the man who knew too much-第6节

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She　did　not　analyze　the　audacious　trick　by　which　the　man　had　turned　to　his　advantage　the　subtle　effects　of　the　expected　and　the　obvious；　she　was　still　under　the　cloud　of　more　individual　complexities；　and　she　noticed　must　of　all　that　the　vanishing　scarecrow　did　not　even　turn　to　look　at　the　farm。　And　the　fates　that　were　running　so　adverse　to　his　fantastic　career　of　freedom　ruled　that　his　next　adventure；　though　it　had　the　same　success　in　another　quarter；　should　increase　the　danger　in　this　quarter。　Among　the　many　similar　adventures　related　of　him　in　this　manner　it　is　also　said　that　some　days　afterward　another　girl；　named　Mary　Cregan；　found　him　concealed　on　the　farm　where　she　worked；　and　if　the　story　is　true；　she　must　also　have　had　the　shock　of　an　uncanny　experience；　for　when　she　was　busy　at　some　lonely　task　in　the　yard　she　heard　a　voice　speaking　out　of　the　well；　and　found　that　the　eccentric　had　managed　to　drop　himself　into　the　bucket　which　was　some　little　way　below；　the　well　only　partly　full　of　water。　In　this　case；　however；　he　had　to　appeal　to　the　woman　to　wind　up　the　rope。　And　men　say　it　was　when　this　news　was　told　to　the　other　woman　that　her　soul　walked　over　the　border　line　of　treason。

Such；　at　least；　were　the　stories　told　of　him　in　the　countryside；　and　there　were　many　moreas　that　he　had　stood　insolently　in　a　splendid　green　dressing　gown　on　the　steps　of　a　great　hotel；　and　then　led　the　police　a　chase　through　a　long　suite　of　grand　apartments；　and　finally　through　his　own　bedroom　on　to　a　balcony　that　overhung　the　river。　The　moment　the　pursuers　stepped　on　to　the　balcony　it　broke　under　them；　and　they　dropped　pell…mell　into　the　eddying　waters；　while　Michael；　who　had　thrown　off　his　gown　and　dived；　was　able　to　swim　away。　It　was　said　that　he　had　carefully　cut　away　the　props　so　that　they　would　not　support　anything　so　heavy　as　a　policeman。　But　here　again　he　was　immediately　fortunate；　yet　ultimately　unfortunate；　for　it　is　said　that　one　of　the　men　was　drowned；　leaving　a　family　feud　which　made　a　little　rift　in　his　popularity。　These　stories　can　now　be　told　in　some　detail；　not　because　they　are　the　most　marvelous　of　his　many　adventures；　but　because　these　alone　were　not　covered　with　silence　by　the　loyalty　of　the　peasantry。　These　alone　found　their　way　into　official　reports；　and　it　is　these　which　three　of　the　chief　officials　of　the　country　were　reading　and　discussing　when　the　more　remarkable　part　of　this　story　begins。

Night　was　far　advanced　and　the　lights　shone　in　the　cottage　that　served　for　a　temporary　police　station　near　the　coast。　On　one　side　of　it　were　the　last　houses　of　the　straggling　village；　and　on　the　other　nothing　but　a　waste　moorland　stretching　away　toward　the　sea；　the　line　of　which　was　broken　by　no　landmark　except　a　solitary　tower　of　the　prehistoric　pattern　still　found　in　Ireland；　standing　up　as　slender　as　a　column；　but　pointed　like　a　pyramid。　At　a　wooden　table　in　front　of　the　window；　which　normally　looked　out　on　this　landscape；　sat　two　men　in　plain　clothes；　but　with　something　of　a　military　bearing；　for　indeed　they　were　the　two　chiefs　of　the　detective　service　of　that　district。　The　senior　of　the　two；　both　in　age　and　rank；　was　a　sturdy　man　with　a　short　white　beard；　and　frosty　eyebrows　fixed　in　a　frown　which　suggested　rather　worry　than　severity。

