Chapter 5 

A USEFUL GENTLEMAN 

Rufus Van Aldin had just finished the sparse breakfast of coffee and dry toast, which was all he ever allowed himself when Knighton entered the room. 

"Mr Goby is below, sir, waiting to see you." 

The millionaire glanced at the clock. It was just half-past nine. 

"All right," he said curtly. "He can come up." 

A minute or two later, Mr Goby entered the room. He was a small, elderly man, shabbily dressed, with eyes that looked carefully all round the room, and never at the person he was addressing. 

"Good morning, Goby," said the millionaire. "Take a chair." 

"Thank you, Mr Van Aldin." 

Mr Goby sat down with his hands on his knees, and gazed earnestly at the radiator. 

"I have got a job for you." 

"Yes, Mr Van Aldin?" 

"My daughter is married to the Hon Derek Kettering, as you may perhaps know." 

Mr Goby transferred his gaze from the radiator to the left-hand drawer of the desk, and permitted a deprecating smile to pass over his face. Mr Goby knew a great many things, but he always hated to admit the fact. 

"By my advice, she is about to file a petition for divorce. That, of course, is a solicitor's business. But, for private reasons, I want the fullest and most complete information." 

Mr Goby looked at the cornice and murmured: 

"About Mr Kettering?" 

"About Mr Kettering." 

"Very good, sir." 

Mr Goby rose to his feet. 

"When will you have it ready for me?" 

"In a hurry, sir?" 

"I'm always in a hurry," said the millionaire. 

Mr Goby smiled understandingly at the wall. "Two o'clock this afternoon, sir?" 

"Excellent," approved the other. "Good morning, Goby." 

"Good morning, Mr Van Aldin." 

"That's a very useful man," said the millionaire as Goby went out and his secretary came in. "In his own line he's a specialist." 

"What is his line?" 

"Information. Give him twenty-four hours and he would lay the private life of the Archbishop of Canterbury bare for you." 

"A useful sort of chap," said Knighton, with a smile. 

"He has been useful to me once or twice," said Van Aldin. "Now then, Knighton, I'm ready for work." 

The next few hours saw a vast quantity of business rapidly transacted. It was half-past twelve when the telephone bell rang, and Mr Van Aldin was informed that Mr Kettering had called. Knighton looked at Van Aldin, and interpreted his brief nod. 

"Ask Mr Kettering to come up, please." 

The secretary gathered up his papers and departed. He and the visitor passed each other in the doorway, and Derek Kettering stood aside to let the other go out. Then he came in, shutting the door behind him. 

"Good morning, sir. You are very anxious to see me, I hear." 

The lazy voice with its slightly ironic inflection roused memories in Van Aldin. 

There was charm in it - there had always been charm in it. He looked piercingly at his son-in-law. Derek Kettering was thirty- four, lean of build, with a dark, narrow face, which had even now something indescribabiy boyish in it. 

"Come in," said Van Aldin curtly. "Sit down." 

Kettering flung himself lightly into an armchair. He looked at his father-in-law with a kind of tolerant amusement. 

"Not seen you for a long time, sir," he remarked pleasantly. 

"About two years, I should say. Seen Ruth yet?" 

"I saw her last night," said Van Aldin. 

"Looking very fit, isn't she?" said the other lightly. 

"I didn't know you had had much opportunity of judging," said Van Aldin drily. 

Derek Kettering raised his eyebrows. 

"Oh, we sometimes meet at the same night club, you know," he said airily. 

"I am not going to beat about the bush," Van Aldin said curtly. "I have advised Ruth to file a petition for divorce." 

Derek Kettering seemed unmoved. 

"How drastic!" he murmured. "Do you mind if I smoke, sir?" 

He lit a cigarette, and puffed out a cloud of smoke as he added nonchalantly: 

"And what did Ruth say?" 

"Ruth proposes to take my advice," said her father. 

"Does she really?" 

"Is that all you have got to say?" demanded Van Aldin sharply. 

Kettering flicked his ash into the grate. 

"I think, you know," he said, with a detached air, "that she's making a great mistake." 

