雙語·非洲的百萬富翁 第三章　大師名作

Like most South Africans, Sir Charles Vandrift is anything but sedentary. He hates sitting down.He must always“trek.”He cannot live without moving about freely.Six weeks in Mayfair at a time is as much as he can stand.Then he must run away incontinently for rest and change to Scotland, Homburg, Monte Carlo, Biarritz.“I won't be a limpet on the rock，”he says.Thus it came to pass that in the early autumn we found ourselves stopping at the Métropole at Brighton.We were the accustomed nice little family party—Sir Charles and Amelia, myself and Isabel, with the suite as usual.

On the frst Sunday morning after our arrival we strolled out, Charles and I—I regret to say during the hours allotted for Divine service—on to the King's Road, to get a whiff of fresh air, and a glimpse of the waves that were churning the Channel. The two ladies（with their bonnets）had gone to church；but Sir Charles had risen late, fatigued from the week's toil, while I myself was suffering from a matutinal headache, which I attributed to the close air in the billiard-room overnight, combined, perhaps, with the insidious effect of a brand of soda-water to which I was little accustomed；I had used it to dilute my evening whisky.We were to meet our wives afterwards at the church parade—an institution to which I believe both Amelia and Isabel attach even greater importance than to thesermon which precedes it.

We sat down on a glass seat. Charles gazed inquiringly up and down the King's Road, on the look-out for a boy with Sunday papers.At last one passed.“Observer，”my brother-in-law called out laconically.

“Ain't got none，”the boy answered, brandishing his bundle in our faces.“'Ave a Referee or a Pink'Un?”

Charles, however, is not a Refereader, while as to the Pink'Un, he considers it unsuitable for public perusal on Sunday morning. It may be read indoors, but in the open air its blush betrays it.So he shook his head, and muttered，“If you pass an Observer, send him on here at once to me.”

A polite stranger who sat close to us turned round with a pleasant smile.“Would you allow me to offer you one?”he said, drawing a copy from his pocket.“I fancy I bought the last. There's a run on them to-day, you see.Important news this morning from the Transvaal.”

Charles raised his eyebrows, and accepted it, as I thought, just a trifle grumpily. So, to remove the false impression his surliness might produce on so benevolent a mind, I entered into conversation with the polite stranger.He was a man of middle age, and medium height, with a cultivated air, and a pair of gold pince-nez；his eyes were sharp；his voice was refined；he dropped into talk before long about distinguished people just then in Brighton.It was clear at once that he was hand in glove with many of the very best kind.We compared notes as to Nice, Rome, Florence, Cairo.Our new acquaintance had scores of friends in common with us, it seemed；indeed, our circles so largely coincided, that I wondered we had never happened till then to knock up against one another.

“And Sir Charles Vandrift, the great African millionaire，”he said at last，“do you know anything of him?I'm told he's at present down here at the Métropole.”

I waved my hand towards the person in question.

“This is Sir Charles Vandrift，”I answered, with proprietary pride；“and I am his brother-in-law, Mr. Seymour Wentworth.”

“Oh, indeed！”the stranger answered, with a curious air of drawing in his horns. I wondered whether he had just been going to pretend he knew Sir Charles, or whether perchance he was on the point of saying something highly uncomplimentary, and was glad to have escaped it.

By this time, however, Charles laid down the paper and chimed into our conversation. I could see at once from his mollifed tone that the news from the Transvaal was favourable to his operations in Cloetedorp Golcondas.He was therefore in a friendly and affable temper.His whole manner changed at once.He grew polite in return to the polite stranger.Besides, we knew the man moved in the best society；he had acquaintances whom Amelia was most anxious to secure for her“At Homes”in Mayfair—young Faith, the novelist, and Sir Richard Montrose, the great Arctic traveller.As for the painters, it was clear that he was sworn friends with the whole lot of them.He dined with Academicians, and gave weekly breakfasts to the members of the Institute.Now, Amelia is particularly desirous that her salon should not be considered too exclusively fnancial and political in character：with a solid basis of M.P.'s and millionaires, she loves a delicate undercurrent of literature, art, and the musical glasses.Our new acquaintance was extremely communicative：“Knows his place in society, Sey，”Sir Charles said to me afterwards，“and is therefore not afraid of talking freely, as so many people are who have doubts about their position.”We exchanged cards before we rose.Our new friend's name turned out to be Dr.Edward Polperro.

“In practice here?”I inquired, though his garb belied it.

“Oh, not medical，”he answered.“I am an LL. D.don't you know.Iinterest myself in art, and buy to some extent for the National Gallery.”

The very man for Amelia's“At Homes”！Sir Charles snapped at him instantly.“I've brought my four-in-hand down here with me，”he said, in his best friendly manner，“and we think of tooling over to-morrow to Lewes. If you'd care to take a seat I'm sure Lady Vandrift would be charmed to see you.”

“You're very kind，”the Doctor said，“on so casual an introduction. I'm sure I shall be delighted.”

“We start from the Métropole at ten-thirty，”Charles went on.

“I shall be there. Good morning！”And, with a satisfed smile, he rose and left us, nodding.

We returned to the lawn, to Amelia and Isabel. Our new friend passed us once or twice.Charles stopped him and introduced him.He was walking with two ladies, most elegantly dressed in rather peculiar artistic dresses.Amelia was taken at frst sight by his manner.“One could see at a glance，”she said，“he was a person of culture and of real distinction.I wonder whether he could bring the P.R.A.to my Parliamentary‘At Home'on Wednesday fortnight?”

Next day, at ten-thirty, we started on our drive. Our team has been considered the best in Sussex.Charles is an excellent, though somewhat anxious—or, might I say better, somewhat careful?—whip.He finds the management of two leaders and two wheelers fills his hands for the moment, both literally and figuratively, leaving very little time for general conversation.Lady Belleisle of Beacon bloomed beside him on the box（her bloom is perennial, and applied by her maid）；Dr.Polperro occupied the seat just behind with myself and Amelia.The Doctor talked most of the time to Lady Vandrift：his discourse was of picture-galleries, which Amelia detests, but in which she thinks it incumbent upon her, asSir Charles's wife, to affect now and then a cultivated interest.Noblesse oblige；and the walls of Castle Seldon, our place in Ross-shire, are almost covered now with Leaders and with Orchardsons.This result was first arrived at by a singular accident.Sir Charles wanted a leader—for his coach, you understand—and told an artistic friend so.The artistic friend brought him a Leader next week with a capital L；and Sir Charles was so taken aback that he felt ashamed to confess the error.So he was turned unawares into a patron of painting.