His　name　was　Morton；　and　he　was　a　Liverpool　man　long　pickled　in　the　Irish　quarrels；　and　doing　his　duty　among　them　in　a　sour　fashion　not　altogether　unsympathetic。　He　had　spoken　a　few　sentences　to　his　companion；　Nolan；　a　tall；　dark　man　with　a　cadaverous　equine　Irish　face；　when　he　seemed　to　remember　something　and　touched　a　bell　which　rang　in　another　room。　The　subordinate　he　had　summoned　immediately　appeared　with　a　sheaf　of　papers　in　his　hand。

〃Sit　down；　Wilson；〃　he　said。　〃Those　are　the　dispositions；　I　suppose。〃

〃Yes；〃　replied　the　third　officer。　〃I　think　I've　got　all　there　is　to　be　got　out　of　them；　so　I　sent　the　people　away。〃

〃Did　Mary　Cregan　give　evidence？〃　asked　Morton；　with　a　frown　that　looked　a　little　heavier　than　usual。

〃No；　but　her　master　did；〃　answered　the　man　called　Wilson；　who　had　flat；　red　hair　and　a　plain；　pale　face；　not　without　sharpness。　〃I　think　he's　hanging　round　the　girl　himself　and　is　out　against　a　rival。　There's　always　some　reason　of　that　sort　when　we　are　told　the　truth　about　anything。　And　you　bet　the　other　girl　told　right　enough。〃

〃Well；　let's　hope　they'll　be　some　sort　of　use；〃　remarked　Nolan；　in　a　somewhat　hopeless　manner；　gazing　out　into　the　darkness。

〃Anything　is　to　the　good；〃　said　Morton；　〃that　lets　us　know　anything　about　him。〃

〃Do　we　know　anything　about　him？〃　asked　the　melancholy　Irishman。

〃We　know　one　thing　about　him；〃　said　Wilson；　〃and　it's　the　one　thing　that　nobody　ever　knew　before。　We　know　where　be　is。〃

〃Are　you　sure？〃　inquired　Morton；　looking　at　him　sharply。

〃Quite　sure；〃　replied　his　assistant。　〃At　this　very　minute　he　is　in　that　tower　over　there　by　the　shore。　If　you　go　near　enough　you'll　see　the　candle　burning　in　the　window。〃

As　he　spoke　the　noise　of　a　horn　sounded　on　the　road　outside；　and　a　moment　after　they　heard　the　throbbing　of　a　motor　car　brought　to　a　standstill　before　the　door。　Morton　instantly　sprang　to　his　feet。　tly　sprang　to　his　feet。

〃Thank　the　Lord　that's　the　car　from　Dublin；〃　he　said。　〃I　can't　do　anything　without　special　authority；　not　if　he　were　sitting　on　the　top　of　the　tower　and　putting　out　his　tongue　at　us。　But　the　chief　can　do　what　he　thinks　best。〃

He　hurried　out　to　the　entrance　and　was　soon　exchanging　greetings　with　a　big　handsome　man　in　a　fur　coat；　who　brought　into　the　dingy　little　station　the　indescribable　glow　of　the　great　cities　and　the　luxuries　of　the　great　world。

For　this　was　Sir　Walter　Carey；　an　official　of　such　eminence　in　Dublin　Castle　that　nothing　short　of　the　case　of　Prince　Michael　would　have　brought　him　on　such　a　journey　in　the　middle　of　the　night。　But　the　case　of　Prince　Michael；　as　it　happened；　was　complicated　by　legalism　as　well　as　lawlessness。　On　the　last　occasion　he　had　escaped　by　a　forensic　quibble　and　not；　as　usual；　by　a　private　escapade；　and　it　was　a　question　whether　at　the　moment　he　was　amenable　to　the　law　or　not。　It　might　be　necessary　to　stretch　a　point；　but　a　man　like　Sir　Walter　could　probably　stretch　it　as　far　as　he　liked。