"From your point of view she doubtless is," said Van Aldin grimly. 

"Oh, come now," said the other, "don't let's be personal. I really wasn't thinking of myself at the moment. I was thinking of Ruth. You know my poor old Governor really can't last much longer; all the doctors say so. Ruth had better give it a couple more years, then I shall be Lord Leconbury, and she can be chatelaine of Leconbury, which is what she married me for." 

"I won't have any of your darned impudence," roared Van Aldin. 

Derek Kettering smiled at him quite unmoved. 

"I agree with you. It's an obsolete idea," he said. "There's nothing in a title nowadays. Still, Leconbury is a very fine old place, and, after all, we are one of the oldest families in England. It will be very annoying for Ruth if she divorces me to find me marrying again, and some other woman queening it at Leconbury instead of her." 

"I am serious, young man," said Van Aldin. 

"Oh, so am I," said Kettering. "I am in very low water financially; it will put me in a nasty hole if Ruth divorces me, and, after all, if she has stood it for ten years, why not stand it a little longer? I give you my word of honour that the old man can't possibly last out another eighteen months, and, as I said before, it's a pity Ruth shouldn't get what she married me for." 

"You suggest that my daughter married you for your title and position?" 

Derek Kettering laughed a laugh that was not all amusement. 

"You don't think it was a question of a love match?" he asked. 

"I know," said Van Aldin slowly, "that you spoke very differently in Paris ten years ago." 

"Did I? Perhaps I did. Ruth was very beautiful, you know - rather like an angel or a saint, or something that had stepped down from a niche in a church. I had fine ideas, I remember, of turning over a new leaf, of settling down and living up to the highest traditions of English home-life with a beautiful wife who loved me." 

He laughed again, rather more discordantly. 

"But you don't believe that, I suppose?" he said. 

"I have no doubt at all that you married Ruth for her money," said Van Aldin unemotionally. 

"And that she married me for love?" asked the other ironically. 

"Certainly," said Van Aldin. 

Derek Kettering stared at him for a minute or two, then he nodded reflectively. 

"I see you believe that," he said. "So did I at the time. I can assure you, my dear father-in-law, I was very soon undeceived." 

"I don't know what you are getting at," said Van Aldin, "and I don't care. You have treated Ruth darned badly." 

"Oh, I have," agreed Kettering lightly, "but she's tough, you know. She's your daughter. Underneath the pink-and-white softness of her she's as hard as granite. You have always been known as a hard man, so I have been told, but Ruth is harder than you are. You, at any rate, love one person better than yourself. Ruth never has and never will." 

"That is enough," said Van Aldin. "I asked you here so that I could tell you fair and square what I meant to do. My girl has got to have some happiness, and remember this, I am behind her." 

Derek Kettering got up and stood by the mantelpiece. He tossed away his cigarette. When he spoke, his voice was very quiet. 

"What exactly do you mean by that, I wonder?" he said. 

"I mean," said Van Aldin, "that you had better not try to defend the case." 

"Oh," said Kettering. "Is that a threat?" 

"You can take it any way you please," said Van Aldin. 

Kettering drew a chair up to the table. He sat down fronting the millionaire. 

"And supposing," he said softly, "that, just for argument's sake, I did defend the case?" 

Van Aldin shrugged his shoulders. 

"You have not got a leg to stand upon, you young fool. Ask your solicitors, they will soon tell you. Your conduct has been notorious, the talk of London." 

"Ruth has been kicking up a row about Mirelle, I suppose. Very foolish of her. I don't interfere with her friends." 

"What do you mean?" said Van Aldin sharply. 

Derek Kettering laughed. 

"I see you don't know everything, sir," he said. "You are, perhaps naturally, prejudiced." 

He took up his hat and stick and moved towards the door. 

"Giving advice is not much in my line." He delivered his final thrust. "But, in this case, I should advise most strongly perfect frankness between father and daughter." 

He passed quickly out of the room and shut the door behind him just as the millionaire sprang up. 

"Now, what the hell did he mean by that?" said Van Aldin as he sank back into his chair again. 

All his uneasiness returned in full force. 

