the wisdom of father brown-第16节

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！



　　　　　Those　in　court　had　been　wrought　up　to　an　irrational；　but　real　sense　of　some　monstrosity。　　They　had　forgotten　the　figure　in　the　dock　and　thought　only　of　the　figure　in　the　passage。　　And　the　figure　in　the　passage；　described　by　three　capable　and　respectable　men　who　had　all　seen　it；　was　a　shifting　nightmare：　one　called　it　a　woman；　and　the　other　a　beast；　and　the　other　a　devil。。。。

　　　　　The　judge　was　looking　at　Father　Brown　with　level　and　piercing　eyes。　　〃You　are　a　most　extraordinary　witness；〃　he　said；　〃but　there　is　something　about　you　that　makes　me　think　you　are　trying　to　tell　the　truth。　　Well；　who　was　the　man　you　saw　in　the　passage？〃

　　　　　〃He　was　myself；〃　said　Father　Brown。

　　　　　Butler；　K。C。；　sprang　to　his　feet　in　an　extraordinary　stillness；　and　said　quite　calmly：　　〃Your　lordship　will　allow　me　to　cross…examine？〃　And　then；　without　stopping；　he　shot　at　Brown　the　apparently　disconnected　question：　　〃You　have　heard　about　this　dagger；　you　know　the　experts　say　the　crime　was　committed　with　a　short　blade？〃

　　　　　〃A　short　blade；〃　assented　Brown；　nodding　solemnly　like　an　owl；　〃but　a　very　long　hilt。〃

　　　　　Before　the　audience　could　quite　dismiss　the　idea　that　the　priest　had　really　seen　himself　doing　murder　with　a　short　dagger　with　a　long　hilt　（which　seemed　somehow　to　make　it　more　horrible）；　he　had　himself　hurried　on　to　explain。

　　　　　〃I　mean　daggers　aren't　the　only　things　with　short　blades。　　Spears　have　short　blades。　　And　spears　catch　at　the　end　of　the　steel　just　like　daggers；　if　they're　that　sort　of　fancy　spear　they　had　in　theatres；　like　the　spear　poor　old　Parkinson　killed　his　wife　with；　just　when　she'd　sent　for　me　to　settle　their　family　troubles　and　I　came　just　too　late；　God　forgive　me！　　But　he　died　penitent　he　just　died　of　being　penitent。　　He　couldn't　bear　what　he'd　done。〃

　　　　　The　general　impression　in　court　was　that　the　little　priest；　who　was　gobbling　away；　had　literally　gone　mad　in　the　box。　　But　the　judge　still　looked　at　him　with　bright　and　steady　eyes　of　interest；　and　the　counsel　for　the　defence　went　on　with　his　questions　unperturbed。

　　　　　〃If　Parkinson　did　it　with　that　pantomime　spear；〃　said　Butler；　〃he　must　have　thrust　from　four　yards　away。　　How　do　you　account　for　signs　of　struggle；　like　the　dress　dragged　off　the　shoulder？〃　He　had　slipped　into　treating　his　mere　witness　as　an　expert；　but　no　one　noticed　it　now。

　　　　　〃The　poor　lady's　dress　was　torn；〃　said　the　witness；　〃because　it　was　caught　in　a　panel　that　slid　to　just　behind　her。　　She　struggled　to　free　herself；　and　as　she　did　so　Parkinson　came　out　of　the　prisoner's　room　and　lunged　with　the　spear。〃

　　　　　〃A　panel？〃　repeated　the　barrister　in　a　curious　voice。

　　　　　〃It　was　a　looking…glass　on　the　other　side；〃　explained　Father　Brown。　　〃When　I　was　in　the　dressing…room　I　noticed　that　some　of　them　could　probably　be　slid　out　into　the　passage。〃

　　　　　There　was　another　vast　and　unnatural　silence；　and　this　time　it　was　the　judge　who　spoke。　　〃So　you　really　mean　that　when　you　looked　down　that　passage；　the　man　you　saw　was　yourselfin　a　mirror？〃

