the trees of pride-第12节

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　he　regarded　as　a　child。　　She　left　me　at　last　in　a　sort　of　despair；　but　I　lingered　with　a　last　hope　of　doing　something；　and　drew　doubtfully　near　to　the　heart　of　the　wood；　and　there；　instead　of　the　silence　I　expected；　I　heard　a　voice。　　It　seemed　as　if　the　Squire　must　be　talking　to　himself；　and　I　had　the　unpleasant　fancy　that　he　had　already　lost　his　reason　in　that　wood　of　witchcraft。　But　I　soon　found　that　if　he　was　talking　he　was　talking　with　two　voices。　Other　fancies　attacked　me；　as　that　the　other　was　the　voice　of　the　tree　or　the　voices　of　the　three　trees　talking　together；　and　with　no　man　near。　But　it　was　not　the　voice　of　the　tree。　　The　next　moment　I　knew　the　voice；　for　I　had　heard　it　twenty　times　across　the　table。　It　was　the　voice　of　that　doctor　of　yours；　I　heard　it　as　certainly　as　you　hear　my　voice　now。〃

After　a　moment's　silence；　he　resumed：　　〃I　left　the　wood；　I　hardly　knew　why；　and　with　wild　and　bewildered　feelings；　and　as　I　came　out　into　the　faint　moonshine　I　saw　that　old　lawyer　standing　quietly；　but　staring　at　me　like　an　owl。　At　least；　the　light　touched　his　red　hair　with　fire；　but　his　square　old　face　was　in　shadow。　　But　I　knew；　if　I　could　have　read　it；　that　it　was　the　face　of　a　hanging　judge。〃

He　threw　himself　on　the　bench　again；　smiled　a　little；　and　added：　〃Only；　like　a　good　many　hanging　judges；　I　fancy；　he　was　waiting　patiently　to　hang　the　wrong　man。〃

〃And　the　right　man〃　said　Paynter　mechanically。　Treherne　shrugged　his　shoulders；　sprawling　on　the　ale　bench；　and　played　with　his　empty　pot。



IV。　　THE　CHASE　AFTER　THE　TRUTH

Some　time　after　the　inquest；　which　had　ended　in　the　inconclusive　verdict　which　Mr。　Andrew　Ashe　had　himself　predicted　and　achieved；　Paynter　was　again　sitting　on　the　bench　outside　the　village　inn；　having　on　the　little　table　in　front　of　it　a　tall　glass　of　light　ale；　which　he　enjoyed　much　more　as　local　color　than　as　liquor。　He　had　but　one　companion　on　the　bench；　and　that　a　new　one；　for　the　little　market　place　was　empty　at　that　hour；　and　he　had　lately；　for　the　rest；　been　much　alone。　　He　was　not　unhappy；　for　he　resembled　his　great　countryman；　Walt　Whitman；　in　carrying　a　kind　of　universe　with　him　like　an　open　umbrella；　but　he　was　not　only　alone；　but　lonely。　For　Ashe　had　gone　abruptly　up　to　London；　and　since　his　return　had　been　occupied　obscurely　with　legal　matters；　doubtless　bearing　on　the　murder。　And　Treherne　had　long　since　taken　up　his　position　openly；　at　the　great　house；　as　the　husband　of　the　great　lady；　and　he　and　she　were　occupied　with　sweeping　reforms　on　the　estate。　The　lady　especially；　being　of　the　sort　whose　very　dreams　〃drive　at　practice；〃　was　landscape　gardening　as　with　the　gestures　of　a　giantess。　It　was　natural；　therefore；　that　so　sociable　a　spirit　as　Paynter　should　fall　into　speech　with　the　one　other　stranger　who　happened　to　be　staying　at　the　inn；　evidently　a　bird　of　passage　like　himself。　This　man；　who　was　smoking　a　pipe　on　the　bench　beside　him；　with　his　knapsack　before　him　on　the　table；　was　an　artist　come　to　sketch　on　that　romantic　coast；　a　tall　man　in　a　velvet　jacket；　with　a　shock　of　tow…colored　hair；　a　long　fair　beard；　but　eyes　of　dark　brown；　the　effect　of　which　contrast　reminded　Paynter　vaguely；　he　hardly　knew　why；　of　a　Russian。　　The　stranger　carried　his　knapsack　into　many　picturesque　corners；　he　obtained　permission　to　set　up　his　easel　in　that　high　garden　where　the　late　Squire　had　held　his　al　fresco　banquets。　But　Paynter　had　never　had　an　opportunity　of　judging　of　the　artist's　work；　nor　did　he　find　it　easy　to　get　the　artist　even　to　talk　of　his　art。　Cyprian　himself　was　always　ready　to　talk　of　any　art；　and　he　talked　of　it　excellently；　but　with　little　response。　　He　gave　his　own　reasons　for　preferring　the　Cubists　to　the　cult　of　Picasso；　but　his　new　friend　seemed　to　have　but　a　faint　interest　in　either。　He　insinuated　that　perhaps　the　Neo…Primitives　were　after　all　only　thinning　their　line；　while　the　true　Primitives　were　rather　tightening　it；　but　the　stranger　seemed　to　receive　the　insinuation　without　any　marked　reaction　of　feeling。　　When　Paynter　had　even　gone　back　as　far　into　the　past　aA　the　Post…Impressionists　to　find　a　common　ground；　and　not　found　it；　other　memories　began　to　creep　back　into　his　mind。　He　was　just　reflecting；　rather　darkly；　that　after　all　the　tale　of　the　peacock　trees　needed　a　mysterious　stranger　to　round　it　off；　and　this　man　had　much　the　air　of　being　one；　when　the　mysterious　stranger　himself　said　suddenly：

