the man who was thursday-第30节

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〃My　reason　is　quite　simple；〃　said　Syme。　〃I　attack　him　rashly　because　I　am　afraid　of　him。〃

They　followed　Syme　up　the　dark　stair　in　silence；　and　they　all　came　out　simultaneously　into　the　broad　sunlight　of　the　morning　and　the　broad　sunlight　of　Sunday's　smile。

〃Delightful！〃　he　said。　〃So　pleased　to　see　you　all。　What　an　exquisite　day　it　is。　Is　the　Czar　dead？〃

The　Secretary；　who　happened　to　be　foremost；　drew　himself　together　for　a　dignified　outburst。

〃No；　sir；〃　he　said　sternly　〃there　has　been　no　massacre。　I　bring　you　news　of　no　such　disgusting　spectacles。〃

〃Disgusting　spectacles？〃　repeated　the　President；　with　a　bright；　inquiring　smile。　〃You　mean　Dr。　Bull's　spectacles？〃

The　Secretary　choked　for　a　moment；　and　the　President　went　on　with　a　sort　of　smooth　appeal

〃Of　course；　we　all　have　our　opinions　and　even　our　eyes；　but　really　to　call　them　disgusting　before　the　man　himself〃

Dr。　Bull　tore　off　his　spectacles　and　broke　them　on　the　table。

〃My　spectacles　are　blackguardly；〃　he　said；　〃but　I'm　not。　Look　at　my　face。〃

〃I　dare　say　it's　the　sort　of　face　that　grows　on　one；〃　said　the　President；　〃in　fact；　it　grows　on　you；　and　who　am　I　to　quarrel　with　the　wild　fruits　upon　the　Tree　of　Life？　I　dare　say　it　will　grow　on　me　some　day。〃

〃We　have　no　time　for　tomfoolery；〃　said　the　Secretary；　breaking　in　savagely。　〃We　have　come　to　know　what　all　this　means。　Who　are　you？　What　are　you？　Why　did　you　get　us　all　here？　Do　you　know　who　and　what　we　are？　Are　you　a　half…witted　man　playing　the　conspirator；　or　are　you　a　clever　man　playing　the　fool？　Answer　me；　I　tell　you。〃

〃Candidates；〃　murmured　Sunday；　〃are　only　required　to　answer　eight　out　of　the　seventeen　questions　on　the　paper。　As　far　as　I　can　make　out；　you　want　me　to　tell　you　what　I　am；　and　what　you　are；　and　what　this　table　is；　and　what　this　Council　is；　and　what　this　world　is　for　all　I　know。　Well；　I　will　go　so　far　as　to　rend　the　veil　of　one　mystery。　If　you　want　to　know　what　you　are；　you　are　a　set　of　highly　well…intentioned　young　jackasses。〃

〃And　you；〃　said　Syme；　leaning　forward；　〃what　are　you？〃

〃I？　What　am　I？〃　roared　the　President；　and　he　rose　slowly　to　an　incredible　height；　like　some　enormous　wave　about　to　arch　above　them　and　break。　〃You　want　to　know　what　I　am；　do　you？　Bull；　you　are　a　man　of　science。　Grub　in　the　roots　of　those　trees　and　find　out　the　truth　about　them。　Syme；　you　are　a　poet。　Stare　at　those　morning　clouds。　But　I　tell　you　this；　that　you　will　have　found　out　the　truth　of　the　last　tree　and　the　top…most　cloud　before　the　truth　about　me。　You　will　understand　the　sea；　and　I　shall　be　still　a　riddle；　you　shall　know　what　the　stars　are；　and　not　know　what　I　am。　Since　the　beginning　of　the　world　all　men　have　hunted　me　like　a　wolfkings　and　sages；　and　poets　and　lawgivers；　all　the　churches；　and　all　the　philosophies。　But　I　have　never　been　caught　yet；　and　the　skies　will　fall　in　the　time　I　turn　to　bay。　I　have　given　them　a　good　run　for　their　money；　and　I　will　now。〃

