the man who knew too much-第32部分

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〃Before　we　go　any　farther；〃　he　said；　〃there　is　something　you　ought　to　know。　You　and　I　have　seen　some　mysterious　things　and　got　to　the　bottom　of　them　before　now；　and　it's　only　right　that　you　should　get　to　the　bottom　of　this　one。　But　in　dealing　with　the　death　of　my　uncle　I　must　begin　at　the　other　end　from　where　our　old　detective　yarns　began。　I　will　give　you　the　steps　of　deduction　presently；　if　you　want　to　listen　to　them；　but　I　did　not　reach　the　truth　of　this　by　steps　of　deduction。　I　will　first　of　all　tell　you　the　truth　itself；　because　I　knew　the　truth　from　the　first。　The　other　cases　I　approached　from　the　outside；　but　in　this　case　I　was　inside。　I　myself　was　the　very　core　and　center　of　everything。〃

Something　in　the　speaker's　pendent　eyelids　and　grave　gray　eyes　suddenly　shook　March　to　his　foundations；　and　he　cried；　distractedly；　〃I　don't　understand！〃　as　men　do　when　they　fear　that　they　do　understand。　There　was　no　sound　for　a　space　but　the　happy　chatter　of　the　birds；　and　then　Horne　Fisher　said；　calmly：

〃It　was　I　who　killed　my　uncle。　If　you　particularly　want　more；　it　was　I　who　stole　the　state　papers　from　him。〃

〃Fisher！〃　cried　his　friend　in　a　strangled　voice。

〃Let　me　tell　you　the　whole　thing　before　we　part；〃　continued　the　other；　〃and　let　me　put　it；　for　the　sake　of　clearness；　as　we　used　to　put　our　old　problems。　Now　there　are　two　things　that　are　puzzling　people　about　that　problem；　aren't　there？　The　first　is　how　the　murderer　managed　to　slip　off　the　dead　man's　coat；　when　he　was　already　pinned　to　the　ground　with　that　stone　incubus。　The　other；　which　is　much　smaller　and　less　puzzling；　is　the　fact　of　the　sword　that　cut　his　throat　being　slightly　stained　at　the　point；　instead　of　a　good　deal　more　stained　at　the　edge。　Well；　I　can　dispose　of　the　first　question　easily。　Horne　Hewitt　took　off　his　own　coat　before　he　was　killed。　I　might　say　he　took　off　his　coat　to　be　killed。〃

〃Do　you　call　that　an　explanation？〃　exclaimed　March。　〃The　words　seem　more　meaningless；　than　the　facts。〃

〃Well；　let　us　go　on　to　the　other　facts；〃　continued　Fisher；　equably。　〃The　reason　that　particular　sword　is　not　stained　at　the　edge　with　Hewitt's　blood　is　that　it　was　not　used　to　kill　Hewitt。

〃But　the　doctor；〃　protested　March；　〃declared　distinctly　that　the　wound　was　made　by　that　particular　sword。〃

〃I　beg　your　pardon；〃　replied　Fisher。　〃He　did　not　declare　that　it　was　made　by　that　particular　sword。　He　declared　it　was　made　by　a　sword　of　that　particular　pattern。〃

〃But　it　was　quite　a　queer　and　exceptional　pattern；〃　argued　March；　〃surely　it　is　far　too　fantastic　a　coincidence　to　imagine〃

〃It　was　a　fantastic　coincidence；〃　reflected　Horne　Fisher。　〃It's　extraordinary　what　coincidences　　do　sometimes　occur。　By　the　oddest　chance　in　the　world；　by　one　chance　in　a　million；　it　so　happened　that　another　sword　of　exactly　the　same　shape　was　in　the　same　garden　at　the　same　time。　It　may　be　partly　explained；　by　the　fact　that　I　brought　them　both　into　the　garden　myself　。　。　。　come；　my　dear　fellow；　surely　you　can　see　now　what　it　means。　Put　those　two　things　together；　there　were　two　duplicate　swords　and　he　took　off　his　coat　for　himself。　It　　may　assist　your　speculations　to　recall　the　fact　that　I　am　not　exactly　an　assassin。〃

〃A　duel！〃　exclaimed　March；　recovering　himself。　〃Of　course　I　ought　to　have　thought　of　that。　But　who　was　the　spy　who　stole　the　papers？〃

