to go on so bleeding me?”

The Colonel smiled a bland smile.“Sir Charles Vandrift，”he answered，“I called you just now the goose that lays the golden eggs. You may have thought the metaphor a rude one.But you are a goose, you know, in certain relations.Smartest man on the Stock Exchange, I readily admit；easiest fool to bamboozle in the open country that ever I met with.You fail in one thing—the perspicacity of simplicity.For that reason, among others, I have chosen to fasten upon you.Regard me, my dear sir, as a microbe of millionaires, a parasite upon capitalists.You know the old rhyme：

Great fleas have little fleas upon their backs to bite’em，

And these again have lesser fleas, and so ad infinitum！

Well, that's just how I view myself. You are a capitalist and a millionaire.In your large way you prey upon society.You deal in Corners, Options, Concessions, Syndicates.You drain the world dry of its blood and its money.You possess, like the mosquito, a beautiful instrument of suction—Founders'Shares—with which you absorb the surplus wealth of the community.In my smaller way, again, I relieve you in turn of a portion of the plunder.I am a Robin Hood of my age；and, looking upon you as an exceptionally bad form of millionaire—as well as an exceptionally easy form of pigeon for a man of my type and talents to pluck—I have, so to speak, taken up my abode upon you.”

Charles looked at him and groaned.

The young man continued, in a tone of gentle badinage.“I love the plot-interest of the game，”he said，“and so does dear Jessie here. We both of us adore it.As long as I fnd such good pickings upon you, I certainly am not going to turn away from so valuable a carcass, in order to batten myself, at considerable trouble, upon minor capitalists, out of whom it is diffcult to extract a few hundreds.It may have puzzled you to guess why I fx upon you so persistently.Now you know, and understand.When a fuke fnds a sheep that suits him, that fuke lives upon him.You are my host：I am your parasite.This coup has failed.But don't fatter yourself for a moment it will be the last one.”

“Why do you insult me by telling me all this?”Sir Charles cried, writhing.

The Colonel waved his hand. It was small and white.“Because I love the game，”he answered, with a relish；“and also, because the more prepared you are beforehand, the greater credit and amusement is there in besting you.Well, now, ta-ta once more！I am wasting valuable time.I might be cheating somebody.I must be off at once……Take care of yourself, Wentworth.But I know you will.You always do.Ten per cent is more usual！”

He rowed away and left us. As the boat began to disappear round the corner of the island, White Heather—so she looked—stood up in the stern and shouted aloud through her pretty hands to us.“By-bye, dear Sir Charles！”she cried.“Do wrap the rug around you！I'll send the men to fetch you as soon as ever I possibly can.And thank you so much for those lovely fowers！”

The boat rounded the crags. We were alone on the island.Charles flung himself on the bare rock in a wild access of despondency.He isaccustomed to luxury, and cannot get on without his padded cushions.As for myself, I climbed with some diffculty to the top of the cliff, landward, and tried to make signals of distress with my handkerchief to some passer-by on the mainland.All in vain.Charles had dismissed the crofters on the estate；and, as the shooting-party that day was in an opposite direction, not a soul was near to whom we could call for succour.

I climbed down again to Charles. The evening came on slowly.Cries of sea-birds rang weird upon the water.Puffins and cormorants circled round our heads in the gray of twilight.Charles suggested that they might even swoop down upon us and bite us.They did not, however, but their flapping wings added none the less a painful touch of eeriness to our hunger and solitude.Charles was horribly depressed.For myself, I will confess I felt so much relieved at the fact that Colonel Clay had not openly betrayed me in the matter of the commission, as to be comparatively comfortable.

We crouched on the hard crag. About eleven o'clock we heard human voices.“Boat ahoy！”I shouted.An answering shout aroused us to action.We rushed down to the landing-place and cooee'd for the men, to show them where we were.They came up at once in Sir Charles's own boat.They were fshermen from Niggarey, on the shore of the Firth opposite.

A lady and gentleman had sent them, they said, to return the boat and call for us on the island；their description corresponded to the two supposed Grantons. They rowed us home almost in silence to Seldon.It was half-past twelve by the gatehouse clock when we reached the castle.Men had been sent along the coast each way to seek us.Amelia had gone to bed, much alarmed for our safety.Isabel was sitting up.It was too late, of course, to do much that night in the way of apprehending the miscreants, though Charles insisted upon dispatching a groom, with atelegram for the police at Inverness, to Fowlis.

Nothing came of it all. A message awaited us from Lord Craig-Ellachie, to be sure, saying that his son had not left Glen-Ellachie Lodge；while research the next day and later showed that our correspondent had never even received our letter.An empty envelope alone had arrived at the house, and the postal authorities had been engaged meanwhile, with their usual lightning speed, in“investigating the matter.”Césarine had posted the letter herself at Fowlis, and brought back the receipt；so the only conclusion we could draw was this—Colonel Clay must be in league with somebody at the post-offce.As for Lord Craig-Ellachie’s reply, that was a simple forgery；though, oddly enough, it was written on Glen-Ellachie paper.

