manalive-第22节

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


in　the　opinion　of　the　undersigned　persons；　new　in　the　art　of　letters。
Each　of　the　two　actors　is　described　as　he　appeared　to　the　other。
But　the　undersigned　persons　absolutely　guarantee　the　exactitude
of　the　story；　and　if　their　version　of　the　thing　be　questioned；　they；
the　undersigned　persons；　would　deucedly　well　like　to　know　who　does
know　about　it　if　they　don't。

〃The　undersigned　persons　will　now　adjourn　to　‘The　Spotted　Dog'
for　beer。　　Farewell。

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　〃（Signed）　James　Emerson　Eames；
　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　〃Warden　of　Brakespeare　College；　Cambridge。

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　〃Innocent　Smith。〃





　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　Chapter　II

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　The　Two　Curates；
　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　or；　the　Burglary　Charge


Arthur　Inglewood　handed　the　document　he　had　just　read　to　the　leaders
of　the　prosecution；　who　examined　it　with　their　heads　together。
Both　the　Jew　and　the　American　were　of　sensitive　and　excitable　stocks；
and　they　revealed　by　the　jumpings　and　bumpings　of　the　black　head　and　the
yellow　that　nothing　could　be　done　in　the　way　of　denial　of　the　document。
The　letter　from　the　Warden　was　as　authentic　as　the　letter　from　the
Sub…Warden；　however　regrettably　different　in　dignity　and　social　tone。

〃Very　few　words；〃　said　Inglewood；　〃are　required　to　conclude
our　case　in　this　matter。　　Surely　it　is　now　plain　that　our　client
carried　his　pistol　about　with　the　eccentric　but　innocent
purpose　of　giving　a　wholesome　scare　to　those　whom　he　regarded
as　blasphemers。　　In　each　case　the　scare　was　so　wholesome
that　the　victim　himself　has　dated　from　it　as　from　a　new　birth。
Smith；　so　far　from　being　a　madman；　is　rather　a　mad　doctor
he　walks　the　world　curing　frenzies　and　not　distributing　them。
That　is　the　answer　to　the　two　unanswerable　questions　which　I
put　to　the　prosecutors。　　That　is　why　they　dared　not　produce
a　line　by　any　one　who　had　actually　confronted　the　pistol。
All　who　had　actually　confronted　the　pistol　confessed　that　they
had　profited　by　it。　　That　was　why　Smith；　though　a　good　shot；
never　hit　anybody。　　He　never　hit　anybody　because　he　was　a　good　shot。
His　mind　was　as　clear　of　murder　as　his　hands　are　of　blood。
This；　I　say；　is　the　only　possible　explanation　of　these　facts
and　of　all　the　other　facts。　　No　one　can　possibly　explain
the　Warden's　conduct　except　by　believing　the　Warden's　story。
Even　Dr。　Pym；　who　is　a　very　factory　of　ingenious　theories；
could　find　no　other　theory　to　cover　the　case。〃

〃There　are　promising　per…spectives　in　hypnotism　and　dual　personality；〃
said　Dr。　Cyrus　Pym　dreamily；　〃the　science　of　criminology　is　in
its　infancy；　and〃

〃Infancy！〃　cried　Moon；　jerking　his　red　pencil　in　the　air　with　a　gesture
of　enlightenment；　〃why；　that　explains　it！〃

〃I　repeat；〃　proceeded　Inglewood；　〃that　neither　Dr。　Pym　nor　any　one　else
can　account　on　any　other　theory　but　ours　for　the　Warden's　signature；
for　the　shots　missed　and　the　witnesses　missing。〃

The　little　Yankee　had　slipped　to　his　feet　with　some　return
of　a　cock…fighting　coolness。　　〃The　defence；〃　he　said；
〃omits　a　coldly　colossal　fact。　　They　say　we　produce　none　of
the　actual　victims。　　Wal；　here　is　one　victimEngland's　celebrated
and　stricken　Warner。　　I　reckon　he　is　pretty　well　produced。
And　they　suggest　that　all　the　outrages　were　followed
by　reconciliation。　　Wal；　there's　no　flies　on　England's　Warner；
and　he　isn't　reconciliated　much。〃

〃My　learned　friend；〃　said　Moon；　getting　elaborately　to　his　feet；
〃must　remember　that　the　science　of　shooting　Dr。　Warner　is　in　its　infancy。
Dr。　Warner　would　strike　the　idlest　eye　as　one　specially　difficult　to　startle
into　any　recognition　of　the　glory　of　God。　　We　admit　that　our　client；
in　this　one　instance；　failed；　and　that　the　operation　was　not　successful。
But　I　am　empowered　to　offer；　on　behalf　of　my　client；　a　proposal
for　operating　on　Dr。　Warner　again；　at　his　earliest　convenience；
and　without　further　fees。〃

〃'Ang　it　all；　Michael；〃　cried　Gould；　quite　serious　for　the　first　time
in　his　life；　〃you　might　give　us　a　bit　of　bally　sense　for　a　chinge。〃

〃What　was　Dr。　Warner　talking　about　just　before　the　first　shot？〃
asked　Moon　sharply。

〃The　creature；〃　said　Dr。　Warner　superciliously；　〃asked　me；
with　characteristic　rationality；　whether　it　was　my　birthday。〃

〃And　you　answered；　with　characteristic　swank；〃　cried　Moon；　shooting　out
a　long　lean　finger；　as　rigid　and　arresting　as　the　pistol　of　Smith；
〃that　you　didn't　keep　your　birthday。〃

〃Something　like　that；〃　assented　the　doctor。

〃Then；〃　continued　Moon；　〃he　asked　you　why　not；　and　you　said　it　was　because　you
didn't　see　that　birth　was　anything　to　rejoice　over。　　Agreed？　　Now　is　there
any　one　who　doubts　that　our　tale　is　true？〃