Dr. Polperro, in spite of his too pronouncedly artistic talk, proved on closer view a most agreeable companion.He diversifed his art cleverly with anecdotes and scandals；he told us exactly which famous painters had married their cooks, and which had only married their models；and otherwise showed himself a most diverting talker.Among other things, however, he happened to mention once that he had recently discovered a genuine Rembrandt—a quite undoubted Rembrandt, which had remained for years in the keeping of a certain obscure Dutch family.It had always been allowed to be a masterpiece of the painter, but it had seldom been seen for the last half-century save by a few intimate acquaintances.It was a portrait of one Maria Vanrenen of Haarlem, and he had bought it of her descendants at Gouda, in Holland.

I saw Charles prick up his ears, though he took no open notice. This Maria Vanrenen, as it happened, was a remote collateral ancestress of the Vandrifts, before they emigrated to the Cape in 1780；and the existence of the portrait, though not its whereabouts, was well known in the family.Isabel had often mentioned it.If it was to be had at anything like a reasonable price, it would be a splendid thing for the boys（Sir Charles, I ought to say, has two sons at Eton）to possess an undoubted portrait of an ancestress by Rembrandt.

Dr. Polperro talked a good deal after that about this valuable fnd.He had tried to sell it at frst to the National Gallery；but though the Directors admired the work immensely, and admitted its genuineness, they regretted that the funds at their disposal this year did not permit them to acquire so important a canvas at a proper figure.South Kensington again was too poor；but the Doctor was in treaty at present with the Louvre and with Berlin.Still, it was a pity a fne work of art like that, once brought into the country, should be allowed to go out of it.Some patriotic patron of the fne arts ought to buy it for his own house, or else munifcently present it to the nation.

All the time Charles said nothing. But I could feel him cogitating.He even looked behind him once, near a diffcult corner（while the guard was actually engaged in tootling his horn to let passers-by know that the coach was coming），and gave Amelia a warning glance to say nothing committing, which had at once the requisite effect of sealing her mouth for the moment.It is a very unusual thing for Charles to look back while driving.I gathered from his doing so that he was inordinately anxious to possess this Rembrandt.

When we arrived at Lewes we put up our horses at the inn, and Charles ordered a lunch on his wonted scale of princely magnificence. Meanwhile we wandered, two and two, about the town and castle.I annexed Lady Belleisle, who is at least amusing.Charles drew me aside before starting.“Look here, Sey，”he said，“we must be very careful.This man, Polperro, is a chance acquaintance.There's nothing an astute rogue can take one in over more easily than an Old Master.If the Rembrandt is genuine I ought to have it；if it really represents Maria Vanrenen, it's a duty I owe to the boys to buy it.But I've been done twice lately, and I won't be done a third time.We must go to work cautiously.”

“You are right，”I answered.“No more seers and curates！”

“If this man's an impostor，”Charles went on—“and in spite of what he says about the National Gallery and so forth, we know nothing of him—the story he tells is just the sort of one such a fellow would trump up in a moment to deceive me. He could easily learn who I was—I'm a well-known figure；he knew I was in Brighton, and he may have been sitting on that glass seat on Sunday on purpose to entrap me.”

“He introduced your name，”I said，“and the moment he found out who I was he plunged into talk with me.”

“Yes，”Charles continued.“He may have learned about the portrait of Maria Vanrenen, which my grandmother always said was preserved at Gouda；and, indeed, I myself have often mentioned it, as you doubtless remember. If so, what more natural, say, for a rogue than to begin talking about the portrait in that innocent way to Amelia?If he wants a Rembrandt, I believe they can be turned out to order to any amount in Birmingham.The moral of all which is, it behoves us to be careful.”

“Right you are，”I answered；“and I am keeping my eye upon him.”

We drove back by another road, overshadowed by beech-trees in autumnal gold. It was a delightful excursion.Dr.Polperro's heart was elated by lunch and the excellent dry Monopole.He talked amazingly.I never heard a man with a greater or more varied fow of anecdote.He had been everywhere and knew all about everybody.Amelia booked him at once for her“At Home”on Wednesday week, and he promised to introduce her to several artistic and literary celebrities.

That evening, however, about half-past seven, Charles and I strolled out together on the King's Road for a blow before dinner. We dine at eight.The air was delicious.We passed a small new hotel, very smart and exclusive, with a big bow window.There, in evening dress, lightsburning and blind up, sat our friend, Dr.Polperro, with a lady facing him, young, graceful, and pretty.A bottle of champagne stood open before him.He was helping himself plentifully to hot-house grapes, and full of good humour.It was clear he and the lady were occupied in the intense enjoyment of some capital joke；for they looked queerly at one another, and burst now and again into merry peals of laughter.

I drew back. So did Sir Charles.One idea passed at once through both our minds.I murmured，“Colonel Clay！”He answered，“And Madame Picardet！”

They were not in the least like the Reverend Richard and Mrs. Brabazon.But that clinched the matter.Nor did I see a sign of the aquiline nose of the Mexican Seer.Still, I had learnt by then to discount appearances.If these were indeed the famous sharper and his wife or accomplice, we must be very careful.We were forewarned this time.Supposing he had the audacity to try a third trick of the sort upon us we had him under our thumbs.Only, we must take steps to prevent his dexterously slipping through our fngers.

“He can wriggle like an eel，”said the Commissary at Nice. We both recalled those words, and laid our plans deep to prevent the man's wriggling away from us on this third occasion.

“I tell you what it is, Sey，”my brother-in-law said, with impressive slowness.“This time we must deliberately lay ourselves out to be swindled. We must propose of our own accord to buy the picture, making him guarantee it in writing as a genuine Rembrandt, and taking care to tie him down by most stringent conditions.But we must seem at the same time to be unsuspicious and innocent as babes；we must swallow whole whatever lies he tells us；pay his price—nominally—by cheque for the portrait；and then, arrest him the moment the bargain is complete, withthe proofs of his guilt then and there upon him.Of course, what he'll try to do will be to vanish into thin air at once, as he did at Nice and Paris；but, this time, we'll have the police in waiting and everything ready.We'll avoid precipitancy, but we'll avoid delay too.We must hold our hands off till he's actually accepted and pocketed the money；and then, we must nab him instantly, and walk him off to the local Bow Street.That’s my plan of campaign.Meanwhile, we should appear all trustful innocence and confding guilelessness.”

In pursuance of this well-laid scheme, we called next day on Dr. Polperro at his hotel, and were introduced to his wife, a dainty little woman, in whom we affected not to recognise that arch Madame Picardet or that simple White Heather.The Doctor talked charmingly（as usual）about art—what a well-informed rascal he was, to be sure！—and Sir Charles expressed some interest in the supposed Rembrandt.Our new friend was delighted；we could see by his well-suppressed eagerness of tone that he knew us at once for probable purchasers.He would run up to town next day, he said, and bring down the portrait.And in effect, when Charles and I took our wonted places in the Pullman next morning, on our way up to the half-yearly meeting of Cloetedorp Golcondas, there was our Doctor, leaning back in his arm-chair as if the car belonged to him.Charles gave me an expressive look.“Does it in style，”he whispered，“doesn't he?Takes it out of my fve thousand；or discounts the amount he means to chouse me of with his spurious Rembrandt.”

