manalive-第18节

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I　do　not　speak　without　the　book；　any　more　than　my　learned　friend。
The　whole　matter　is　expounded　in　Dr。　Moonenschein's　monumental　work；
‘The　Destructible　Doctor；'　with　diagrams；　showing　the　various　ways
in　which　such　a　person　as　Dr。　Warner　may　be　resolved　into　his　elements。
In　the　light　of　these　facts〃

〃Hi；　stop　the　'bus！　stop　the　'bus！〃　cried　Moses；　jumping　up　and　down　and
gesticulating　in　great　excitement。　　〃My　principal's　got　something　to　say！
My　principal　wants　to　do　a　bit　of　talkin'。〃

Dr。　Pym　was　indeed　on　his　feet；　looking　pallid　and　rather　vicious。
〃I　have　strictly　CON…fined　myself；〃　he　said　nasally；
〃to　books　to　which　immediate　reference　can　be　made。
I　have　Sonnenschein's　‘Destructive　Type'　here　on　the　table；
if　the　defence　wish　to　see　it。　　Where　is　this　wonderful　work
on　Destructability　Mr。　Moon　is　talking　about？　　Does　it　exist？
Can　he　produce　it？〃

〃Produce　it！〃　cried　the　Irishman　with　a　rich　scorn。
〃I'll　produce　it　in　a　week　if　you'll　pay　for　the　ink　and　paper。〃

〃Would　it　have　much　authority？〃　asked　Pym；　sitting　down。

〃Oh；　authority！〃　said　Moon　lightly；　〃that　depends　on　a　fellow's　religion。〃

Dr。　Pym　jumped　up　again。　　〃Our　authority　is　based　on　masses
of　accurate　detail；〃　he　said。　　〃It　deals　with　a　region　in　which
things　can　be　handled　and　tested。　　My　opponent　will　at　least
admit　that　death　is　a　fact　of　experience。〃

〃Not　of　mine；〃　said　Moon　mournfully；　shaking　his　head。
〃I've　never　experienced　such　a　thing　in　all　my　life。〃

〃Well；　really；〃　said　Dr。　Pym；　and　sat　down　sharply　amid　a　crackle　of　papers。

〃So　we　see；〃　resumed　Moon；　in　the　same　melancholy　voice；　〃that　a
man　like　Dr。　Warner　is；　in　the　mysterious　workings　of　evolution；
doomed　to　such　attacks。　　My　client's　onslaught；　even　if　it　occurred；
was　not　unique。　　I　have　in　my　hand　letters　from　more　than　one　acquaintance
of　Dr。　Warner　whom　that　remarkable　man　has　affected　in　the　same　way。
Following　the　example　of　my　learned　friends　I　will　read　only　two　of　them。
The　first　is　from　an　honest　and　laborious　matron　living　off　the　Harrow　Road。


〃Mr。　Moon；　Sir；Yes；　I　did　throw　a　sorsepan　at　him。　　Wot　then？
It　was　all　I　had　to　throw；　all　the　soft　things　being　porned；
and　if　your　Docter　Warner　doesn't　like　having　sorsepans　thrown　at　him；
don't　let　him　wear　his　hat　in　a　respectable　woman's　parler；　and　tell
him　to　leave　orf　smiling　or　tell　us　the　joke。Yours　respectfully；
　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　Hannah　Miles。


〃The　other　letter　is　from　a　physician　of　some　note　in　Dublin；
with　whom　Dr。　Warner　was　once　engaged　in　consultation。
He　writes　as　follows：


〃Dear　Sir；The　incident　to　which　you　refer　is　one　which　I　regret；
and　which；　moreover；　I　have　never　been　able　to　explain。
My　own　branch　of　medicine　is　not　mental；　and　I　should　be　glad　to　have
the　view　of　a　mental　specialist　on　my　singular　momentary　and　indeed
almost　automatic　action。　　To　say　that　I　‘pulled　Dr。　Warner's　nose；'
is；　however；　inaccurate　in　a　respect　that　strikes　me　as　important。
That　I　punched　his　nose　I　must　cheerfully　admit　（I　need　not　say　with
what　regret）；　but　pulling　seems　to　me　to　imply　a　precision　of　objective
with　which　I　cannot　reproach　myself。　　In　comparison　with　this；　the　act
of　punching　was　an　outward；　instantaneous；　and　even　natural　gesture。
Believe　me；　yours　faithfully；　Burton　Lestrange。


