manalive-第16节

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〃Arthur；〃　said　Michael；　〃I　began　with　an　intuition；　but　now　I　am　sure。
You　and　I　are　going　to　defend　this　friend　of　yours　before　the　blessed　Court
of　Beacon；　and　to　clear　him　tooclear　him　of　both　crime　and　lunacy。
Just　listen　to　me　while　I　preach　to　you　for　a　bit。〃　　They　walked　up
and　down　the　darkening　garden　together　as　Michael　Moon　went　on。

〃Can　you；〃　asked　Michael；　〃shut　your　eyes　and　see　some　of　those　queer　old
hieroglyphics　they　stuck　up　on　white　walls　in　the　old　hot　countries。
How　stiff　they　were　in　shape　and　yet　how　gaudy　in　colour。
Think　of　some　alphabet　of　arbitrary　figures　picked　out　in　black　and　red；
or　white　and　green；　with　some　old　Semitic　crowd　of　Nosey　Gould's
ancestors　staring　at　it；　and　try　to　think　why　the　people　put　it
up　at　all。〃

Inglewood's　first　instinct　was　to　think　that　his　perplexing　friend
had　really　gone　off　his　head　at　last；　there　seemed　so　reckless
a　flight　of　irrelevancy　from　the　tropic…pictured　walls　he　was
asked　to　imagine　to　the　gray；　wind…swept；　and　somewhat　chilly
suburban　garden　in　which　he　was　actually　kicking　his　heels。
How　he　could　be　more　happy　in　one　by　imagining　the　other　he　could
not　conceive。　　Both　（in　themselves）　were　unpleasant。

〃Why　does　everybody　repeat　riddles；〃　went　on　Moon　abruptly；
〃even　if　they've　forgotten　the　answers？　　Riddles　are　easy　to　remember
because　they　are　hard　to　guess。　　So　were　those　stiff　old　symbols
in　black；　red；　or　green　easy　to　remember　because　they　had　been　hard
to　guess。　　Their　colours　were　plain。　　Their　shapes　were　plain。
Everything　was　plain　except　the　meaning。〃

Inglewood　was　about　to　open　his　mouth　in　an　amiable　protest；　but　Moon
went　on；　plunging　quicker　and　quicker　up　and　down　the　garden　and　smoking
faster　and　faster。　　〃Dances；　too；〃　he　said；　〃dances　were　not　frivolous。
Dances　were　harder　to　understand　than　inscriptions　and　texts。
The　old　dances　were　stiff；　ceremonial；　highly　coloured　but　silent。
Have　you　noticed　anything　odd　about　Smith？〃

〃Well；　really；〃　cried　Inglewood；　left　behind　in　a　collapse　of　humour；
〃have　I　noticed　anything　else？〃

〃Have　you　noticed　this　about　him；〃　asked　Moon；　with　unshaken　persistency；
〃that　he　has　done　so　much　and　said　so　little？　　When　first　he　came　he　talked；
but　in　a　gasping；　irregular　sort　of　way；　as　if　he　wasn't　used　to　it。
All　he　really　did　was　actionspainting　red　flowers　on　black　gowns　or　throwing
yellow　bags　on　to　the　grass。　　I　tell　you　that　big　green　figure　is　figurative
like　any　green　figure　capering　on　some　white　Eastern　wall。〃

〃My　dear　Michael；〃　cried　Inglewood；　in　a　rising　irritation　which　increased
with　the　rising　wind；　〃you　are　getting　absurdly　fanciful。〃

