the trees of pride-第14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！


aker　from　outside；　and　the　whole　experience　depended　on　something　so　elementary　as　the　tide。〃

The　American　was　startled　into　ordinary　speech。

〃The　tide！〃　he　said。　　〃And　I　never　even　thought　of　it！　I　guess　that　comes　of　living　by　the　Mediterranean。〃

〃The　next　step　will　be　obvious　enough；〃　continued　the　speaker；　〃to　a　logical　mind　like　that　of　Mr。　Ashe；　for　instance。　　If　it　be　asked　why；　even　so；　the　tide　did　not　wash　away　the　Squire's　remains　that　had　lain　there　since　his　disappearance；　there　is　only　one　possible　answer。　The　remains　had　NOT　lain　there　since　his　disappearance。　　The　remains　had　been　deliberately　put　there　in　the　cavern　under　the　wood；　and　put　there　AFTER　Mr。　Paynter　had　made　his　first　investigation。　　They　were　put　there；　in　short；　after　the　sea　had　retreated　and　the　cave　was　again　dry。　That　is　why　they　were　dry；　of　course；　much　drier　than　the　cave。　Who　put　them　there；　I　wonder？〃

He　was　gazing　gravely　through　his　spectacles　over　their　heads　into　vacancy；　and　suddenly　he　smiled。

〃Ah；〃　he　cried；　jumping　up　from。　　the　rock　with　alacrity；　〃here　is　the　amateur　detective　at　last！〃

Ashe　turned　his　head　over　his　shoulder；　and　for　a　few　seconds　did　not　move　it　again；　but　stood　as　if　with　a　stiff　neck。　In　the　cliff　just　behind　him　was　one　of　the　clefts　or　cracks　into　which　it　was　everywhere　cloven。　　Advancing　from　this　into　the　sunshine；　as　if　from　a　narrow　door；　was　Squire　Vane；　with　a　broad　smile　on　his　face。

The　wind　was　tearing　from　the　top　of　the　high　cliff　out　to　sea；　passing　over　their　heads；　and　they　had　the　sensation　that　everything　was　passing　over　their　heads　and　out　of　their　control。　Paynter　felt　as　if　his　head　had　been　blown　off　like　a　hat。　But　none　of　this　gale　of　unreason　seemed　to　stir　a　hair　on　the　white　head　of　the　Squire；　whose　bearing；　though　self…important　and　bordering　on　a　swagger；　seemed　if　anything　more　comfortable　than　in　the　old　days。　His　red　face　was；　however；　burnt　like　a　sailor's；　and　his　light　clothes　had　a　foreign　look。

〃Well；　gentlemen；〃　he　said　genially；　〃so　this　is　the　end　of　the　legend　of　the　peacock　trees。　　Sorry　to　spoil　that　delightful　traveler's　tale；　Mr。　Paynter；　but　the　joke　couldn't　be　kept　up　forever。　　Sorry　to　put　a　stop　to　your　best　poem；　Mr。　Treherne；　but　I　thought　all　this　poetry　had　been　going　a　little　too　far。　So　Doctor　Brown　and　I　fixed　up　a　little　surprise　for　you。　And　I　must　say；　without　vanity；　that　you　look　a　little　surprised。〃