There　was　a　cold　crash　of　stillness　in　the　room；　and　Moon　said；　〃Pax　populi
vox　Dei；　it　is　the　silence　of　the　people　that　is　the　voice　of　God。　　Or　in
Dr。　Pym's　more　civilized　language；　it　is　up　to　him　to　open　the　next　charge。
On　this　we　claim　an　acquittal。〃


It　was　about　an　hour　later。　　Dr。　Cyrus　Pym　had　remained　for　an　unprecedented
time　with　his　eyes　closed　and　his　thumb　and　finger　in　the　air。
It　almost　seemed　as　if　he　had　been　〃struck　so；〃　as　the　nurses　say；
and　in　the　deathly　silence　Michael　Moon　felt　forced　to　relieve
the　strain　with　some　remark。　　For　the　last　half…hour　or　so　the　eminent
criminologist　had　been　explaining　that　science　took　the　same　view
of　offences　against　property　as　id　did　of　offences　against　life。
〃Most　murder；〃　he　had　said；　〃is　a　variation　of　homicidal　mania；
and　in　the　same　way　most　theft　is　a　version　of　kleptomania。
I　cannot　entertain　any　doubt　that　my　learned　friends　opposite
adequately　con…ceive　how　this　must　involve　a　scheme　of　punishment
more　tol'rant　and　humane　than　the　cruel　methods　of　ancient　codes。
They　will　doubtless　exhibit　consciousness　of　a　chasm　so　eminently　yawning；
so　thought…arresting；　so〃　It　was　here　that　he　paused　and　indulged
in　the　delicate　gesture　to　which　allusion　has　been　made；　and　Michael
could　bear　it　no　longer。

〃Yes；　yes；〃　he　said　impatiently；　〃we　admit　the　chasm。
The　old　cruel　codes　accuse　a　man　of　theft　and　send　him
to　prison　for　ten　years。　　The　tolerant　and　humane　ticket
accuses　him　of　nothing　and　sends　him　to　prison　for　ever。
We　pass　the　chasm。〃

It　was　characteristic　of　the　eminent　Pym；　in　one　of　his　trances
of　verbal　fastidiousness；　that　he　went　on；　unconscious　not　only
of　his　opponent's　interruption；　but　even　of　his　own　pause。

〃So　stock…improving；〃　continued　Dr。　Cyrus　Pym；　〃so　fraught
with　real　high　hopes　of　the　future。　　Science　therefore
regards　thieves；　in　the　abstract；　just　as　it　regards　murderers。
It　regards　them　not　as　sinners　to　be　punished　for　an　arbitrary　period；
but　as　patients　to　be　detained　and　cared　for；〃　（his　first　two　digits
closed　again　as　he　hesitated）〃in　short；　for　the　required　period。
But　there　is　something　special　in　the　case　we　investigate　here。
Kleptomania　commonly　con…joins　itself〃

〃I　beg　pardon；〃　said　Michael；　〃I　did　not　ask　just　now　because；
to　tell　the　truth；　I　really　though　Dr。　Pym；　though　seemingly　vertical；
was　enjoying　well…earned　slumber；　with　a　pinch　in　his　fingers
of　scentless　and　delicate　dust。　　But　now　that　things　are　moving
a　little　more；　there　is　something　I　should　really　like　to　know。
I　have　hung　on　Dr。　Pym's　lips；　of　course；　with　an　interest　that　it
were　weak　to　call　rapture；　but　I　have　so　far　been　unable　to　form
any　conjecture　about　what　the　accused；　in　the　present　instance；
is　supposed　to　have　been　and　gone　and　done。〃

〃If　Mr。　Moon　will　have　patience；〃　said　Pym　with　dignity；　〃he　will　find
that　this　was　the　very　point　to　which　my　exposition　was　di…rected。
Kleptomania；　I　say；　exhibits　itself　as　a　kind　of　physical　attraction
to　certain　defined　materials；　and　it　has　been　held　（by　no　less　a　man
than　Harris）　that　this　is　the　ultimate　explanation　of　the　strict
specialism　and　vurry　narrow　professional　outlook　of　most　criminals。
One　will　have　an　irresistible　physical　impulsion　towards　pearl
sleeve…links；　while　he　passes　over　the　most　elegant　and　celebrated
diamond　sleeve…links；　placed　about　in　the　most　conspicuous　locations。
Another　will　impede　his　flight　with　no　less　than　forty…seven　buttoned　boots；
while　elastic…sided　boots　leave　him　cold；　and　even　sarcastic。
The　specialism　of　the　criminal；　I　repeat；　is　a　mark　rather　of　insanity
than　of　any　brightness　of　business　habits；　but　there　is　one　kind
of　depredator　to　whom　this　principle　is　at　first　sight　hard　to　apply。
I　allude　to　our　fellow…citizen　the　housebreaker。

〃It　has　been　maintained　by　some　of　our　boldest　young
truth…seekers；　that　the　eye　of　a　burglar　beyond　the　back…garden
wall　could　hardly　be　caught　and　hypnotized　by　a　fork
that　is　insulated　in　a　locked　box　under　the　butler's　bed。
They　have　thrown　down　the　gauntlet　to　American　science　on　this　point。
They　declare　that　diamond　links　are　not　left　about　in　conspicuous
locations　in　the　haunts　of　the　lower　classes；　as　they　were
in　the　great　test　experiment　of　Calypso　College。　　We　hope　this
experiment　here　will　be　an　answer　to　that　young　ringing　challenge；
and　will　bring　the　burglar　once　more　into　line　and　union
with　his　fellow　criminals。〃

Moon；　whose　face　had　gone　through　every　phase　of　black　bewilderment
for　five　minutes