Arrived in town, we went to work at once. We set a private detective from Marvillier's to watch our friend；and from him we learned that the so-called Doctor dropped in for a picture that day at a dealer's in the West-end（I suppress the name, having a judicious fear of the law of libel ever before my eyes），a dealer who was known to be mixed up beforethen in several shady or disreputable transactions.Though, to be sure, my experience has been that picture dealers are—picture dealers.Horses rank frst in my mind as begetters and producers of unscrupulous agents, but pictures run them a very good second.Anyhow, we found out that our distinguished art-critic picked up his Rembrandt at this dealer's shop, and came down with it in his care the same night to Brighton.

In order not to act precipitately, and so ruin our plans, we induced Dr. Polperro（what a cleverly chosen name?。﹖o bring the Rembrandt round to the Métropole for our inspection, and to leave it with us while we got the opinion of an expert from London.

The expert came down, and gave us a full report upon the alleged Old Master. In his judgment, it was not a Rembrandt at all, but a cunningly-painted and well-begrimed modern Dutch imitation.Moreover, he showed us by documentary evidence that the real portrait of Maria Vanrenen had, as a matter of fact, been brought to England fve years before, and sold to Sir J.H.Tomlinson, the well-known connoisseur, for eight thousand pounds.Dr.Polperro's picture was, therefore, at best either a replica by Rembrandt；or else, more probably, a copy by a pupil；or, most likely of all, a mere modern forgery.

We were thus well prepared to fasten our charge of criminal conspiracy upon the self-styled Doctor. But in order to make assurance still more certain, we threw out vague hints to him that the portrait of Maria Vanrenen might really be elsewhere, and even suggested in his hearing that it might not improbably have got into the hands of that omnivorous collector, Sir J.H.Tomlinson.But the vendor was proof against all such attempts to decry his goods.He had the effrontery to brush away the documentary evidence, and to declare that Sir J.H.Tomlinson（one of the most learned and astute picture-buyers in England）had been smartly imposed upon by a needy Dutch artist with a talent for forgery.The real Maria Vanrenen, he declared and swore, was the one he offered us.“Success has turned the man's head，”Charles said to me, well pleased.“He thinks we will swallow any obvious lie he chooses to palm off upon us.But the bucket has come once too often to the well.This time we checkmate him.”It was a mixed metaphor, I admit；but Sir Charles's tropes are not always entirely superior to criticism.

So we pretended to believe our man, and accepted his assurances. Next came the question of price.This was warmly debated, for form's sake only.Sir J.H.Tomlinson had paid eight thousand for his genuine Maria.The Doctor demanded ten thousand for his spurious one.There was really no reason why we should higgle and dispute, for Charles meant merely to give his cheque for the sum and then arrest the fellow；but, still, we thought it best for the avoidance of suspicion to make a show of resistance；and we at last beat him down to nine thousand guineas.For this amount he was to give us a written warranty that the work he sold us was a genuine Rembrandt, that it represented Maria Vanrenen of Haarlem, and that he had bought it direct, without doubt or question, from that good lady's descendants at Gouda, in Holland.

It was capitally done. We arranged the thing to perfection.We had a constable in waiting in our rooms at the Métropole, and we settled that Dr.Polperro was to call at the hotel at a certain fxed hour to sign the warranty and receive his money.A regular agreement on sound stamped paper was drawn out between us.At the appointed time the“party of the frst part”came, having already given us over possession of the portrait.Charles drew a cheque for the amount agreed upon, and signed it.Then he handed it to the Doctor.Polperro just clutched at it.Meanwhile, I took up my post by the door, while two men in plain clothes, detectives from the police-station, stood as men-servants and watched the windows.We feared lest the impostor, once he had got the cheque, should dodge us somehow, as he had already done at Nice and in Paris.The moment he had pocketed his money with a smile of triumph, I advanced to him rapidly.I had in my possession a pair of handcuffs.Before he knew what was happening, I had slipped them on his wrists and secured them dexterously, while the constable stepped forward.“We have got you this time！”I cried.“We know who you are, Dr.Polperro.You are—Colonel Clay, alias Se?or Antonio Herrera, alias the Reverend Richard Peploe Brabazon.”

I never saw any man so astonished in my life！He was utterly fabbergasted. Charles thought he must have expected to get clear away at once, and that this prompt action on our part had taken the fellow so much by surprise as to simply unman him.He gazed about him as if he hardly realised what was happening.

“Are these two raving maniacs?”he asked at last，“or what do they mean by this nonsensical gibberish about Antonio Herrera?”

The constable laid his hand on the prisoner's shoulder.

“It's all right, my man，”he said.“We've got warrants out against you. I arrest you, Edward Polperro, alias the Reverend Richard Peploe Brabazon, on a charge of obtaining money under false pretences from Sir Charles Vandrift, K.C.M.G.，M.P.，on his sworn information, now here subscribed to.”For Charles had had the thing drawn out in readiness beforehand.

Our prisoner drew himself up.“Look here, officer，”he said, in an offended tone，“there's some mistake here in this matter. I have never given an alias at any time in my life.How do you know this is really Sir Charles Vandrift?It may be a case of bullying personation.My belief is, though, they're a pair of escaped lunatics.”

“We'll see about that to-morrow，”the constable said, collaring him.“At present you've got to go off with me quietly to the station, where these gentlemen will enter up the charge against you.”

They carried him off, protesting. Charles and I signed the charge-sheet；and the officer locked him up to await his examination next day before the magistrate.

We were half afraid even now the fellow would manage somehow to get out on bail and give us the slip in spite of everything；and, indeed, he protested in the most violent manner against the treatment to which we were subjecting“a gentleman in his position.”But Charles took care to tell the police it was all right；that he was a dangerous and peculiarly slippery criminal, and that on no account must they let him go on any pretext whatever, till he had been properly examined before the magistrates.

We learned at the hotel that night, curiously enough, that there really was a Dr. Polperro, a distinguished art critic, whose name, we didn't doubt, our impostor had been assuming.

Next morning, when we reached the court, an inspector met us with a very long face.“Look here, gentlemen，”he said，“I'm afraid you've committed a very serious blunder. You've made a precious bad mess of it.You've got yourselves into a scrape；and, what's worse, you’ve got us into one also.You were a deal too smart with your sworn information.We’ve made inquiries about this gentleman, and we fnd the account he gives of himself is perfectly correct.His name is Polperro；he’s a well-known art critic and collector of pictures, employed abroad by the National Gallery.He was formerly an offcial in the South Kensington Museum, and he’s a C.B.and LL.D.，very highly respected.You’ve made a sad mistake, that’s where it is；and you’ll probably have to answer a charge of false imprisonment, in which I’m afraid you have also involved our own department.”

