the man who was thursday-第20节

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　others　instinctively　followed　him。　Syme　seemed　a　little　distrait；　and　as　he　passed　under　the　doorway　he　suddenly　struck　his　stick　on　the　stone　passage　so　that　it　rang。

〃But　Lord　God　Almighty；〃　he　cried　out；　〃if　this　is　all　right；　there　were　more　damned　detectives　than　there　were　damned　dynamiters　at　the　damned　Council！〃

〃We　might　have　fought　easily；〃　said　Bull；　〃we　were　four　against　three。〃

The　Professor　was　descending　the　stairs；　but　his　voice　came　up　from　below。

〃No；〃　said　the　voice；　〃we　were　not　four　against　threewe　were　not　so　lucky。　We　were　four　against　One。〃

The　others　went　down　the　stairs　in　silence。

The　young　man　called　Bull；　with　an　innocent　courtesy　characteristic　of　him；　insisted　on　going　last　until　they　reached　the　street；　but　there　his　own　robust　rapidity　asserted　itself　unconsciously；　and　he　walked　quickly　on　ahead　towards　a　railway　inquiry　office；　talking　to　the　others　over　his　shoulder。

〃It　is　jolly　to　get　some　pals；〃　he　said。　〃I've　been　half　dead　with　the　jumps；　being　quite　alone。　I　nearly　flung　my　arms　round　Gogol　and　embraced　him；　which　would　have　been　imprudent。　I　hope　you　won't　despise　me　for　having　been　in　a　blue　funk。〃

〃All　the　blue　devils　in　blue　hell；〃　said　Syme；　〃contributed　to　my　blue　funk！　But　the　worst　devil　was　you　and　your　infernal　goggles。〃

The　young　man　laughed　delightedly。

〃Wasn't　it　a　rag？〃　he　said。　〃Such　a　simple　ideanot　my　own。　I　haven't　got　the　brains。　You　see；　I　wanted　to　go　into　the　detective　service；　especially　the　anti…dynamite　business。　But　for　that　purpose　they　wanted　someone　to　dress　up　as　a　dynamiter；　and　they　all　swore　by　blazes　that　I　could　never　look　like　a　dynamiter。　They　said　my　very　walk　was　respectable；　and　that　seen　from　behind　I　looked　like　the　British　Constitution。　They　said　I　looked　too　healthy　and　too　optimistic；　and　too　reliable　and　benevolent；　they　called　me　all　sorts　of　names　at　Scotland　Yard。　They　said　that　if　I　had　been　a　criminal；　I　might　have　made　my　fortune　by　looking　so　like　an　honest　man；　but　as　I　had　the　misfortune　to　be　an　honest　man；　there　was　not　even　the　remotest　chance　of　my　assisting　them　by　ever　looking　like　a　criminal。　But　as　last　I　was　brought　before　some　old　josser　who　was　high　up　in　the　force；　and　who　seemed　to　have　no　end　of　a　head　on　his　shoulders。　And　there　the　others　all　talked　hopelessly。　One　asked　whether　a　bushy　beard　would　hide　my　nice　smile；　another　said　that　if　they　blacked　my　face　I　might　look　like　a　negro　anarchist；　but　this　old　chap　chipped　in　with　a　most　extraordinary　remark。　'A　pair　of　smoked　spectacles　will　do　it；'　he　said　positively。　'Look　at　him　now；　he　looks　like　an　angelic　office　boy。　Put　him　on　a　pair　of　smoked　spectacles；　and　children　will　scream　at　the　sight　of　him。'　And　so　it　was；　by　George！　When　once　my　eyes　were　covered；　all　the　rest；　smile　and　big　shoulders　and　short　hair；　made　me　look　a　perfect　little　devil。　As　I　say；　it　was　simple　enough　when　it　was　done；　like　miracles；　but　that　wasn't　the　really　miraculous　part　of　it。　There　was　one　really　staggering　thing　about　the　business；　and　my　head　still　turns　at　it。〃

