搜索
TheZeppelin'sPassenger1TheZeppelin'sPassengerE.PhillipsOppenheimTheZeppelin'sPassenger2CHAPTERINeverheardasound,theyoungeroftheafternooncallersadmitted,gettingridofhisemptycupandleaningforwardinhislowchair.Nomoretea,thankyou,MissFairclough.Donesplendidly,thanks.No,Iwenttobedlastnightsoonaftereleven-theColonelhadbeenroutemarchingusalloffourlegs-andIneverawokeuntilreveillethismorning.Sleepofthejust,andallthatsortofthing,butajollysell,allthesame!Youhearanythingofit,sir?heasked,turningtohiscompanion,whowasseatedafewfeetaway.CaptainGriffithsshookhishead.Hewasamanconsiderablyolderthanhisquestioner,withlong,nervousface,andthickblackhairstreakedwithgrey.Hisfingerswerebony,hiscomplexion,forasoldier,curiouslysallow,andnotwithstandinghisheight,whichwasconsiderable,hewasawkward,attimesalmostuncouth.Hisvoicewashardandunsympathetic,andhiscontributionstothetea-tabletalkhadbeenalmostnegligible.Iwasupuntiltwoo'clock,asithappened,hereplied,butIknewnothingaboutthematteruntilitwasbroughttomynoticeofficially.HelenFairclough,whowasdoingthehonoursforLadyCranston,herabsenthostess,assumedtheslightairofsuperioritytowhichthecircumstancesofthecaseentitledher.Ihearditdistinctly,shedeclared;infactitwokemeup.Ihungoutofthewindow,andIcouldheartheenginejustasplainlyasthoughitwereoverthegolflinks.Theyoungsubalternsighed.RottenluckIhavewiththesethings,heconfided.That'sthreetimesthey'vebeenover,andI'veneitherheardnorseenone.Thistimetheysaythatithadthenarrowestshaveonearthofcomingdown.Ofcourse,you'veheardoftheobservationcarfoundonDutchman'sCommonthismorning?Thegirlassented.Didyouseeit?sheenquired.Notachance,wasthegloomyreply.ItwasputontwocoveredtrucksandsentuptoLondonbythefirsttrain.CaptainGriffithscantellTheZeppelin'sPassenger3youwhatitwaslike,Idaresay.Youweredownthere,weren'tyou,sir?Isuperintendeditsremoval,thelatterinformedthem.Itwasaveryuninterestingaffair.Anybombsinit?Helenasked.Notasignofone.Justahardseat,twosetsoffield-glassesandatelephone.Itseemstohavegotcaughtinsometreesandbeendraggedoff.Howexciting!thegirlmurmured.Isupposetherewasn'tanyoneinit?Griffithsshookhishead.Ibelieve,heexplained,thattheseobservationcars,althoughtheyareattachedtomostoftheZeppelins,areseldomusedinnightraids.Ishouldliketohaveseenit,allthesame,Helenconfessed.Youwouldhavebeendisappointed,herinformantassuredher.By-the-by,headded,alittleawkwardly,areyounotexpectingLadyCranstonbackthisevening?Iamexpectinghereverymoment.Thecarhasgonedowntothestationtomeether.CaptainGriffithsappearedtoreceivethenewswithacertainundemonstrativesatisfaction.Heleanedbackinhischairwiththeairofonewhoiscontenttowait.Haveyouheard,MissFairclough,hisyoungercompanionenquired,alittlediffidently,whetherLadyCranstonhadanyluckintown?HelenFaircloughlookedaway.Therewasaslightmistbeforehereyes.Ihadaletterthismorning,shereplied.Sheseemstohaveheardnothingatallencouragingsofar.Andyouhaven'theardfromMajorFelsteadhimself,Isuppose?Thegirlshookherhead.Notaline,shesighed.It'stwomonthsnowsincewelasthadaletter.Jollybadlucktogetnippedjustashewasdoingsowell,theyoungmanobservedsympathetically.Itallseemsverycruel,Helenagreed.Hewasn'treallyfittogoback,TheZeppelin'sPassenger4buttheBoardpassedhimbecausetheyweresoshortofofficersandhekeptworryingthem.Hewassoafraidhe'dgetmovedtoanotherbattalion.ThenhewastakenprisonerinthathorriblePervaisaffair,andsenttotheworstcampinGermany.Sincethen,ofcourse,PhilippaandIhavehadawretchedtime,worrying.MajorFelsteadisLadyCranston'sonlybrother,ishenot?Griffithsenquired.Andmyonlyfianc=82,shereplied,withalittlegrimace.However,don'tletustalkaboutourtroublesanymore,shecontinued,withaneffortatalightertone.You'llfindsomecigarettesonthattable,Mr.Harrison.Ican'tthinkwhereNorais.Iexpectshehaspersuadedsomeonetotakeherouttrophy-huntingtoDutchrnan'sCommon.Theroadallthewayislikeacircus,theyoungsoldierobserved,andthereisn'tathingtobeseenwhenyougetthere.Thenavalairmenwereallovertheplaceatdaybreak,andCaptainGriffithswasn'tfarbehindthem.Youdidn'tleavemuchforthesightseers,sir,heconcluded,turningtohisneighbour.AsCommandantoftheplace,CaptainGriffithsreplied,InaturallyhadtohavetheCommonsearched.Withtheexceptionoftheobservationcar,however,IthinkthatIambetrayingnoconfidencesintellingyouthatwediscoverednothingofinterest.DoyousupposethattheZeppelinwasindifficulties,asshewasflyingsolow?Helenenquired.Itisaperfectlyreasonablehypothesis,theCommandantassented.Twopatrolboatsweresentoutearlythismorning,insearchofher.AnoldmanwhomIsawatWaburnedeclaresthatshepassedlikealong,blackcloud,justoverhishead,andthathewasalmostdeafenedbythenoiseoftheengines.Personally,Icannotbelievethattheywouldcomedownsolowunlessshewasinsometrouble.Thedoorofthecomfortablelibraryinwhichtheywereseatedwassuddenlythrownopen.Anexceedinglyalert-lookingyounglady,verymuchbefreckled,andasyetunemancipatedfromthelongplaitsoftheschoolroom,cameinlikeawhirlwind.Inherhandshecarriedaman'sHomburghat,whichshewavedaloftintriumph.TheZeppelin'sPassenger5Comein,Arthur,sheshoutedtoayoungsubalternwhowashoveringinthebackground.LookwhatI'vegot,Helen!Atrophy!Justlook,Mr.Harrisona