Charles gasped with horror.“You haven't let him out，”he cried，“on those absurd representations?You haven't let him slip through your hands as you did that murderer fellow?”

“Let him slip through our hands?”the inspector cried.“I only wish he would. There's no chance of that, unfortunately.He's in the court there, this moment, breathing out fre and slaughter against you both；and we're here to protect you if he should happen to fall upon you.He's been locked up all night on your mistaken affdavits, and, naturally enough, he's mad with anger.”

“If you haven't let him go, I'm satisfed，”Charles answered.“He's a fox for cunning. Where is he?Let me see him.”

We went into the court. There we saw our prisoner conversing amicably, in the most excited way, with the magistrate（who, it seems, was a personal friend of his）；and Charles at once went up and spoke to them.Dr.Polperro turned round and glared at him through his pince-nez.

“The only possible explanation of this person's extraordinary and incredible conduct，”he said，“is, that he must be mad—and his secretary equally so. He made my acquaintance, unasked, on a glass seat on the King's Road；invited me to go on his coach to Lewes；volunteered to buy a valuable picture of me；and then, at the last moment, unaccountably gave me in charge on this silly and preposterous trumped-up accusation.I demand a summons for false imprisonment.”

Suddenly it began to dawn upon us that the tables were turned. By degrees it came out that we had made a mistake.Dr.Polperro was really the person he represented himself to be, and had been always.His picture, we found out, was the real Maria Vanrenen, and a genuine Rembrandt, which he had merely deposited for cleaning and restoring at the suspicious dealer's.Sir J.H.Tomlinson had been imposed upon and cheated by acunning Dutchman；his picture, though also an undoubted Rembrandt, was not the Maria, and was an inferior specimen in bad preservation.The authority we had consulted turned out to be an ignorant, self-sufficient quack.The Maria, moreover, was valued by other experts at no more than fve or six thousand guineas.Charles wanted to cry off his bargain, but Dr.Polperro naturally wouldn't hear of it.The agreement was a legally binding instrument, and what passed in Charles's mind at the moment had nothing to do with the written contract.Our adversary only consented to forego the action for false imprisonment on condition that Charles inserted a printed apology in the Times, and paid him fve hundred pounds compensation for damage to character.So that was the end of our well-planned attempt to arrest the swindler.

Not quite the end, however；for, of course, after this, the whole affair got by degrees into the papers. Dr.Polperro, who was a familiar person in literary and artistic society, as it turned out, brought an action against the so-called expert who had declared against the genuineness of his alleged Rembrandt, and convicted him of the grossest ignorance and misstatement.Then paragraphs got about.The World showed us up in a sarcastic article；and Truth, which has always been terribly severe upon Sir Charles and all the other South Africans, had a pungent set of verses on“High Art in Kimberley.”By this means, as we suppose, the affair became known to Colonel Clay himself；for a week or two later my brother-in-law received a cheerful little note on scented paper from our persistent sharper.It was couched in these terms：—

“Oh, you innocent infant！

“Bless your ingenuous little heart！And did it believe, then, it had positively caught the redoubtable colonel?And had it ready a nice little

pinch of salt to put upon his tail?And is it true its respected name is Sir Simple Simon?How heartily we have laughed, White Heather and I, at your neat little ruses！It would pay you, by the way, to take White Heather into your house for six months to instruct you in the agreeable sport of amateur detectives.Your charming naivete quite moves our envy.So you actually imagined a man of my brains would condescend to anything so flat and stale as the silly and threadbare Old Master deception！And this in the so-called nineteenth century！O sancta simplicitas！When again shall such infantile transparency be mine?When, ah, when?But never mind, dear friend.Though you didn’t catch me, we shall meet before long at some delightful Philippi.

“Yours, with the profoundest respect and gratitude，

“ANTONIO HERRERA，

“Otherwise RICHARD PEPLOE BRABAZON.”

Charles laid down the letter with a deep-drawn sigh.“Sey, my boy，”he mused aloud，“no fortune on earth—not even mine—can go on standing it. These perpetual drains begin really to terrify me.I foresee the end.I shall die in a workhouse.What with the money he robs me of when he is Colonel Clay, and the money I waste upon him when he isn't Colonel Clay, the man is beginning to tell upon my nervous system.I shall withdraw altogether from this worrying life.I shall retire from a scheming and polluted world to some untainted spot in the fresh, pure mountains.”

“You must need rest and change，”I said，“when you talk like that. Let us try the Tyrol.”

查爾斯和大多數(shù)南非人一樣，最不喜歡久坐不動。他討厭坐著，必須常常“跋涉”一下。要是不能隨心所欲地到處走動，就會要了他的命。在梅費爾一下子待上六個星期，這是他能忍受的極限了。之后，他就會忍不住，跑到蘇格蘭、洪堡、蒙特卡洛、比亞里茨去休息休息，換換環(huán)境。“我才不會像帽貝一樣永遠趴在石頭上。”他說。于是，早秋時候，我們就入住到了布萊頓市的大都市酒店。和往常一樣，還是我們和睦的一小家人——查爾斯和艾米莉亞，伊莎貝爾和我，還是和平日一樣住的套房。

到那里之后的第一個周日早上，我和查爾斯就出去溜達了——很遺憾，是在做禮拜的時間出去的——走到英皇大道，去呼吸一點新鮮空氣，看看海峽中翻滾的波浪。那兩位女士（戴著軟帽）去做禮拜了。查爾斯勞累了一周，非常疲憊，很晚才起床，而我早起后有些頭痛，我覺得是由于臺球室的空氣不流通；再者，還有可能是我喝的一種不太習慣的蘇打水在作怪，我喝它主要是想沖淡一下晚上飲的威士忌。我們打算稍后在教堂巡行的人群中與她們見面——我覺得艾米莉亞還有伊莎貝爾對于這一儀式的重視程度要勝于這之前的布道。

我們一起坐在玻璃座位上。查爾斯的目光來來回回地在英皇大道上搜尋，想找位賣星期日報紙的報童。最后終于有個報童過來。“《觀察家新聞報》。”我內兄簡短地叫道。

“沒有了，”報童答道，在我們面前晃了晃他那一摞報紙，“要不要《裁判員報》？或者《粉安報》？”

查爾斯不看《裁判員報》，至于《粉安報》，他覺得不太適合周日早上在大庭廣眾之下看。也許可以在房間里看看，但在外面看的話，報紙粉紅的顏色把一切都暴露了。于是，他搖搖頭，低聲說道：“要是你碰到賣《觀察家新聞報》的，讓他馬上到我這兒來。”

這時，我們旁邊緊挨著坐的一位文質彬彬的陌生人轉過身，面帶微笑。“我給你一份怎么樣？”他一邊說，一邊從口袋里掏出一份報紙，“我想，我買的是最后一份。今天大家都爭著買它，它今天早上登了來自德蘭士瓦的重要新聞。”