Before　one　of　them　could　move；　the　monstrous　man　had　swung　himself　like　some　huge　ourang…outang　over　the　balustrade　of　the　balcony。　Yet　before　he　dropped　he　pulled　himself　up　again　as　on　a　horizontal　bar；　and　thrusting　his　great　chin　over　the　edge　of　the　balcony；　said　solemnly

〃There's　one　thing　I'll　tell　you　though　about　who　I　am。　I　am　the　man　in　the　dark　room；　who　made　you　all　policemen。〃

With　that　he　fell　from　the　balcony；　bouncing　on　the　stones　below　like　a　great　ball　of　india…rubber；　and　went　bounding　off　towards　the　corner　of　the　Alhambra；　where　he　hailed　a　hansom…cab　and　sprang　inside　it。　The　six　detectives　had　been　standing　thunderstruck　and　livid　in　the　light　of　his　last　assertion；　but　when　he　disappeared　into　the　cab；　Syme's　practical　senses　returned　to　him；　and　leaping　over　the　balcony　so　recklessly　as　almost　to　break　his　legs；　he　called　another　cab。

He　and　Bull　sprang　into　the　cab　together；　the　Professor　and　the　Inspector　into　another；　while　the　Secretary　and　the　late　Gogol　scrambled　into　a　third　just　in　time　to　pursue　the　flying　Syme；　who　was　pursuing　the　flying　President。　Sunday　led　them　a　wild　chase　towards　the　north…west；　his　cabman；　evidently　under　the　influence　of　more　than　common　inducements；　urging　the　horse　at　breakneck　speed。　But　Syme　was　in　no　mood　for　delicacies；　and　he　stood　up　in　his　own　cab　shouting；　〃Stop　thief！〃　until　crowds　ran　along　beside　his　cab；　and　policemen　began　to　stop　and　ask　questions。　All　this　had　its　influence　upon　the　President's　cabman；　who　began　to　look　dubious；　and　to　slow　down　to　a　trot。　He　opened　the　trap　to　talk　reasonably　to　his　fare；　and　in　so　doing　let　the　long　whip　droop　over　the　front　of　the　cab。　Sunday　leant　forward；　seized　it；　and　jerked　it　violently　out　of　the　man's　hand。　Then　standing　up　in　front　of　the　cab　himself；　he　lashed　the　horse　and　roared　aloud；　so　that　they　went　down　the　streets　like　a　flying　storm。　Through　street　after　street　and　square　after　square　went　whirling　this　preposterous　vehicle；　in　which　the　fare　was　urging　the　horse　and　the　driver　trying　desperately　to　stop　it。　The　other　three　cabs　came　after　it　（if　the　phrase　be　permissible　of　a　cab）　like　panting　hounds。　Shops　and　streets　shot　by　like　rattling　arrows。

At　the　highest　ecstacy　of　speed；　Sunday　turned　round　on　the　splashboard　where　he　stood；　and　sticking　his　great　grinning　head　out　of　the　cab；　with　white　hair　whistling　in　the　wind；　he　made　a　horrible　face　at　his　pursuers；　like　some　colossal　urchin。　Then　raising　his　right　hand　swiftly；　he　flung　a　ball　of　paper　in　Syme's　face　and　vanished。　Syme　caught　the　thing　while　instinctively　warding　it　off；　and　discovered　that　it　consisted　of　two　crumpled　papers。　One　was　addressed　to　himself；　and　the　other　to　Dr。　Bull；　with　a　very　long；　and　it　is　to　be　feared　partly　ironical；　string　of　letters　after　his　name。　Dr。　Bull's　address　was；　at　any　rate；　considerably　longer　than　his　communication；　for　the　communication　consisted　entirely　of　the　words：

〃What　about　Martin　Tupper　now？〃

〃What　does　the　old　maniac　mean？〃　asked　Bull；　staring　at　the　words。　〃What　does　yours　say；　Syme？〃