There was something here that he had not yet got to the bottom of. The telephone was by his elbow; he seized it, and asked for the number of his daughter's house. 

"Hallo! Hallo! Is that Mayfair 81907? Mrs Kettering in? Oh, she's out, is she? Yes, out to lunch. What time will she be in? You don't know? Oh, very good; no, there's no message." 

He slammed the receiver down again angrily. 

At two o'clock he was pacing the floor of his room waiting expectantly for Goby. 

The latter was ushered in at ten minutes past two. 

"Well?" barked the millionaire sharply. 

But the little Mr Goby was not to be hurried. 

He sat down at the table, produced a very shabby pocketbook, and proceeded to read from it in a monotonous voice. The millionaire listened attentively, with an increasing satisfaction. Goby came to a full stop, and looked attentively at the wastepaper-basket. 

"Um!" said Van Aldin. "That seems pretty definite. The case will go through like winking. The hotel evidence is all right, I suppose?" 

"Cast iron," said Mr Goby, and looked malevolently at a gilt armchair. 

"And financially he's in very low water. He's trying to raise a loan now, you say? Has already raised practically all he can upon his expectations from his father. Once the news of the divorce gets about, he won't be able to raise another cent, and not only that, his obligations can be bought up and pressure can be put upon him from that quarter. We have got him, Goby; we have got him in a cleft stick." 

He hit the table a bang with his fist. His face was grim and triumphant. 

"The information," said Mr Goby in a thin voice, "seems satisfactory." 

"I have got to go round to Curzon Street now," said the millionaire. 

"I am much obliged to you, Goby. You are the goods all right." 

A pale smile of gratification showed itself on the little man's face. 

"Thank you, Mr Van Aldin," he said, "I try to do my best." 

Van Aldin did not go direct to Curzon Street. He went first to the City, where he had two interviews which added to his satisfaction. From there he took the tube to Down Street. As he was walking along Curzon Street, a figure came out of No. 160, and turned up the street towards him, so that they passed each other on the pavement. For a moment, the millionaire had fancied it might be Derek Kettering himself; the height and build were not unlike. But as they came face to face, he saw that the man was a stranger to him. At least - no, not a stranger; his face awoke some call of recognition in the millionaire's mind, and it was associated definitely with something unpleasant. 

He cudgelled his brains in vain, but the thing eluded him. He went on, shaking his head irritably. He hated to be baffled. 

Ruth Kettering was clearly expecting him. She ran to him and kissed him when he entered. 

"Well, Dad, how are things going?" 

"Very well," said Van Aldin, "but I have got a word or two to say to you, Ruth." 

Almost insensibly he felt the change in her, something shrewd and watchful replaced the impulsiveness of her greeting. She sat down in a big armchair. 

"Well, Dad?" she asked. "What is it?" 

"I saw your husband this morning," said Van Aldin. 

"You saw Derek?" 

"I did. He said a lot of things, most of which were darned cheek. Just as he was leaving, he said something that I didn't understand. He advised me to be sure that there was perfect frankness between father and daughter. What did he mean by that, Ruthie?" 

Mrs Kettering moved a little in her chair. 

"I - I don't know, Dad. How should I?" 

"Of course you know," said Van Aldin. "He said something else, about his having his friends and not interfering with yours. What did he mean by that?" 

"I don't know," said Ruth Kettering again. 

Van Aldin sat down. His mouth set itself in a grim line. 

"See here, Ruth. I am not going into this with my eyes closed. I am not at all sure that that husband of yours doesn't mean to make trouble. Now, he can't do it, I am sure of that. I have got the means to silence him, to shut his mouth for good and all, but I have got to know if there's any need to use those means. What did he mean by your having your own friends?" 

Mrs Kettering shrugged her shoulders. 

"I have got lots of friends," she said uncertainly. "I don't know what he meant, I am sure." 

"You do," said Van Aldin. 

He was speaking now as he might have spoken to a business adversary. 

"I will put it plainer. Who is the man?" 

"What man?" 