查爾斯揚了揚眉毛，接了過來，在我看來，他的態(tài)度有點粗暴。為了避免這位好心人對他產生一種粗暴無禮的誤解，于是我便同這位熱心的陌生人攀談起來。他是個中年人，中等身材，舉手投足間透露著涵養(yǎng)，戴了一副金邊夾鼻眼鏡，他目光犀利，聲音透著優(yōu)雅。不一會兒，他就談到了當時布萊頓的知名人士。很顯然，他同許多名流都交情不淺。我們談到了尼斯、羅馬、佛羅倫薩還有開羅。我們的許多朋友他好像也都認識；說實話，雖然我們雙方的交際圈有這么多交集，不過很奇怪，在這之前卻沒有碰到過對方。

“查爾斯·凡德里夫特爵士，那位了不起的非洲百萬富翁，”他最后問了一句，“你知不知道他？聽說他目前就在這兒，住在大都會酒店。”

我朝我們正在談論著的那人揮了揮手。

“這位就是查爾斯·凡德里夫特爵士，”我答道，心里有一種獨有的自豪感，“我是他妹夫，西摩·溫特沃斯。”

“哦，這樣！”那陌生人答道，很奇怪，給人一種欲言又止的感覺。我在想，他是不是剛才要裝作認識查爾斯，或者是不是剛準備要貶損他幾句，慶幸還好沒有說出口。

這時，查爾斯放下報紙，同我們一起攀談起來。我從他緩和的語氣中立刻明白，德蘭士瓦的新聞，對他克羅地多普·戈爾康達公司的經營有利，因此他的態(tài)度變得友善和藹起來。他整個人立刻都變了，對那位文雅的陌生人也變得禮貌起來。此外，我們還了解到，那名男子在上流社會活動，結識了一些人士，一些艾米莉亞渴望能邀請來參加她在梅費爾舉辦的“家庭招待會”的人士——年輕的小說家費斯，還有了不起的北極旅行家理查德·蒙特羅斯爵士。說到畫家，很明顯，這人同他們中許多人都是莫逆之交。他同美術院會員一起吃過飯，每周還請協(xié)會成員共進早餐。現(xiàn)在，艾米莉亞極其希望，她的沙龍不應當看起來僅僅局限于一些金融界和政界人物——有下院議員還有百萬富翁們作為堅實的后盾——她現(xiàn)在轉而鐘愛文學、藝術以及音樂這股清雅的暗流。我們的這位新相識極其健談。“西，他知道自己在社會中的位置，”查爾斯后來對我說，“因此說起話來天馬行空，不必過慮。不過，很多人拿不準自己的位置，往往會擔心這一點。”我們起身告別時交換了名片。這位新朋友的名字是愛德華·伯爾派羅博士。

“你在這兒行醫(yī)嗎？”我問，不過他的裝束不太像醫(yī)生。

“哦，我不是醫(yī)生，”他答道，“是法學博士，你該知道的。我對藝術感興趣，就某種意義上來講，可以說我是為國家美術館購買一些作品。”

這正是艾米莉亞“家庭招待會”所要的人！查爾斯立即穩(wěn)住他。“我把自己的馬車也帶過來了，”他以自己最友好的態(tài)度說，“我們打算明天駕車去劉易斯市。要是您愿意賞光一同前去，我敢保證，凡德里夫特夫人見到你一定會非常高興。”

“咱們僅有一面之交，”博士說，“你就如此熱情。我明天肯定會欣然前去。”

“我們十點半從大都會酒店出發(fā)。”查爾斯接著說。

“我一定到。早安！”他邊說邊起身離開，點點頭，會心地笑了。

我們又回到草坪，來到艾米莉亞和伊莎貝爾身邊。那位新朋友從我們面前經過一兩次，查爾斯攔住他，并做了介紹。當時，他正同兩位女士一起散步，她們裝束精致、奇特，極其優(yōu)雅。艾米莉亞一下子就注意到了他的舉止。“誰都能一眼看出，”她說，“他這人有涵養(yǎng)，真正卓爾不群。我在想，他能不能把英國皇家藝術院院長一起請來，參加我兩周后的周三舉辦的議會‘家庭招待會’？”

第二天十點半，我們駕車啟程。我們的車馬可以算是蘇塞克斯地區(qū)最棒的。查爾斯雖說有點急躁——或者，最好說是有點小心翼翼？——但駕車技術不錯。他現(xiàn)在實際上正忙著駕馭兩匹前馬兩匹后馬，沒時間和我們閑談。來自比肯的貝萊斯爾夫人在他旁邊，坐在車夫座位上，容光煥發(fā)（她一直都是這樣，這得歸功于她的女仆）；伯爾派羅博士坐在后排，同我和艾米莉亞一起。他大部分時間在同凡德里夫特夫人交談：他談的都是關于畫廊的。艾米莉亞很反感，但又覺得作為查爾斯的妻子，偶爾假裝有個高雅的興趣愛好，是她義不容辭的責任。是貴族就得名副其實。我們在羅斯郡的住所，塞爾登堡，幾乎滿墻都是錢瑪還有奧查德森的作品。事情起因于一件小小的意外。查爾斯爵士想要一匹前馬——你也知道，為他馬車準備的前馬——于是把此事告訴了一位搞藝術的朋友。這位搞藝術的朋友第二周就給他弄來一幅錢瑪?shù)淖髌罚焉螽敵闪巳嗣?。查爾斯爵士吃了一驚，羞于承認所犯的這個錯誤。于是后來稀里糊涂地成了繪畫的贊助人。

雖然伯爾派羅博士張口閉口談的都是藝術，不過仔細觀察一番，你就會發(fā)現(xiàn)他是位極為稱心如意的伴侶。談論藝術時，他巧妙地穿插著一些逸事丑聞。他告訴我們，哪位知名畫家和自己的廚子結了婚，哪位畫家又娶了自己的模特，如此這般，和他談話非常有趣。不過，他有一次提到，說自己發(fā)現(xiàn)了一幅倫勃朗的真跡——千真萬確，在某個不知名的荷蘭人家中保存了多年。大家一直都認為那幅畫是倫勃朗的杰作，不過，除了幾個關系親近的人之外，在過去半個世紀中很少有人親眼看見該畫作。那幅肖像畫，畫的是哈勒姆的瑪麗亞·范雷內，他從她在荷蘭豪達的子孫們的手中買了過來。

雖然查爾斯看起來沒怎么太在意，但我卻注意到他支起了耳朵。這位叫瑪麗亞·范雷內的，碰巧是凡德里夫特家族在1780年移民到開普敦之前的一位旁系先人。雖然不知道這幅畫到底在哪兒，但整個家族都知道它確實存在。伊莎貝爾也經常提起它。要是價格合適能把它買到手，讓孩子們（我應該提一句，查爾斯爵士有兩個兒子在伊頓公學讀書）擁有一幅先人的肖像畫，還是倫勃朗的真跡，該是多么光彩的事情。

