manalive-第24节

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I　called　out　to　the　enormous　person　going　on　in　front；　but　he　answered
obscurely　that　it　was　a　short　cut。

〃I　was　just　repeating　my　very　natural　doubt　to　my　clerical　companion
when　I　was　brought　up　against　a　short　ladder；　apparently　leading
to　a　higher　level　of　road。　　My　thoughtless　companion　ran　up　it　so
quickly　that　I　could　not　do　otherwise　than　follow　as　best　I　could。
The　path　on　which　I　then　planted　my　feet　was　quite　unprecedentedly　narrow。
I　had　never　had　to　walk　along　a　thoroughfare　so　exiguous。
Along　one　side　of　it　grew　what；　in　the　dark　and　density　of　air；
I　first　took　to　be　some　short；　strong　thicket　of　shrubs。　　Then　I　saw
that　they　were　not　short　shrubs；　they　were　the　tops　of　tall　trees。
I；　an　English　gentleman　and　clergyman　of　the　Church　of　EnglandI　was
walking　along　the　top　of　a　garden　wall　like　a　tom　cat。

〃I　am　glad　to　say　that　I　stopped　within　my　first　five　steps；
and　let　loose　my　just　reprobation；　balancing　myself　as　best　I
could　all　the　time。

〃‘It's　a　right…of…way；〃'　declared　my　indefensible　informant。
‘It's　closed　to　traffic　once　in　a　hundred　years。'

〃‘Mr。　Percy；　Mr。　Percy！'　　I　called　out；　‘you　are　not　going
on　with　this　blackguard？'

〃‘Why；　I　think　so；'　answered　my　unhappy　colleague　flippantly。
‘I　think　you　and　I　are　bigger　blackguards　than　he　is；
whatever　he　is。'

〃‘I　am　a　burglar；'　explained　the　big　creature　quite　calmly。
‘I　am　a　member　of　the　Fabian　Society。　　I　take　back　the　wealth　stolen
by　the　capitalist；　not　by　sweeping　civil　war　and　revolution；　but　by　reform
fitted　to　the　special　occasionhere　a　little　and　there　a　little。
Do　you　see　that　fifth　house　along　the　terrace　with　the　flat　roof？
I'm　permeating　that　one　to…night。'

〃‘Whether　this　is　a　crime　or　a　joke；'　I　cried；　‘I　desire　to　be　quit　of　it。'

〃‘The　ladder　is　just　behind　you；'　answered　the　creature
with　horrible　courtesy；　‘and；　before　you　go；　do　let　me　give
you　my　card。'

〃If　I　had　had　the　presence　of　mind　to　show　any　proper　spirit　I
should　have　flung　it　away；　though　any　adequate　gesture　of　the　kind
would　have　gravely　affected　my　equilibrium　upon　the　wall。
As　it　was；　in　the　wildness　of　the　moment；　I　put　it　in　my
waistcoat　pocket；　and；　picking　my　way　back　by　wall　and　ladder；
landed　in　the　respectable　streets　once　more。　　Not　before；　however；
I　had　seen　with　my　own　eyes　the　two　awful　and　lamentable　facts
that　the　burglar　was　climbing　up　a　slanting　roof　towards
the　chimneys；　and　that　Raymond　Percy　（a　priest　of　God　and；
what　was　worse；　a　gentleman）　was　crawling　up　after　him。
I　have　never　seen　either　of　them　since　that　day。

〃In　consequence　of　this　soul…searching　experience　I　severed
my　connection　with　the　wild　set。　　I　am　far　from　saying　that
every　member　of　the　Christian　Social　Union　must　necessarily
be　a　burglar。　　I　have　no　right　to　bring　any　such　charge。
But　it　gave　me　a　hint　of　what　courses　may　lead　to　in　many　cases；
and　I　saw　them　no　more。

〃I　have　only　to　add　that　the　photograph　you　enclose；　taken　by　a
Mr。　Inglewood；　is　undoubtedly　that　of　the　burglar　in　question。
When　I　got　home　that　night　I　looked　at　his　card；　and　he　was　inscribed
there　under　the　name　of　Innocent　Smith。Yours　faithfully；
　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　〃John　Clement　Hawkins。〃