〃My　uncle　was　the　spy　who　stole　the　papers；〃　replied　Fisher；　〃or　who　tried　to　steal　the　papers　when　I　stopped　himin　the　only　way　I　could。　The　papers；　that　should　have　gone　west　to　reassure　our　friends　and　give　them　the　plans　for　repelling　the　invasion；　would　in　a　few　hours　have　been　in　the　hands　of　the　invader。　What　could　I　do？　To　have　denounced　one　of　our　friends　at　this　moment　would　have　been　to　play　into　the　hands　of　your　friend　Attwood；　and　all　the　party　of　panic　and　slavery。　Besides；　it　may　be　that　a　man　over　forty　has　a　subconscious　desire　to　die　as　he　has　lived；　and　that　I　wanted；　in　a　sense；　to　carry　my　secrets　to　the　grave。　Perhaps　a　hobby　hardens　with　age；　and　my　hobby　has　been　silence。　Perhaps　I　feel　that　I　have　killed　my　mother's　brother；　but　I　have　saved　my　mother's　name。　Anyhow；　I　chose　a　time　when　I　knew　you　were　all　asleep；　and　he　was　walking　alone　in　the　garden。　I　saw　all　the　stone　statues　standing　in　the　moonlight；　and　I　myself　was　like　one　of　those　stone　statues　walking。　In　a　voice　that　was　not　my　own；　I　told　him　of　his　treason　and　demanded　the　papers；　and　when　he　refused；　I　forced　him　to　take　one　of　the　two　swords。　The　swords　were　among　some　specimens　sent　down　here　for　the　Prime　Minister's　inspection；　he　is　a　collector；　you　know；　they　were　the　only　equal　weapons　I　could　find。　To　cut　an　ugly　tale　short；　we　fought　there　on　the　path　in　front　of　the　Britannia　statue；　he　was　a　man　of　great　strength；　but　I　had　somewhat　the　advantage　in　skill。　His　sword　grazed　my　forehead　almost　at　the　moment　when　mine　sank　into　the　joint　in　his　neck。　He　fell　against　the　statue；　like　Caesar　against　Pompey's；　hanging　on　to　the　iron　rail；　his　sword　was　already　broken。　When　I　saw　the　blood　from　that　deadly　wound；　everything　else　went　from　me；　I　dropped　my　sword　and　ran　as　if　to　lift　him　up。　As　I　bent　toward　him　something　happened　too　quick　for　me　to　follow。　I　do　not　know　whether　the　iron　bar　was　rotted　with　rust　and　came　away　in　his　hand；　or　whether　he　rent　it　out　of　the　rock　with　his　apelike　strength；　but　the　thing　was　in　his　hand；　and　with　his　dying　energies　he　swung　it　over　my　head；　as　I　knelt　there　unarmed　beside　him。　I　looked　up　wildly　to　avoid　the　blow；　and　saw　above　us　the　great　bulk　of　Britannia　leaning　outward　like　the　figurehead　of　a　ship。　The　next　instant　I　saw　it　was　leaning　an　inch　or　two　more　than　usual；　and　all　the　skies　with　their　outstanding　stars　seemed　to　be　leaning　with　it。　For　the　third　second　it　was　as　if　the　skies　fell；　and　in　the　fourth　I　was　standing　in　the　quiet　garden；　looking　down　on　that　flat　ruin　of　stone　and　bone　at　which　you　were　looking　to…day。　He　had　plucked　out　the　last　prop　that　held　up　the　British　goddess；　and　she　had　fallen　and　crushed　the　traitor　in　her　fall。　I　turned　and　darted　for　the　coat　which　I　knew　to　contain　the　package；　ripped　it　up　with　my　sword；　and　raced　away　up　the　garden　path　to　where　my　motor　bike　was　waiting　on　the　road　above。　I　had　every　reason　for　haste；　but　I　fled　without　looking　back　at　the　statue　and　the。　body；　and　I　think　the　thing　I　fled　from　was　the　sight　of　that　appalling　allegory。

