the man who knew too much-第25节

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ken　a　new　and　terrible　turn；　when　they　saw　the　prince　stand　in　the　gap　of　the　gaunt　trees；　in　his　robes　of　angry　crimson　and　with　his　lowering　face　of　bronze；　bearing　in　his　hand　a　new　shape　of　death。　They　could　not　have　named　a　reason；　but　the　two　swords　seemed　indeed　to　have　become　toy　swords　and　the　whole　tale　of　them　broken　and　tossed　away　like　a　toy。　Borodino　looked　like　the　Old　World　headsman；　clad　in　terrible　red；　and　carrying　the　ax　for　the　execution　of　the　criminal。　And　the　criminal　was　not　Crane。

Mr。　Brain　of　the　Indian　police　was　glaring　　at　the　new　object；　and　it　was　a　moment　or　two　before　he　spoke；　harshly　and　almost　hoarsely。

〃What　are　you　doing　with　that？〃　he　asked。　〃Seems　to　be　a　woodman's　chopper。〃

〃A　natural　association　of　ideas；〃　observed　Horne　Fisher。　〃If　you　meet　a　cat　in　a　wood　you　think　it's　a　wildcat；　though　it　may　have　just　strolled　from　the　drawing…room　sofa。　As　a　matter　of　fact；　I　happen　to　know　that　is　not　the　woodman's　chopper。　It's　the　kitchen　chopper；　or　meat　ax；　or　something　like　that；　that　somebody　has　thrown　away　in　the　wood。　I　saw　it　in　the　kitchen　myself　when　I　was　getting　the　potato　sacks　with　which　I　reconstructed　a　mediaeval　hermit。〃

〃All　the　same；　it　is　not　without　interest；〃　remarked　the　prince；　holding　out　the　instrument　to　Fisher；　who　took　it　and　examined　it　carefully。　〃A　butcher's　cleaver　that　has　done　butcher's　work。〃

〃It　was　certainly　the　instrument　of　the　crime；〃　assented　Fisher；　in　a　low　voice。

Brain　was　staring　at　the　dull　blue　gleam　of　the　ax　head　with　fierce　and　fascinated　eyes。　〃I　don't　understand　you；〃　he　said。　〃There　is　nothere　are　no　marks　on　it。〃

〃It　has　shed　no　blood；〃　answered　Fisher；　〃but　for　all　that　it　has　committed　a　crime。　This　is　as　near　as　the　criminal　came　to　the　crime　when　he　committed　it。〃

〃What　do　you　mean？〃

〃He　was　not　there　when　he　did　it；〃　explained　Fisher。　〃It's　a　poor　sort　of　murderer　who　can't　murder　people　when　he　isn't　there。〃

〃You　seem　to　be　talking　merely　for　the　sake　of　mystification；〃　said　Brain。　〃If　you　have　any　practical　advice　to　give　you　might　as　well　make　it　intelligible。〃

〃The　only　practical　advice　I　can　suggest；〃　said　Fisher；　thoughtfully；　〃is　a　little　research　into　local　topography　and　nomenclature。　They　say　there　used　to　be　a　Mr。　Prior；　who　had　a　farm　in　this　neighborhood。　I　think　some　details　about　the　domestic　life　of　the　late　Mr。　Prior　would　throw　a　light　on　this　terrible　business。〃

〃And　you　have　nothing　more　immediate　than　your　topography　to　offer；〃　said　Brain；　with　a　sneer；　〃to　help　me　avenge　my　friend？〃