之后，關于這個重大發(fā)現(xiàn)，伯爾派羅博士又說了很多。他一開始先想方設法把它賣給國家美術館，不過盡管美術館的董事們十分欣賞這幅作品，也承認它是真品，但很遺憾，他們今年手頭的資金不足，無法以合適的價格購買這么名貴的一幅畫。南肯辛頓也一樣，太缺錢。不過，他目前正和羅浮宮還有柏林方面談判。但很可惜，這么精美的一件藝術作品，一度流入國內，竟又得再次流失海外。應由某位愛國的藝術贊助人把它買下來，放在自己家中，或者慷慨地獻給國家。

查爾斯自始至終沒說一句話，但我可以察覺到他一直在思考。他甚至在快到一個急轉彎時，還往后看了一眼（剎車員正忙著嘟嘟地吹喇叭，提醒路人有馬車過來），給艾米莉亞遞了個眼神，提醒她不要做出任何承諾，這立刻就讓她暫時閉了嘴。查爾斯駕車的時候回頭看，這很不尋常。從他這一舉止中，我猜他非常迫切地想要得到這幅倫勃朗的作品。

我們到劉易斯市后，把馬匹寄在了旅店，查爾斯同平日一樣點了一頓豪華奢侈的午餐。與此同時，我們兩兩一起在小鎮(zhèn)還有城堡附近閑逛。我選擇同貝萊斯爾夫人一起，她至少比較有趣。出發(fā)前，查爾斯把我拉到一邊，說道：“西，聽我說，咱們必須萬分小心。咱們只是偶然碰到伯爾派羅這個人。狡猾的無賴打算騙人，再沒有什么比大師作品更容易得逞了。如果那幅倫勃朗的作品是真的，那么我就應當擁有它；如果畫的真是瑪麗亞·范雷內，那么我就有義務替孩子們把它買到手。不過，最近我已經被騙了兩次，我可不想再被騙一次。咱們必須要小心行事。”

“說得不錯，”我應道，“別再來什么先知或者副牧師了！”

“不論他如何談論國家美術館之類的，我們都對他一無所知，”查爾斯繼續(xù)說道，“如果這人是個騙子，那么他所講的故事都是這種人臨時捏造出來騙我的。他很容易就能知道我是誰——我可是位知名人物。他知道我在布萊頓，很可能星期天就一直坐在那玻璃座位上，專門來引我上鉤。”

“他提到了你的名字，”我說，“當他得知我的身份時，就立刻和我攀談起來。”

“對，”查爾斯繼續(xù)道，“他也許知道瑪麗亞·范雷內這幅肖像。我奶奶經常提到，說這幅畫保存在豪達。實際上，我也常常提到它，你肯定也記得。這樣的話，一個無賴一開始就跟艾米莉亞談那幅畫，還裝作毫不知情，還有比這更自然不過的嗎？如果他想要一幅倫勃朗的作品，我相信在伯明翰想要多少就會有多少。我說這番話，是想說咱們應當小心行事。”

“說得對，”我答道，“我會時刻留心他的。”

我們從另一條路駕車回去，路上滿是金秋時節(jié)山毛櫸樹的樹影。這次出行很愉快。伯爾派羅博士吃了午飯，喝了香醇的獨家干紅葡萄酒，興致很高。他說起話來口若懸河，我從沒見過誰能抖出這么多雜七雜八的趣事。他哪兒都去過，知道所有人的一切事情。艾米莉亞當即“預約”，讓他去參加自己下周三的“家庭招待會”，他則答應將她引見給幾位文藝界的名人。

那天晚上大約七點半，我和查爾斯飯前一起在英皇大道上散散步，吹吹風。我們八點鐘吃飯?？諝夂茆?。我們途經一家新開的小酒店，酒店很小很獨特，有扇非常大的弓形窗。在燈光的明暗交界處，我們的朋友伯爾派羅坐在那里，穿著晚禮服，對面是位年輕、優(yōu)雅、漂亮的女士。他面前開著一瓶香檳，自己盡情地吃著溫室的葡萄，談笑風生。很顯然，他同那位女士都被某個滑稽的笑話完全逗樂了，因為他們彼此奇怪地盯著對方，時不時爆發(fā)出陣陣愉快的笑聲。

我退后幾步，查爾斯也是。我們兩人頭腦中突然閃過同一個念頭。我小聲說道：“克雷上校！”他應聲道：“還有皮卡迪特夫人！”

他們根本不像理查德副牧師還有布拉巴宗夫人。不過，這也剛好說明了問題。因為我也沒看到墨西哥先知那鷹鉤鼻子的蹤跡。即便這樣，當時我已經明白，不要完全相信外表。如果他們倆真是那位知名的騙子以及他妻子（或者稱之為共犯），那我們必須得十分小心。這一次，我們提前戒備了起來。假如他膽敢試著第三次騙我們，他絕對逃不出我們的掌心。不過，我們必須得采取一些措施，不讓他從我們手中狡猾地溜掉。

“他能像泥鰍一樣溜走。”尼斯的警長這么說。我們倆都想起了這句話，便開始精心地制訂計劃，以免他第三次從我們手中溜掉。

“西，我給你說說計劃，”我內兄緩緩說道，“這一次，我們必須故意讓自己受騙，必須主動要求購買那幅畫，讓他以書面形式保證畫是真品，并且要想方設法用最苛刻的條件來約束他。不過，與此同時，我們必須看起來沒有任何懷疑，要裝作像嬰兒般天真。不管他對我們撒什么謊，都全盤接受。為肖像畫支付的錢，用支票付——只是做做樣子。只要交易一完成，就立刻抓捕他，證據(jù)俱在。當然，接下來他會用盡渾身解數(shù)立刻逃之夭夭，就像在尼斯和巴黎碰到他時那樣；但這次，我們會讓警方隨時待命，把一切準備妥當。不能魯莽，但也不能耽擱誤事。一定要等到他真正地接過錢，裝進腰包時才能動手。那時，我們就立刻抓住他，把他送到當?shù)氐姆ㄍ?。這就是我這次的行動計劃。在此期間，我們要看起來單純、樸實，得讓他深信不疑。”

于是，我們開始實施這個周詳?shù)挠媱?，第二天就去伯爾派羅博士下榻的酒店拜訪他，他把我們引見給了他妻子，她是一位秀麗的小婦人。我們假裝不去在她身上找傲慢無禮的皮卡迪特夫人，還有心思單純的“白石南花”的身影。博士（同往常一樣）饒有興致地談著藝術——他可真是個無所不知的無賴，絕對的！——查爾斯爵士也對那幅假定的倫勃朗的作品表現(xiàn)出了些許興趣。我們的這位新朋友很高興，從他那努力抑制的急促語氣中，我們可以看出，他一眼就知道我們是潛在的買家。他說，他會第二天去倫敦，把那幅肖像畫帶過來。實際上，第二天早上，當我和查爾斯跟平常一樣坐上普耳曼臥車，去參加半年一度的克羅地多普·戈爾康達會議時，我們的那位博士也在那車上，躺在靠椅上，好像整個車子都是他的。查爾斯給我遞了個意味深長的眼神。“他可真會享受，不是嗎？”他低聲說，“這車費是從我那被騙走的五千英鎊中出的，或者，就當是那幅假的倫勃朗的作品少騙了我一點。”

