The-Thirty-Nine-Steps.pdf
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1、TheProjectGutenbergEBookofTheThirty-nineSteps,byJohnBuchanThiseBookisfortheuseofanyoneanywhereatnocostandwithalmostnorestrictionswhatsoever.Youmaycopyit,giveitawayorre-useitunderthetermsoftheProjectGutenbergLicenseincludedwiththiseBTitle:TheThirty-nineStepsAuthor:JohnBuchanPostingDate:July30,2008EBo
2、ok#558ReleaseDate:June,1996Lastupdated:October25,2013Lastupdated:October30,2018Language:English*STARTOFTHISPROJECTGUTENBERGEBOOKTHETHIRTY-NINESTEPS*ProducedbyJoChurcher.HTMLversionbyAlHaines.CorrectionsbyMennodeLeeuw.The Thirty-Nine StepsbyJohnBuchanContentsChapterITheManWhoDiedChapterIITheMilkmanSe
3、tsOutonhisTravelsChapterIIITheAdventureoftheLiteraryInnkeeperChapterIVTheAdventureoftheRadicalCandidateChapterVTheAdventureoftheSpectacledRoadmanChapterVITheAdventureoftheBaldArchaeologistChapterVII TheDry-FlyFishermanChapterVIII TheComingoftheBlackStoneChapterIXTheThirty-NineStepsChapterXVariousPar
4、tiesConvergingontheSeaTOTHOMASARTHURNELSON(LOTHIANANDBORDERHORSE)MyDearTommy,YouandIhavelongcherishedanaffectionforthatelementaltypeoftalewhichAmericanscallthe“dimenovel”andwhichweknow as the “shocker”theromancewhere the incidentsdefytheprobabilities,andmarchjustinsidethebordersofthepossible.Duringa
5、nillnesslastwinterIexhaustedmystoreofthose aids to cheerfulness, and was driven to write one formyself.Thislittlevolumeistheresult,andIshouldliketoputyournameonitinmemoryofourlongfriendship,inthedayswhenthewildestfictionsaresomuchlessimprobablethanthefacts.J.B.Sept.1915ChapterITheManWhoDiedIreturned
6、fromtheCityaboutthreeoclockonthatMayafternoonprettywelldisgustedwithlife.IhadbeenthreemonthsintheOldCountry,andwasfedupwithit.IfanyonehadtoldmeayearagothatIwouldhavebeenfeelinglikethatIshouldhavelaughedathim;buttherewasthefact.Theweathermademeliverish,thetalkoftheordinaryEnglishmanmademesick.Icouldn
7、tgetenoughexercise,andtheamusementsofLondonseemedasflatassoda-waterthathasbeenstandinginthesun.“RichardHannay,”Ikepttellingmyself,“youhavegotintothewrongditch,myfriend,andyouhadbetterclimbout.”ItmademebitemylipstothinkoftheplansIhadbeenbuildingupthoselastyearsinBuluwayo.Ihadgotmypilenotoneofthebigon
8、es,butgoodenoughforme;andIhadfiguredoutallkindsofwaysofenjoyingmyself.MyfatherhadbroughtmeoutfromScotlandattheageofsix,andIhadneverbeenhomesince;soEnglandwasasortofArabianNightstome,andIcountedonstoppingtherefortherestofmydays.ButfromthefirstIwasdisappointedwithit.InaboutaweekIwastiredofseeingsights
9、,andinlessthanamonthIhadhadenoughofrestaurantsandtheatresandrace-meetings.Ihadnorealpaltogoaboutwith,whichprobablyexplainsthings.Plentyofpeopleinvitedmetotheirhouses,buttheydidntseemmuchinterestedinme.TheywouldflingmeaquestionortwoaboutSouthAfrica,andthengetontotheirownaffairs.AlotofImperialistladie
10、saskedmetoteatomeetschoolmastersfromNewZealandandeditorsfromVancouver,andthatwasthedismalestbusinessofall.HerewasI,thirty-sevenyearsold,soundinwindandlimb,withenoughmoneytohaveagoodtime,yawningmyheadoffallday.Ihadjustaboutsettledtoclearoutandgetbacktotheveld,forIwasthebestboredmanintheUnitedKingdom.