〃Well；　I　think　I'd　better　show　you　the　work　I'm　doing　down　here。〃

He　had　his　knapsack　before　him　on　the　table；　and　he　smiled　rather　grimly　as　he　began　to　unstrap　it。　　Paynter　looked　on　with　polite　expressions　of　interest；　but　was　considerably　surprised　when　the　artist　unpacked　and　placed　on　the　table；　not　any　recognizable　works　of　art；　even　of　the　most　Cubist　description；　but　（first）　a　quire　of　foolscap　closely　written　with　notes　in　black　and　red　ink；　and　（second）；　to　the　American's　extreme　amazement；　the　old　woodman's　ax　with　the　linen　wrapper；　which　he　had　himself　found　in　the　well　long　ago。

〃Sorry　to　give　you　a　start；　sir；〃　said　the　Russian　artist；　with　a　marked　London　accent。　　〃But　I'd　better　explain　straight　off　that　I'm　a　policeman。〃

〃You　don't　look　it；〃　said　Paynter。

〃I'm　not　supposed　to；〃　replied　the　other。　　〃Mr。　Ashe　brought　me　down　here　from　the　Yard　to　investigate；　but　he　told　me　to　report　to　you　when　I'd　got　anything　to　go　on。　Would　you　like　to　go　into　the　matter　now？

〃When　I　took　this　matter　up；〃　explained　the　detective；　〃I　did　it　at　Mr。　Ashe's　request；　and　largely；　of　course；　on　Mr。　Ashe's　lines。　Mr。　Ashe　is　a　great　criminal　lawyer；　with　a　beautiful　brain；　sir；　as　full　as　the　Newgate　Calendar。　　I　took；　as　a　working　notion；　his　view　that　only　you　five　gentlemen　round　the　table　in　the　Squire's　garden　were　acquainted　with　the　Squire's　movements。　But　you　gentlemen；　if　I　may　say　so；　have　a　way　of　forgetting　certain　other　things　and　other　people　which　we　are　rather　taught　to　look　for　first。　　And　as　I　followed　Mr。　Ashe's　inquiries　through　the　stages　you　know　already；　through　certain　suspicions　I　needn't　discuss　because　they've　been　dropped；　I　found　the　thing　shaping　after　all　toward　something；　in　the　end；　which　I　think　we　should　have　considered　at　the　beginning。　　Now；　to　begin　with；　it　is　not　true　that　there　were　five　men　round　the　table。　There　were　six。〃

