the man who was thursday-第25节

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　armies　and　police。〃

〃Mere　mobs！〃　repeated　his　new　friend　with　a　snort　of　scorn。　〃So　you　talk　about　mobs　and　the　working　classes　as　if　they　were　the　question。　You've　got　that　eternal　idiotic　idea　that　if　anarchy　came　it　would　come　from　the　poor。　Why　should　it？　The　poor　have　been　rebels；　but　they　have　never　been　anarchists；　they　have　more　interest　than　anyone　else　in　there　being　some　decent　government。　The　poor　man　really　has　a　stake　in　the　country。　The　rich　man　hasn't；　he　can　go　away　to　New　Guinea　in　a　yacht。　The　poor　have　sometimes　objected　to　being　governed　badly；　the　rich　have　always　objected　to　being　governed　at　all。　Aristocrats　were　always　anarchists；　as　you　can　see　from　the　barons'　wars。〃

〃As　a　lecture　on　English　history　for　the　little　ones；〃　said　Syme；　〃this　is　all　very　nice；　but　I　have　not　yet　grasped　its　application。〃

〃Its　application　is；〃　said　his　informant；　〃that　most　of　old　Sunday's　right…hand　men　are　South　African　and　American　millionaires。　That　is　why　he　has　got　hold　of　all　the　communications；　and　that　is　why　the　last　four　champions　of　the　anti…anarchist　police　force　are　running　through　a　wood　like　rabbits。〃

〃Millionaires　I　can　understand；〃　said　Syme　thoughtfully；　〃they　are　nearly　all　mad。　But　getting　hold　of　a　few　wicked　old　gentlemen　with　hobbies　is　one　thing；　getting　hold　of　great　Christian　nations　is　another。　I　would　bet　the　nose　off　my　face　（forgive　the　allusion）　that　Sunday　would　stand　perfectly　helpless　before　the　task　of　converting　any　ordinary　healthy　person　anywhere。〃

〃Well；〃　said　the　other；　〃it　rather　depends　what　sort　of　person　you　mean。〃

〃Well；　for　instance；〃　said　Syme；　〃he　could　never　convert　that　person；〃　and　he　pointed　straight　in　front　of　him。

They　had　come　to　an　open　space　of　sunlight；　which　seemed　to　express　to　Syme　the　final　return　of　his　own　good　sense；　and　in　the　middle　of　this　forest　clearing　was　a　figure　that　might　well　stand　for　that　common　sense　in　an　almost　awful　actuality。　Burnt　by　the　sun　and　stained　with　perspiration；　and　grave　with　the　bottomless　gravity　of　small　necessary　toils；　a　heavy　French　peasant　was　cutting　wood　with　a　hatchet。　His　cart　stood　a　few　yards　off；　already　half　full　of　timber；　and　the　horse　that　cropped　the　grass　was；　like　his　master；　valorous　but　not　desperate；　like　his　master；　he　was　even　prosperous；　but　yet　was　almost　sad。　The　man　was　a　Norman；　taller　than　the　average　of　the　French　and　very　angular；　and　his　swarthy　figure　stood　dark　against　a　square　of　sunlight；　almost　like　some　allegoric　figure　of　labour　frescoed　on　a　ground　of　gold。

〃Mr。　Syme　is　saying；〃　called　out　Ratcliffe　to　the　French　Colonel；　〃that　this　man；　at　least；　will　never　be　an　anarchist。〃

〃Mr。　Syme　is　right　enough　there；〃　answered　Colonel　Ducroix；　laughing；　〃if　only　for　the　reason　that　he　has　plenty　of　property　to　defend。　But　I　forgot　that　in　your　country　you　are　not　used　to　peasants　being　wealthy。〃

〃He　looks　poor；〃　said　Dr。　Bull　doubtfully。

〃Quite　so；〃　said　the　Colonel；　〃that　is　why　he　is　rich。〃

〃I　have　an　idea；〃　called　out　Dr。　Bull　suddenly；　〃how　much　would　he　take　to　give　us　a　lift　in　his　cart？　Those　dogs　are　all　on　foot；　and　we　could　soon　leave　them　behind。〃

