the man who knew too much-第19节

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ppointed　hour；　though　he　sat　within　a　stone's　throw　of　where　they　stood。

〃You　see　it's　his　only　hobby；〃　observed　Harker；　apologetically；　〃and；　after　all；　it's　his　own　house；　and　he's　very　hospitable　in　other　ways。〃

〃I'm　rather　afraid；〃　said　Fisher；　in　a　lower　voice；　〃that　it's　becoming　more　of　a　mania　than　a　hobby。　I　know　how　it　is　when　a　man　of　that　age　begins　to　collect　things；　if　it's　only　collecting　those　rotten　little　river　fish。　You　remember　Talbot's　uncle　with　his　toothpicks；　and　poor　old　Buzzy　and　the　waste　of　cigar　ashes。　Hook　has　done　a　lot　of　big　things　in　his　timethe　great　deal　in　the　Swedish　timber　trade　and　the　Peace　Conference　at　Chicagobut　I　doubt　whether　he　cares　now　for　any　of　those　big　things　as　he　cares　for　those　little　fish。〃

〃Oh；　come；　come；〃　protested　the　Attorney…General。　〃You'll　make　Mr。　March　think　he　has　come　to　call　on　a　lunatic。　Believe　me；　Hook　only　does　it　for　fun；　like　any　other　sport；　only　he's　of　the　kind　that　takes　his　fun　sadly。　But　I　bet　if　there　were　big　news　about　timber　or　shipping；　he　would　drop　his　fun　and　his　fish　all　right。〃

〃Well；　I　wonder；〃　said　Horne　Fisher；　looking　sleepily　at　the　island　in　the　river。

〃By　the　way；　is　there　any　news　of　anything？〃　asked　Harker　of　Harold　March。　〃I　see　you've　got　an　evening　paper；　one　of　those　enterprising　evening　papers　that　come　out　in　the　morning。〃

〃The　beginning　of　Lord　Merivale's　Birmingham　speech；〃　replied　March；　handing　him　the　paper。　〃It's　only　a　paragraph；　but　it　seems　to　me　rather　good。〃

Harker　took　the　paper；　flapped　and　refolded　it；　and　looked　at　the　〃Stop　Press〃　news。　It　was；　as　March　had　said；　only　a　paragraph。　But　it　was　a　paragraph　that　had　a　peculiar　effect　on　Sir　John　Harker。　His　lowering　brows　lifted　with　a　flicker　and　his　eyes　blinked；　and　for　a　moment　his　leathery　jaw　was　loosened。　He　looked　in　some　odd　fashion　like　a　very　old　man。　Then；　hardening　his　voice　and　handing　the　paper　to　Fisher　without　a　tremor；　he　simply　said：

〃Well；　here's　a　chance　for　the　bet。　You've　got　your　big　news　to　disturb　the　old　man's　fishing。〃

Horne　Fisher　was　looking　at　the　paper；　and　over　his　more　languid　and　less　expressive　features　a　change　also　seemed　to　pass。　Even　that　little　paragraph　had　two　or　three　large　headlines；　and　his　eye　encountered；　〃Sensational　Warning　to　Sweden；〃　and；　〃We　Shall　Protest。〃

〃What　the　devil〃　he　said；　and　his　words　softened　first　to　a　whisper　and　then　a　whistle。

〃We　must　tell　old　Hook　at　once；　or　he'll　never　forgive　us；〃　said　Harker。　〃He'll　probably　want　to　see　Number　One　instantly；　though　it　may　be　too　late　now。　I'm　going　across　to　him　at　once。　I　bet　I'll　make　him　forget　his　fish；　anyhow。〃　And；　turning　his　back；　he　made　his　way　hurriedly　along　the　riverside　to　the　causeway　of　flat　stones。

March　was　staring　at　Fisher；　in　amazement　at　the　effect　his　pink　paper　had　produced。

〃What　does　it　all　mean？〃　he　cried。　〃I　always　supposed　we　should　protest　in　defense　of　the　Danish　ports；　for　their　sakes　and　our　own。　What　is　all　this　botheration　about　Sir　Isaac　and　the　rest　of　you？　Do　you　think　it　bad　news？〃