"The man. That's what Derek was driving at. Some special man who is a friend of yours. You needn't worry, honey, I know there is nothing in it, but we have got to look at everything as it might appear to the Court. They can twist these things about a good deal, you know. I want to know who the man is, and just how friendly you have been with him." 

Ruth didn't answer. Her hands were kneading themselves 

together in intense nervous absorption. 

"Come, honey," said Van Aldin in a softer voice. "Don't be afraid of your old Dad. I was not too harsh, was I, even that time in Paris? - By gosh!" 

He stopped, thunderstruck. 

"That's who it was," he murmured to himself. "I thought I knew his face." 

"What are you talking about, Dad? I don't understand." 

The millionaire strode across to her and took her firmly by the wrist. 

"See here, Ruth, have you been seeing that fellow again?" 

"What fellow?" 

"The one we had all that fuss about years ago. You know who I mean well enough." 

"You mean -" she hesitated - "you mean the Comte de la Roche?" 

"Comte de la Roche!" snorted Van Aldin. "I told you at the time that the man was no better than a swindler. You had entangled yourself with him then very deeply, but I got you out of his clutches." 

"Yes, you did," said Ruth bitterly. "And I married Derek Kettering." 

"You wanted to," said the millionaire sharply. 

She shrugged her shoulders. 

"And now," said Van Aldin slowly, "you have been seeing him again - after all I told you. He has been in the house today. I met him outside, and couldn't place him for the moment." 

Ruth Kettering had recovered her composure. 

"I want to tell you one thing, Dad; you are wrong about Armand - the Comte de la Roche, I mean. Oh, I know there were several regrettable incidents in his youth - he has told me about them; but 

-well, he has cared for me always. It broke his heart when you parted us in Paris, and now -" 

She was interrupted by the snort of indignation her father gave. 

"So you fell for that stuff, did you? You, a daughter of mine! My God!" 

He threw up his hands. 

"That women can be such darned fools!" he murmured. 

第五章 有用的先生

    奈顿进屋的时候，冯·阿尔丁刚刚吃完简单的早餐：咖啡和酸葡萄酒。

    “戈比先生在楼下等您见他。”

    百万富翁看了一下手表，正好是九点半。

    “好吧，”他扼要地说，“让他上来。”

    一分钟后戈比先生走进屋来。他是个侏儒，穿戴很寒酸，两只眼睛好奇地打量着屋里的一切，一眼也不看同他谈话的对方。

    “早晨好，戈比！”百万富翁说，“请坐。”

    “谢谢，冯·阿尔丁先生。”

    戈比坐下，双手放在膝盖上，两眼死盯着壁炉。

    “我给您找了一桩生意。”

    “一桩生意？冯·阿尔丁先生？”

    “您可能知道，我女儿同德里克·凯特林结了婚。”

    戈比的目光转向写字台的抽屉，脸庞上现出一丝轻蔑的微笑。戈比是知道一些底细的，但很少流露出来。

    “根据我的建议，我的女儿将对我的女婿提出离婚。诚然这是律师的事，但由于本人的愿望，我希望得到与此事有关的详细和完整的情报。”

    戈比仰望了一下天花板，嘟哝了一句：“关于凯特林先生？”

    “是的，关于凯特林先生。”

    “好吧，先生。”

    戈比站起身来。

    “什么时候听您的消息？”

    “事情很急迫吗，先生？”

    “我的事情一向都很急迫。”百万富翁回答道。

    戈比望着壁炉，会心地一笑。

    “那么就定在明天下午两点。”

    “太好了，再见，戈比。”

    “再见，冯·阿尔丁先生。”

    “一个非常有用的人。”当戈比走出房间，百万富翁对秘书说。“他干这一行是个老手，简直没有什么可挑剔的。”

    “哪一行？”

    “情报。你给他二十四小时的时间，他会把坎特布里大主教私生活的内幕搞得一清二楚。”

    “的确是个可以利用的家伙。”奈顿微笑地说道。

    “他已经给我干过一两次事了。好了，现在我们开始工作吧，奈顿。”

    以后几个小时他们完全忙于工作。下午十二点半德里克·凯特林来了。“请让凯特林先生上楼来。”

