下载辰思小说免费APP
AslongastheCurrencyLassescouldalldisappearunderfreshnames，itdidnotgreatlymatterifthebrigwerebought，oranysmalldiscrepanciesshouldbediscoveredinthewrecking。Theidentificationofoneoftheirnumberhadchangedallthat。ThesmallestscandalmustnowdirectattentiontothemovementsofNorris。ItwouldbeaskedhowhewhohadsailedinaschoonerfromSydney，hadturnedupsoshortlyafterinabrigoutofHongKong；andfromonequestiontoanotherallhisoriginalshipmateswereprettysuretobeinvolved。Hencearosenaturallytheideaofpreventingdanger，profitingbyCarthew’snew-foundwealth，andbuyingthebrigunderanalias；anditwasputinhandwithequalenergyandcaution。Carthewtooklodgingsaloneunderafalsename，pickedupBellairsatrandom，andcommissionedhimtobuythewreck。
“Whatfigure，ifyouplease？”thelawyerasked。
“Iwantitbought。”repliedCarthew。“Idon’tmindabouttheprice。”
“Anypriceisnoprice。”saidBellairs。“Putanameuponit。”
“Callittenthousandpoundsthen，ifyoulike！”saidCarthew。
Inthemeanwhile，thecaptainhadtowalkthestreets，appearintheconsulate，becross-examinedbyLloyd’sagent，bebadgeredabouthislostaccounts，signpaperswithhislefthand，andrepeathisliestoeveryskipperinSanFrancisco：notknowingatwhatmomenthemightrunintothearmsofsomeoldfriendwhoshouldhailhimbythenameofWicks，orsomenewenemywhoshouldbeinapositiontodenyhimthatofTrent。
Andthelatterincidentdidactuallybefallhim，butwastransformedbyhisstoutcountenanceintoanelementofstrength。Itwasintheconsulate(ofalluntowardplaces)thathesuddenlyheardabigvoiceinquiringforCaptainTrent。Heturnedwiththecustomarysinkingathisheart。
“YOUain’tCaptainTrent！”saidthestranger，fallingback。
“Why，what’sallthis？Theytellmeyou’repassingoffasCaptainTrent——CaptainJacobTrent——amanIknewsinceIwasthathigh。”
“O，you’rethinkingofmyuncleashadthebankinCardiff。”
repliedWicks，withdesperateaplomb。
“IdeclareIneverknewhehadanevvy！”saidthestranger。
“Well，youseehehas！”saysWicks。
“Andhowistheoldman？”askedtheother。
“Fitasafiddle。”answeredWicks，andwasopportunelysummonedbytheclerk。
Thisalertwastheonlyoneuntilthemorningofthesale，whenhewasoncemorealarmedbyhisinterviewwithJim；anditwaswithsomeanxietythatheattendedthesale，knowingonlythatCarthewwastoberepresented，butneitherwhowastorepresenthimnorwhatweretheinstructionsgiven。IsupposeCaptainWicksisagoodlife。Inspiteofhispersonalappearanceandhisownknownuneasiness，Isupposeheissecurefromapoplexy，oritmusthavestruckhimthereandthen，ashelookedonatthestagesofthatinsanesaleandsawtheoldbrigandhernotveryvaluablecargoknockeddownatlasttoatotalstrangerfortenthousandpounds。
IthadbeenagreedthathewastoavoidCarthew，andaboveallCarthew’slodging，sothatnoconnexionmightbetracedbetweenthecrewandthepseudonymouspurchaser。Butthehourforcautionwasgoneby，andhecaughtatramandmadeallspeedtoMissionStreet。
Carthewmethiminthedoor。
“Comeaway，comeawayfromhere。”saidCarthew；andwhentheywereclearofthehouse，“All’sup！”headded。
“O，you’veheardofthesale，then？”saidWicks。
“Thesale！”criedCarthew。“IdeclareIhadforgottenit。”Andhetoldofthevoiceinthetelephone，andthemaddeningquestion：“WhydidyouwanttobuytheFlyingScud？”
Thiscircumstance，comingonthebackofthemonstrousimprobabilitiesofthesale，wasenoughtohaveshakenthereasonofImmanuelKant。Theearthseemedbandedtogethertodefeatthem；thestonesandtheboysonthestreetappearedtobeinpossessionoftheirguiltysecret。Flightwastheironethought。ThetreasureoftheCurrencyLasstheypackedinwaist-belts，expressedtheircheststoanimaginaryaddressinBritishColumbia，andleftSanFranciscothesameafternoon，bookedforLosAngeles。
ThenextdaytheypursuedtheirretreatbytheSouthernPacificroute，whichCarthewfollowedonhiswaytoEngland；buttheotherthreebranchedoffforMexico。
EPILOGUE：
TOWILLH。LOW。
DEARLOW：Theotherday(atManihikiofallplaces)IhadthepleasuretomeetDodd。Wesatsometwohoursintheneat，little，toy-likechurch，setwithpewsafterthemannerofEurope，andinlaidwithmother-of-pearlinthestyle(Isuppose)oftheNewJerusalem。Thenatives，whoaredecidedlythemostattractiveinhabitantsofthisplanet，crowdedroundusinthepew，andfawneduponandpattedus；andhereitwasIputmyquestions，andDoddansweredme。
IfirstcarriedhimbacktothenightinBarbizonwhenCarthewtoldhisstory，andaskedhimwhatwasdoneaboutBellairs。Itseemedhehadputthemattertohisfriendatonce，andthatCarth
后续内容为VIP可读请开通VIP，或购买此章节
