The Thirty-Nine Steps. Selected Stories / 39 ступеней. Избранные новеллы. Джон Бакен

and first showed me half a dozen of his suits because my own had been torn. I chose a blue one, which made me look very different. Then he took me to the dining-room, where there was some food on the table, and told me that I had just five minutes to eat. I had a cup of coffee and some cold ham.

      'You can take a snack in your pocket, and we'll have supper when we get back. I've got to be at the Masonic Hall at eight o'clock. I'm in a mess right now, Mr… you haven't told me your name. Twisdon? Well, Mr. Twisdon, you see I'm Liberal Candidate for this part of the world, and I have a meeting tonight. The Colonial ex-Premier, Crumpleton, was supposed to come[33] and speak for me, but he got ill. Here I am, left to do the whole thing myself! I had planned to speak for ten minutes and must now go on for forty. The problem is I cannot think of anything to say, and you've got to help me. You're a Free Trader and can tell our people about the Colonies. I'll be for ever in your debt.'

      I thought how odd it was to ask a stranger who had almost died and had lost an expensive car to speak at a meeting for him. I knew very little about Free Trade, but I saw no other chance to get what I wanted.

      'All right,' I said. 'I'm not a good speaker, but I'll tell them a bit about Australia.'

      On the way he told me the simple facts of his history. He was an orphan, and his uncle who was in the Cabinet had brought him up. His uncle had advised politics, and the young man had no preference in parties. 'Good friends in both,' he said, 'and plenty of enemies, too. I'm Liberal, because my family have always been Whigs[34].' Altogether, he was a very clean, decent young man.

      As we passed through a little town, two policemen stopped us.

      'Pardon, Sir Harry,' said one. 'We've been looking for a car like yours.'

      'All right,' said my host. After that we didn't speak anymore because he was busy thinking about his coming speech, and I began to prepare myself for a disaster. I tried to think of something I could say, but my mind was dry.

      Finally we stopped outside a door in a street, and were welcomed by some noisy gentlemen. The hall had about five hundred people in it, mostly women and old men. The chairman commented on Crumpleton's absence and introduced me as a 'leader of Australian thought'. Then Sir Harry started. I never heard anything like it. He didn't know how to talk. He had a lot of notes from which he read. He talked about the 'German menace', and said it was a Tory[35] invention. He was for reducing our Navy and then sending Germany an ultimatum telling her to do the same.

      Yet I liked his speech. It took a load off my mind. I wasn't much of a speaker, but I was much, much better than Sir Harry.

      When it was my turn, I simply told them all I could remember about Australia. I doubt if I ever mentioned Free Trade, but I said there were no Tories in Australia, only Labor and Liberals. Altogether I think I was a success.

      When we were in the car again, my host was in good spirits[36]. 'Excellent speech, Twisdon,' he said. 'Now, you're coming home with me. I'm all alone, and if you stay for a day or two, I'll show you some very decent fishing.'

      We had a hot supper and then drank grog in a big smoking-room. I thought it was the time for me to put my cards on the table. I saw that he was the man I could trust.

      'Listen, Sir Harry,' I said. 'I've something very important to say to you. You're a good fellow, and I'm going to be frank. What you said about Germany.'

      'Why? What's wrong? Was it that bad?' he asked. 'But you don't think Germany would ever go to war with us?'

      'If you give me half an hour, I am going to tell you a story,' I said.

      It was the first time I had ever told anyone the truth. I left out no detail. He heard all about Scudder, and the milkman, and the note-book, and my adventures in Galloway.

      'So you see,' I said, 'I am the man that is wanted for the Portland Place murder. You could call the police and give me up. I don't think I'll get very far.'

      He got very excited and was looking at me with bright eyes. 'What was your job in Rhodesia, Mr. Hannay?' he asked.

      'Mining engineer,' I said.

      He watched me with a smile. 'I may be a bad speaker, but I can see that you're no murderer and you're no fool, and I believe you are telling the truth. I'm going to help you. Now, what can I do?'

      'First, I want you to write a letter to your uncle. I've got to get in touch with the Government people sometime before the 15th of June.'

      'That won't help you. This is Foreign Office business, and my uncle would have nothing to do with it. Besides, you'd never convince him. No, I have a better idea. I'll write to the Secretary at the Foreign Office. He's my godfather. What do you want?'

      He sat down at a table and wrote what I said. The plan was that a man called Twisdon (I chose to keep that name) would come before June 15th.

      He would be whistling a popular tune and would mention 'Black Stone', and the godfather needed to hear his story.

      'Good,' said Sir Harry. 'By the way, you'll find my godfather, his name's Sir Walter Bullivant, at his country cottage in Whitsuntide. Now, what's the next thing?'

      'You're about my size. Give me the oldest suit you've got. Then show me a map of the neighborhood. Lastly, if the police come looking for me, just show them the car in the stream. If the other fellows come, tell them I went south after your meeting.'

      Примечания

      1

      Сити – район Лондона, исторический центр города.

      2

      зд. старая добрая Англия

      3

      Булавайо – крупны

Примечания

1

Сити – район Лондона, исторический центр города.

2

зд. старая добрая Англия

3

Булавайо – крупный город в Зимбабве, в Африке.

4

Шотландия является частью Великобритании.

5

Пятизвёздочный отель в Лондоне.

6

заставило меня вздрогнуть

33

должен был приехать

34

Виги – старинное название британской партии либералов.

35

Тори – партия земельной аристократии Великобритании.

36

в приподнятом настроении