　　　　　〃Yes；　my　lord；　that　was　what　I　was　trying　to　say；〃　said　Brown；　〃but　they　asked　me　for　the　shape；　and　our　hats　have　corners　just　like　horns；　and　so　I〃

　　　　　The　judge　leaned　forward；　his　old　eyes　yet　more　brilliant；　and　said　in　specially　distinct　tones：　　〃Do　you　really　mean　to　say　that　when　Sir　Wilson　Seymour　saw　that　wild　what…you…call…him　with　curves　and　a　woman's　hair　and　a　man's　trousers；　what　he　saw　was　Sir　Wilson　Seymour？〃

　　　　　〃Yes；　my　lord；〃　said　Father　Brown。

　　　　　〃And　you　mean　to　say　that　when　Captain　Cutler　saw　that　chimpanzee　with　humped　shoulders　and　hog's　bristles；　he　simply　saw　himself？〃

　　　　　〃Yes；　my　lord。〃

　　　　　The　judge　leaned　back　in　his　chair　with　a　luxuriance　in　which　it　was　hard　to　separate　the　cynicism　and　the　admiration。　　〃And　can　you　tell　us　why；〃　he　asked；　〃you　should　know　your　own　figure　in　a　looking…glass；　when　two　such　distinguished　men　don't？〃

　　　　　Father　Brown　blinked　even　more　painfully　than　before；　then　he　stammered：　　〃Really；　my　lord；　I　don't　know　unless　it's　because　I　don't　look　at　it　so　often。〃




　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　FIVE


　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　The　Mistake　of　the　Machine


FLAMBEAU　and　his　friend　the　priest　were　sitting　in　the　Temple　Gardens　about　sunset；　and　their　neighbourhood　or　some　such　accidental　influence　had　turned　their　talk　to　matters　of　legal　process。　　From　the　problem　of　the　licence　in　cross…examination；　their　talk　strayed　to　Roman　and　mediaeval　torture；　to　the　examining　magistrate　in　France　and　the　Third　Degree　in　America。

　　　　　〃I've　been　reading；〃　said　Flambeau；　〃of　this　new　psychometric　method　they　talk　about　so　much；　especially　in　America。　　You　know　what　I　mean；　they　put　a　pulsometer　on　a　man's　wrist　and　judge　by　how　his　heart　goes　at　the　pronunciation　of　certain　words。　　What　do　you　think　of　it？〃

　　　　　〃I　think　it　very　interesting；〃　replied　Father　Brown；　〃it　reminds　me　of　that　interesting　idea　in　the　Dark　Ages　that　blood　would　flow　from　a　corpse　if　the　murderer　touched　it。〃

　　　　　〃Do　you　really　mean；〃　demanded　his　friend；　〃that　you　think　the　two　methods　equally　valuable？〃

　　　　　〃I　think　them　equally　valueless；〃　replied　Brown。　　〃Blood　flows；　fast　or　slow；　in　dead　folk　or　living；　for　so　many　more　million　reasons　than　we　can　ever　know。　　Blood　will　have　to　flow　very　funnily；　blood　will　have　to　flow　up　the　Matterhorn；　before　I　will　take　it　as　a　sign　that　I　am　to　shed　it。〃

　　　　　〃The　method；〃　remarked　the　other；　〃has　been　guaranteed　by　some　of　the　greatest　American　men　of　science。〃

　　　　　〃What　sentimentalists　men　of　science　are！〃　exclaimed　Father　Brown；　〃and　how　much　more　sentimental　must　American　men　of　science　be！　　Who　but　a　Yankee　would　think　of　proving　anything　from　heart…throbs？　　Why；　they　must　be　as　sentimental　as　a　man　who　thinks　a　woman　is　in　love　with　him　if　she　blushes。　　That's　a　test　from　the　circulation　of　the　blood；　discovered　by　the　immortal　Harvey；　and　a　jolly　rotten　test；　too。〃

　　　　　〃But　surely；〃　insisted　Flambeau；　〃it　might　point　pretty　straight　at　something　or　other。〃