However, by the time Charles had eaten a couple of grouse, and drunk a bottle of his excellent Rudesheimer, his spirits and valour revived exceedingly. Doubtless he inherits from his Boer ancestry a tendency towards courage of the Batavian description.He was in capital feather.

“After all, Sey，”he said, leaning back in his chair，“this time we score one. He has not done us brown；we have at least detected him.To detect him in time is half-way to catching him.Only the remoteness of our position at Seldon Castle saved him from capture.Next set-to, I feel sure, we will not merely spot him, we will also nab him.I only wish he would try on such a rig in London.”

But the oddest part of it all was this, that from the moment those two people landed at Niggarey, and told the fshermen there were some gentlemen stranded on the Seamew's island, all trace of them vanished. At no station along the line could we gain any news of them.Their maid had left the inn the same morning with their luggage, and we tracked her to Inverness；but there the trail stopped short, no spoor lay farther.It was amost singular and insoluble mystery.

Charles lived in hopes of catching his man in London.

But for my part, I felt there was a show of reason in one last taunt which the rascal flung back at us as the boat receded：“Sir Charles Vandrift, we are a pair of rogues. The law protects you.It persecutes me.That's all the difference.”

八月十二日，我们同往常一样待在罗斯郡的塞尔登城堡。十一日早上，不论天气是晴是雨，不论议院是否开会，也不管那些十万火急的指令，查尔斯一定要离开伦敦，这缘于他不安分的天性。十二日拂晓，他定会在荒野上不遗余力地猎幼鸟，只要不犯法，能多早开始就多早开始。

他就像扫罗和大卫一样，勇往直前，杀死千千万万，满屋的枪支供他使用，最后养鸟人提醒他，松鸡也已经打得够多了。此时，他觉得自己这方面的“工作”也完成得差不多了，于是就在大获全胜之后迅速抽身，去布莱顿，去尼斯，去蒙特卡洛或者其他地方。他必须要一直“跋涉”。他要是去世了，我想，他也一定不会老老实实地在坟墓里安息，他的鬼魂会在全世界游荡，吓吓那些老妇人。

“在塞尔登，”他步入普耳曼卧车时，叹了口气，对我说，“至少我不会碰到那个骗子！”

实际上，他刚刚稍微有点厌倦了每天都要紧绷神经的日子，便发现了一笔送到嘴边的小生意，这也暂时让他不再去想什么克雷上校、他的同伙，还有他们一起干的那些好事儿！

我得提一句，就在那年夏天，查尔斯在非洲德兰士瓦边境处购得一块不错的土地，据说出产黄金。不管它以前有没有黄金，现在查尔斯把它弄到手了，就凭这一点，它怎么都会出产黄金。这世上还没有谁能像查尔斯那样，有点石成金的真本事：不管什么，一经他手，即使不会变成钻石，也起码会变成黄金。因此，当我内兄刚从当地卖主（一位名叫蒙特索瓦德的德高望重的酋长）手中购得这块土地，督促自己的一家公司进行开发时，他在当地的一个死对头克雷盖拉奇勋爵（曾经的大卫·亚历山大·格兰顿爵士）也立即购入了一块类似的土地，紧挨着查尔斯，那块地的大部分地质状况同查尔斯的那块别无二致。

结果没让我们失望。一两个月以后，当时我们还在塞尔登，当地的探矿者给我们写了一封鼓舞人心的长信。他们一直在那儿寻找金矿矿脉，告诉我们在地块的一角，发现了一条很好的金矿岩脉，掘地即可得；不过，可惜只有几码在查尔斯的地界内，其余的全在当地称作克雷盖拉奇勋爵的地块上。

信中还说，还好我们的探矿人员很机智，虽然小格兰顿先生也在探矿，就在离他们不远的同一条矿脉上，但他们的那些探矿人员没有发现这些含金石英，于是我们的人对此三缄其口，秘而不宣，等着查尔斯本人来处理此事。

“能不能说土地边界有争议？”我问。

“不行，”查尔斯答道，“要知道，边界是按照经线来画的，这没办法变，我们不能矢口否认。想变更经线，总不能把太阳也买下来吧？总不能贿赂一下测量器具吧？再说了，那是我们自己画的边界。办法只有一个了，西，联合，两家联合起来！”

查尔斯的脑子可真好使！他说到“联合”这个词时，那语气语调听起来如同诗歌般悦耳。

“太妙了！”我答道，“别透露一点风声，立刻和克雷盖拉奇联手。”

查尔斯闭了一只眼，若有所思。

就在当天晚上，我们在当地的首席工程师发来密电：“小格兰顿不知何故动身回家，我们怀疑他已知晓一切，不过我们还未将此秘密向任何人透露。”

“西摩，”我内兄郑重地说道，“时不我待！我必须今晚就得写信给大卫爵士——我指的是那位尊敬的勋爵。你知不知道他现在何处？”