〃Bad　news！〃　repeated　Fisher；　with　a　sort　of　soft　emphasis　beyond　expression。

〃Is　it　as　bad　as　all　that？〃　asked　his　friend；　at　last。

〃As　bad　as　all　that？〃　repeated　Fisher。　〃Why　of　course　it's　as　good　as　it　can　be。　It's　great　news。　It's　glorious　news！　That's　where　the　devil　of　it　comes　in；　to　knock　us　all　silly。　It's　admirable。　It's　inestimable。　It　is　also　quite　incredible。〃

He　gazed　again　at　the　gray　and　green　colors　of　the　island　and　the　river；　and　his　rather　dreary　eye　traveled　slowly　round　to　the　hedges　and　the　lawns。

〃I　felt　this　garden　was　a　sort　of　dream；〃　he　said；　〃and　I　suppose　I　must　be　dreaming。　But　there　is　grass　growing　and　water　moving；　and　something　impossible　has　happened。〃

Even　as　he　spoke　the　dark　figure　with　a　stoop　like　a　vulture　appeared　in　the　gap　of　the　hedge　just　above　him。

〃You　have　won　your　bet；〃　said　Harker；　in　a　harsh　and　almost　croaking　voice。　〃The　old　fool　cares　for　nothing　but　fishing。　He　cursed　me　and　told　me　he　would　talk　no　politics。〃

〃I　thought　it　might　be　so；〃　said　Fisher；　modestly。　〃What　are　you　going　to　do　next？〃

〃I　shall　use　the　old　idiot's　telephone；　anyhow；〃　replied　the　lawyer。　〃I　must　find　out　exactly　what　has　happened。　I've　got　to　speak　for　the　Government　myself　to…morrow。〃　And　he　hurried　away　toward　the　house。

In　the　silence　that　followed；　a　very　bewildeing　silence　so　far　as　March　was　concerned；　they　saw　the　quaint　figure　of　the　Duke　of　Westmoreland；　with　his　white　hat　and　whiskers；　approaching　them　across　the　garden。　Fisher　instantly　stepped　toward　him　with　the　pink　paper　in　his　hand；　and；　with　a　few　words；　pointed　out　the　apocalyptic　paragraph。　The　duke；　who　had　been　walking　slowly；　stood　quite　still；　and　for　some　seconds　he　looked　like　a　tailor's　dummy　standing　and　staring　outside　some　antiquated　shop。　Then　March　heard　his　voice；　and　it　was　high　and　almost　hysterical：

〃But　he　must　see　it；　he　must　be　made　to　understand。　It　cannot　have　been　put　to　him　properly。〃　Then；　with　a　certain　recovery　of　fullness　and　even　pomposity　in　the　voice；　〃I　shall　go　and　tell　him　myself。〃

Among　the　queer　incidents　of　that　afternoon；　March　always　remembered　something　almost　comical　about　the　clear　picture　of　the　old　gentleman　in　his　wonderful　white　hat　carefully　stepping　from　stone　to　stone　across　the　river；　like　a　figure　crossing　the　traffic　in　Piccadilly。　Then　he　disappeared　behind　the　trees　of　the　island；　and　March　and　Fisher　turned　to　meet　the　Attorney…General；　who　was　coming　out　of　the　house　with　a　visage　of　grim　assurance。

〃Everybody　is　saying；〃　he　said；　〃that　the　Prime　Minister　has　made　the　greatest　speech　of　his　life。　Peroration　and　loud　and　prolonged　cheers。　Corrupt　financiers　and　heroic　peasants。　We　will　not　desert　Denmark　again。〃

Fisher　nodded　and　turned　away　toward　the　towing　path；　where　he　saw　the　duke　returning　with　a　rather　dazed　expression。　In　answer　to　question；　he　said；　in　a　husky　and　confidential　voice：

〃I　really　think　our　poor　friend　cannot　be　himself。　He　refused　to　listen；　heahsuggested　that　I　might　frighten　the　fish。〃