〃What　was　that？〃　asked　Syme。

〃I'll　tell　you；〃　answered　the　man　in　spectacles。　〃This　big　pot　in　the　police　who　sized　me　up　so　that　he　knew　how　the　goggles　would　go　with　my　hair　and　socksby　God；　he　never　saw　me　at　all！〃

Syme's　eyes　suddenly　flashed　on　him。

〃How　was　that？〃　he　asked。　〃I　thought　you　talked　to　him。〃

〃So　I　did；〃　said　Bull　brightly；　〃but　we　talked　in　a　pitch…dark　room　like　a　coalcellar。　There；　you　would　never　have　guessed　that。〃

〃I　could　not　have　conceived　it；〃　said　Syme　gravely。

〃It　is　indeed　a　new　idea；〃　said　the　Professor。

Their　new　ally　was　in　practical　matters　a　whirlwind。　At　the　inquiry　office　he　asked　with　businesslike　brevity　about　the　trains　for　Dover。　Having　got　his　information；　he　bundled　the　company　into　a　cab；　and　put　them　and　himself　inside　a　railway　carriage　before　they　had　properly　realised　the　breathless　process。　They　were　already　on　the　Calais　boat　before　conversation　flowed　freely。

〃I　had　already　arranged；〃　he　explained；　〃to　go　to　France　for　my　lunch；　but　I　am　delighted　to　have　someone　to　lunch　with　me。　You　see；　I　had　to　send　that　beast；　the　Marquis；　over　with　his　bomb；　because　the　President　had　his　eye　on　me；　though　God　knows　how。　I'll　tell　you　the　story　some　day。　It　was　perfectly　choking。　Whenever　I　tried　to　slip　out　of　it　I　saw　the　President　somewhere；　smiling　out　of　the　bow…window　of　a　club；　or　taking　off　his　hat　to　me　from　the　top　of　an　omnibus。　I　tell　you；　you　can　say　what　you　like；　that　fellow　sold　himself　to　the　devil；　he　can　be　in　six　places　at　once。〃

〃So　you　sent　the　Marquis　off；　I　understand；〃　asked　the　Professor。　〃Was　it　long　ago？　Shall　we　be　in　time　to　catch　him？〃

〃Yes；〃　answered　the　new　guide；　〃I've　timed　it　all。　He'll　still　be　at　Calais　when　we　arrive。〃

〃But　when　we　do　catch　him　at　Calais；〃　said　the　Professor；　〃what　are　we　going　to　do？〃

At　this　question　the　countenance　of　Dr。　Bull　fell　for　the　first　time。　He　reflected　a　little；　and　then　said

〃Theoretically；　I　suppose；　we　ought　to　call　the　police。〃

〃Not　I；〃　said　Syme。　〃Theoretically　I　ought　to　drown　myself　first。　I　promised　a　poor　fellow；　who　was　a　real　modern　pessimist；　on　my　word　of　honour　not　to　tell　the　police。　I'm　no　hand　at　casuistry；　but　I　can't　break　my　word　to　a　modern　pessimist。　It's　like　breaking　one's　word　to　a　child。〃

〃I'm　in　the　same　boat；〃　said　the　Professor。　〃I　tried　to　tell　the　police　and　I　couldn't；　because　of　some　silly　oath　I　took。　You　see；　when　I　was　an　actor　I　was　a　sort　of　all…round　beast。　Perjury　or　treason　is　the　only　crime　I　haven't　committed。　If　I　did　that　I　shouldn't　know　the　difference　between　right　and　wrong。〃

〃I've　been　through　all　that；〃　said　Dr。　Bull；　〃and　I've　made　up　my　mind。　I　gave　my　promise　to　the　Secretaryyou　know　him；　man　who　smiles　upside　down。　My　friends；　that　man　is　the　most　utterly　unhappy　man　that　was　ever　human。　It　may　be　his　digestion；　or　his　conscience；　or　his　nerves；　or　his　philosophy　of　the　universe；　but　he's　damned；　he's　in　hell！　Well；　I　can't　turn　on　a　man　like　that；　and　hunt　him　down。　It's　like　whipping　a　leper。　I　may　be　mad；　but　that's　how　I　feel；　and　there's　jolly　well　the　end　of　it。〃