Syme's　message　was；　at　any　rate；　longer；　and　ran　as　follows：

〃No　one　would　regret　anything　in　the　nature　of　an　interference　by　the　Archdeacon　more　than　I。　I　trust　it　will　not　come　to　that。　But；　for　the　last　time；　where　are　your　goloshes？　The　thing　is　too　bad；　especially　after　what　uncle　said。〃

The　President's　cabman　seemed　to　be　regaining　some　control　over　his　horse；　and　the　pursuers　gained　a　little　as　they　swept　round　into　the　Edgware　Road。　And　here　there　occurred　what　seemed　to　the　allies　a　providential　stoppage。　Traffic　of　every　kind　was　swerving　to　right　or　left　or　stopping；　for　down　the　long　road　was　coming　the　unmistakable　roar　announcing　the　fire…engine；　which　in　a　few　seconds　went　by　like　a　brazen　thunderbolt。　But　quick　as　it　went　by；　Sunday　had　bounded　out　of　his　cab；　sprung　at　the　fire…engine；　caught　it；　slung　himself　on　to　it；　and　was　seen　as　he　disappeared　in　the　noisy　distance　talking　to　the　astonished　fireman　with　explanatory　gestures。

〃After　him！〃　howled　Syme。　〃He　can't　go　astray　now。　There's　no　mistaking　a　fire…engine。〃

The　three　cabmen；　who　had　been　stunned　for　a　moment；　whipped　up　their　horses　and　slightly　decreased　the　distance　between　themselves　and　their　disappearing　prey。　The　President　acknowledged　this　proximity　by　coming　to　the　back　of　the　car；　bowing　repeatedly；　kissing　his　hand；　and　finally　flinging　a　neatly…folded　note　into　the　bosom　of　Inspector　Ratcliffe。　When　that　gentleman　opened　it；　not　without　impatience；　he　found　it　contained　the　words：

〃Fly　at　once。　The　truth　about　your　trouser…stretchers　is　known。　A　FRIEND。〃

The　fire…engine　had　struck　still　farther　to　the　north；　into　a　region　that　they　did　not　recognise；　and　as　it　ran　by　a　line　of　high　railings　shadowed　with　trees；　the　six　friends　were　startled；　but　somewhat　relieved；　to　see　the　President　leap　from　the　fire…engine；　though　whether　through　another　whim　or　the　increasing　protest　of　his　entertainers　they　could　not　see。　Before　the　three　cabs；　however；　could　reach　up　to　the　spot；　he　had　gone　up　the　high　railings　like　a　huge　grey　cat；　tossed　himself　over；　and　vanished　in　a　darkness　of　leaves。

Syme　with　a　furious　gesture　stopped　his　cab；　jumped　out；　and　sprang　also　to　the　escalade。　When　he　had　one　leg　over　the　fence　and　his　friends　were　following；　he　turned　a　face　on　them　which　shone　quite　pale　in　the　shadow。

〃What　place　can　this　be？〃　he　asked。　〃Can　it　be　the　old　devil's　house？　I've　heard　he　has　a　house　in　North　London。〃

〃All　the　better；〃　said　the　Secretary　grimly；　planting　a　foot　in　a　foothold；　〃we　shall　find　him　at　home。〃

〃No；　but　it　isn't　that；〃　said　Syme；　knitting　his　brows。　〃I　hear　the　most　horrible　noises；　like　devils　laughing　and　sneezing　and　blowing　their　devilish　noses！〃

〃His　dogs　barking；　of　course；〃　said　the　Secretary。

〃Why　not　say　his　black…beetles　barking！〃　said　Syme　furiously；　〃snails　barking！　geraniums　barking！　Did　you　ever　hear　a　dog　bark　like　that？〃

He　held　up　his　hand；　and　there　came　out　of　the　thicket　a　long　growling　roar　that　seemed　to　get　under　the　skin　and　freeze　the　flesha　low　thrilling　roar　that　made　a　throbbing　in　the　air　all　about　them。

〃The　dogs　of　Sunday　would　be　no　ordinary　dogs；〃　said　Gogol；　and　shuddered。

Syme　had　jumped　down　on　the　othe