the man who knew too much-第33节

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use　they　did　these　things；　and　can　be　denounced　for　them；　and　know　they　can　be　denounced　for　them；　and　are　STANDING　FIRM　FOR　ALL　THAT。　I　take　off　my　hat　to　them　because　they　are　defying　blackmail；　and　refusing　to　smash　their　country　to　save　themselves。　I　salute　them　as　if　they　were　going　to　die　on　the　battlefield。〃

After　a　pause　he　continued：　〃And　it　will　be　a　battlefield；　too；　and　not　a　metaphorical　one。　We　have　yielded　to　foreign　financiers　so　long　that　now　it　is　war　or　ruin；　Even　the　people；　even　the　country　people；　are　beginning　to　suspect　that　they　are　being　ruined。　That　is　the　meaning　of　the　regrettable；　incidents　in　the　newspapers。〃

〃The　meaning　of　the　outrages　on　Orientals？〃　asked　March。　　　　　

〃The　meaning　of　the　outrages　on　Orientals；〃　replied　Fisher；　〃is　that　the　financiers　have　introduced　Chinese　labor　into　this　country　with　the　deliberate　intention　of　reducing　workmen　and　peasants　to　starvation。　Our　unhappy　politicians　have　made　concession　after　concession；　and　now　they　are　asking　concessions　which　amount　to　our　ordering　a　massacre　of　our　own　poor。　If　we　do　not　fight　now　we　shall　never　fight　again。　They　will　have　put　England　in　an　economic　position　of　starving　in　a　week。　But　we　are　going　to　fight　now；　I　shouldn't　wonder　if　there　were　an　ultimatum　in　a　week　and　an。invasion　in　a　fortnight。　All　the　past　corruption　and　cowardice　is　hampering　us；　of　course；　the　West　country　is　pretty　stormy　and　doubtful　even　in　a　military　sense；　and　the　Irish　regiments　there；　that　are　supposed　to　support　us　by　the　new　treaty；　are　pretty　well　in　mutiny；　for；　of　course；　this　infernal　coolie　capitalism　is　being　pushed　in　Ireland；　too。　But　it's　to　stop　now；　and　if　the　government　message　of　reassurance　gets　through　to　them　in　time；　they　may　turn　up　after　all　by　the　time　the　enemy　lands。　For　my　poor　old　gang　is　going　to　stand　to　its　guns　at　last。　Of　course　it's　only　natural　that　when　they　have　been　　whitewashed　for　half　a　century　as　paragons；　their　sins　should　come　back　on　them　at　the　very　moment　when　they　are　behaving　like　men　for　the　first　time　in　their　lives。　Well；　I　tell　you；　March；　I　know　them　inside　out；　and　I　know　they　are　behaving　like　heroes。　Every　man　of　them　ought　to　have　a　statue；　and　on　the　pedestal　words　like　those　of　the　noblest　ruffian　of　the　Revolution：　'Que　mon　nom　soit　fletri；　que　la　France　soit　libre。'〃

〃Good　God！〃　cried　March；　〃shall　we　never　get　to　the　bottom　of　your　mines　and　countermines？〃

After　a　silence　Fisher　answered　in　a　lower　voice；　looking　his　friend　in　the　eyes。

〃Did　you　think　there　was　nothing　but　evil　at　the　bottom　of　them？〃　he　asked；　gently。　〃Did　you　think　I　had　found　nothing　but　filth　in　the　deep　seas　into　which　fate　has　thrown　me？　Believe　me；　you　never　know　the　best　about　men　till　you　know　the　worst　about　them。　It　does　not　dispose　of　their　strange　human　souls　to　know　that　they　were　exhibited　to　the　world　as　impossibly　impeccable　wax　works；　who　never　looked　after　a　woman　or　knew　the　meaning　of　a　bribe。　Even　in　a　palace；　life　can　be　lived　well；　and　even　in　a　Parliament；　life　can　be　lived　with　occasional　efforts　to　live　it　well。　I　tell　you　it　is　as　true　of　these　rich　fools　and　rascals　as　it　is　true　of　every　poor　footpad　and　pickpocket；　that　only　God　knows　how　good　they　have　tried　to　be。　God　alone　knows　what　the　conscience　can　survive；　or　how　a　man　who　has　lost　his　honor　will　still　try　to　save　his　soul。〃