    秘书把文件整理一下，离开了房间。他在门口碰上了德里克，德里克·凯特林一闪身让了一下路，然后走进房间。

    “您好，岳父大人。我听说您急切地想同我谈一谈。”

    他总是无所谓的样子，用一种嘲弄的口吻压低了声音马马虎虎的说道。冯·阿尔丁死盯着他的女婿。德里克·凯特林是个身材匀称的年青人，脸庞很窄，皮色微黑。虽然他已经是三十四岁的人了，但看上去还很年轻。

    “坐吧！”冯·阿尔丁简短地说了一句。

    凯特林坐在藤椅上，望着他的岳父，现出无所谓和嬉笑的神态。

    “许久没见面了。”他说着，字里行间充满着激情，“差不多两年了。你见过露丝了吗？”

    “昨天晚上。”

    “看来她还不错，是吗？”

    “据我所知，你根本无暇去过问她的生活情况。”冯·阿尔丁干巴巴地说道。

    德里克·凯特林皱起了眉头。

    “上帝啊，我们总是在同一个夜总会里见面。”

    “我没时间和兴致同你多费口舌。露丝接受了我的劝告，提出同你离婚。”

    德里克·凯特林硬挺挺地坐着。

    “多残酷的决定啊！”他嘟哝道，“可以吸烟吗？”

    他点着一支香烟，然后懒洋洋地说道：

    “露丝对此事的态度如何呢？”

    “露丝决定接受我的劝告。”

    “真的吗？”

    “你没有别的话可说吗？”冯·阿尔丁严肃地问道。

    凯特林弹掉烟灰。他说，“事情是已经发展到无法挽回的地步。我认为她犯了一个大错误。”

    “从你的立场出发当然是这样。”冯·阿尔丁气愤地说道。

    “我们最好摆脱开个人关系。我现在的确不只是为自己着想，我也为露丝着想。我的老父亲肯定活不了多久，这一点医生们的意见是一致的。如果露丝再等一、二年，那时我就将成为劳尔德·雷康布里，她将成为雷康布里宫殿的女主人。也正是为此她才同我结婚的。”

    “我已经听够了你那些无耻的谰言。”冯·阿尔丁咆哮一声。

    德里克·凯特林微笑一下，一动不动。

    “你说得对，这确实是个蠢笨的念头。如今有谁还注意贵族的称号呢？但是，我们毕竟是英国的老式家族。如果有一天人们发现雷康布里的夫人是另外一个女人来代替露丝，那将会引起一场轩然大波。”

    “我在严肃地同你谈问题，年青人！”冯·阿尔丁提醒道。

    “我也是，岳父大人，我也是很严肃。在经济方面可以说我已经陷入困境。如果露丝离开我，那我将十分狼狈。可是，露丝已经同我在一起十年了，为什么让她再等一个时期呢？我可以直率地说，我的老爹最多也只能活十八月了。如果她没有达到她当时想嫁给我的目的，那可有点太遗憾了。”

    “你认为我的女儿是为了你的称号和你的社会地位才同你结婚的吗？”

    德里克·凯特林狂笑起来，笑声极为刺耳。

    “时至今日你还相信这是一桩爱情的婚姻吗？”

    “我知道。”冯·阿尔丁说，“十年前你在巴黎可完全是另外一种说法。”

    “我说过吗？这很可能。露丝当时非常漂亮，你当然是知道的。她当时多么象一个从教堂圣龛中飞下来的天使或圣母。我当时怀着很美妙的想法，想踏入新的生活，当一个理想的丈夫。有一个漂亮的妻子，她爱我，并且总是多情地看着我。”

    他又是狰狞的一笑。

    “但是，这一点你是不会相信的，是吗？”

    “我看你和露丝的结婚只是为了贪图金钱，这一点是毫无疑问的。”冯·阿尔丁若无其事地说道。

    “而她是出于爱情而同我结合的，对吗？”对方嘲笑地说道。

    “当然啦。”冯·阿尔丁回答道。

    德里克·凯特林凝视对方足有一分钟的时间，然后低下头陷入了深思。

    “你相信是这样？”凯特林说。“当时我也相信，可是我对你直言不讳地说，岳父，不久我就学乖了一些。”