〃Then　I　did　the　rest　of　what　I　had　to　do。　All　through　the　night　and　into　the　daybreak　and　the　daylight　I　went　humming　through　the　villages　and　markets　of　South　England　like　a　traveling　bullet；　till　I　came　to　the　headquarters　in　the　West　where　the　trouble　was。　I　was　just　in　time。　I　was　able　to　placard　the　place；　so　to　speak；　with　the　news　that　the　government　had　not　betrayed　them；　and　that　they　would　find　supports　if　they　would　push　eastward　against　the　enemy。　There's　no　time　to　tell　you　all　that　happened；　but　I　tell　you　it　was　the　day　of　my　life。　A　triumph　like　a　torchlight　procession；　with　torchlights　that　might　have　been　firebrands。　The　mutinies　simmered　down；　the　men　of　Somerset　and　the　western　counties　came　pouring　into　the　market　places；　the　men　who　died　with　Arthur　and　stood　firm　with　Alfred。　The　Irish　regiments　rallied　to　them；　after　a　scene　like　a　riot；　and　marched　eastward　out　of　the　town　singing　Fenian　songs。　There　was　all　that　is　not　understood；　about　the　dark　laughter　of　that　people；　in　the　delight　with　which；　even　when　marching　with　the　English　to　the　defense　of　England；　they　shouted　at　the　top　of　their　voices；　'High　upon　the　gallows　tree　stood　the　noble…hearted　three　。　。　。　With　England's　cruel　cord　about　them　cast。'　However；　the　chorus　was　'God　save　Ireland；'　and　we　could　all　have　sung　that　just　then；　in　one　sense　or　another。

〃But　there　was　another　side　to　my　mission。　I　carried　the　plans　of　the　defense；　and　to　a　great　extent；　luckily；　the　plans　of　the　invasion　also。　I　won't　worry　you　with　strategics；　but　we　knew　where　the　enemy　had　pushed　forward　the　great　battery　that　covered　all　his　movements；　and　though　our　friends　from　the　West　could　hardly　arrive　in　time　to　intercept　the　main　movement；　they　might　get　within　long　artillery　range　of　the　battery　and　shell　it；　if　they　only　knew　exactly　where　it　was。　They　could　hardly　tell　that　unless　somebody　round　about　here　sent　up　some　sort　of　signal。　But；　somehow；　I　rather　fancy　that　somebody　will。〃

With　that　he　got　up　from　the　table；　and　they　remounted　their　machines　and　went　eastward　into　the　advancing　twilight　of　evening。　The　levels　of　the　landscape　Were　repeated　in　flat　strips　of　floating　cloud　and　the　last　colors　of　day　clung　to　the　circle　of　the　horizon。　Reced。　ing　farther　and　farther　behind　them　was　the　semicircle　of　the　last　hills；　and　it　was　quite　suddenly　that　they　saw　afar　off　the　dim　line　of　the　sea。　It　was　not　a　strip　of　bright　blue　as　they　had　seen　it　from　the　sunny　veranda；　but　of　a　sinister　and　smoky　violet；　a　tint　that　seemed　ominous　and　dark。　Here　Horne　Fisher　dismounted　once　more。

〃We　must　walk　the　rest　of　the　way；〃　he　said；　〃and　the　last　bit　of　all　I　must　walk　alone。〃

He　bent　down　and　began　to　unstrap　something　from　his　bicycle。　It　was　something　that　had　puzzled　his　companion　all　the　way　in　spite　of　what　held　him　to　more　interesting　riddles；　it　appeared　to　be　several　lengths　of　pole　strapped　together　and　wrapped　up　in　paper。　Fisher　took　it　under　his　arm　and　began　to　pick　his　way　across　the　turf。　The　ground　was　growing　more　tum。　bled　and　irregular　and　he　was　walking　toward　a　mass　of　thickets　and　small　woods；　night　grew　darker　every　moment。　〃We　must　not　talk　any　more；〃　said　Fisher。　〃I　shall　whisper　to　you　when　you　are　to　halt。　Don't　try　to　follow　me　then；　for　it　will　only　spoil　the　show；　one　man　can　barely　crawl　safely　to　the　spot；　and　two　would　certainly　be　caught。〃

〃I　would　follow　you　anywhere；〃　replied　March；　〃but　I　would　halt；　too；　if　that　is　better。〃

〃I　know　you　would；〃　said　his　friend　in　a　low　voice。　〃Perhaps　you're　the　only　man　I　ever　quite　trusted　in　this　world。〃

A　few　paces　farther　on　they　came　to　the　end　of　a　great　ridge　or　mound　looking　monstrous　against　the　dim　sky；　and　Fisher　stopped　with　a　gesture。　He　caught　his　companion's　hand　and　wrung　it　with　a　violent　tenderness；　and　then　darted　forward　into　the　da