the man who knew too much-第8节

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Walter；　walking　to　the　window　through　the　thinning　smoke；　looked　into　the　hollow　shell　of　the　ancient　tower。　Except　for　Wilson；　staring　around　him；　there　was　nobody　there。

The　inside　of　the　tower　was　a　single　empty　room；　with　nothing　but　a　plain　wooden　chair　and　a　table　on　which　were　pens；　ink　and　paper；　and　the　candlestick。　Halfway　up　the　high　wall　there　was　a　rude　timber　platform　under　the　upper　window；　a　small　loft　which　was　more　like　a　large　shelf。　It　was　reached　only　by　a　ladder；　and　it　seemed　to　be　as　bare　as　the　bare　walls。　Wilson　completed　his　survey　of　the　place　and　then　went　and　stared　at　the　things　on　the　table。　Then　he　silently　pointed　with　his　lean　forefinger　at　the　open　page　of　the　large　notebook。　The　writer　had　suddenly　stopped　writing；　even　in　the　middle　of　a　word。

〃I　said　it　was　like　an　explosion；〃　said　Sir　Walter　Carey　at　last。　〃And　really　the　man　himself　seems　to　have　suddenly　exploded。　But　he　has　blown　himself　up　somehow　without　touching　the　tower。　He's　burst　more　like　a　bubble　than　a　bomb。〃

〃He　has　touched　more　valuable　things　than　the　tower；〃　said　Wilson；　gloomily。

There　was　a　long　silence；　and　then　Sir　Walter　said；　seriously：　〃Well；　Mr。　Wilson；　I　am　not　a　detective；　and　these　unhappy　happenings　have　left　you　in　charge　of　that　branch　of　the　business。　We　all　lament　the　cause　of　this；　but　I　should　like　to　say　that　I　myself　have　the　strongest　confidence　in　your　capacity　for　carrying　on　the　work。　What　do　you　think　we　should　do　next？〃

Wilson　seemed　to　rouse　himself　from　his　depression　and　acknowledged　the　speaker's　words　with　a　warmer　civility　than　he　had　hitherto　shown　to　anybody。　He　called　in　a　few　of　the　police　to　assist　in　routing　out　the　interior；　leaving　the　rest　to　spread　themselves　in　a　search　party　outside。

〃I　think；〃　he　said；　〃the　first　thing　is　to　make　quite　sure　about　the　inside　of　this　place；　as　it　was　hardly　physically　possible　for　him　to　have　got　outside。　I　suppose　poor　Nolan　would　have　brought　in　his　banshee　and　said　it　was　supernaturally　possible。　But　I've　got　no　use　for　disembodied　spirits　when　I'm　dealing　with　facts。　And　the　facts　before　me　are　an　empty　tower　with　a　ladder；　a　chair；　and　a　table。〃

〃The　spiritualists；〃　said　Sir　Walter；　with　a　smile；　〃would　say　that　spirits　could　find　a　great　deal　of　use　for　a　table。〃

〃I　dare　say　they　could　if　the　spirits　were　on　the　tablein　a　bottle；〃　replied　Wilson；　with　a　curl　of　his　pale　lip。　〃The　people　round　here；　when　　they're　all　sodden　up　with　Irish　whisky；　may　believe　　in　such　things。　I　think　they　want　a　little　education　in　　this　country。〃

Horne　Fisher's　heavy　eyelids　fluttered　in　a　faint　attempt　to　rise；　as　if　he　were　tempted　to　a　lazy　protest　against　the　contemptuous　tone　of　the　investigator。

〃The　Irish　believe　far　too　much　in　spirits　to　believe　in　spiritualism；〃　he　murmured。　〃They　know　too　much　about　'em。　If　you　want　a　simple　and　childlike　faith　in　any　spirit　that　comes　along　you　can　get　it　in　your　favorite　London。〃