    “你学不学乖，对此我丝毫不感兴趣。反正你对露丝的行为是很无耻的。”

    “这我当然承认。”凯特林加上一句。“可是，她又如何呢？她可真不愧是你的女儿。你一直是个严肃的人，可是露丝比你更严肃。你除了自己之外还爱另外一个人，可是露丝却不能。”

    “够了，”冯·阿尔丁说，“我叫你来是为了开诚布公地说明我的意图。我女儿有要求起码幸福的权利。你不要忘记，她有我撑腰。”

    德里克·凯特林站起身，走到壁炉旁。把头扔到火里，他的声调现出几分沉静。

    “说明确一些，你到底要怎样？”

    “我是要说，”岳父回答说，“劝你不要对离婚案提出反对意见。”

    “啊，原来如此。”凯特林说，“这是威胁吗？”

    “如果你愿意，可以这样理解。”

    凯特林把椅子搬到写字台跟前，坐在百万富翁的对面。

    “要是我不同意离婚呢？”

    冯·阿尔丁耸了一下肩膀。

    “那么只能证明，你是个笨蛋。你的所作所为在伦敦是尽人皆知的。”

    “露丝可能对我同米蕾这件事有点嫉妒。看她多傻。我可从不过问她同自己情人的事。”

    “你这是什么意思？”冯·阿尔丁严厉地问道。

    德里克·凯特林大笑一声。

    “看来，你对此还是一无所知啊。”

    他拿起帽子和手杖走到门口。

    “我向来不习惯于劝说别人的。但是有这种情况下，我倒是愿意劝说你们父女之间应该开诚相见。”话音刚落，他就消失在门外，门随后关上。岳父被激怒得跳了起来。

    “卑鄙！”冯·阿尔丁暗问道：他这是指的什么呢？

    那种不愉快的感觉又涌上了心头，而且是那样的强烈。他女婿的这番话里隐藏着什么东西，冯·阿尔丁决定立即弄个水落石出。他拿起电话筒拨了女儿的电话号码。

    “喂喂，是梅费尔81-907号吗？凯特林女士在家吗？……噢，出去吃饭去了？她什么时候回来？……您还不知道？好吧。……不，没有什么可转告的。”他放下话筒，现出烦恼的神色。

    戈比应该两点钟到这里来。冯·阿尔丁在室里踱来踱过。两点过十分钟那位有用的先生来了。

    “怎样？”百万富翁气愤地问道。

    这个侏儒却仍旧平静。他不慌不忙地坐下，掏出一个破旧的笔记本，用一种单调的声音讲述着，百万富翁聚精会神地听着。他的面孔立刻现出开朗的神色。戈比终于念完了他的记录，然后他的目光死死地停在纸篓上。

    “嗯，”冯·阿尔丁嘟哝着，“这是些很有用的材料。事情已经开始了。证明在旅馆约会的材料已经足够了？”

    “当然。”戈比恶狠狠地看着嵌金的靠椅。

    “他已经完全陷入了境。据您刚才说，他到处借钱，而且债务已经超过了他父亲死后可能留下的遗产。一旦这次离婚的事件传出去，毫无疑问，他到哪里也别想借到分文，不仅如此，而且向他讨债的人一定会蜂拥而来。他已经被我们掌握在手心里了，牢牢地被掌握住了。”

    冯·阿尔丁的手掌“啪”的一下落在桌面上，脸孔现出一丝愤怒的冷笑。

    “看来，”戈比用低哑的声音说，“对我的情报您还感到满意。”

    “我要立即到我女儿那里去。”百万富翁说，“我十分感谢您，戈比。您的确是位很有用的人。”

    戈比这个侏儒的面孔现出了一丝满意的笑容。

    “谢谢，冯·阿尔丁先生。有志者事竟成。”