“两三天前的《晨报》上说，他在格兰拉奇。”我答道。

“那我就请他过来，一同商量这件事，”我内兄继续道，“他们说那条矿脉资源非常丰富，我一定要分一杯羹。”

我们走进书房，查尔斯给他的商业对手草拟了一封——我不得不说——极为高明的信件。他在信中指出，这个国家的矿藏有可能很丰富，但目前还不能确定，说碎石和研磨的成本也许会让人望而却步；获取燃料的费用也很高，并且运输不便；还说水也匮乏，并且还都在我们这边。还说你我两家公司万一要是碰巧真的发现了矿石，就会建起两套冶炼炉或泵站，各自引水过来，而实际上，一套足矣。这样一来，双方都会元气大伤。总之——引用那句金玉良言——双方联合起来，也许比彼此竞争来得好。并且，他还建议，至少双方应该就这个问题进行一次会谈。

我替他把信写好，他拿出克伦威尔那副不可一世的派头，在上面署了名。

“这封信十分要紧，西，”他说，“最好还是寄挂号信，以免落入小人之手。不要给多布森，让西塞琳带着信坐马车到弗里斯寄出去。”

尽管我们在塞尔登能看到全苏格兰最美的峡湾，不过它有一点不便之处：离火车站有十二英里之远。

西塞琳按照指示接过信件——那姑娘，可是一位不可多得的帮手！在这段时间里，我们从第二天的《晨报》中得知，小格兰顿已经比我们抢先了一步。我们的眼线给我们发出密电的同时，他已经从非洲赶回来了，并且立刻在格兰拉奇同他父亲碰了头。

两天后，我们收到了对方十分客气的回复，内容如下：

克雷盖拉奇度假屋，格兰拉奇，因弗内斯郡

尊敬的查尔斯·凡德里夫特爵士：

阁下二十日信件已收悉，万分感谢。阁下之意，南非之事，不应使之损伤你我双方利益，此等好意，鄙人鼎力赞同。阁下建议你我双方面谈，共同商讨联合之可能，万分歉意，日前敝处有诸客造访——想必阁下亦是如此——故实不能离开格兰拉奇。所幸，犬子从金伯利归来，暂休在家，乐意前往讨教，聆听阁下高见。阁下安排，宜顾全双方利益，亦是鄙人之意。小儿于明日午后抵达塞尔登，全权代理鄙人及其余诸位董事代为协商事宜。亦向尊夫人及令郎问安。

您忠诚的，

克雷盖拉奇

“狡猾的老狐狸！”查尔斯鼻子哼了一声，高声说道，“他现在想干吗？西，他和我们一样，也急于同我们联合。”他突然冒出个念头，抬头大声说道：“你知不知道，我真觉得，我们这两家探矿的肯定都在做同样的事情。他们也肯定在我们的地皮下面发现了矿脉，于是这个老浑蛋想就此骗我们一把！”

“就像我们要骗他一样。”我斗胆插了一句。

查尔斯一动不动地盯着我，顿了一下，低声道：“虽然只有和他们联起手来，告诉他们我们的发现之后，我们才能知道他们在哪儿发现了矿藏。不过，要是这样的话，双方的运气都还不错。不过，不管怎么看，都划得来。虽说这样，我还是要留心——一定要留心。”

待我们把这件事的原委告知艾米莉亚后，她叫道：“真够讨厌的！我猜我们得留他住一晚——我敢说，他绝对是个居心叵测、骨瘦如柴、肤浅的苏格兰人。”

星期三下午，约莫三点钟，小格兰顿到了。他面目清秀，红色的头发，浅黄褐色的络腮胡子，极像他父亲。不过，奇怪的是，他只是过来拜访，没带任何行李。

“怎么没有行李？你不会打算今晚再回到格兰拉奇去吧？”查尔斯吃惊地问道，“这样的话，凡德里夫特夫人就太失望了！再说，这事也不是坐火车一来一回中间这点时间能商量妥的，是不是，格兰顿先生？”

小格兰顿微微一笑，他笑起来平易近人——精明，但很坦率。

“噢，不是的，”他坦诚地说道，“我没打算回去，我们已经在旅店安顿好了。我妻子也过来了，你也知道——嗯，之前没收到你们的邀请。”

我们把这段话讲给艾米莉亚听，她觉得大卫·格兰顿之所以不愿住在塞尔登，是因为他是位有头有脸的人物；伊莎贝尔则认为，原因在于他娶了一位不知南非哪个地方的姑娘，上不了厅堂；查尔斯觉得，他是和我们有利益冲突一方的代表，要是住在竞争公司董事长的家中，有可能谈判时会有所拘束；而我则觉得，他之前听说过这地方，心里十分清楚，这是全苏格兰地区最无趣的乡下宅院。