There　was　another　silence；　and　March　sat　staring　at　the　table　and　Fisher　at　the　sea。　Then　Fisher　suddenly　sprang　to　his　feet　and　caught　up　his　hat　and　stick　with　all　his　new　alertness　and　even　pugnacity。

〃Look　here；　old　fellow；〃　he　cried；　〃let　us　make　a　bargain。　Before　you　open　your　campaign　for　　Attwood　come　down　and　stay　with　us　for　one　week；　to　hear　what　we're　really　doing。　I　mean　with　the　Faithful　Few；　formerly　known　as　the　Old　Gang；　occasionally　to　be　described　as　the　Low　Lot。　There　are　really　only　five　of　us　that　are　quite　fixed；　and　organizing　the　national　defense；　and　we're　living　like　a　garrison　in　a　sort　of　broken…down　hotel　in　Kent。　Come　and　see　what　we're　really　doing　and　what　there　is　to　be　done；　and　do　us　justice。　And　after　that；　with　unalterable　love　and　affection　for　you；　publish　and　be　damned。〃

Thus　it　came　about　that　in　the　last　week　before　war；　when　events　moved　most　rapidly；　Harold　March　found　himself　one　of　a　sort　of　small　house　party　of　the　people　he　was　proposing　to　denounce。　They　were　living　simply　enough；　for　people　with　their　tastes；　in　an　old　brown…brick　inn　faced　with　ivy　and　surrounded　by　rather　dismal　gardens。　At　the　back　of　the　building　the　garden　ran　up　very　steeply　to　a　road　along　the　ridge　above；　and　a　zigzag　path　scaled　the　slope　in　sharp　angles；　turning　to　and　fro　amid　evergreens　so　somber　that　they　might　rather　be　called　everblack。　Here　and　there　up　the　slope　were　statues　having　all　the　cold　monstrosity　of　such　minor　ornaments　of　the　eighteenth　century；　and　a　whole　row　of　them　ran　as　on　a　terrace　along　the　last　bank　at　the　bottom；　opposite　the　back　door。　This　detail　fixed　itself　first　in　March's　mind　merely　because　it　figured　in　the　first　conversation　he　had　with　one　of　the　cabinet　ministers。

The　cabinet　ministers　were　rather　older　than　he　had　expected　to　find　them。　The　Prime　Minister　no　longer　looked　like　a　boy；　though　he　still　looked　a　little　like　a　baby。　But　it　was　one　of　those　old　and　venerable　babies；　and　the　baby　had　soft　gray　hair。　Everything　about　him　was　soft；　to　his　speech　and　his　way　of　walking；　but　over　and　above　that　his　chief　function　seemed　to　be　sleep。　People　left　alone　with　him　got　so　used　to　his　eyes　being　closed　that　they　were　almost　startled　when　they　realized　in　the　stillness　that　the　eyes　were　wide　open；　and　even　watching。　One　thing　at　least　would　always　make　the　old　gentleman　open　his　eyes。　The　one　thing　he　really　cared　for　in　this　world　was　his　hobby　of　armored　weapons；　especially　Eastern　weapons；　and　he　would　talk　for　hours　about　Damascus　blades　and　Arab　swordmanship。　Lord　James　Herries；　the　Chancellor　of　the　Exchequer；　was　a　short；　dark；　sturdy　man　with　a　very　sallow　face　and　a　very　sullen　manner；　which　contrasted　with　the　gorgeous　flower　in　his　buttonhole　and　his　festive　trick　of　being　always　slightly　overdressed。　It　was　something　of　a　euphemism　to　call　him　a　well…known　man　about　town。　There　was　perhaps　more　mystery　in　the　question　of　how　a　man　who　lived　for　pleasure　seemed　to　get　so　little　pleasure　out　of　it。　Sir　David　Archer；　the　Foreign　Secretary；　was　the　only　one　of　them　who　was　a　self…made　man；　and　the　only　one　of　them　who　looked　like　an　aristocrat。　He　was　tall　and　thin　and　very　handsome；　with　a　grizzled　beard；　his　gray　hair　was　very　curly；　and　even　rose　in　front　in　two　rebellious　ringlets　that　seemed　to　the　fanciful　to　tremble　like　the　antennae　of　some　giant　insect；　or　to　stir　sympathetically　with　the　restless　tufted　eyebrows　over　his　rather　haggard　eyes。　For　the　Foreign　Secretary　made　no　secret　of　his　somewhat　nervous　condition；　whatever　might　be　the　cause　of　it。