〃What　on　earth；〃　asked　Ashe　at　last；　〃is　the　meaning　of　all　this？〃

The　Squire　laughed　pleasantly；　and　even　a　little　apologetically；

〃I'm　afraid　I'm　fond　of　practical　jokes；〃　he　said；　〃and　this　I　suppose　is　my　last　grand　practical　joke。　　But　I　want　you　to　understand　that　the　joke　is　really　practical。　　I　flatter　myself　it　will　be　of　very　practical　use　to　the　cause　of　progress　and　common　sense；　and　the　killing　of　such　superstitions　everywhere。　The　best　part　of　it；　I　admit；　was　the　doctor's　idea　and　not　mine。　All　I　meant　to　do　was　to　pass　a　night　in　the　trees；　and　then　turn　up　as　fresh　as　paint　to　tell　you　what　fools　you　were。　But　Doctor　Brown　here　followed　me　into　the　wood；　and　we　had　a　little　talk　which　rather　changed　my　plans。　　He　told　me　that　a　disappearance　for　a　few　hours　like　that　would　never　knock　the　nonsense　on　the　head；　most　people　would　never　even　hear　of　it；　and　those　who　did　would　say　that　one　night　proved　nothing。　He　showed　me　a　much　better　way；　which　had　been　tried　in　several　cases　where　bogus　miracles　had　been　shown　up。　The　thing　to　do　was　to　get　the　thing　really　believed　everywhere　as　a　miracle；　and　then　shown　up　everywhere　as　a　sham　miracle。　I　can't　put　all　the　arguments　as　well　as　he　did；　but　that　was　the　notion；　I　think。〃

The　doctor　nodded；　gazing　silently　at　the　sand；　and　the　Squire　resumed　with　undiminished　relish。

〃We　agreed　that　I　should　drop　through　the　hole　into　the　cave；　and　make　my　way　through　the　tunnels；　where　I　often　used　to　play　as　a　boy；　to　the　railway　station　a　few　miles　from　here；　and　there　take　a　train　for　London。　　It　was　necessary　for　the　joke；　of　course；　that　I　should　disappear　without　being　traced；　so　I　made　my　way　to　a　port；　and　put　in　a　very　pleasant　month　or　two　round　my　old　haunts　in　Cyprus　and　the　Mediterranean。　　There's　no　more　to　say　of　that　part　of　the　business；　except　that　I　arranged　to　be　back　by　a　particular　time；　and　here　I　am。　But　I've　heard　enough　of　what's　gone　on　round　here　to　be　satisfied　that　I've　done　the　trick。　　Everybody　in　Cornwall　and　most　people　in　South　England　have　heard　of　the　Vanishing　Squire；　and　thousands　of　noodles　have　been　nodding　their　heads　over　crystals　and　tarot　cards　at　this　marvelous　proof　of　an　unseen　world。　I　reckon　the　Reappearing　Squire　will　scatter　their　cards　and　smash　their　crystals；　so　that　such　rubbish　won't　appear　again　in　the　twentieth　century。　　I'll　make　the　peacock　trees　the　laughing　stock　of　all　Europe　and　America。〃

〃Well；〃　said　the　lawyer；　who　was　the　first　to　rearrange　his　wits；　〃I'm　sure　we're　all　only　too　delighted　to　see　you　again；　Squire；　and　I　quite　understand　your　explanation　and　your　own　very　natural　motives　in　the　matter。　　But　I'm　afraid　I　haven't　got　the　hang　of　everything　yet。　　Granted　that　you　wanted　to　vanish；　was　it　necessary　to　put　bogus　bones　in　the　cave；　so　as　nearly　to　put　a　halter　round　the　neck　of　Doctor　Brown？　　And　who　put　it　there？　The　statement　would　appear　perfectly　maniacal；　but　so　far　as　I　can　make　head　or　tail　out　of　anything；　Doctor　Brown　seems　to　have　put　it　there　himself。〃

The　doctor　lifted　his　head　for　the　first　time。

〃Yes；　I　put　the　bones　there；〃　he　said。　　〃I　believe　I　am　the　first　son　of　Adam　who　ever　manufactured　all　the　evidence　of　a　murder　charge　against　himself。〃

It　was　the　Squire's　turn　to　look　astonished。　　The　old　gentleman　looked　rather　wildly　from　one　to　the　other。

〃Bones！　　Murder　charge！〃　he　ejaculated。　　〃What　the　devil　is　all　this？　Whose　bones？〃

〃Your　bones；　in　a　manner　of　speaking；〃　delicately　conceded　the　doctor。　〃I　had　to　make　sure　you　had　really　died；　and　not　disappeared　by　magic。〃