Whether　he　intended　to　do　so　was　a　question　to　be　considered。　Despite　the　almost　aggressive　touch　of　luxury　in　the　fur　coat；　it　soon　became　apparent　that　Sir　Walter's　large　leonine　head　was　for　use　as　well　as　ornament；　and　he　considered　the　matter　soberly　and　sanely　enough。　Five　chairs　were　set　round　the　plain　deal　table；　for　who　should　Sir　Walter　bring　with　him　but　his　young　relative　and　secretary；　Horne　Fisher。　Sir　Walter　listened　　with　grave　attention；　and　his　secretary　with　polite　boredom；　to　the　string　of　episodes　by　which　the　police　had　traced　the　flying　rebel　from　the　steps　of　the　hotel　to　the　solitary　tower　beside　the　sea。　There　at　least　he　was　cornered　between　the　moors　and　the　breakers；　and　the　scout　sent　by　Wilson　reported　him　as　writing　under　a　solitary　candle；　perhaps　composing　another　of　his　tremendous　proclamations。　Indeed；　it　would　have　been　typical　of　him　to　choose　it　as　the　place　in　which　finally　to　turn　to　bay。　He　had　some　remote　claim　on　it；　as　on　a　family　castle；　and　those　who　knew　him　thought　him　capable　of　imitating　the　primitive　Irish　chieftains　who　fell　fighting　against　the　sea。

〃I　saw　some　queer…looking　people　leaving　as　I　came　in；〃　said　Sir　Walter　Carey。　〃I　suppose　they　were　your　witnesses。　But　why　do　they　turn　up　here　at　this　time　of　night？〃

Morton　smiled　grimly。　〃They　come　here　by　night　because　they　would　be　dead　men　if　they　came　here　by　day。　They　are　criminals　committing　a　crime　that　is　more　horrible　here　than　theft　or　murder。〃

〃What　crime　do　you　mean？〃　asked　the　other；　with　some　curiosity。

〃They　are　helping　the　law；〃　said　Morton。

There　was　a　silence；　and　Sir　Walter　considered　the　papers　before　him　with　an　abstracted　eye。　At　last　he　spoke。

〃Quite　so；　but　look　here；　if　the　local　feeling　is　as　lively　as　that　there　are　a　good　many　points　to　consider。　I　believe　the　new　Act　will　enable　me　to　collar　him　now　if　I　think　it　best。　But　is　it　best？　A　serious　rising　would　do　us　no　good　in　Parliament；　and　the　government　has　enemies　in　England　as　well　as　Ireland。　It　won't　do　if　I　have　done　what　looks　a　little　like　sharp　practice；　and　then　only　raised　a　revolution。〃

〃It's　all　the　other　way；〃　said　the　man　called　Wilson；　rather　quickly。　〃There　won't　be　half　so　much　of　a　revolution　if　you　arrest　him　as　there　will　if　you　leave　him　loose　for　three　days　longer。　But；　anyhow；　there　can't　be　anything　nowadays　that　the　proper　police　can't　manage。〃

〃Mr。　Wilson　is　a　Londoner；〃　said　the　Irish　detective；　with　a　smile。

〃Yes；　I'm　a　cockney；　all　right；〃　replied　Wilson；　〃and　I　think　I'm　all　the　better　for　that。　Especially　at　this　job；　oddly　enough。〃

Sir　Walter　seemed　slightly　amused　at　the　pertinacity　of　the　third　officer；　and　perhaps　even　more　amused　at　the　slight　accent　with　which　he　spoke；　which　rendered　rather　needless　his　boast　about　his　origin。

〃Do　you　mean　to　say；〃　he　asked；　〃that　you　know　more　about　the　business　here　because　you　have　come　from　London？〃

〃Sounds　funny；　I　know；　but　I　do　believe　it；〃　answered　Wilson。　〃I　believe　these　affa