不管怎样，小格兰顿坚持住在克罗默蒂·阿姆斯旅店，不过他说，要是凡德里夫特夫人，还有温特沃斯夫人能前去他们的住处小坐一下，他的妻子定会万分高兴。于是我们同他一起回到旅店，把格兰顿夫人接到塞尔登城堡喝了下午茶。

她身材娇小，长相俊俏，十分害羞怕人，俨然一位淑女，绝非登不上厅堂之辈。她每说完一句话，都会咯咯一笑，眼睛微微眯着，仿佛让自己显得更略为俏皮一些。南非以外的事，她知之甚少，不过对于南非的事，她口若悬河。虽然有些不敢正眼看人，但她的率性天真，让我们每个人都很喜欢。

第二天早晨，我和查尔斯同小格兰顿正式商讨双方土地的有关事宜。谈的全是什么氰化法、反应炉、本尼威特、水套之类的。没过多久，我们也渐渐意识到，别看他留着红头发，表现出一副天真的样子，我们的这位大卫·格兰顿阁下对这方面还是略懂一二的。他巧妙地让我们逐渐意识到，克雷盖拉奇勋爵派他来是为公司谋利益，可他却是为自己的利益而来。

“查尔斯爵士，我是小儿子，”他说，“所以得为自己谋点好处。我也是个明白人。在这件事上，我的建议会潜移默化地影响到我父亲的决定。你我都深谙世事。现在，咱们言归正传。你打算双方合并，你肯定掌握了一些对我父亲公司有利的消息——比如，我们的土地上发现了矿脉——你想通过合并来据为己有，否则你肯定不会这么做。这么说吧，我能实现你的计划，也可以毁了它。你要是让我觉得不虚此行，我会劝诱我父亲还有各位董事同意合并。否则，我一点忙也不帮。我要说的就这么多！”

查尔斯十分欣赏地望着他。

“年轻人，”他说，“你可真有城府——就你的年龄来说，城府可够深的。你这番话算是坦诚相见了，还是另有他意？你说的话可当真？你是不是知道了为什么这么做符合你父亲和我彼此的利益？你是不是在试图破坏我的计划？”他用手指揉搓着下巴，继续道，“我要是知道这些，我就知道该怎么对付你了。”

小格兰顿又笑了笑，说道：“查尔斯爵士，你是位金融家，你在人生的这把年纪居然还问自己的同行，问他是努力让自己的钱袋子鼓起来呢，还是让他父亲的钱袋子鼓起来！我父亲的一切最终都会留给他的大儿子——可我，是他最小的儿子。”

“总的来看，你说的也对，”查尔斯十分亲切地答道，“合情合理，自圆其说。不过，我怎么知道你没有像今天这样同你父亲讨价还价？你们有可能早就商量妥当，想联起手来骗我。”

那位年轻人摆出一副直话直说的姿态，身子前倾，说道：“听好了，我给了你这次机会。要么抓住它，要么咱们别谈。你愿不愿意花钱请我促成这宗合并？按照我父亲的那块地对于你的净值给我一些适当的佣金——大体的数额我也知道。”

“那就百分之五吧。”我试探道，自己也不能总在一边干看着。

他上上下下打量我一番，答道：“通常是百分之十。”说话的语气有些怪，还莫名其妙地瞪了我一眼。

我的天！我倒吸了一口凉气！我知道他说的这话是什么意思，这就是我曾经对克雷上校说的话，一字未变。当时他冒充莱本斯坦伯爵，我们谈到城堡的价钱时说的这番话——就是这种口音。我现在全明白了。那张该死的支票！眼前的这个人就是克雷上校，他想让我闭嘴、为虎作伥，否则就要揭发我。

我心惊胆战，不知怎么回答。那场谈话接下来说了什么，我真的不知道了。我的大脑不停地运转，只是隐约听到一句“燃料”还有“还原反应”之类的。我到底该怎么办？要是我对查尔斯说，有点怀疑这个人——仅仅是怀疑——他就会回头咬我一口，把支票的事儿兜出来，这足以让我身败名裂。要是不说，我担心查尔斯会认为我同他是一伙的，是共犯。

这次会谈的时间太长了，我都不知道自己是怎么熬过去的。最后，小格兰顿（要是他真的是小格兰顿的话）心满意足地起身离去，艾米莉亚还邀请了他和夫人一起到城堡共进晚餐。

别的不说，同他们的相处还是挺愉快的。他们在克罗默蒂·阿姆斯旅店又多住了三天。查尔斯同小格兰顿不停地商谈讨论，他拿不定主意究竟该怎么做，我也是爱莫能助。我此生从未身处如此两难的境地，只能尽力保持绝对的中立。

小格兰顿极其随和，他那位羞怯、率真的妻子也是如此。当得知艾米莉亚在德班没碰到过她母亲时，她竟然天真地对此大惊小怪。她们二人相谈甚欢，说了许多彼此感兴趣的事情——主要是关于克雷盖拉奇这帮人的不是。另外，小格兰顿游泳不错，他和我们一起坐船出海，潜起水来就像海豹一样。当他得知我和查尔斯都是旱鸭子时，便极其迫切地要教我俩游泳。他说，这是每位真正的英国人必备的一项技能。可是，查尔斯讨厌水；而我，凡是需要花力气的运动，都不喜欢。