    冯·阿尔丁没有直接到他女儿的住处去。他先到市里进行了两次会谈。然后乘地铁到了他女儿住处附近的那站。当他来到古尔松大街的时候，意外地看到从160 号房子里走出一个男人。他思忖起来，可能是德里克·凯特林，身子和个头都很象他的女婿。但是，当他走到那人身旁时，才发现是个陌生人。可是又并非完全陌生，那人脸面上的神情使他记起了一张令人讨厌的面孔。他绞尽脑汁，回想这个人在哪里见过面。他一面走一面摇头。他的记忆力衰退了吗？

    露丝·凯特林早就在等候冯·阿尔丁了。她跑到父亲面前，吻了他一下。

    “怎么，爸爸，我们的事情进行的怎样？”

    “很好，孩子……得是我需要同你谈谈。”

    冯·阿尔丁本能地感到她有些异样。露丝的面孔现出期望的神情。她坐到那把大摇椅上。

    “谈什么，爸爸？”

    “今天上午我同你丈夫谈过。”

    “你同德里克谈过？”

    “是的。他同我谈了他所能谈的一切，而且象先前一样的无赖。临走的时候他说了几句莫明其妙的话。他说什么父女之间应该开诚相见。他这是什么意思呢？”

    “我怎么知道呢，爸爸？”

    “我相信你是知道的。他还说过一些别的话，似乎是说他并不并心你同你朋友的事。

这是什么意思？”

    “我不知道。”

    冯·阿尔丁坐下，脸面上又浮上了几忿忿的神情。

    “听着，露丝。我当然不想被这家伙引诱到一个不太好的境地。这蠢货一定还有什么坏主意。我当然有办法使他沉默下来，如果需要这样的话。但是我相知道，有没有必要采取这样一种强制措施。他说的那个人，你的朋友，到底是谁？”

    凯特林女士肩膀耸动一下。

    “上帝保佑，我有很多的朋友，有不少熟人。”她的话讲得并不坚决，“我确实不知道他说的是谁？”

    “不，你知道。”

    冯·阿尔丁以同对手做生意的口吻说话。“我想把问题简化一下，这个人是谁？”

    “哪个人？”

    “那个人。不言而喻，就是有这么一个同你特别要好。不要担心，露丝，我知道，这没有什么关系，但是我们必须法庭面前做到处处都没有什么漏洞。这些搞法律的人会把一只蚊子吹成大象。我想知道，这个人到底是谁？你同他的感情到底有多深？”

    露丝没吱声。她的两只手神经质地反复摆弄着。

    “在你老爸爸面前不要害怕，亲爱的！”冯·阿尔丁以缓和的口吻说道。“当时我在巴黎对你太严厉了吗？……真该死，是的！”他突然想起了什么。“现在我知道他是谁了。”他喃喃道。“我立即就认出了他的面孔。”

    “你在说什么呀，爸爸，真不懂得你的意思。”

    百万富翁站在女儿面前，双手抓住她的手背。

    “同我说真话，露丝，你同这个人又在一起了？”

    “什么人呀？”

    “你知道我说的谁！”

    “你是说，”露丝犹豫不绝地说，“你是说罗歇伯爵？”

    “好一个伯爵！我曾经对你说过，这家伙完全是一个流氓骗子。十年前你同他的来往过分密切了。但是感谢上帝，我及时把你从他的魔爪下解救出来。”

    “是的，你成功了。”露丝痛苦地说，“于是我就同德里克·凯特林结了婚。”

    “按着别人的意志。”百万富翁补充了一句。

    露丝耸了一下肩膀。

    “可是现在，”冯·阿尔丁接着说：“你又同他混在一起了，不听我的良言。……他今天到过这个房子。我在外面见到了他。”

    露丝·凯特林已经恢复了自我克制的能力。

    “我想说一说，爸爸。你对阿尔曼特的看法是错误的，我指的是对罗歇伯爵的看法。

当然，我知道他在年轻时是有一些恶作剧。他自己曾对我讲过这些事。但是，他是爱我的。由于你，使我们不得不在巴黎分离，他的心几乎碎了。而现在……”

    一声愤怒的声音中断了她的话语。

    “现在，现在你又一次上当了？你，我的女儿！天啊！女人是一群多么可怕的傻瓜呀！”