〃I　have　numberless　other　letters；〃　continued　Moon；　〃all　bearing　witness
to　this　widespread　feeling　about　my　eminent　friend；　and　I　therefore　think
that　Dr。　Pym　should　have　admitted　this　side　of　the　question　in　his　survey。
We　are　in　the　presence；　as　Dr。　Pym　so　truly　says；　of　a　natural　force。
As　soon　stay　the　cataract　of　the　London　water…works　as　stay
the　great　tendency　of　Dr。　Warner　to　be　assassinated　by　somebody。
Place　that　man　in　a　Quakers'　meeting；　among　the　most　peaceful　of　Christians；
and　he　will　immediately　be　beaten　to　death　with　sticks　of　chocolate。
Place　him　among　the　angels　of　the　New　Jerusalem；　and　he　will　be　stoned
to　death　with　precious　stones。　　Circumstances　may　be　beautiful　and　wonderful；
the　average　may　be　heart…upholding；　the　harvester　may　be　golden…bearded；
the　doctor　may　be　secret…guessing；　the　cataract　may　be　iris…leapt；
the　Anglo…Saxon　infant　may　be　brave…browed；　but　against　and　above
all　these　prodigies　the　grand　simple　tendency　of　Dr。　Warner　to　get
murdered　will　still　pursue　its　way　until　it　happily　and　triumphantly
succeeds　at　last。〃

He　pronounced　this　peroration　with　an　appearance　of　strong　emotion。
But　even　stronger　emotions　were　manifesting　themselves　on　the　other
side　of　the　table。　　Dr。　Warner　had　leaned　his　large　body　quite　across
the　little　figure　of　Moses　Gould　and　was　talking　in　excited　whispers
to　Dr。　Pym。　　That　expert　nodded　a　great　many　times　and　finally　started
to　his　feet　with　a　sincere　expression　of　sternness。

〃Ladies　and　gentlemen；〃　he　cried　indignantly；　〃as　my　colleague　has　said；
we　should　be　delighted　to　give　any　latitude　to　the　defenceif　there
were　a　defence。　　But　Mr。　Moon　seems　to　think　he　is　there　to　make　jokes
very　good　jokes　I　dare　say；　but　not　at　all　adapted　to　assist　his　client。
He　picks　holes　in　science。　　He　picks　holes　in　my　client's　social　popularity。
He　picks　holes　in　my　literary　style；　which　doesn't　seem　to　suit　his　high…toned
European　taste。　　But　how　does　this　picking　of　holes　affect　the　issue？
This　Smith　has　picked　two　holes　in　my　client's　hat；　and　with　an　inch　better
aim　would　have　picked　two　holes　in　his　head。　　All　the　jokes　in　the　world
won't　unpick　those　holes　or　be　any　use　for　the　defence。〃

Inglewood　looked　down　in　some　embarrassment；　as　if　shaken　by　the　evident
fairness　of　this；　but　Moon　still　gazed　at　his　opponent　in　a　dreamy　way。
〃The　defence？〃　he　said　vaguely〃oh；　I　haven't　begun　that　yet。〃

〃You　certainly　have　not；〃　said　Pym　warmly；　amid　a　murmur　of　applause
from　his　side；　which　the　other　side　found　it　impossible　to　answer。
〃Perhaps；　if　you　have　any　defence；　which　has　been　doubtful　from
the　very　beginning〃

〃While　you're　standing　up；〃　said　Moon；　in　the　same　almost　sleepy　style；
〃perhaps　I　might　ask　you　a　question。〃