到了倫敦，我們就立刻投入工作。我們從馬維爾那里請了位私家偵探，安排他去監(jiān)視我們那位朋友。從他口中得知，那位所謂的博士當天去了西區(qū)，從一位商販那里取了幅畫（我隱去那人的名字，因為擔心會有人告我誹謗），據(jù)了解，那人此前牽扯到幾件名聲不好，或者說聲名狼藉的交易。不過，說真的，我一直以為畫商就只是——賣畫的。在我看來，賽馬是最容易造就一些寡廉鮮恥的經紀人的，但有了字畫，賽馬就只能屈居第二了。言歸正傳，我們發(fā)現(xiàn)那位著名的藝術評論家從這位商販的鋪子里取走了倫勃朗的畫，當天晚上小心翼翼地帶到了布萊頓。

為了不貿然行事，以免破壞我們的計劃，我們誘勸伯爾派羅（名字起得可真夠巧妙?。┌涯欠鶄惒实漠嫀У酱蠖际芯频辏屛覀儥z驗一番，把畫留在我們那兒，好聽聽倫敦專家的意見。

專家來了，就這幅據(jù)稱是大師的畫作，向我們做了一個全面的匯報。據(jù)他判斷，這根本不是倫勃朗的作品，只不過是一幅筆法精妙，又刻意弄舊的現(xiàn)代荷蘭贗品。此外，他還用檔案證據(jù)向我們展示，真正的瑪麗亞·范雷內的肖像畫實際上已經在五年前被帶到了英國，賣給了J.H.湯姆林森爵士，就是那位知名的鑒賞家，賣了八千英鎊。所以伯爾派羅博士的畫，充其量是倫勃朗自己的復制品，或者更有可能是他學生的作品；不過，最有可能的，只是現(xiàn)代的偽造品罷了。

因此，我們做好了充分準備，去指控這位自稱博士的人的犯罪陰謀。但為了確保萬無一失，我們隱隱地給他提個醒，說瑪麗亞·范雷內的肖像畫真的有可能在別處，甚至還當面暗示道，那畫極有可能落入了那位無所不收的收藏家J.H.湯姆林森爵士之手。不過，這位賣主根本不去理會對他商品如此這般的詆毀。他居然厚顏無恥地不顧檔案證據(jù)，宣稱J.H.湯姆林森（英國最見多識廣、最精明狡黠的繪畫買家之一）被一位窮困潦倒、有偽造天賦的荷蘭藝術家巧妙地騙了。他宣稱，真正的瑪麗亞·范雷內的肖像畫，就是他給我們的這幅，還發(fā)了誓。“讓勝利沖昏了頭腦，”查爾斯向我高興地說道，“他覺得，不論自己對我們撒多大的慌，我們都會全盤接受。‘常在河邊走，哪能不濕鞋。’我們這次將他一軍。”說實話，他打的這個比方前后沒什么邏輯，不過查爾斯打的比方，總是能讓人挑出毛病來。

于是，我們假裝相信他，并相信了他的保證。接下來是價格的問題。討論得很激烈，不過也僅僅是為了做做樣子。J.H.湯姆林森花了八千英鎊買了瑪麗亞的真畫，可對這幅贗品，博士卻要價一萬。實際上，我們根本沒什么必要和他討價還價、爭來爭去，因為查爾斯只是打算根據(jù)他要的數(shù)額開張支票，然后把這家伙抓起來；不過，為了不讓他起疑心，我們覺得最好還是假裝還價一番，最后把價格壓到了九千基尼。不過，他得給我們一份書面保證，保證他賣給我們的作品是倫勃朗的真跡，保證畫的是哈勒姆的瑪麗亞·范雷內，并且保證毫無疑問這幅畫是他從荷蘭豪達那位女士的后人們手中直接購買過來的。

一切都做得很漂亮，我們的安排堪稱完美。我們叫來一名警察在大都市酒店房間外待命，決定讓伯爾派羅博士在某個固定的時間到酒店來簽保證書，然后收錢。雙方起草了一份正式的協(xié)議，完整地蓋了印章。“甲方”在約定的時間到了，把肖像畫交給了我們。查爾斯取出一張約定金額的支票，簽了字，接著遞給了博士。伯爾派羅剛拿過支票，我就站到了門旁，這時，警局派來的兩名便衣偵探就裝作男仆守著，盯著窗戶。我們生怕這個騙子一旦拿到支票就會逃掉，就像他在尼斯還有巴黎那樣。在他帶著勝利的微笑把支票裝進口袋的那一刻，我迅速地走向他，手里拿著一副手銬。還沒等他弄明白是怎么一回事，我早已敏捷地將手銬套到他手腕上并鎖住。這時，警察也走上前來。“這次我們可抓到你了！”我喊道，“我們知道你是誰，伯爾派羅博士。你就是——克雷上校，化名安東尼奧·赫雷拉先知，還有理查德·佩普洛·布拉巴宗牧師。”

我這輩子還從未見過誰會如此這般震驚！他完全驚呆了。查爾斯覺得，他肯定料想自己會立刻脫身走人，而我們及時采取的措施讓他大吃一驚，一下子慌張失措。他凝視著周圍，仿佛沒有反應過來這到底是怎么一回事。

“他們倆是瘋子嗎？亂說些什么？”他最后問道，“他們說的什么安東尼奧·赫雷拉的瘋話是什么意思？”

警察把手搭在囚犯的肩上。

“別瞎費口舌了，伙計，”他說，“我們有逮捕令。愛德華·伯爾派羅，化名理查德·佩普洛·布拉巴宗，我逮捕你，因為你被指控通過欺詐手段從一等勛爵士、下院議員查爾斯·凡德里夫特爵士手中騙取錢財。他對此發(fā)了誓，并在這兒簽了字。”因為查爾斯事先已經將相關材料起草好了。

那囚犯挺直了身子。“聽著，長官，”他說，很生氣，“咱們在這件事上有些誤會。我這輩子從來沒用過什么化名。你怎么知道他真的是查爾斯·凡德里夫特爵士？說不定有人要冒名脅迫我。要我看，他們倆是一對從精神病院逃出來的瘋子。”

“明天再說這些！”警察抓著他，說道，“現(xiàn)在你得乖乖地跟我去一趟警局，這兩位先生會在那兒把對你的指控登個記。”