不过，我们都同意他可以在峡湾替我们划船，于是，一天我们和他们夫妇二人约定第二天下午四点钟碰面。

当天晚上，查尔斯到我卧室来，神色凝重。“西，”他小声地说，“你有没有仔细观察？有没有留心注意？发没发现什么可疑的地方？”

我抖得厉害，感觉一切都完了。“怀疑谁？”我问，“你不会怀疑辛普森吧？”（他是查尔斯的贴身男仆。）

我那位备受敬重的内兄轻蔑地盯着我。

“西，”他说，“你是不是在耍我？不是他，不是辛普森，我说的是这两位年轻人。我觉得——他们俩就是克雷上校和皮卡迪特夫人。”

“怎么可能！”我叫道。

他点点头，说：“我敢肯定。”

“你怎么知道？”

“凭直觉。”

我一把抓住他的胳膊，乞求道：“查尔斯，不要贸然行事。还记不记得在伯尔派罗那件事上，那些不明事理的笨蛋是怎么讥笑你的？”

“我也考虑了，”他答道，“我得打听一下。”（查尔斯待在苏格兰做塞尔登城堡的主人时，他喜欢让自己的衣着打扮、言谈举止完完全全地符合这一身份）“明天一早，我就发电报到格兰拉奇去问问，到时候就知道这位是不是真的小格兰顿了。不过在这期间，我还是要紧盯着那家伙。”

于是，第二天一大早，查尔斯就派了个车夫去给克雷盖拉奇勋爵发电报。他先驾车到弗里斯，然后立刻把电报发出，接着等待回复。不过，由于克雷盖拉奇勋爵很有可能在收到电报前，就已经从度假屋动身去了野外，我料想当晚七八点之前是收不到回复的。此时，我们还远远不能断定眼前这人是不是冒牌的大卫·格兰顿，因此，对于这两位友好的敌手，我们仍然还得以礼相待。经历了伯尔派罗事件，我们也明白了一个道理：过分警惕有时甚至比缺乏警惕更危险。不过，因为有以前的教训，我们一直紧紧地监视着那人，相信这次他至少骗不了我们，也逃不掉。

大概四点钟，那位红头发的年轻人同他漂亮的小娇妻如约到了我们这儿来。她看起来如此迷人，双目微眯，妩媚至极，谁能想得到这种表面的单纯、天真都是装出来的呢？她同查尔斯并肩同行，步态轻盈，边走边咯咯笑个不停，眯着眼睛，这样一直走到塞尔登的船库。接着，帮她丈夫把船准备好。这时，查尔斯凑过来，小声对我说：“西，我不是什么黄毛小子，不会轻易上钩。我一直同那小姑娘聊天，我发誓，我没发现她有任何问题。她是位迷人的小妇人。我们也许错了，当然，我说的是小格兰顿。不管怎样，我们眼下最好还是客客气气的。那可是块相当重要的土地！他要真的是小格兰顿，我们绝对不能惹他不高兴，也不能让他察觉到我们在怀疑他。”

我也的确注意到，格兰顿夫人一开始就极力让自己亲近查尔斯。查尔斯有一点说的对，她羞羞怯怯、若即若离、十分迷人，让人无法抗拒。那眼神中流露的满是顽皮。

我们继续向峡湾划行，更确切地说，是格兰顿夫妇二人划船，我和查尔斯则坐在船尾，舒舒服服地斜躺在垫子上。他们划得又快又稳，不一会儿就绕过了岬角，已经看不到塞尔登城堡那伦敦风格的塔楼还有假城垛了。

格兰顿夫人划着船。即便在划船时，她也不停地暗中同查尔斯欢快地说笑，一路咯咯笑个不停，半推半就，就仿佛一个在校的女学生正同一位足以当她爷爷的男人调情。

查尔斯非常高兴，能受到异性的关注，尤其是年轻、天真、单纯的异性，他很容易就飘飘然了。世上女人的小伎俩他再清楚不过了，可是一位漂亮娇小的天真少女却能把他哄得团团转。他们一直向前划，最后划到了海鸥岛。上面尽是些参参差差、高低不平的石头，那是个礁石小岛，向海里延伸，靠近陆地的那一面十分荒凉、险峻，另一面向海里缓缓倾斜；大概有一英亩见方，灰色的崖壁陡峭地矗立着，当时上面爬满了一层厚厚的深红色的缬草。格兰顿夫人划到跟前。“多漂亮的花呀！”她扭过头，看着花，大声喊道，“真想摘一些！我们在这上岸去采花吧！查尔斯爵士，你得替我采一大束，我要放在客厅里。”