〃A　question？　　Certainly；〃　said　Pym　stiffly。　　〃It　was　distinctly
arranged　between　us　that　as　we　could　not　cross…examine
the　witnesses；　we　might　vicariously　cross…examine　each　other。
We　are　in　a　position　to　invite　all　such　inquiry。〃

〃I　think　you　said；〃　observed　Moon　absently；　〃that　none　of　the　prisoner's
shots　really　hit　the　doctor。〃

〃For　the　cause　of　science；〃　cried　the　complacent　Pym；　〃fortunately　not。〃

〃Yet　they　were　fired　from　a　few　feet　away。〃

〃Yes；　about　four　feet。〃

〃And　no　shots　hit　the　Warden；　though　they　were　fired　quite　close
to　him　too？〃　asked　Moon。

〃That　is　so；〃　said　the　witness　gravely。

〃I　think；〃　said　Moon；　suppressing　a　slight　yawn；　〃that　your　Sub…Warden
mentioned　that　Smith　was　one　of　the　University's　record　men　for　shooting。〃

〃Why；　as　to　that〃　began　Pym；　after　an　instant　of　stillness。

〃A　second　question；〃　continued　Moon；　comparatively　curtly。
〃You　said　there　were　other　cases　of　the　accused　trying　to　kill　people。
Why　have　you　not　got　evidence　of　them？〃

The　American　planted　the　points　of　his　fingers　on　the　table　again。
〃In　those　cases；〃　he　said　precisely；　〃there　was　no　evidence　from　outsiders；
as　in　the　Cambridge　case；　but　only　the　evidence　of　the　actual　victims。〃

〃Why　didn't　you　get　their　evidence？〃

〃In　the　case　of　the　actual　victims；〃　said　Pym；　〃there　was　some　difficulty
and　reluctance；　and〃

〃Do　you　mean；〃　asked　Moon；　〃that　none　of　the　actual　victims　would
appear　against　the　prisoner？〃

〃That　would　be　exaggerative；〃　began　the　other。

〃A　third　question；〃　said　Moon；　so　sharply　that　every　one　jumped。
〃You've　got　the　evidence　of　the　Sub…Warden　who　heard　some　shots；
where's　the　evidence　of　the　Warden　himself　who　was　shot　at？
The　Warden　of　Brakespeare　lives；　a　prosperous　gentleman。〃

〃We　did　ask　for　a　statement　from　him；〃　said　Pym　a　little　nervously；
〃but　it　was　so　eccentrically　expressed　that　we　suppressed　it　out
of　deference　to　an　old　gentleman　whose　past　services　to　science
have　been　great。〃

Moon　leaned　forward。　　〃You　mean；　I　suppose；〃　he　said；　〃that　his　statement
was　favourable　to　the　prisoner。〃

〃It　might　be　understood　so；〃　replied　the　American　doctor；
〃but；　really；　it　was　difficult　to　understand　at　all。
In　fact；　we　sent　it　back　to　him。〃

〃You　have　no　longer；　then；　any　statement　signed　by　the　Warden　of　Brakespeare。〃

〃No。〃

〃I　only　ask；〃　said　Michael　quietly；　〃because　we　have。
To　conclude　my　case　I　will　ask　my　junior；　Mr。　Inglewood；
to　read　a　statement　of　the　true　storya　statement　attested
as　true　by　the　signature　of　the　Warden　himself。〃

Arthur　Inglewood　rose　with　several　papers　in　his　hand；　and　though
he　looked　somewhat　refined　and　self…effacing；　as　he　always　did；
the　spectators　were　surprised　to　feel　that　his　presence　was；
upon　the　whole；　more　efficient　and　sufficing　than　his　leader's。　He　was；
in　truth；　one　of　those　modest　men　who　cannot　speak　until　they　are　told
to　speak；　and　then　can　speak　well。　　Moon　was　entirely　the　opposite。
His　own　impudences　amused　him　in　private；　but　they　slightly
embarrassed　him　in　public；　he　felt　a　fool　while　he　was　speaking；
whereas　Inglewood　felt　a　fool　only　because　he　could　not　speak。