〃I　think　of　what　has　just　happened；〃　said　Michael　steadily。
〃The　man　has　not　spoken　for　hours；　and　yet　he　has　been　speaking
all　the　time。　　He　fired　three　shots　from　a　six…shooter　and　then
gave　it　up　to　us；　when　he　might　have　shot　us　dead　in　our　boots。
How　could　he　express　his　trust　in　us　better　than　that？
He　wanted　to　be　tried　by　us。　　How　could　he　have　shown　it　better
than　by　standing　quite　still　and　letting　us　discuss　it？
He　wanted　to　show　that　he　stood　there　willingly；
and　could　escape　if　he　liked。　　How　could　he　have　shown　it
better　than　by　escaping　in　the　cab　and　coming　back　again？
Innocent　Smith　is　not　a　madmanhe　is　a　ritualist。　　He　wants　to
express　himself；　not　with　his　tongue；　but　with　his　arms　and　legs
with　my　body　I　thee　worship；　as　it　says　in　the　marriage　service。
I　begin　to　understand　the　old　plays　and　pageants。　　I　see　why
the　mutes　at　a　funeral　were　mute。　　I　see　why　the　mummers　were　mum。
They　MEANT　something；　and　Smith　means　something　too。
All　other　jokes　have　to　be　noisylike　little　Nosey　Gould's　jokes；
for　instance。　　The　only　silent　jokes　are　the　practical　jokes。
Poor　Smith；　properly　considered；　is　an　allegorical　practical　joker。
What　he　has　really　done　in　this　house　has　been　as　frantic
as　a　war…dance；　but　as　silent　as　a　picture。〃

〃I　suppose　you　mean；〃　said　the　other　dubiously；　〃that　we　have　got　to　find　out
what　all　these　crimes　meant；　as　if　they　were　so　many　coloured　picture…puzzles。
But　even　supposing　that　they　do　mean　somethingwhy；　Lord　bless　my　soul！〃

Taking　the　turn　of　the　garden　quite　naturally；　he　had　lifted
his　eyes　to　the　moon；　by　this　time　risen　big　and　luminous；
and　had　seen　a　huge；　half…human　figure　sitting　on　the　garden　wall。
It　was　outlined　so　sharply　against　the　moon　that　for　the　first　flash
it　was　hard　to　be　certain　even　that　it　was　human：　　the　hunched
shoulders　and　outstanding　hair　had　rather　the　air　of　a　colossal　cat。
It　resembled　a　cat　also　in　the　fact　that　when　first　startled　it
sprang　up　and　ran　with　easy　activity　along　the　top　of　the　wall。
As　it　ran；　however；　its　heavy　shoulders　and　small　stooping　head
rather　suggested　a　baboon。　　The　instant　it　came　within　reach
of　a　tree　it　made　an　ape…like　leap　and　was　lost　in　the　branches。
The　gale；　which　by　this　time　was　shaking　every　shrub　in　the　garden；
made　the　identification　yet　more　difficult；　since　it　melted
the　moving　limbs　of　the　fugitive　in　the　multitudinous　moving
limbs　of　the　tree。

〃Who　is　there？〃　shouted　Arthur。　　〃Who　are　you？　　Are　you　Innocent？〃

〃Not　quite；〃　answered　an　obscure　voice　among　the　leaves。
〃I　cheated　you　once　about　a　penknife。〃

The　wind　in　the　garden　had　gathered　strength；　and　was　throwing　the　tree
backwards　and　forwards　with　the　man　in　the　thick　of　it；　just　as　it
had　on　the　gay　and　golden　afternoon　when　he　had　first　arrived。

〃But　are　you　Smith？〃　asked　Inglewood　as　in　an　agony。

〃Very　nearly；〃　said　the　voice　out　of　the　tossing　tree。

〃But　you　must　have　some　real　names；〃　shrieked　Inglewood　in　despair。
〃You　must　call　yourself　something。〃

〃Call　myself　something；〃　thundered　the　obscure　voice；　shaking　the　tree
so　that　all　its　ten　thousand　leaves　seemed　to　be　talking　at　once。
〃I　call　myself　Roland　Oliver　Isaiah　Charlemagne　Arthur　Hildebrand
Homer　Danton　Michaelangelo　Shakespeare　Brakespeare〃