〃I　don't　want　to　get　it　anywhere；〃　said　Wilson；　shortly。　〃I　say　I'm　dealing　with　much　simpler　things　than　your　simple　faith；　with　a　table　and　a　chair　and　a　ladder。　Now　what　I　want　to　say　about　them　at　the　start　is　this。　They　are　all　three　made　roughly　enough　of　plain　wood。　But　the　table　and　the　chair　are　fairly　new　and　comparatively　clean。　The　ladder　is　covered　with　dust　and　there　is　a　cobweb　under　the　top　rung　of　it。　That　means　that　he　borrowed　the　first　two　quite　recently　from　some　cottage；　as　we　supposed；　but　the　ladder　has　been　a　long　time　in　this　rotten　old　dustbin。　Probably　it　was　part　of　the　original　furniture；　an　heirloom　in　this　magnificent　palace　of　the　Irish　kings。〃

Again　Fisher　looked　at　him　under　his　eyelids；　but　seemed　too　sleepy　to　speak；　and　Wilson　went　on　with　his　argument。

〃Now　it's　quite　clear　that　something　very　odd　has　just　happened　in　this　place。　The　chances　are　ten　to　one；　it　seems　to　me；　that　it　had　something　specially　to　do　with　this　place。　Probably　he　came　here　because　he　could　do　it　only　here；　it　doesn't　seem　very　inviting　otherwise。　But　the　man　knew　it　of　old；　they　say　it　belonged　to　his　family；　so　that　altogether；　I　think；　everything　points　to　something　in　the　construction　of　the　tower　itself。〃

〃Your　reasoning　seems　to　me　excellent；〃　said　Sir　Walter；　who　was　listening　attentively。　〃But　what　could　it　be？〃

〃You　see　now　what　I　mean　about　the　ladder；〃　went　on　the　detective；　〃it's　the　only　old　piece　of　furniture　here　and　the　first　thing　that　caught　that　cockney　eye　of　mine。　But　there　is　something　else。　That　loft　up　there　is　a　sort　of　lumber　room　without　any　lumber。　So　far　as　I　can　see；　it's　as　empty　as　everything　else；　and；　as　things　are；　I　don't　see　the　use　of　the　ladder　leading　to　it。　It　seems　to　me；　as　I　can't　find　anything　unusual　down　here；　that　it　might　pay　us　to　look　up　there。〃

He　got　briskly　off　the　table　on　which　he　was　sitting　（for　the　only　chair　was　allotted　to　Sir　Walter）　and　ran　rapidly　up　the　ladder　to　the　platform　above。　He　was　soon　followed　by　the　others；　Mr。　Fisher　going　last；　however；　with　an　appearance　of　considerable　nonchalance。

At　this　stage；　however；　they　were　destined　to　disappointment；　Wilson　nosed　in　every　corner　like　a　terrier　and　examined　the　roof　almost　in　the　posture　of　a　fly；　but　half　an　hour　afterward　they　had　to　confess　that　they　were　still　without　a　clew。　Sir　Walter's　private　secretary　seemed　more　and　more　threatened　with　inappropriate　slumber；　and；　having　been　the　last　to　climb　up　the　ladder；　seemed　now　to　lack　the　energy　even　to　climb　down　again。

〃Come　along；　Fisher；〃　called　out　Sir　Walter　from　below；　when　the　others　had　regained　the　floor。　〃We　must　consider　whether　we'll　pull　the　whole　place　to　pieces　to　see　what　it's　made　of。〃

〃I'm　coming　in　a　minute；〃　said　the　voice　from　the　ledge　above　their　heads；　a　voice　somewhat　suggestive　of　an　articulate　yawn。

〃What　are　you　waiting　for？〃　asked　Sir　Walter；　impatiently。　〃Can　you　see　anything　there？〃

〃Well；　yes；　in　a　way；〃　replied　the　voice；　vaguely。　〃In　fact；　I　see　it　quite　plain　now。〃

〃What　is　it？〃　asked　Wilson；　sharply；　from　the　table　on　which　he　sat　kicking　his　heels　restlessly。