〃Well；〃　said　Fisher；　〃I　should　find　out　the　truth　about　the　Hole　in　the　Wall。〃


That　night；　at　the　close　of　a　stormy　twilight　and　under　a　strong　west　wind　that　followed　the　breaking　of　the　frost；　Leonard　Crane　was　wending　his　way　in　a　wild　rotatory　walk　round　and　round　the　high；　continuous　wall　that　inclosed　the　little　wood。　He　was　driven　by　a　desperate　idea　of　solving　for　himself　the　riddle　that　had　clouded　his　reputation　and　already　even　threatened　his　liberty。　The　police　authorities；　now　in　charge　of　the　inquiry；　had　not　arrested　him；　but　he　knew　well　enough　that　if　he　tried　to　move　far　afield　he　would　be　instantly　arrested。　Horne　Fisher's　fragmentary　hints；　though　he　had　refused　to　expand　them　as　yet；　had　stirred　the　artistic　temperament　of　the　architect　to　a　sort　of　wild　analysis；　and　he　was　resolved　to　read　the　hieroglyph　upside　down　and　every　way　until　it　made　sense。　If　it　was　something　connected　with　a　hole　in　the　wall　he　would　find　the　hole　in　the　wall；　but；　as　a　matter　of　fact；　he　was　unable　to　find　the　faintest　crack　in　the　wall。　His　professional　knowledge　told　him　that　the　masonry　was　all　of　one　workmanship　and　one　date；　and；　except　for　the　regular　entrance；　which　threw　no　light　on　the　mystery；　he　found　nothing　suggesting　any　sort　of　hiding　place　or　means　of　escape。　Walking　a　narrow　path　between　the　winding　wall　and　the　wild　eastward　bend　and　sweep　of　the　gray　and　feathery　trees；　seeing　shifting　gleams　of　a　lost　sunset　winking　almost　like　lightning　as　the　clouds　of　tempest　scudded　across　the　sky　and　mingling　with　the　first　faint　blue　light　from　a　slowly　strengthened　moon　behind　him；　he　began　to　feel　his　head　going　round　as　his　heels　were　going　round　and　round　the　blind　recurrent　barrier。　He　had　thoughts　on　the　border　of　thought；　fancies　about　a　fourth　dimension　which　was　itself　a　hole　to　hide　anything；　of　seeing　everything　from　a　new　angle　out　of　a　new　window　in　the　senses；　or　of　some　mystical　light　and　transparency；　like　the　new　rays　of　chemistry；　in　which　he　could　see　Bulmer's　body；　horrible　and　glaring；　floating　in　a　lurid　halo　over　the　woods　and　the　wall。　He　was　haunted　also　with　the　hint；　which　somehow　seemed　to　be　equally　horrifying；　that　it　all　had　something　to　do　with　Mr。　Prior。　There　seemed　even　to　be　something　creepy　in　the　fact　that　he　was　always　respectfully　referred　to　as　Mr。　Prior；　and　that　it　was　in　the　domestic　life　of　the　dead　farmer　that　he　had　been　bidden　to　seek　the　seed　of　these　dreadful　things。　As　a　matter　of　fact；　he　had　found　that　no　local　inquiries　had　revealed　anything　at　all　about　the　Prior　family。

The　moonlight　had　broadened　and　brightened；　the　wind　had　driven　off　the　clouds　and　itself　died　fitfully　away；　when　he　came　round　again　to　the　artificial　lake　in　front　of　the　house。　For　some　reason　it　looked　a　very　artificial　lake；　indeed；　the　whole　scene　was　like　a　classical　landscape　with　a　touch　of　Watteau；　the　Palladian　facade　of　the　house　pale　in　the　moon；　and　the　same　silver　touching　the　very　pagan　and　naked　marble　nymph　in　the　middle　of　the　pond。　Rather　to　his　surprise；　he　found　another　figure　there　beside　the　statue；　sitting　almost　equally　motionless；　and　the　same　silver　pencil　traced　the　wrinkled　brow　and　patient　face　of　Horne　Fisher；　still　dressed　as　a　hermit　and　apparently　practicing　something　of　　the　solitude　of　a　hermit。　Nevertheless；　he　looked　up　at　Leonard　Crane　and　smiled；　almost　as　if　he　had　expected　him。

〃Look　here；〃　said　Crane；　planting　himself　in　front　of　him；　〃can　you　tell　me　anything　about　this　business？〃