The　Squire　in　his　turn　seemed　more　hopelessly　puzzled　than　the　whole　crowd　of　his　friends　had　been　over　his　own　escapade。　　〃Why　not？〃　he　demanded。　〃I　thought　it　was　the　whole　point　to　make　it　look　like　magic。　Why　did　you　want　me　to　die　so　much？〃

Doctor　Brown　had　lifted　his　head；　and　he　now　very　slowly　lifted　his　hand。　He　pointed　with　outstretched　arm　at　the　headland　overhanging　the　foreshore；　just　above　the　entrance　to　the　cave。　　It　was　the　exact　part　of　the　beach　where　Paynter　had　first　landed；　on　that　spring　morning　when　he　had　looked　up　in　his　first　fresh　wonder　at　the　peacock　trees。　But　the　trees　were　gone。

The　fact　itself　was　no　surprise　to　them；　the　clearance　had　naturally　been　one　of　the　first　of　the　sweeping　changes　of　the　Treherne　regime。　But　though　they　knew　it　well；　they　had　wholly　forgotten　it；　and　its　significance　returned　on　them　suddenly　like　a　sign　in　heaven。

〃That　is　the　reason；〃　said　the　doctor。　　〃I　have　worked　for　that　for　fourteen　years。〃

They　no　longer　looked　at　the　bare　promontory　on　which　the　feathery　trees　had　once　been　so　familiar　a　sight；　for　they　had　something　else　to　look　at。　　Anyone　seeing　the　Squire　now　would　have　shifted　his　opinion　about　where　to　find　the　lunatic　in　that　crowd。　It　was　plain　in　a　flash　that　the　change　had　fallen　on　him　like　a　thunderbolt；　that　he；　at　least；　had　never　had　the　wildest　notion　that　the　tale　of　the　Vanishing　Squire　had　been　but　a　prelude　to　that　of　the　vanishing　trees。　　The　next　half　hour　was　full　of　his　ravings　and　expostulations；　which　gradually　died　away　into　demands　for　explanation　and　incoherent　questions　repeated　again　and　again。　He　had　practically　to　be　overruled　at　last；　in　spite　of　the　respect　in　which　he　was　held；　before　anything　like　a　space　and　silence　were　made　in　which　the　doctor　could　tell　his　own　story。　It　was　perhaps　a　singular　story；　of　which　he　alone　had　ever　had　the　knowledge；　and　though　its　narration　was　not　uninterrupted；　it　may　be　set　forth　consecutively　in　his　own　words。

〃First；　I　wish　it　clearly　understood　that　I　believe　in　nothing。　I　do　not　even　give　the　nothing　I　believe　a　name；　or　I　should　be　an　atheist。　　I　have　never　had　inside　my　head　so　much　as　a　hint　of　heaven　and　hell。　　I　think　it　most　likely　we　are　worms　in　the　mud；　but　I　happen　to　be　sorry　for　the　other　worms　under　the　wheel。　And　I　happen　myself　to　be　a　sort　of　worm　that　turns　when　he　can。　If　I　care　nothing　for　piety；　I　care　less　for　poetry。　　I'm　not　like　Ashe　here；　who　is　crammed　with　criminology；　but　has　all　sorts　of　other　culture　as　well。　　I　know　nothing　about　culture；　except　bacteria　culture。　I　sometimes　fancy　Mr。　Ashe　is　as　much　an　art　critic　as　Mr。　Paynter；　only　he　looks　for　his　heroes；　or　villains；　in　real　life。　But　I　am　a　very　practical　man；　and　my　stepping　stones　have　been　simply　scientific　facts。　　In　this　village　I　found　a　facta　fever。　I　could　not　classify　it；　it　seemed　peculiar　to　this　corner　of　the　coast；　it　had　singular　reactions　of　delirium　and　mental　breakdown。　I　studied　it　exactly　as　I　should　a　queer　case　in　the　hospital；　and　corresponded　and　compared　notes　with　other　men　of　science。　But　nobody　had　even　a　working　hypothesis　about　it；　except　of　course　the　ignorant　peasantry；　who　said　the　peacock　trees　were　in　some