〃I　don't　think　you're　mad；〃　said　Syme。　〃I　knew　you　would　decide　like　that　when　first　you〃

〃Eh？〃　said　Dr。　Bull。

〃When　first　you　took　off　your　spectacles。〃

Dr。　Bull　smiled　a　little；　and　strolled　across　the　deck　to　look　at　the　sunlit　sea。　Then　he　strolled　back　again；　kicking　his　heels　carelessly；　and　a　companionable　silence　fell　between　the　three　men。

〃Well；〃　said　Syme；　〃it　seems　that　we　have　all　the　same　kind　of　morality　or　immorality；　so　we　had　better　face　the　fact　that　comes　of　it。〃

〃Yes；〃　assented　the　Professor；　〃you're　quite　right；　and　we　must　hurry　up；　for　I　can　see　the　Grey　Nose　standing　out　from　France。〃

〃The　fact　that　comes　of　it；〃　said　Syme　seriously；　〃is　this；　that　we　three　are　alone　on　this　planet。　Gogol　has　gone；　God　knows　where；　perhaps　the　President　has　smashed　him　like　a　fly。　On　the　Council　we　are　three　men　against　three；　like　the　Romans　who　held　the　bridge。　But　we　are　worse　off　than　that；　first　because　they　can　appeal　to　their　organization　and　we　cannot　appeal　to　ours；　and　second　because〃

〃Because　one　of　those　other　three　men；〃　said　the　Professor；　〃is　not　a　man。〃

Syme　nodded　and　was　silent　for　a　second　or　two；　then　he　said

〃My　idea　is　this。　We　must　do　something　to　keep　the　Marquis　in　Calais　till　tomorrow　midday。　I　have　turned　over　twenty　schemes　in　my　head。　We　cannot　denounce　him　as　a　dynamiter；　that　is　agreed。　We　cannot　get　him　detained　on　some　trivial　charge；　for　we　should　have　to　appear；　he　knows　us；　and　he　would　smell　a　rat。　We　cannot　pretend　to　keep　him　on　anarchist　business；　he　might　swallow　much　in　that　way；　but　not　the　notion　of　stopping　in　Calais　while　the　Czar　went　safely　through　Paris。　We　might　try　to　kidnap　him；　and　lock　him　up　ourselves；　but　he　is　a　well…known　man　here。　He　has　a　whole　bodyguard　of　friends；　he　is　very　strong　and　brave；　and　the　event　is　doubtful。　The　only　thing　I　can　see　to　do　is　actually　to　take　advantage　of　the　very　things　that　are　in　the　Marquis's　favour。　I　am　going　to　profit　by　the　fact　that　he　is　a　highly　respected　nobleman。　I　am　going　to　profit　by　the　fact　that　he　has　many　friends　and　moves　in　the　best　society。〃

〃What　the　devil　are　you　talking　about？〃　asked　the　Professor。

〃The　Symes　are　first　mentioned　in　the　fourteenth　century；〃　said　Syme；　〃but　there　is　a　tradition　that　one　of　them　rode　behind　Bruce　at　Bannockburn。　Since　1350　the　tree　is　quite　clear。〃

〃He's　gone　off　his　head；〃　said　the　little　Doctor；　staring。

〃Our　bearings；〃　continued　Syme　calmly；　〃are　'argent　a　chevron　gules　charged　with　three　cross　crosslets　of　the　field。'　The　motto　varies。〃

The　Professor　seized　Syme　roughly　by　the　waistcoat。

〃We　are　just　inshore；〃　he　said。　〃Are　you　seasick　or　joking　in　the　wrong　place？〃

〃My　remarks　are　almost　painfully　practical；〃　answered　Syme；　in　an　unhurried　manner。　〃The　house　of　St。　Eustache　also　is　very　ancient。　The　Marquis　cannot　deny　that　he　is　a　gentleman。　He　cannot　deny　that　I　am　a　gentleman。　And　in　order　to　put　the　matter　of　my　social　position　quite　beyond　a　doubt；　I　propose　at　the　earliest　opportunity　to　knock　his　hat　off。　But