manalive-第33节

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such　a　type；　when　freed　from　the　gigantic　embraces　of　a　female　Patagonian；
will　often　evolve　from　its　own　imaginative　instinct　the　consoling　figure　of
an　Eskimo。　　To　such　a　type　there　can　be　no　doubt　that　the　prisoner　belongs。
If　blind　doom　and　unbearable　temptation　constitute　any　slight　excuse
for　a　man；　there　is　no　doubt　that　he　has　these　excuses。

〃Earlier　in　the　inquiry　the　defence　showed　real　chivalric
ideality　in　admitting　half　of　our　story　without　further　dispute。
We　should　like　to　acknowledge　and　imitate　so　eminently　large…hearted
a　style　by　conceding　also　that　the　story　told　by　Curate　Percy　about
the　canoe；　the　weir；　and　the　young　wife　seems　to　be　substantially　true。
Apparently　Smith　did　marry　a　young　woman　he　had　nearly　run　down　in　a　boat；
it　only　remains　to　be　considered　whether　it　would　not　have　been
kinder　of　him　to　have　murdered　her　instead　of　marrying　her。
In　confirmation　of　this　fact　I　can　now　con…cede　to　the　defence
an　unquestionable　record　of　such　a　marriage。〃

So　saying；　he　handed　across　to　Michael　a　cutting　from　the
〃Maidenhead　Gazette〃　which　distinctly　recorded　the　marriage
of　the　daughter　of　a　〃coach；〃　a　tutor　well　known　in　the　place；
to　Mr。　Innocent　Smith；　late　of　Brakespeare　College；　Cambridge。

When　Dr。　Pym　resumed　it　was　realized　that　his　face　had　grown
at　once　both　tragic　and　triumphant。

〃I　pause　upon　this　pre…liminary　fact；〃　he　said　seriously；
〃because　this　fact　alone　would　give　us　the　victory；
were　we　aspiring　after　victory　and　not　after　truth。
As　far　as　the　personal　and　domestic　problem　holds　us；
that　problem　is　solved。　　Dr。　Warner　and　I　entered　this　house　at
an　instant　of　highly　emotional　diff'culty。　England's　Warner　has
entered　many　houses　to　save　human　kind　from　sickness；　this　time
he　entered　to　save　an　innocent　lady　from　a　walking　pestilence。
Smith　was　just　about　to　carry　away　a　young　girl　from　this　house；
his　cab　and　bag　were　at　the　very　door。　　He　had　told　her　she　was
going　to　await　the　marriage　license　at　the　house　of　his　aunt。
That　aunt；〃　continued　Cyrus　Pym；　his　face　darkening　grandly〃that
visionary　aunt　had　been　the　dancing　will…o'…the…wisp
who　had　led　many　a　high…souled　maiden　to　her　doom。
Into　how　many　virginal　ears　has　he　whispered　that　holy　word？
When　he　said　‘aunt'　there　glowed　about　her　all　the　merriment
and　high　morality　of　the　Anglo…Saxon　home。　　Kettles　began　to　hum；
pussy　cats　to　purr；　in　that　very　wild　cab　that　was　being
driven　to　destruction。〃

Inglewood　looked　up；　to　find；　to　his　astonishment　（as　many　another
denizen　of　the　eastern　hemisphere　has　found）；　that　the　American　was
not　only　perfectly　serious；　but　was　really　eloquent　and　affecting
when　the　difference　of　the　hemispheres　was　adjusted。

〃It　is　therefore　atrociously　evident　that　the　man　Smith　has　at
least　represented　himself　to　one　innocent　female　of　this　house
as　an　eligible　bachelor；　being；　in　fact；　a　married　man。　　I　agree　with
my　colleague；　Mr。　Gould；　that　no　other　crime　could　approximate　to　this。
As　to　whether　what　our　ancestors　called　purity　has　any　ultimate　ethical
value　indeed；　science　hesitates　with　a　high；　proud　hesitation。
But　what　hesitation　can　there　be　about　the　baseness　of　a　citizen
who　ventures；　by　brutal　experiments　upon　living　females；　to　anticipate
the　verdict　of　science　on　such　a　point？