〃Oh；　give　him　anything！〃　said　Syme　eagerly。　〃I　have　piles　of　money　on　me。〃

〃That　will　never　do；〃　said　the　Colonel；　〃he　will　never　have　any　respect　for　you　unless　you　drive　a　bargain。〃

〃Oh；　if　he　haggles！〃　began　Bull　impatiently。

〃Erie　haggles　because　he　is　a　free　man；〃　said　the　other。　〃You　do　not　understand；　he　would　not　see　the　meaning　of　generosity。　He　is　not　being　tipped。〃

And　even　while　they　seemed　to　hear　the　heavy　feet　of　their　strange　pursuers　behind　them；　they　had　to　stand　and　stamp　while　the　French　Colonel　talked　to　the　French　wood…cutter　with　all　the　leisurely　badinage　and　bickering　of　market…day。　At　the　end　of　the　four　minutes；　however；　they　saw　that　the　Colonel　was　right；　for　the　wood…cutter　entered　into　their　plans；　not　with　the　vague　servility　of　a　tout　too…well　paid；　but　with　the　seriousness　of　a　solicitor　who　had　been　paid　the　proper　fee。　He　told　them　that　the　best　thing　they　could　do　was　to　make　their　way　down　to　the　little　inn　on　the　hills　above　Lancy；　where　the　innkeeper；　an　old　soldier　who　had　become　devot　in　his　latter　years；　would　be　certain　to　sympathise　with　them；　and　even　to　take　risks　in　their　support。　The　whole　company；　therefore；　piled　themselves　on　top　of　the　stacks　of　wood；　and　went　rocking　in　the　rude　cart　down　the　other　and　steeper　side　of　the　woodland。　Heavy　and　ramshackle　as　was　the　vehicle；　it　was　driven　quickly　enough；　and　they　soon　had　the　exhilarating　impression　of　distancing　altogether　those；　whoever　they　were；　who　were　hunting　them。　For；　after　all；　the　riddle　as　to　where　the　anarchists　had　got　all　these　followers　was　still　unsolved。　One　man's　presence　had　sufficed　for　them；　they　had　fled　at　the　first　sight　of　the　deformed　smile　of　the　Secretary。　Syme　every　now　and　then　looked　back　over　his　shoulder　at　the　army　on　their　track。

As　the　wood　grew　first　thinner　and　then　smaller　with　distance；　he　could　see　the　sunlit　slopes　beyond　it　and　above　it；　and　across　these　was　still　moving　the　square　black　mob　like　one　monstrous　beetle。　In　the　very　strong　sunlight　and　with　his　own　very　strong　eyes；　which　were　almost　telescopic；　Syme　could　see　this　mass　of　men　quite　plainly。　He　could　see　them　as　separate　human　figures；　but　he　was　increasingly　surprised　by　the　way　in　which　they　moved　as　one　man。　They　seemed　to　be　dressed　in　dark　clothes　and　plain　hats；　like　any　common　crowd　out　of　the　streets；　but　they　did　not　spread　and　sprawl　and　trail　by　various　lines　to　the　attack；　as　would　be　natural　in　an　ordinary　mob。　They　moved　with　a　sort　of　dreadful　and　wicked　woodenness；　like　a　staring　army　of　automatons。

Syme　pointed　this　out　to　Ratcliffe。

〃Yes；〃　replied　the　policeman；　〃that's　discipline。　That's　Sunday。　He　is　perhaps　five　hundred　miles　off；　but　the　fear　of　him　is　on　all　of　them；　like　the　finger　of　God。　Yes；　they　are　walking　regularly；　and　you　bet　your　boots　that　they　are　talking　regularly；　yes；　and　thinking　regularly。　But　the　one　important　thing　for　us　is　that　they　are　disappearing　regularly。〃

