the man who was thursday-第4节

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　grating；　and　on　this　Gregory　struck　five　times。　A　heavy　voice　with　a　foreign　accent　asked　him　who　he　was。　To　this　he　gave　the　more　or　less　unexpected　reply；　〃Mr。　Joseph　Chamberlain。〃　The　heavy　hinges　began　to　move；　it　was　obviously　some　kind　of　password。

Inside　the　doorway　the　passage　gleamed　as　if　it　were　lined　with　a　network　of　steel。　On　a　second　glance；　Syme　saw　that　the　glittering　pattern　was　really　made　up　of　ranks　and　ranks　of　rifles　and　revolvers；　closely　packed　or　interlocked。

〃I　must　ask　you　to　forgive　me　all　these　formalities；〃　said　Gregory；　〃we　have　to　be　very　strict　here。〃

〃Oh；　don't　apologise；〃　said　Syme。　〃I　know　your　passion　for　law　and　order；〃　and　he　stepped　into　the　passage　lined　with　the　steel　weapons。　With　his　long；　fair　hair　and　rather　foppish　frock…coat；　he　looked　a　singularly　frail　and　fanciful　figure　as　he　walked　down　that　shining　avenue　of　death。

They　passed　through　several　such　passages；　and　came　out　at　last　into　a　queer　steel　chamber　with　curved　walls；　almost　spherical　in　shape；　but　presenting；　with　its　tiers　of　benches；　something　of　the　appearance　of　a　scientific　lecture…theatre。　There　were　no　rifles　or　pistols　in　this　apartment；　but　round　the　walls　of　it　were　hung　more　dubious　and　dreadful　shapes；　things　that　looked　like　the　bulbs　of　iron　plants；　or　the　eggs　of　iron　birds。　They　were　bombs；　and　the　very　room　itself　seemed　like　the　inside　of　a　bomb。　Syme　knocked　his　cigar　ash　off　against　the　wall；　and　went　in。

〃And　now；　my　dear　Mr。　Syme；〃　said　Gregory；　throwing　himself　in　an　expansive　manner　on　the　bench　under　the　largest　bomb；　〃now　we　are　quite　cosy；　so　let　us　talk　properly。　Now　no　human　words　can　give　you　any　notion　of　why　I　brought　you　here。　It　was　one　of　those　quite　arbitrary　emotions；　like　jumping　off　a　cliff　or　falling　in　love。　Suffice　it　to　say　that　you　were　an　inexpressibly　irritating　fellow；　and；　to　do　you　justice；　you　are　still。　I　would　break　twenty　oaths　of　secrecy　for　the　pleasure　of　taking　you　down　a　peg。　That　way　you　have　of　lighting　a　cigar　would　make　a　priest　break　the　seal　of　confession。　Well；　you　said　that　you　were　quite　certain　I　was　not　a　serious　anarchist。　Does　this　place　strike　you　as　being　serious？〃

〃It　does　seem　to　have　a　moral　under　all　its　gaiety；〃　assented　Syme；　〃but　may　I　ask　you　two　questions？　You　need　not　fear　to　give　me　information；　because；　as　you　remember；　you　very　wisely　extorted　from　me　a　promise　not　to　tell　the　police；　a　promise　I　shall　certainly　keep。　So　it　is　in　mere　curiosity　that　I　make　my　queries。　First　of　all；　what　is　it　really　all　about？　What　is　it　you　object　to？　You　want　to　abolish　Government？〃

〃To　abolish　God！〃　said　Gregory；　opening　the　eyes　of　a　fanatic。　〃We　do　not　only　want　to　upset　a　few　despotisms　and　police　regulations；　that　sort　of　anarchism　does　exist；　but　it　is　a　mere　branch　of　the　Nonconformists。　We　dig　deeper　and　we　blow　you　higher。　We　wish　to　deny　all　those　arbitrary　distinctions　of　vice　and　virtue；　honour　and　treachery；　upon　which　mere　rebels　base　themselves。　The　silly　sentimentalists　of　the　French　Revolution　talked　of　the　Rights　of　Man！　We　hate　Rights　as　we　hate　Wrongs。　We　have　abolished　Right　and　Wrong。〃