Moon　merely　went　through　the　form　of　glancing　at　the　paper。　　He　knew　that
the　prosecutors　could　not　have　invented　so　heavy　a　document；　that　Moses　Gould
（for　one）　could　no　more　write　like　a　canon　than　he　could　read　like　one。
After　handing　it　back　he　rose　to　open　the　defence　on　the　burglary　charge。

〃We　wish；〃　said　Michael；　〃to　give　all　reasonable　facilities　to
the　prosecution；　especially　as　it　will　save　the　time　of　the　whole　court。
The　latter　object　I　shall　once　again　pursue　by　passing　over　all
those　points　of　theory　which　are　so　dear　to　Dr。　Pym。　　I　know　how　they
are　made。　　Perjury　is　a　variety　of　aphasia；　leading　a　man　to　say
one　thing　instead　of　another。　　Forgery　is　a　kind　of　writer's　cramp；
forcing　a　man　to　write　his　uncle's　name　instead　of　his　own。
Piracy　on　the　high　seas　is　probably　a　form　of　sea…sickness。　But　it　is
unnecessary　for　us　to　inquire　into　the　causes　of　a　fact　which　we　deny。
Innocent　Smith　never　did　commit　burglary　at　all。

〃I　should　like　to　claim　the　power　permitted　by　our　previous　arrangement；
and　ask　the　prosecution　two　or　three　questions。〃

Dr。　Cyrus　Pym　closed　his　eyes　to　indicate　a　courteous　assent。

〃In　the　first　place；〃　continued　Moon；　〃have　you　the　date　of　Canon　Hawkins's
last　glimpse　of　Smith　and　Percy　climbing　up　the　walls　and　roofs？〃

〃Ho；　yus！〃　called　out　Gould　smartly。　　〃November　thirteen；　eighteen　ninety…one。〃

〃Have　you；〃　continued　Moon；　〃identified　the　houses　in　Hoxton　up
which　they　climbed？〃

〃Must　have　been　Ladysmith　Terrace　out　of　the　highroad；〃
answered　Gould　with　the　same　clockwork　readiness。

〃Well；〃　said　Michael；　cocking　an　eyebrow　at　him；　〃was　there　any　burglary
in　that　terrace　that　night？　　Surely　you　could　find　that　out。〃

〃There　may　well　have　been；〃　said　the　doctor　primly；　after　a　pause；
〃an　unsuccessful　one　that　led　to　no　legalities。〃

〃Another　question；〃　proceeded　Michael。　　〃Canon　Hawkins；　in　his
blood…and…thunder　boyish　way；　left　off　at　the　exciting　moment。
Why　don't　you　produce　the　evidence　of　the　other　clergyman；
who　actually　followed　the　burglar　and　presumably　was　present
at　the　crime？〃

Dr。　Pym　rose　and　planted　the　points　of　his　fingers　on　the　table；
as　he　did　when　he　was　specially　confident　of　the　clearness
of　his　reply。

〃We　have　entirely　failed；〃　he　said；　〃to　track　the　other　clergyman；
who　seems　to　have　melted　into　the　ether　after　Canon　Hawkins　had
seen　him　as…cending　the　gutters　and　the　leads。　　I　am　fully　aware
that　this　may　strike　many　as　sing'lar；　yet；　upon　reflection；
I　think　it　will　appear　pretty　natural　to　a　bright　thinker。
This　Mr。　Raymond　Percy　is　admittedly；　by　the　canon's　evidence；
a　minister　of　eccentric　ways。　　His　con…nection　with　England's　proudest
and　fairest　does　not　seemingly　prevent　a　taste　for　the　society
of　the　real　low…down。　On　the　other　hand；　the　prisoner　Smith　is；
by　general　agreement；　a　man　of　irr'sistible　fascination。
I　entertain　no　doubt　that　Smith　led　the　Revered　Percy　into　the　crime
and　forced　him　to　hide　his　head　in　the　real　crim'nal　class。
That　would　fully　account　for　his　non…appearance；　and　the　failure
of　all　attempts　to　trace　him。〃