A　keen　ear　might　have　detected　a　murmur　from　Mr。　Fisher　on　the　subject　of　a　white　hat；　but　Sir　John　Harker　struck　it　more　decisively：

〃Fisher　was　quite　right。　I　didn't　believe　it　myself；　but　it's　quite　clear　that　the　old　fellow　is　fixed　on　this　fishing　notion　by　now。　If　the　house　caught　fire　behind　him　he　would　hardly　move　till　sunset。〃

Fisher　had　continued　his　stroll　toward　the　higher　embanked　ground　of　the　towing　path；　and　he　now　swept　a　long　and　searching　gaze；　not　toward　the　island；　but　toward　the　distant　wooded　heights　that　were　the　walls　of　the　valley。　An　evening　sky　as　clear　as　that　of　the　previous　day　was　settling　down　all　over　the　dim　landscape；　but　toward　the　west　it　was　now　red　rather　than　gold；　there　was　scarcely　any　sound　but　the　monotonous　music　of　the　river。　Then　came　the　sound　of　a　half…stifled　exclamation　from　Horne　Fisher；　and　Harold　March　looked　up　at　him　in　wonder。

〃You　spoke　of　bad　news；〃　said　Fisher。　〃Well；　there　is　really　bad　news　now。　I　am　afraid　this　is　a　bad　business。〃

〃What　bad　news　do　you　mean？〃　asked　his　friend；　conscious　of　something　strange　and　sinister　in　his　voice。

〃The　sun　has　set；〃　answered　Fisher。

He　went　on　with　the　air　of　one　conscious　of　having　said　something　fatal。　〃We　must　get　somebody　to　go　across　whom　he　will　really　listen　to。　He　may　be　mad；　but　there's　method　in　his　madness。　There　nearly　always　is　method　in　madness。　It's　what　drives　men　mad；　being　methodical。　And　he　never　goes　on　sitting　there　after　sunset；　with　the　whole　place　getting　dark。　Where's　his　nephew？　I　believe　he's　really　fond　of　his　nephew。〃

〃Look！〃　cried　March；　abruptly。　〃Why；　he's　been　across　already。　There　he　is　coming　back。〃

And；　looking　up　the　river　once　more；　they　saw；　dark　against　the　sunset　reflections；　the　figure　of　James　Bullen　stepping　hastily　and　rather　clumsily　from　stone　to　stone。　Once　he　slipped　on　a　stone　with　a　slight　splash。　When　he　rejoined　the　group　on　the　bank　his　olive　face　was　unnaturally　pale。

The　other　four　men　had　already　gathered　on　the　same　spot　and　almost　simultaneously　were　calling　out　to　him；　〃What　does　he　say　now？〃

〃Nothing。　He　saysnothing。〃

Fisher　looked　at　the　young　man　steadily　for　a　moment；　then　he　started　from　his　immobility。　and；　making　a　motion　to　March　to　follow　him；　himself　strode　down　to　the　river　crossing。　In　a　few　moments　they　were　on　the　little　beaten　track　that　ran　round　the　wooded　island；　to　the　other　side　of　it　where　the　fisherman　sat。　Then　they　stood　and　looked　at　him；　without　a　word。

Sir　Isaac　Hook　was　still　sitting　propped　up　against　the　stump　of　the　tree；　and　that　for　the　best　of　reasons。　A　length　of　his　own　infallible　fishing　line　was　twisted　and　tightened　twice　round　his　throat　and　then　twice　round　the　wooden　prop　behind　him。　The　leading　investigator　ran　forward　and　touched　the　fisherman's　hand；　and　it　was　as　cold　as　a　fish。

〃The　sun　has　set；〃　said　Horne　Fisher；　in　the　same　terrible　tones；　〃and　he　will　never　see　it　rise　again。〃

Ten　minutes　afterward　the　five　men；　shaken　by　such　a　shock；　were　again　together　in　the　garden；　looking　at　one　another　with　white　but　watchful　faces。　The　lawyer　seemed　the　most　alert