〃Do　you　know　that　mood　when　one　could　scream　because　a　mat　is　crooked？〃　he　said　to　March；　as　they　walked　up　and　down　in　the　back　garden　below　the　line　of　dingy　statues。　〃Women　get　into　it　when　they've　worked　too　hard；　and　I've　been　working　pretty　hard　lately；　of　course。　It　drives　me　mad　when　Herries　will　wear　his　hat　a　little　crookedhabit　of　looking　like　a　gay　dog。　Sometime　I　swear　I'll　knock　it　off。　That　statue　of　Britannia　over　there　isn't　quite　straight；　it　sticks　forward　a　bit　as　if　the　lady　were　going　to　topple　over。　The　damned　thing　is　that　it　doesn't　topple　over　and　be　done　with　it。　See；　it's　clamped　with　an　iron　prop。　Don't　be　surprised　if　I　get　up　in　the　middle　of　the　night　to　hike　it　down。〃

They　paced　the　path　for　a　few　moments　in　silence　and　then　he　continued。　〃It's　odd　those　little　things　seem　specially　big　when　there　are　bigger　things　to　worry　about。　We'd　better　go　in　and　do　some　work。〃

Horne　Fisher　evidently　allowed　for　all　the　neurotic　possibilities　of　Archer　and　the　dissipated　habits　of　Herries；　and　whatever　his　faith　in　their　present　firmness；　did　not　unduly　tax　their　time　and　attention；　even　in　the　case　of　the　Prime　Minister。　He　had　got　the　consent　of　the　latter　finally　to　the　committing　of　the　important　documents；　with　the　orders　to　the　Western　armies；　to　the　care　of　a　less　conspicuous　and　more　solid　personan　uncle　of　his　named　Horne　Hewitt；　a　rather　colorless　country　squire　who　had　been　a　good　soldier；　and　was　the　military　adviser　of　the　committee。　He　was　charged　with　expediting　the　government　pledge；　along　with　the　concerted　military　plans；　to　the　half…mutinous　command　in　the　west；　and　the　still　more　urgent　task　of　seeing　that　it　did　not　fall　into　the　hands　of　the　enemy；　who　might　appear　at　any　moment　from　the　east。　Over　and　above　this　military　official；　the　only　other　person　present　was　a　police　official；　a　certain　Doctor　Prince；　originally　a　police　surgeon　and　now　a　distinguished　detective；　sent　to　be　a　bodyguard　to　the　group。　He　was　a　square…faced　man　with　big　spectacles　and　a　grimace　that　expressed　the　intention　of　keeping　his　mouth　shut。　Nobody　else　shared　their　captivity　except　the　hotel　proprietor；　a　crusty　Kentish　man　with　a　crab…apple　face；　one　or　two　of　his　servants；　and　another　servant　privately　attached　to　Lord　James　Herrie