〃It　is　impossible；　then；　to　trace　him？〃　asked　Moon。

〃Impossible；〃　repeated　the　specialist；　shutting　his　eyes。

〃You　are　sure　it's　impossible？〃

〃Oh　dry　up；　Michael；〃　cried　Gould；　irritably。　　〃We'd　'have
found　'im　if　we　could；　for　you　bet　'e　saw　the　burglary。
Look　for　your　own　'ead　in　the　dustbin。　　You'll　find　that
after　a　bit；〃　and　his　voice　died　away　in　grumbling。

〃Arthur；〃　directed　Michael　Moon；　sitting　down；　〃kindly　read
Mr。　Raymond　Percy's　letter　to　the　court。〃

〃Wishing；　as　Mr。　Moon　has　said；　to　shorten　the　proceedings　as　much
as　possible；〃　began　Inglewood；　〃I　will　not　read　the　first　part
of　the　letter　sent　to　us。　　It　is　only　fair　to　the　prosecution
to　admit　the　account　given　by　the　second　clergyman　fully　ratifies；
as　far　as　the　facts　are　concerned；　that　given　by　the　first　clergyman。
We　concede；　then；　the　canon's　story　so　far　as　it　goes。　　This　must
necessarily　be　valuable　to　the　prosecutor　and　also　convenient　to　the　court。
I　begin　Mr。　Percy's　letter；　then；　at　the　point　when　all　three　men
were　standing　on　the　garden　wall：


〃As　I　watched　Hawkins　wavering　on　the　wall；　I　made　up　my　own　mind
not　to　waver。　　A　cloud　of　wrath　was　on　my　brain；　like　the　cloud
of　copper　fog　on　the　houses　and　gardens　round。　　My　decision　was
violent　and　simple；　yet　the　thoughts　that　led　up　to　it　were　so
complicated　and　contradictory　that　I　could　not　retrace　them　now。
I　knew　Hawkins　was　a　kind；　innocent　gentleman；　and　I　would　have
given　ten　pounds　for　the　pleasure　of　kicking　him　down　the　road。
That　God　should　allow　good　people　to　be　as　bestially　stupid　as　that
rose　against　me　like　a　towering　blasphemy。

〃At　Oxford；　I　fear；　I　had　the　artistic　temperament　rather　badly；
and　artists　love　to　be　limited。　　I　liked　the　church　as　a　pretty　pattern；
discipline　was　mere　decoration。　　I　delighted　in　mere　divisions　of　time；
I　liked　eating　fish　on　Friday。　　But　then　I　like　fish；　and　the　fast
was　made　for　men　who　like　meat。　　Then　I　came　to　Hoxton　and　found　men
who　had　fasted　for　five　hundred　years；　men　who　had　to　gnaw　fish　because
they　could　not　get　meatand　fish…bones　when　they　could　not　get　fish。
As　too　many　British　officers　treat　the　army　as　a　review；　so　I　had　treated
the　Church　Militant　as　if　it　were　the　Church　Pageant。　　Hoxton　cures　that。
Then　I　realized　that　for　eighteen　hundred　years　the　Church　Militant
had　not　been　a　pageant；　but　a　riotand　a　suppressed　riot。
There；　still　living　patiently　in　Hoxton；　were　the　people　to　whom
the　tremendous　promises　had　been　made。　　In　the　face　of　that　I　had
to　become　a　revolutionary　if　I　was　to　continue　to　be　religious。
In　Hoxton　one　cannot　be　a　conservative　without　being　also　an　atheist
and　a　pessimist。　　Nobody　but　the　devil　could　want　to　conserve　Hoxton。

〃On　the　top　of　all　this　comes　Hawkins。　　If　he　had　cursed　all　the　Hoxton　men；
excommunicated　them；　and　told　them　they　were　going　to　hell；　I　should
have　rather　admired　him。