他們把他帶走了，他還在抗議。我和查爾斯在案情記錄表上簽了字，警察把他鎖了起來，等著第二天在法官面前進行審訊。

即便現(xiàn)在這么做了，我們仍然擔心這家伙會想方設法保釋出去，從我們手中溜掉。實際上，他歇斯底里地抗議我們竟如此對待一位“他這種地位的紳士”。不過，查爾斯特地囑咐警方，不要理睬他，說他是位十分危險、極其狡猾的罪犯，在法官審訊完畢之前，不論何種事由何種借口，都絕不能把他放走。

說來也怪，我們當晚在酒店得知，真有位叫伯爾派羅的博士，那是位知名的藝術評論家。不過，我們覺得，抓住的這個騙子肯定一直在盜用他的名字。

第二天早上，我們來到法庭，一位巡官過來迎接我們，臉拉得很長。“我說，先生們，”他說，“恐怕你們犯了一個十分嚴重的錯誤。你們可真行，把事情搞得一團糟。你們惹上麻煩了，更糟的是，把我們也牽扯了進來。你們搞的那些宣誓材料未免有點聰明過頭了。我們已經質詢過這位紳士了，發(fā)現(xiàn)他關于自己的描述完全沒有問題。他叫伯爾派羅，是位知名的藝術評論家、繪畫收藏家，在海外受雇于國家美術館。他之前是南肯辛頓博物館的官員、外科學士、法學博士，極其德高望重的一個人。你們犯了一個非常可悲的錯誤，事情就是這樣。你們很可能會受到一項非法監(jiān)禁的指控，這恐怕把我們部門也牽扯了進來。”

查爾斯倒吸了一口氣，聲音中滿是恐懼，大聲叫道：“你們不會就憑著這些荒唐的陳詞就把他放了吧？不會讓他像那個殺人犯那樣從你們手中溜掉了吧？”

“讓他從我們手中溜掉？”巡官叫道，“我倒是希望他能溜掉。很不幸，沒這個機會了。此刻，他就在法庭上，被你們倆氣得火冒三丈。我們到這兒是為了保護你們，怕他萬一襲擊你們。因為你們的虛假證詞，他被關了一整夜，當然了，他現(xiàn)在氣得要發(fā)瘋。”

“只要你沒放他走就好，”查爾斯答道，“他是只狡猾的狐貍。他在哪兒？讓我見見他。”

我們來到法庭。在庭中，我們看到那囚犯正興高采烈地同法官親切交談（貌似法官是他的一位私交）。查爾斯立刻上前同他們說話，伯爾派羅博士轉過身，透過夾鼻眼鏡瞪著他。

“這個人行為怪異，讓人難以置信，”他說，“唯一可能的解釋就是，他一定瘋了——他的秘書也是。他在英皇大道的玻璃座椅上主動同我結識，然后邀請我乘他的馬車去劉易斯市。再后來，他主動要購買我一幅名貴的畫作，最后莫名其妙地給了我這個愚蠢、荒謬、莫須有的指控。我要求以非法監(jiān)禁罪給他下傳票。”

突然，我們漸漸明白，局面已經扭轉了。我們漸漸意識到自己犯了個錯誤。伯爾派羅博士確實是他自己所聲稱的那個人，并且一直都是。我們也了解到，他的畫上是真的瑪麗亞·范雷內，是倫勃朗的真跡，他把它放在那位可疑的商販那里，只是為了清洗和修復一下。J.H.湯姆林森爵士被一個狡猾的荷蘭人騙了，他的畫雖然也確實是倫勃朗的作品，但畫的不是瑪麗亞，只不過是一件保存不善、略次一些的樣品。我們所咨詢的專家是個無知、自負的江湖騙子。還有，其他專家對那幅瑪麗亞畫像的估價，最多不超過五六千基尼。查爾斯想撤銷這次交易，但伯爾派羅博士當然一個字也不聽，那份協(xié)議是具有法律約束力的武器。不過，當時查爾斯頭腦中所想的，同那份書面合同沒有半點關系。對方要查爾斯在《泰晤士報》上刊登一份道歉信，并付他五百英鎊作為對他人格玷污的補償，否則他就要控告我們非法監(jiān)禁。我們精心設計的去抓那個騙子的計劃，就這么收場了。

不過，這件事到此還未結束；因為，當然啦，此后整個事件逐漸登了報。伯爾派羅博士是文學界、藝術界的熟人，結果他起訴了那位所謂的專家，是那位專家否認了自己倫勃朗畫作的真實性，并且指控他愚昧無知，卻還信口雌黃。之后報刊的短評就傳開了。《環(huán)球報》登了一篇諷刺文章，來揭露我們的事；一向對查爾斯爵士還有其他南非人不依不饒的《真理報》登了一首辛辣的詩歌《金伯利的高雅藝術》。不出我們所料，這樣一折騰，整個事件就傳到了克雷上校的耳朵里；因為一兩周以后，我內兄收到了一張幸災樂禍的短箋，信箋還散發(fā)著清香，寫信的是那位對我們窮追不舍的騙子。內容如下：

哈，你這天真的孩子！

愿上帝保佑你那天真的小腦瓜！你是不是覺得自己確確實實抓住了厲害的上校？你是不是準備了一個漂亮的圈套來抓住他？你的大名是不是叫“笨蛋爵士”？看到你那巧妙的小詭計，我和“白石南花”笑得不知有多開心！順便說一句，讓“白石南花”到你家中，花上半年時間，教教你如何做業(yè)余偵探，這會對你大有裨益。你那迷人的天真，讓我倆好不嫉妒。像我這種頭腦的人會屈尊用繪畫大師這么平淡、老套、愚蠢、俗氣的騙術？虧你能想得到！還是在所謂的十九世紀！哦，神圣的單純！我什么時候能像嬰兒一樣被人一眼看穿？什么時候？告訴我什么時候？不過，不用擔心，親愛的朋友。雖然你沒抓到我，但咱們不久還會再來次愉快的會面。

致以最崇高的敬意和感激。

安東尼奧·赫雷拉，

或理查德·佩普洛·布拉巴宗

查爾斯放下信，長嘆一口氣。“西，老弟，”他沉思著大聲說道，“世上沒有誰的財產——哪怕是我的——能經得起這么折騰。財產這樣源源不斷地流失，真的讓我開始感到害怕。我看到了自己的結局：我最后會死在濟貧院。想一想當他是克雷上校時從我身上掠走的錢，再想想當他不是克雷上校時我在他身上浪費的錢，這個人開始讓我變得緊張兮兮的了。我要從這種擔驚受怕的生活中全身而退。我要離開這個詭詐、敗壞的世界，到清新、純凈的大山中某個清凈的角落中去。”

“既然你能說出這種話，看來是時候換個環(huán)境，得休息一下了，”我說，“咱們去蒂羅爾吧！”