〃The　woman　mentioned　by　Curate　Percy　as　living　with　Smith
in　Highbury　may　or　may　not　be　the　same　as　the　lady　he　married
in　Maidenhead。　　If　one　short　sweet　spell　of　constancy　and　heart
repose　interrupted　the　plunging　torrent　of　his　profligate　life；
we　will　not　deprive　him　of　that　long　past　possibility。
After　that　conjectural　date；　alas；　he　seems　to　have　plunged　deeper
and　deeper　into　the　shaking　quagmires　of　infidelity　and　shame。〃

Dr。　Pym　closed　his　eyes；　but　the　unfortunate　fact　that　there　was　no　more
light　left　this　familiar　signal　without　its　full　and　proper　moral　effect。
After　a　pause；　which　almost　partook　of　the　character　of　prayer；　he　continued。

〃The　first　instance　of　the　accused's　repeated　and　irregular　nuptials；〃
he　exclaimed；　〃comes　from　Lady　Bullingdon；　who　expresses　herself
with　the　high　haughtiness　which　must　be　excused　in　those　who　look
out　upon　all　mankind　from　the　turrets　of　a　Norman　and　ancestral　keep。
The　communication　she　has　sent　to　us　runs　as　follows：


〃Lady　Bullingdon　recalls　the　painful　incident　to　which　reference
is　made；　and　has　no　desire　to　deal　with　it　in　detail。
The　girl　Polly　Green　was　a　perfectly　adequate　dressmaker；
and　lived　in　the　village　for　about　two　years。　　Her　unattached
condition　was　bad　for　her　as　well　as　for　the　general　morality
of　the　village。　　Lady　Bullingdon；　therefore；　allowed　it　to　be
understood　that　she　favoured　the　marriage　of　the　young　woman。
The　villagers；　naturally　wishing　to　oblige　Lady　Bullingdon；
came　forward　in　several　cases；　and　all　would　have　been　well　had　it
not　been　for　the　deplorable　eccentricity　or　depravity　of　the　girl
Green　herself。　　Lady　Bullingdon　supposes　that　where　there　is
a　village　there　must　be　a　village　idiot；　and　in　her　village；
it　seems；　there　was　one　of　these　wretched　creatures。
Lady　Bullingdon　only　saw　him　once；　and　she　is　quite　aware
that　it　is　really　difficult　to　distinguish　between　actual
idiots　and　the　ordinary　heavy　type　of　the　rural　lower　classes。
She　noticed；　however；　the　startling　smallness　of　his　head
in　comparison　to　the　rest　of　his　body；　and；　indeed；　the　fact
of　his　having　appeared　upon　election　day　wearing　the　rosette
of　both　the　two　opposing　parties　appears　to　Lady　Bullingdon
to　put　the　matter　quite　beyond　doubt。　　Lady　Bullingdon　was
astounded　to　learn　that　this　afflicted　being　had　put　himself
forward　as　one　of　the　suitors　of　the　girl　in　question。
Lady　Bullingdon's　nephew　interviewed　the　wretch　upon　the　point；
telling　him　that　he　was　a　‘donkey'　to　dream　of　such　a　thing；
and　actually　received；　along　with　an　imbecile　grin；
the　answer　that　donkeys　generally　go　after　carrots。
But　Lady　Bullingdon　was　yet　further　amazed　to　find　the　unhappy
girl　inclined　to　accept　this　monstrous　proposal；　though　she
was　actually　asked　in　marriage　by　Garth；　the　undertaker；　a　man
in　a　far　superior　position　to　her　own。　　Lady　Bullingdon　could　not；
of　course；　countenance　such　an　arrangement　for　a　moment；
and　the　two　unhappy　persons　escaped　for　a　clandestine　marriage。
Lady　Bullingdon　cannot　exactly　recall　the　man's　name；
but　thinks　it　was　Smith。　　He　was　always　called　in　the　village
the　Innocent。　　Later；　Lady　Bullingdon　believes　he　murdered
Green　in　a　mental　outbreak。〃