〃But；　manalive！〃　began　Inglewood　in　exasperation。

〃That's　right！　that's　right！〃　came　with　a　roar　out　of　the　rocking　tree；
〃that's　my　real　name。〃　　And　he　broke　a　branch；　and　one　or　two　autumn
leaves　fluttered　away　across　the　moon。




　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　Part　II

　　　　　　　　　　　　　The　Explanations　of　Innocent　Smith




　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　Chapter　I

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　The　Eye　of　Death；
　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　or；　the　Murder　Charge


The　dining…room　of　the　Dukes　had　been　set　out　for　the　Court
of　Beacon　with　a　certain　impromptu　pomposity　that　seemed　somehow
to　increase　its　cosiness。　　The　big　room　was；　as　it　were；
cut　up　into　small　rooms；　with　walls　only　waist　highthe　sort
of　separation　that　children　make　when　they　are　playing　at　shops。
This　had　been　done　by　Moses　Gould　and　Michael　Moon
（the　two　most　active　members　of　this　remarkable　inquiry）
with　the　ordinary　furniture　of　the　place。　　At　one　end　of　the　long
mahogany　table　was　set　the　one　enormous　garden　chair；　which　was
surmounted　by　the　old　torn　tent　or　umbrella　which　Smith　himself
had　suggested　as　a　coronation　canopy。　　Inside　this　erection
could　be　perceived　the　dumpy　form　of　Mrs。　Duke；　with　cushions
and　a　form　of　countenance　that　already　threatened　slumber。
At　the　other　end　sat　the　accused　Smith；　in　a　kind　of　dock；
for　he　was　carefully　fenced　in　with　a　quadrilateral　of　light
bedroom　chairs；　any　of　which　he　could　have　tossed　out　the　window
with　his　big　toe。　　He　had　been　provided　with　pens　and　paper；
out　of　the　latter　of　which　he　made　paper　boats；　paper　darts；
and　paper　dolls　contentedly　throughout　the　whole　proceedings。
He　never　spoke　or　even　looked　up；　but　seemed　as　unconscious
as　a　child　on　the　floor　of　an　empty　nursery。

On　a　row　of　chairs　raised　high　on　the　top　of　a　long　settee　sat
the　three　young　ladies　with　their　backs　up　against　the　window；
and　Mary　Gray　in　the　middle；　it　was　something　between　a　jury
box　and　the　stall　of　the　Queen　of　Beauty　at　a　tournament。
Down　the　centre　of　the　long　table　Moon　had　built　a　low　barrier
out　of　eight　bound　volumes　of　〃Good　Words〃　to　express　the　moral
wall　that　divided　the　conflicting　parties。　　On　the　right　side
sat　the　two　advocates　of　the　prosecution；　Dr。　Pym　and　Mr。　Gould；
behind　a　barricade　of　books　and　documents；　chiefly　（in　the　case
of　Dr。　Pym）　solid　volumes　of　criminology。　　On　the　other　side；
Moon　and　Inglewood；　for　the　defence；　were　also　fortified
with　books　and　papers；　but　as　these　included　several　old　yellow
volumes　by　Ouida　and　Wilkie　Collins；　the　hand　of　Mr。　Moon
seemed　to　have　been　somewhat　careless　and　comprehensive。
As　for　the　victim　and　prosecutor；　Dr。　Warner；　Moon　wanted　at　first
to　have　him　kept　entirely　behind　a　high　screen　in　the　court；
urging　the　indelicacy　of　his　appearance　in　court；　but　privately
assuring　him　of　an　unofficial　permission　to　peep　over　the　top
now　and　then。　　Dr。　Warner；　however；　failed　to　rise　to　the　chivalry
of　such　a　course；　and　after　some　little　disturbance　and　discussion
he　was　accommodated　with　a　seat　on　the　right　side　of　the　table
in　a　line　with　his　legal　advisers。

It　was　before　this　solidly…established　tribunal　that　Dr。　Cyrus　Pym；
after　passing　a　hand　through　the　honey…coloured　hair　over　each　ear；
rose　to　open　the　case。　　His　statement　was　clear　and　even　restrai