查尔斯也没多想，就满口应了下来，像是鳟鱼见到了苍蝇，会立马上钩。

“一定给你采，亲爱的姑娘，我——我看到花也是喜欢得要命。”他这话说得如同花一样漂亮，不过还挺管用。

他们把船划到岛的另一面，那里比较容易上岸。我突然感到很奇怪，他们似乎十分清楚这个小岛的情况。小格兰顿轻盈地跳上岸，他的妻子紧随其后。那位天真的姑娘直接越过船舷跳到岸上，而我和查尔斯却还在横梁上蹑手蹑脚，生怕把船踩翻了。想想我们俩笨成那样，真让人羞愧至极。她简直太像白石南花了！不过，我们最终还是安全地上了岸，开始攀石而上，寻找缬草。

接着，那两位年轻人跳回船上，随着一阵放浪的笑声，船也离岸而去，只剩下我们俩眼巴巴地望着他们。你可以想象得出，我们是怎么一副目瞪口呆的样子。

他们把船划到深水区，离岸约二十码的距离。接着，小格兰顿转过身，优雅地向我们挥挥手，说道：“再见啦！再见！希望你们能摘到一大束花！我们这就动身去伦敦啦！”

“动身！”查尔斯面如死灰，大叫道，“动身？什么意思？该不是说真要把我们俩留在这儿吧？”

小格兰顿脱帽致意，而他的妻子则边点头微笑，边用她那漂亮的小手向我们送飞吻。“是的，”他答道，“目前是这样。我们退出游戏，真正的原因是，这游戏有点太容易被识破，可谓是一次夭折的行动。”

“一次什么？”查尔斯大叫道，很明显在冒汗。

“一次夭折的行动，”那年轻人叫道，脸上露出同情的微笑，“你不知道吗？我们的计划失败了，这一招很不明智，彻底失败了。我从眼线那里得知，你今天早上让专门的信使给克雷盖拉奇勋爵发了封电报。这说明你对我已经起疑心了。要是我发现别人怀疑自己了，就再也不会向前走一步，这是我玩游戏的原则。哪怕有一丁点的疑心，那我也立即退出。只有‘病人’完全信任我时，我的计划才能完美地执行。这是医学界的金科玉律。对于那些挣扎的人，我是不会去宰他们一把的。所以，我们得走啦。多保重！再见！”

他距我们也仅仅只有二十码的距离，所以和我们说话不费什么力气。不过水很深，这座小岛可能从不知多深的海底直直地竖出水面，而我们俩谁都不会游泳。查尔斯祈求似的张开双臂，喊道：“我的天！不要告诉我，你真的要把我们俩丢在这儿吧？”

痛苦和恐惧让查尔斯看起来很可笑，格兰顿夫人，或者叫皮卡迪特夫人——不管她叫什么吧——看到查尔斯这副模样，便极尽可爱之态，发出银铃般的笑声。“亲爱的查尔斯，”她大声喊道，“不要害怕！你只是暂时被困在这儿，我们会派人来接你的，我和亲爱的大卫只是要争取点时间上岸，然后再——再改变一下我们的个人形象。”她一边笑，一边用手指着大卫的红色假发，还有浅黄褐色的假络腮胡子，这让我们深信，所有的这些都是假的。她看了看那胡子还有头发，哧哧地笑了。此时，她哪里还有什么羞怯可言？实际上，我敢说那就是一个胆大妄为、不顾颜面的疯丫头。

“原来，你就是克雷上校！”查尔斯叫道，用手帕抹了一把前额。

“随你怎么叫吧！”那年轻人斯斯文文地答道，“我敢保证，你真是太热心肠了，给了我这一头衔来为女王陛下效劳。不过，时间不多了，我们得走了。不用过分担心，在确保我们俩人身安全的前提下，我会尽快派小船来把你们从这儿接走。”他把手放在胸前，摆出一副感伤的姿态，“查尔斯爵士，虽然你不太情愿，但前前后后也双手奉上了不少好意，”他继续道，“这次你什么都没送我，让你吃点苦头倒也不觉得有什么不妥。好好待着吧，放心，最迟半夜之前肯定有人来救你。还好，现在天气不错，不可能下雨，所以你们最多也就是肚子暂时挨一下饿罢了。”

格兰顿夫人这时也不眯着眼了——那不过是她装出来的把戏——她从船上站起来，向我们摊开一条毯子。“接着！”她欢快地冲我们喊道，把毯子对折，向我们扔过来。毯子刚好落在我们脚下，她扔得也够准的。