〃Well；　it's　a　man；〃　said　Horne　Fisher。

Wilson　bounded　off　the　table　as　if　he　had　been　kicked　off　it。　〃What　do　you　mean？〃　he　cried。　〃How　can　you　possibly　see　a　man？〃

〃I　can　see　him　through　the　window；〃　replied　the　secretary；　mildly。　〃I　see　him　coming　across　the　moor。　He's　making　a　bee　line　across　the　open　country　toward　this　tower。　He　evidently　means　to　pay　us　a　visit。　And；　considering　who　it　seems　to　be；　perhaps　it　would　be　more　polite。　if　we　were　all　at　the　door　to　receive　him。〃　And　in　a　leisurely　manner　the　secretary　came　down　the　ladder。

〃Who　it　seems　to　be！〃　repeated　Sir　Walter　in　astonishment。

〃Well；　I　think　it's　the　man　you　call　Prince　Michael；〃　observed　Mr。　Fisher；　airily。　〃In　fact；　I'm　sure　it　is。　I've　seen　the　police　portraits　of　him。〃

There　was　a　dead　silence；　and　Sir　Walter's　usually　steady　brain　seemed　to　go　round　like　a　windmill。

〃But；　hang　it　all！〃　he　said　at　last；　〃even　supposing　his　own　explosion　could　have　thrown　him　half　a　mile　away；　without　passing　through　any　of　the　windows；　and　left　him　alive　enough　for　a　country　walkeven　then；　why　the　devil　should　he　walk　in　this　direction？　The　murderer　does　not　generally　revisit　the　scene　of　his　crime　so　rapidly　as　all　that。〃

〃He　doesn't　know　yet　that　it　is　the　scene　of　his　crime；〃　answered　Horne　Fisher。

〃What　on　earth　do　you　mean？　You　credit　him　with　rather　singular　absence　of　mind。〃

〃Well；　the　truth　is；　it　isn't　the　scene　of　his　crime；　said　Fisher；　and　went　and　looked　out　of　the　window。

There　was　another　silence；　and　then　Sir　Walter　said；　quietly：　〃What　sort　of　notion　have　you　really　got　in　your　head；　Fisher？　Have　you　developed　a　new　theory　about　how　this　fellow　escaped　out　of　the　ring　round　him？〃

〃He　never　escaped　at　all；〃　answered　the　man　at　the　window；　without　turning　round。　〃He　never　escaped　out　of　the　ring　because　he　was　never　inside　the　ring。　He　was　not　in　this　tower　at　all；　at　least　not　when　we　were　surrounding　it。〃

He　turned　and　leaned　back　against　the　window；　but；　in　spite　of　his　usual　listless　manner；　they　almost　fancied　that　the　face　in　shadow　was　a　little　pale。

〃I　began　to　guess　something　of　the　sort　when　we　were　some　way　from　the　tower；〃　he　said。　〃Did　you　notice　that　sort　of　flash　or　flicker　the　candle　gave　before　it　was　extinguished？　I　was　almost　certain　it　was　only　the　last　leap　the　flame　gives　when　a　candle　burns　itself　out。　And　then　I　came　into　this　room　and　I　saw　that。〃

He　pointed　at　the　table　and　Sir　Walter　caught　his　breath　with　a　sort　of　curse　at　his　own　blindness。　For　the　candle　in　the　candlestick　had　obviously　burned　itself　away　to　nothing　and　left　him；　mentally；　at　least；　very　completely　in　the　dark。

〃Then　there　is　a　sort　of　mathematical　question；〃　went　on　Fisher；　leaning　back　in　his　limp　way　and　looking　up　at　the　bare　walls；　as　if　tracing　imaginary　diagrams　there。　〃It's　not　so　easy　for　a　man　in　the　third　angle　to　face　the　other　two　at　the　same　moment；　especially　if　they　are　at　the　base　of　an　isosceles。　I　am　sorry　if　it　sounds　like　a　lecture　on　geometry；　but〃

〃I'm　afraid　we　have　no　time　for　it；〃　said　Wilson；　coldly。　〃If　this　man　is　really　coming　back；　I　must　give　my　orders　at