〃The　next　communication；〃　proceeded　Pym；　〃is　more　conspicuous　for　brevity；
but　I　am　of　the　opinion　that　it　will　adequately　convey　the　upshot。
It　is　dated　from　the　offices　of　Messrs。　　Hanbury　and　Bootle；　publishers；
and　is　as　follows：


〃Sir；Yrs。　　rcd。　　and　conts。　　noted。　　Rumour　re　typewriter　possibly　refers
to　a　Miss　Blake　or　similar　name；　left　here　nine　years　ago　to　marry　an
organ…grinder。　Case　was　undoubtedly　curious；　and　attracted　police　attention。
Girl　worked　excellently　till　about　Oct。　1907；　when　apparently　went　mad。
Record　was　written　at　the　time；　part　of　which　I　enclose。
Yrs。；　etc。；　W。　Trip。〃


〃The　fuller　statement　runs　as　follows：


〃On　October　12　a　letter　was　sent　from　this　office　to　Messrs。
Bernard　and　Juke；　bookbinders。　　Opened　by　Mr。　Juke；　it　was　found
to　contain　the　following：　　‘Sir；　our　Mr。　Trip　will　call　at　3；
as　we　wish　to　know　whether　it　is　really　decided　00000073bb！！！！！xy。'
To　this　Mr。　Juke；　a　person　of　a　playful　mind；　returned　the　answer：
‘Sir；　I　am　in　a　position　to　give　it　as　my　most　decided　opinion
that　it　is　not　really　decided　that　00000073bb！！！！！xy。'　Yrs。；　etc。；
　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　‘J。　Juke。'


〃On　receiving　this　extraordinary　reply；　our　Mr。　Trip　asked　for　the　original
letter　sent　from　him；　and　found　that　the　typewriter　had　indeed　substituted
these　demented　hieroglyphics　for　the　sentences　really　dictated　to　her。
Our　Mr。　Trip　interviewed　the　girl；　fearing　that　she　was　in　an
unbalanced　state；　and　was　not　much　reassured　when　she　merely　remarked
that　she　always　went　like　that　when　she　heard　the　barrel　organ。
Becoming　yet　more　hysterical　and　extravagant；　she　made　a　series　of　most
improbable　statementsas；　that　she　was　engaged　to　the　barrel…organ　man；
that　he　was　in　the　habit　of　serenading　her　on　that　instrument；
that　she　was　in　the　habit　of　playing　back　to　him　upon　the　typewriter
（in　the　style　of　King　Richard　and　Blondel）；　and　that　the　organ　man's
musical　ear　was　so　exquisite　and　his　adoration　of　herself　so　ardent
that　he　could　detect　the　note　of　the　different　letters　on　the　machine；
and　was　enraptured　by　them　as　by　a　melody。　　To　all　these　statements
of　course　our　Mr。　Trip　and　the　rest　of　us　only　paid　that　sort　of　assent
that　is　paid　to　persons　who　must　as　quickly　as　possible　be　put　in　the
charge　of　their　relations。　　But　on　our　conducting　the　lady　downstairs；
her　story　received　the　most　startling　and　even　exasperating　confirmation；
for　the　organ…grinder；　an　enormous　man　with　a　small　head　and　manifestly
a　fellow…lunatic；　had　pushed　his　barrel　organ　in　at　the　office　doors
like　a　battering…ram；　and　was　boisterously　demanding　his　alleged　fiancee。
When　I　myself　came　on　the　scene　he　was　flinging　his　gr