Syme　nodded。　It　was　true　that　the　black　patch　of　the　pursuing　men　was　growing　smaller　and　smaller　as　the　peasant　belaboured　his　horse。

The　level　of　the　sunlit　landscape；　though　flat　as　a　whole；　fell　away　on　the　farther　side　of　the　wood　in　billows　of　heavy　slope　towards　the　sea；　in　a　way　not　unlike　the　lower　slopes　of　the　Sussex　downs。　The　only　difference　was　that　in　Sussex　the　road　would　have　been　broken　and　angular　like　a　little　brook；　but　here　the　white　French　road　fell　sheer　in　front　of　them　like　a　waterfall。　Down　this　direct　descent　the　cart　clattered　at　a　considerable　angle；　and　in　a　few　minutes；　the　road　growing　yet　steeper；　they　saw　below　them　the　little　harbour　of　Lancy　and　a　great　blue　arc　of　the　sea。　The　travelling　cloud　of　their　enemies　had　wholly　disappeared　from　the　horizon。

The　horse　and　cart　took　a　sharp　turn　round　a　clump　of　elms；　and　the　horse's　nose　nearly　struck　the　face　of　an　old　gentleman　who　was　sitting　on　the　benches　outside　the　little　cafe　of　〃Le　Soleil　d'Or。〃　The　peasant　grunted　an　apology；　and　got　down　from　his　seat。　The　others　also　descended　one　by　one；　and　spoke　to　the　old　gentleman　with　fragmentary　phrases　of　courtesy；　for　it　was　quite　evident　from　his　expansive　manner　that　he　was　the　owner　of　the　little　tavern。

He　was　a　white…haired；　apple…faced　old　boy；　with　sleepy　eyes　and　a　grey　moustache；　stout；　sedentary；　and　very　innocent；　of　a　type　that　may　often　be　found　in　France；　but　is　still　commoner　in　Catholic　Germany。　Everything　about　him；　his　pipe；　his　pot　of　beer；　his　flowers；　and　his　beehive；　suggested　an　ancestral　peace；　only　when　his　visitors　looked　up　as　they　entered　the　inn…parlour；　they　saw　the　sword　upon　the　wall。

The　Colonel；　who　greeted　the　innkeeper　as　an　old　friend；　passed　rapidly　into　the　inn…parlour；　and　sat　down　ordering　some　ritual　refreshment。　The　military　decision　of　his　action　interested　Syme；　who　sat　next　to　him；　and　he　took　the　opportunity　when　the　old　innkeeper　had　gone　out　of　satisfying　his　curiosity。

〃May　I　ask　you；　Colonel；〃　he　said　in　a　low　voice；　〃why　we　have　come　here？〃

Colonel　Ducroix　smiled　behind　his　bristly　white　moustache。

〃For　two　reasons；　sir；〃　he　said；　〃and　I　will　give　first；　not　the　most　important；　but　the　most　utilitarian。　We　came　here　because　this　is　the　only　place　within　twenty　miles　in　which　we　can　get　horses。〃

〃Horses！〃　repeated　Syme；　looking　up　quickly。

〃Yes；〃　replied　the　other；　〃if　you　people　are　really　to　distance　your　enemies　it　is　horses　or　nothing　for　you；　unless　of　course　you　have　bicycles　and　motor…cars　in　your　pocket。〃

〃And　where　do　you　advise　us　to　make　for？〃　asked　Syme　doubtfully。

〃Beyond　question；〃　replied　the　Colonel；　〃you　had　better　make　all　haste　to　the　police　station　beyond　the　town。　My　friend；　whom　I　seconded　under　somewhat　deceptive　circumstances；　seems　to　me　to　exaggerate　very　much　the　possibilities　of　a　general　rising；　but　even　he　would　hardly　maintain；　I　suppose；　that　you　were　not　safe　with　the　gendarmes。〃

Syme　nodded　gravely；　then　he　said　abruptly

〃And　your　other　reason　for　coming　here？〃

〃My　other　reason　for　coming　here；〃　said　Ducroix　soberly；　〃is　tha