“嗨！亲爱的查尔斯，”她继续道，“拿着它，别冻着！你也知道，我非常喜欢你。要是有人给你指条明路，你也不是什么坏人。你也有人性的一面。对了，在尼斯，我还是皮卡迪特夫人的时候，你送我的那枚漂亮的胸针，我还经常戴着。在卢塞恩，我打扮成副牧师的妻子时，你对我的好意，我也将永远铭记在心。你在苏格兰的这座漂亮的宅院，总让你感到自豪，能在这儿见到你，我们也非常高兴。不过，不用害怕，我们绝不会伤害你。以这么一种不友好的方式避开你，我们也万分抱歉。可是，亲爱的大卫——不过，我还得接着称他为亲爱的大卫——本能地觉得，你开始怀疑我们俩了，他受不了别人不相信他。他太敏感了！一旦有人怀疑他，他就得立刻摆脱他们。为了摆脱你们，为我们动身做点必要的准备，这是唯一的方法，我们也是迫不得已。不过，我以一名淑女的身份向你保证，今晚会有人过来接你。要是亲爱的大卫不派人，那我就亲自来。”接着她又给了我们个飞吻。

查尔斯一会儿暴跳如雷，一会儿又担心害怕，像是要疯了。“啊，我们会死在这儿的！”他吼道，“谁能想到来这个小岛上找我们啊！”

“当初你不让我教你游泳，真遗憾呀！”克雷上校插话道，“游泳是贵族运动，在这种特别的紧急情况下非常有用！好啦，我们走啦！再见！这一次你差点就赢了；不过，在我们离开前，把你暂时撂在这儿，也可以说，咱们这盘棋又让我重新摆了一下，咱们就当是打了个平手，怎么样？尊敬的查尔斯，这场比赛我已赢得三局——前前后后几千英镑落入囊中。”

“先生，这是谋杀！”查尔斯高声尖叫道，“我们会饿坏的，甚至会死在这儿的！”

克雷上校摆起了架子，说得句句在理。“听着，尊敬的先生，”他一只手手心向外摊着，劝诫道，“你觉得我会杀掉一只给我下金蛋的鹅，却还能像现在这样毫无懊悔之心吗？不会的，绝对不会的。查尔斯·凡德里夫特爵士，你对于我的价值，我再清楚不过了。从你那里每年得到的年收入，我在所得税申报表上填的是五千，就我这个行当来说，这是净利润。假如你死了，我还得重新寻找其他财源，他们可都比不上你那么大方。你的继承人、遗嘱执行人、受让人，都满足不了我的要求。先生，实际上，你我的性情刚好互补。我对你了如指掌，而你对我却一无所知——这也常是坚实友谊的基础。在你努力从别人那儿捞一把的时候，我刚好能从你那儿捞一把。我承认你很聪明，可正是你的小聪明帮了我一把。说到金融这方面，我承认只能望你项背。不过，在我们这个卑微的行当中，我知道如何利用你。我会引着你一步一步向前走，让你觉得你会从别人那儿得到点好处；我不过是巧妙地利用你爱占便宜、争强好胜的心理，才一次次骗了你。明白了吗？先生，这就是咱们彼此之间的关系。”

说罢，他鞠了一躬，脱帽致意。查尔斯看着他，有些胆怯。虽说查尔斯也并非等闲之辈，但显然已经胆怯了，冒出一句：“你的意思是，你打算继续骗我？”

上校漠然一笑，答道：“查尔斯·凡德里夫特爵士，刚刚我把你称为一只会下金蛋的鹅。在你看来，这个比方也许有伤大雅。不过，在许多方面，你的的确确就是一只鹅，一只蠢鹅。我承认，你是证券交易所中最精明的，不过也是我在交易所之外碰到过的最容易上当的傻瓜。你错就错在一件事上——自以为聪明。不为别的，就因为这，我才叮着你不放。亲爱的爵士，就把我当成一只寄生在百万富翁身上的微生物吧，一条靠资本家为生的寄生虫。你也听过这古老的歌谣：

大跳蚤身上寄生着小跳蚤，

小跳蚤身上的跳蚤会更小，

如此这般，无穷无尽、没完没了。

好啦，这就是我对自己的看法。你呢，是资本家，是百万富翁。你往大里看，你的猎物是整个社会，通过垄断、期权、特许，还有联合等手段，你吸光了这个世界的血液和金钱。就跟蚊子一样，你也有一个非常漂亮的吸食工具——公司发起人股份——有了它，你把整个社会的剩余财富全都吸走了。我再往小里看，我又从你掠夺来的财富中分一杯羹。我是这个时代的罗宾汉，在我眼里，你就是那种十恶不赦的百万富翁——也是只头脑极其简单的笨鸟，让我这种有才能的人给你拔一拔毛——打个比方来说，我已经寄生到了你身上。”

查尔斯望着他，叹着气。

那年轻人并没就此打住，仍以一种略带嘲弄的语气继续道：“我喜欢这场游戏所能带来的好处，亲爱的杰西也是，我们俩都非常喜欢。只要我能在你身上找到这么好的机会捞一笔，我肯定不会吃力不讨好地放弃这么一大块肥肉，转而去打那些小资本家的主意，从那些人身上榨出几百英镑都相当费事。你过去可能一直不明白为什么我老抓住你不放，现在你明白了吧？如果肝蛭发现了一只适合自己的绵羊，那它就会寄生在上面。你是我的寄主，我是你身上的寄生虫。这次的计划失败了，不过不要高兴太早，咱们还有下一次。”