The　creepy　conditions　of　that　garden　vigil　vaguely　returned　upon　Paynter；　and　he　thought　of　a　ghost；　or　something　more　nameless　than　a　ghost。　But　the　deliberate　speech　of　the　detective　soon　enlightened　him。

〃There　were　six　men　and　five　gentlemen；　if　you　like　to　put　it　so；〃　he　proceeded。　　〃That　man　Miles；　the　butler；　saw　the　Squire　vanish　as　plainly　as　you　did；　and　I　soon　found　that　Miles　was　a　man　worthy　of　a　good　deal　of　attention。〃

A　light　of　understanding　dawned　on　Paynter'sface。　〃So　that　was　it；　was　it！〃　he　muttered。

〃Does　all　our　mythological　mystery　end　with　a　policeman　collaring　a　butler？　　Well；　I　agree　with　you　he　is　far　from　an　ordinary　butler；　even　to　look　at；　and　the　fault　in　imagination　is　mine。　Like　many　faults　in　imagination；　it　was　simply　snobbishness。〃

〃We　don't　go　quite　so　fast　as　that；〃　observed　the　officer；　in　an　impassive　manner。　　〃I　only　said　I　found　the　inquiry　pointing　to　Miles；　and　that　he　was　well　worthy　of　attention。　He　was　much　more　in　the　old　Squire's　confidence　than　many　people　supposed；　and　when　I　cross…examined　him　he　told　me　a　good　deal　that　was　worth　knowing。　　I've　got　it　all　down　in　these　notes　here；　but　at　the　moment　I'll　only　trouble　you　with　one　detail　of　it。　One　night　this　butler　was　just　outside　the　Squire's　dining…room　door；　when　he　heard　the　noise　of　a　violent　quarrel。　　The　Squire　was　a　violent　gentleman；　from　time　to　time；　but　the　curious　thing　about　this　scene　was　that　the　other　gentleman　was　the　more　violent　of　the　two。　Miles　heard　him　say　repeatedly　that　the　Squire　was　a　public　nuisance；　and　that　his　death　would　be　a　good　riddance　for　everybody。　I　only　stop　now　to　tell　you　that　the　other　gentleman　was　Dr。　Burton　Brown；　the　medical　man　of　this　village。

〃The　next　examination　I　made　was　that　of　Martin；　the　woodcutter。　Upon　one　point　at　least　his　evidence　is　quite　clear；　and　is；　as　you　will　see；　largely　confirmed　by　other　witnesses。　He　says　first　that　the　doctor　prevented　him　from　recovering　his　ax；　and　this　is　corroborated　by　Mr。　and　Mrs。　Treherne。　　But　he　says　further　that　the　doctor　admitted　having　the　thing　himself；　and　this　again　finds　support　in　other　evidence　by　the　gardener；　who　saw　the　doctor；　some　time　afterward；　come　by　himself　and　pick　up　the　chopper。　Martin　says　that　Doctor　Brown　repeatedly　refused　to　give　it　up；　alleging　some　fanciful　excuse　every　time。　　And；　finally；　Mr。　Paynter；　we　will　hear　the　evidence　of　the　ax　itself。〃

He　laid　the　woodman's　tool　on　the　table　in　front　of　him；　and　began　to　rip　up　and　unwrap　the　curious　linen　covering　round　the　handle。

〃You　will　admit　this　is　an　odd　bandage；〃　he　said。　　〃And　that's　just　the　odd　thing　about　it；　that　it　really　is　a　bandage。　This　white　stuff　is　the　sort　of　lint　they　use　in　hospitals；　cut　into　strips　like　this。　　But　most　doctors　keep　some；　and　I　have　the　evidence　of　Jake　the　fisherman；　with　whom　Doctor　Brown　lived　for　some　time；　that　the　doctor　had　this　useful　habit。　And；　last；〃