〃And　Right　and　Left；〃　said　Syme　with　a　simple　eagerness；　〃I　hope　you　will　abolish　them　too。　They　are　much　more　troublesome　to　me。〃

〃You　spoke　of　a　second　question；〃　snapped　Gregory。

〃With　pleasure；〃　resumed　Syme。　〃In　all　your　present　acts　and　surroundings　there　is　a　scientific　attempt　at　secrecy。　I　have　an　aunt　who　lived　over　a　shop；　but　this　is　the　first　time　I　have　found　people　living　from　preference　under　a　public…house。　You　have　a　heavy　iron　door。　You　cannot　pass　it　without　submitting　to　the　humiliation　of　calling　yourself　Mr。　Chamberlain。　You　surround　yourself　with　steel　instruments　which　make　the　place；　if　I　may　say　so；　more　impressive　than　homelike。　May　I　ask　why；　after　taking　all　this　trouble　to　barricade　yourselves　in　the　bowels　of　the　earth；　you　then　parade　your　whole　secret　by　talking　about　anarchism　to　every　silly　woman　in　Saffron　Park？〃

Gregory　smiled。

〃The　answer　is　simple；〃　he　said。　〃I　told　you　I　was　a　serious　anarchist；　and　you　did　not　believe　me。　Nor　do　they　believe　me。　Unless　I　took　them　into　this　infernal　room　they　would　not　believe　me。〃

Syme　smoked　thoughtfully；　and　looked　at　him　with　interest。　Gregory　went　on。

〃The　history　of　the　thing　might　amuse　you；〃　he　said。　〃When　first　I　became　one　of　the　New　Anarchists　I　tried　all　kinds　of　respectable　disguises。　I　dressed　up　as　a　bishop。　I　read　up　all　about　bishops　in　our　anarchist　pamphlets；　in　Superstition　the　Vampire　and　Priests　of　Prey。　I　certainly　understood　from　them　that　bishops　are　strange　and　terrible　old　men　keeping　a　cruel　secret　from　mankind。　I　was　misinformed。　When　on　my　first　appearing　in　episcopal　gaiters　in　a　drawing…room　I　cried　out　in　a　voice　of　thunder；　'Down！　down！　presumptuous　human　reason！'　they　found　out　in　some　way　that　I　was　not　a　bishop　at　all。　I　was　nabbed　at　once。　Then　I　made　up　as　a　millionaire；　but　I　defended　Capital　with　so　much　intelligence　that　a　fool　could　see　that　I　was　quite　poor。　Then　I　tried　being　a　major。　Now　I　am　a　humanitarian　myself；　but　I　have；　I　hope；　enough　intellectual　breadth　to　understand　the　position　of　those　who；　like　Nietzsche；　admire　violencethe　proud；　mad　war　of　Nature　and　all　that；　you　know。　I　threw　myself　into　the　major。　I　drew　my　sword　and　waved　it　constantly。　I　called　out　'Blood！'　abstractedly；　like　a　man　calling　for　wine。　I　often　said；　'Let　the　weak　perish；　it　is　the　Law。'　Well；　well；　it　seems　majors　don't　do　this。　I　was　nabbed　again。　At　last　I　went　in　despair　to　the　President　of　the　Central　Anarchist　Council；　who　is　the　greatest　man　in　Europe。〃

〃What　is　his　name？〃　asked　Syme。

〃You　would　not　know　it；〃　answered　Gregory。　〃That　is　his　greatness。　Caesar　and　Napoleon　put　all　their　genius　into　being　heard　of；　and　they　were　heard　of。　He　puts　all　his　genius　into　not　being　heard　of；　and　he　is　not　heard　of。　But　you　cannot　be　for　five　minutes　in　the　room　with　him　without　feeling　that　Caesar　and　Napoleon　would　have　been　children　in　his　hands。〃