〃I　shall　soon　have　to　tell　everybody　everything　about　it；〃　replied　Fisher；　〃but　I've　no　objection　to　telling　you　something　first。　But；　to　begin　with；　will　you　tell　me　something？　What　really　happened　when　you　met　Bulmer　this　morning？　You　did　throw　away　your　sword；　but　you　didn't　kill　him。〃

〃I　didn't　kill　him　because　I　threw　away　my　sword；〃　said　the　other。　〃I　did　it　on　purposeor　I'm　not　sure　what　might　have　happened。〃

After　a　pause　he　went　on；　quietly：　〃The　late　Lord　Bulmer　was　a　very　breezy　gentleman；　extremely　breezy。　He　was　very　genial　with　his　inferiors；　and　would　have　his　lawyer　and　his　architect　staying　in　his　house　for　all　sorts　of　holidays　and　amusements。　But　there　was　another　side　to　him；　which　they　found　out　when　they　tried　to　be　his　equals。　When　I　told　him　that　his　sister　and　I　were　engaged；　something　happened　which　I　simply　can't　and　won't　describe。　It　seemed　to　me　like　some　monstrous　upheaval　of　madness。　But　I　suppose　the　truth　is　painfully　simple。　There　is　such　a　thing　as　the　　coarseness　of　a　gentleman。　And　it　is　the　most　horrible　thing　in　humanity。〃

〃I　know；〃　said　Fisher。　〃The　Renaissance　nobles　of　the　Tudor　time　were　like　that。〃

〃It　is　odd　that　you　should　say　that；〃　Crane　went　on。　〃For　while　we　were　talking　there　came　on　me　a　curious　feeling　that　we　were　repeating　some　scene　of　the　past；　and　that　I　was　really　some　outlaw；　found　in　the　woods　like　Robin　Hood；　and　that　he　had　really　stepped　in　all　his　plumes　and　purple　out　of　the　picture　frame　of　the　ancestral　portrait。　Anyhow；　he　was　the　man　in　possession；　and　he　neither　feared　God　nor　regarded　man。　I　defied　him；　of　course；　and　walked　away。　I　might　really　have　killed　him　if　I　had　not　walked　away。〃

〃Yes；〃　said　Fisher；　nodding；　〃his　ancestor　was　in　possession　and　he　was　in　possession；　and　this　is　the　end　of　the　story。　It　all　fits　in。〃

〃Fits　in　with　what？〃　cried　his　companion；　with　sudden　impatience。　〃I　can't　make　head　or　tail　of　it。　You　tell　me　to　look　for　the　secret　in　the　hole　in　the　wall；　but　I　can't　find　any　hole　in　the　wall。〃

〃There　isn't　any；〃　said　Fisher。　〃That's　the　secret。〃　After　reflecting　a　moment；　he　added：　〃Unless　you　call　it　a　hole　in　the　wall　of　the　world。　Look　here；　I'll　tell　you　if　you　like；　but　I'm　afraid　it　involves　an　introduction。　You've　got　to　understand　one　of　the　tricks　of　the　modern　mind；　a　　tendency　that　most　people　obey　without　noticing　it。　In　the　village　or　suburb　outside　there's　an　inn　with　the　sign　of　St。　George　and　the　Dragon。　Now　suppose　I　went　about　telling　everybody　that　this　was　only　a　corruption　of　King　George　and　the　Dragoon。　Scores　of　people　would　believe　it；　without　any　inquiry；　from　a　vague　feeling　that　it's　probable　because　it's　prosaic。　It　turns　something　romantic　and　legendary　into　something　recent　and　ordinary。　And　that　somehow　makes　it　sound　rational；　though　it　is　unsupported　by　reason。　Of　course　some　people　would　have　the　sense　to　remember　having　seen　St。　George　in　old　Italian　pictures　and　French　romances；　but　a　good　many　wouldn't　think　about　it　at　all。　They　would　just　swallow　the　skepticism　because　it　was　skepticism。　Modern　intelligence　won't　accept　anything　on　authority。　But　it　will　accept　anything　without　author