“你为什么要告诉我这些来羞辱我？”查尔斯喊道，显得十分痛苦。

上校摆摆手，他的手很小很白。“因为我喜欢这游戏，”他饶有兴致地答道，“并且，你事先准备得越充分，骗你之后就会越觉得有意思，越有成就感。好啦，再会吧！我浪费的可是如金的光阴哪！有这个时间，我还可以去骗骗别人。我们必须立刻出发了……温特沃斯，照顾好自己。我知道你会的，你总是能照顾好自己。通常都是百分之十！”

他把我们丢在那儿，划船走了。船在小岛拐角处快要消失不见时，“白石南花”——当时看着很像——在船尾站了起来，边挥动着那漂亮的双手，边朝着我们大喊：“再见了，亲爱的查尔斯！一定要把毯子披在身上！我一定会尽快让人来接你。谢谢你采的这些漂亮的花！”

小船绕过崖壁不见了，岛上只剩下我们俩。查尔斯完全泄了气，一屁股直接坐在光光的石头上。他已经习惯了奢华，没有那加厚的舒适坐垫怎么能行。至于我，则吃力地爬上朝向陆地那边的悬崖顶，试着用手绢发个落难的信号，让陆地上哪位路人看到。这一切都是白费工夫。查尔斯把庄园里的佃农都打发了，那天打猎的也都在另一面，近处根本看不到有什么人能叫过来救我们。

于是我又爬下来，回到查尔斯身边。夜幕慢慢降临，水上海鸟的叫声让人毛骨悚然。落日余晖下海鹦还有鸬鹚在我们头顶盘旋。查尔斯说，它们也许会俯冲下来啄我们。但它们没有啄我们，不过，那不断拍打着的翅膀，又给我们的饥饿、孤寂增添了一阵难耐的恐惧。就我而言，克雷上校没有就佣金的事情公开出卖我，让我感到如释重负，甚至还略感舒畅。

我们蜷缩在坚硬的崖石上，大约晚上十一点钟的光景，我们听到了人的声音。“喂，船！”我喊道。对方的回应让我们一激灵站了起来。我们冲到上岸的地方，朝着那声音“喂！喂！”地喊着，让他们知道我们的位置。他们立刻划着查尔斯的船过来了，他们是峡湾对面尼盖瑞地区的渔民。

他们说是一位先生还有一位女士派他们把船划过来，到岛上来找我们的。他们所描述的人正是冒牌的格兰顿夫妇。他们一路上几乎不说话，划船把我们送到塞尔登就回家了。回到城堡时，门房的挂钟显示已经十二点半了。家里派人沿着海滩朝各个方向搜寻我俩。艾米莉亚已经睡了，十分担心我们的安全。伊莎贝尔还在坐着等消息。当夜要去抓捕那两位罪大恶极之人，未免也太迟了，但查尔斯坚持派一名车夫去弗里斯，去给因弗尼斯的警方发份电报。

一切像石沉大海，杳无音讯。克雷盖拉奇勋爵已传信过来，说他儿子根本没离开格兰拉奇的度假屋。第二天经过调查发现，我们的通信员根本没收到什么信，送来的只是一个空信封。此时邮局方面也正以闪电般的速度，忙着“调查此次事件”。西塞琳亲自在弗里斯寄的信，还拿了收条。所以，我们得出的唯一结论就是——克雷上校肯定同邮局里的某个人是一伙的。至于克雷盖拉奇勋爵的回信，那只是别人伪造的；不过，奇怪的是，回信是写在格兰拉奇家的信笺上的。

不过，几只松鸡还有一瓶香醇的吕德斯海姆酒下肚之后，查尔斯很快又精神焕发了。不用说，他从自己布尔祖先那里继承了些荷兰人的那股勇气。他现在又精神饱满起来了。

“西，不管怎么说，”他靠在椅子上说道，“这次我们算是赢了一回。他没能骗到我们，至少被咱们识破了。这次能识破他，就离抓住他之日不远啦。就是咱们这塞尔登城堡位置太偏远，要不然早就抓住他了。下一次较量，我觉得咱们不光能识破他，还一定能拿住他。要是他在伦敦这么骗咱们试试！”

不过，最奇怪的是，这两人在尼盖瑞地区上岸，告诉渔夫有几位绅士困在了海鸥岛之后，就又消失得无影无踪了。沿线的所有车站都没有他们的消息，他们的女佣也在当天早上带着他们的行李离开了旅店。我们一直追到因弗尼斯，但线索一下子就断了，再也找不到任何踪迹。这件事太蹊跷，谜团一直没能解开。

查尔斯余生的最大心愿就是要在伦敦抓住这个骗子。

至于我，我觉得这泼皮无赖在划船远去时，扭头嘲讽我们的那句话也有几分道理：“查尔斯·凡德里夫特爵士，咱俩是一丘之貉。唯一的区别在于，你受法律的保护，而我却受其迫害。”