He　was　silent　and　even　pale　for　a　moment；　and　then　resumed

〃But　whenever　he　gives　advice　it　is　always　something　as　startling　as　an　epigram；　and　yet　as　practical　as　the　Bank　of　England。　I　said　to　him；　'What　disguise　will　hide　me　from　the　world？　What　can　I　find　more　respectable　than　bishops　and　majors？'　He　looked　at　me　with　his　large　but　indecipherable　face。　'You　want　a　safe　disguise；　do　you？　You　want　a　dress　which　will　guarantee　you　harmless；　a　dress　in　which　no　one　would　ever　look　for　a　bomb？'　I　nodded。　He　suddenly　lifted　his　lion's　voice。　'Why；　then；　dress　up　as　an　anarchist；　you　fool！'　he　roared　so　that　the　room　shook。　'Nobody　will　ever　expect　you　to　do　anything　dangerous　then。'　And　he　turned　his　broad　back　on　me　without　another　word。　I　took　his　advice；　and　have　never　regretted　it。　I　preached　blood　and　murder　to　those　women　day　and　night；　andby　God！they　would　let　me　wheel　their　perambulators。〃

Syme　sat　watching　him　with　some　respect　in　his　large；　blue　eyes。

〃You　took　me　in；〃　he　said。　〃It　is　really　a　smart　dodge。〃

Then　after　a　pause　he　added

〃What　do　you　call　this　tremendous　President　of　yours？〃

〃We　generally　call　him　Sunday；〃　replied　Gregory　with　simplicity。　'You　see；　there　are　seven　members　of　the　Central　Anarchist　Council；　and　they　are　named　after　days　of　the　week。　He　is　called　Sunday；　by　some　of　his　admirers　Bloody　Sunday。　It　is　curious　you　should　mention　the　matter；　because　the　very　night　you　have　dropped　in　（if　I　may　so　express　it）　is　the　night　on　which　our　London　branch；　which　assembles　in　this　room；　has　to　elect　its　own　deputy　to　fill　a　vacancy　in　the　Council。　The　gentleman　who　has　for　some　time　past　played；　with　propriety　and　general　applause；　the　difficult　part　of　Thursday；　has　died　quite　suddenly。　Consequently；　we　have　called　a　meeting　this　very　evening　to　elect　a　successor。〃

He　got　to　his　feet　and　strolled　across　the　room　with　a　sort　of　smiling　embarrassment。

〃I　feel　somehow　as　if　you　were　my　mother；　Syme；〃　he　continued　casually。　〃I　feel　that　I　can　confide　anything　to　you；　as　you　have　promised　to　tell　nobody。　In　fact；　I　will　confide　to　you　something　that　I　would　not　say　in　so　many　words　to　the　anarchists　who　will　be　coming　to　the　room　in　about　ten　minutes。　We　shall；　of　course；　go　through　a　form　of　election；　but　I　don't　mind　telling　you　that　it　is　practically　certain　what　the　result　will　be。〃　He　looked　down　for　a　moment　modestly。　〃It　is　almost　a　settled　thing　that　I　am　to　be　Thursday。〃

〃My　dear　fellow。〃　said　Syme　heartily；　〃I　congratulate　you。　A　great　career！〃

Gregory　smiled　in　deprecation；　and　walked　across　the　room；　talking　rapidly。

〃As　a　matter　of　fact；　everything　is　ready　for　me　on　this　table；〃　he　said；　〃and　the　ceremony　will　probably　be　the　shortest　possible。〃

Syme　also　strolled　across　to　the　table；　and　found　lying　across　it　a　walking…stick；　which　turned　out　on　examination　to　be　a　sword…stick；　a　large　Colt's　revolver；　a　sandwich　case；　and　a　formidable　flask　of　brandy。　Over　the　chair；　beside　the　table；　was　thrown　a　heavy…looking　cape　or　cloak。

〃I　have　only　to　get　the　form　of　election　finished；〃　continued　Gregory　with　animation；　〃then　I　snatch　up　this　cloak　and　stick；　stuff　these　other　things　into　my　pocket；