　　　　　〃There's　a　disadvantage　in　a　stick　pointing　straight；〃　answered　the　other。　　〃What　is　it？　　Why；　the　other　end　of　the　stick　always　points　the　opposite　way。　　It　depends　whether　you　get　hold　of　the　stick　by　the　right　end。　　I　saw　the　thing　done　once　and　I've　never　believed　in　it　since。〃　And　he　proceeded　to　tell　the　story　of　his　disillusionment。

　　　　　It　happened　nearly　twenty　years　before；　when　he　was　chaplain　to　his　co…religionists　in　a　prison　in　Chicagowhere　the　Irish　population　displayed　a　capacity　both　for　crime　and　penitence　which　kept　him　tolerably　busy。　　The　official　second…in…command　under　the　Governor　was　an　ex…detective　named　Greywood　Usher；　a　cadaverous；　careful…spoken　Yankee　philosopher；　occasionally　varying　a　very　rigid　visage　with　an　odd　apologetic　grimace。　　He　liked　Father　Brown　in　a　slightly　patronizing　way；　and　Father　Brown　liked　him；　though　he　heartily　disliked　his　theories。　　His　theories　were　extremely　complicated　and　were　held　with　extreme　simplicity。

　　　　　One　evening　he　had　sent　for　the　priest；　who；　according　to　his　custom；　took　a　seat　in　silence　at　a　table　piled　and　littered　with　papers；　and　waited。　　The　official　selected　from　the　papers　a　scrap　of　newspaper　cutting；　which　he　handed　across　to　the　cleric；　who　read　it　gravely。　　It　appeared　to　be　an　extract　from　one　of　the　pinkest　of　American　Society　papers；　and　ran　as　follows：

　　　　　〃Society's　brightest　widower　is　once　more　on　the　Freak　Dinner　stunt。　　All　our　exclusive　citizens　will　recall　the　Perambulator　Parade　Dinner；　in　which　Last…Trick　Todd；　at　his　palatial　home　at　Pilgrim's　Pond；　caused　so　many　of　our　prominent　debutantes　to　look　even　younger　than　their　years。　　Equally　elegant　and　more　miscellaneous　and　large…hearted　in　social　outlook　was　Last…Trick's　show　the　year　previous；　the　popular　Cannibal　Crush　Lunch；　at　which　the　confections　handed　round　were　sarcastically　moulded　in　the　forms　of　human　arms　and　legs；　and　during　which　more　than　one　of　our　gayest　mental　gymnasts　was　heard　offering　to　eat　his　partner。　　The　witticism　which　will　inspire　this　evening　is　as　yet　in　Mr　Todd's　pretty　reticent　intellect；　or　locked　in　the　jewelled　bosoms　of　our　city's　gayest　leaders；　but　there　is　talk　of　a　pretty　parody　of　the　simple　manners　and　customs　at　the　other　end　of　Society's　scale。　　This　would　be　all　the　more　telling；　as　hospitable　Todd　is　entertaining　in　Lord　Falconroy；　the　famous　traveller；　a　true…blooded　aristocrat　fresh　from　England's　oak…groves。　　Lord　Falconroy's　travels　began　before　his　ancient　feudal　title　was　resurrected；　he　was　in　the　Republic　in　his　youth；　and　fashion　murmurs　a　sly　reason　for　his　return。　　Miss　Etta　Todd　is　one　of　our　deep…souled　New　Yorkers；　and　comes　into　an　income　of　nearly　twelve　hundred　million　dollars。〃

　　　　　〃Well；〃　asked　Usher；　〃does　that　interest　you？〃

　　　　　〃Why；　words　rather　fail　me；〃　answered　Father　Brown。　　〃I　cannot　think　at　this　moment　of　anything　in　this　world　that　would　interest　me　less。　　And；　unless　the　just　anger　of　the　Republic　is　at　last　going　to　electrocute　journalists　for　writing　like　that；　I　don't　quite　see　why　it　should　interest　you　either。〃

　　　　　〃Ah！〃　said　Mr　Usher　dryly；　and　handing　across　another　scrap　of　newspaper。