11、ThatafternoonIhadbeenworryingmybrokersaboutinvestmentstogivemymindsomethingtoworkon,andonmywayhomeIturnedintomyclubratherapot-house,whichtookinColonialmembers.Ihadalongdrink,andreadtheeveningpapers.TheywerefulloftherowintheNearEast,andtherewasanarticleaboutKarolides,theGreekPremier.Iratherfanciedthe
12、chap.Fromallaccountsheseemedtheonebigmanintheshow;andheplayedastraightgametoo,whichwasmorethancouldbesaidformostofthem.IgatheredthattheyhatedhimprettyblacklyinBerlinandVienna,butthatweweregoingtostickbyhim, and one paper said that he was the only barrier between Europe andArmageddon.Irememberwonderi
13、ngifIcouldgetajobinthoseparts.ItstruckmethatAlbaniawasthesortofplacethatmightkeepamanfromyawning.AboutsixoclockIwenthome,dressed,dinedattheCafRoyal,andturnedintoamusic-hall.Itwasasillyshow,allcaperingwomenandmonkey-facedmen,andIdidnotstaylong.ThenightwasfineandclearasIwalkedbacktotheflatIhadhirednea
14、rPortlandPlace.Thecrowdsurgedpastmeonthepavements,busyandchattering,andIenviedthepeopleforhavingsomethingtodo.Theseshop-girlsandclerksanddandiesandpolicemenhadsomeinterestinlifethatkeptthemgoing.Igavehalf-a-crowntoabeggarbecauseIsawhimyawn;hewasafellow-sufferer.AtOxfordCircusIlookedupintothespringsk
15、yandImadeavow.IwouldgivetheOldCountryanotherdaytofitmeintosomething;ifnothinghappened,IwouldtakethenextboatfortheCape.MyflatwasthefirstfloorinanewblockbehindLanghamPlace.Therewasacommonstaircase,withaporterandaliftmanattheentrance,buttherewasnorestaurantoranythingofthatsort,andeachflatwasquiteshutof
16、ffromtheothers.Ihateservantsonthepremises,soIhadafellowtolookaftermewhocameinbytheday.Hearrivedbeforeeightoclockeverymorningandusedtodepartatseven,forIneverdinedathome.IwasjustfittingmykeyintothedoorwhenInoticedamanatmyelbow.Ihadnotseenhimapproach,andthesuddenappearancemademestart.Hewasaslimman,with
17、ashortbrownbeardandsmall,gimletyblueeyes.Irecognizedhimastheoccupantofaflatonthetopfloor,withwhomIhadpassedthetimeofdayonthestairs.“Can I speak to you?” he said. “May I come in for a minute?” He wassteadyinghisvoicewithaneffort,andhishandwaspawingmyarm.Igotmydooropenandmotionedhimin.Nosoonerwasheove
18、rthethresholdthanhemadeadashformybackroom,whereIusedtosmokeandwritemyletters.Thenheboltedback.“Isthedoorlocked?”heaskedfeverishly,andhefastenedthechainwithhisownhand.“Imverysorry,”hesaidhumbly.“Itsamightyliberty,butyoulookedthekindofmanwhowouldunderstand.Ivehadyouinmymindallthisweekwhenthingsgottrou
19、blesome.Say,willyoudomeagoodturn?”“Illlistentoyou,”Isaid.“ThatsallIllpromise.”Iwasgettingworriedbytheanticsofthisnervouslittlechap.Therewasatrayofdrinksonatablebesidehim,fromwhichhefilledhimselfastiffwhisky-and-soda.Hedrankitoffinthreegulps,andcrackedtheglassashesetitdown.“Pardon,”hesaid,“Imabitratt
20、ledtonight.Yousee,Ihappenatthismomenttobedead.”Isatdowninanarmchairandlitmypipe.“Whatdoesitfeellike?”Iasked.IwasprettycertainthatIhadtodealwithamadman.Asmileflickeredoverhisdrawnface.“Imnotmadyet.Say,sir,Ivebeenwatchingyou,andIreckonyoureacoolcustomer.Ireckon,too,youreanhonestman,andnotafraidofplayi
21、ngaboldhand.Imgoingtoconfideinyou.Ineedhelpworsethananymaneverneededit,andIwanttoknowifIcancountyouin.”“Getonwithyouryarn,”Isaid,“andIlltellyou.”Heseemedtobracehimselfforagreateffort,andthenstartedonthequeerestrigmarole.Ididntgetholdofitatfirst,andIhadtostopandaskhimquestions.Buthereisthegistofit:He
22、wasanAmerican,fromKentucky,andaftercollege,beingprettywelloff,he had started out to see the world. He wrote a bit, and acted as warcorrespondentforaChicagopaper,andspentayearortwoinSouth-EasternEurope.Igatheredthathewasafinelinguist,andhadgottoknowprettywellthesocietyinthoseparts.Hespokefamiliarlyof
23、manynamesthatIrememberedtohaveseeninthenewspapers.Hehadplayedaboutwithpolitics,hetoldme,atfirstfortheinterestofthem,andthenbecausehecouldnthelphimself.Ireadhimasasharp,restlessfellow,whoalwayswantedtogetdowntotherootsofthings.Hegotalittlefurtherdownthanhewanted.IamgivingyouwhathetoldmeaswellasIcould
24、makeitout.AwaybehindalltheGovernmentsandthearmiestherewas a big subterraneanmovementgoingon,engineeredbyverydangerouspeople.Hehadcomeonitbyaccident;itfascinatedhim;hewentfurther,andthenhegotcaught.Igatheredthatmostofthepeopleinitwerethesortofeducatedanarchiststhatmakerevolutions,butthatbesidethemthe
25、rewerefinancierswhowereplayingformoney.Aclevermancanmakebigprofitsonafallingmarket,anditsuitedthebookofbothclassestosetEuropebytheears.HetoldmesomequeerthingsthatexplainedalotthathadpuzzledmethingsthathappenedintheBalkanWar,howonestatesuddenlycameoutontop,whyalliancesweremadeandbroken,whycertainmend
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