the man who knew too much-第4部分

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ith　three　legs　and　one　eye；　and　it's　all　the　colors　of　the　rainbow。〃

〃What　the　deuce　are　you　talking　about？〃　asked　Burke。

〃You　come　along　and　see；〃　replied　Fisher；　cheerfully。

Such　people　seldom　reject　anything　nonsensical；　for　they　are　always　seeking　for　somethingnew。　They　gravely　rearmed　themselves　fromthe　gun…room　and　trooped　along　at　the　tail　of　their　guide；　Sir　Howard　only　pausing；　in　a　sort　of　ecstasy；　to　point　out　the　celebrated　gilt　summerhouse　on　which　the　gilt　weathercock　still　stood　crooked。　It　was　dusk　turning　to　dark　by　the　time　they　reached　the　remote　green　by　the　poplars　and　accepted　the　new　and　aimless　game　of　shooting　at　the　old　mark。

The　last　light　seemed　to　fade　from　the　lawn；　and　the　poplars　against　the　sunset　were　like　great　plumes　upon　a　purple　hearse；　when　the　futile　procession　finally　curved　round；and　came　out　in　front　of　the　target。　Sir　Howard　again　slapped　his　host　on　the　shoulder；　shoving　him　playfully　forward　to　take　the　first　shot。　The　shoulder　and　arm　he　touched　seemed　unnaturally　stiff　and　angular。　Mr。　Jenkins　was　holding　his　gun　in　an　attitude　more　awkward　than　any　that　his　satiric　friends　had　seen　or　expected。

At　the　same　instant　a　horrible　scream　seemed　to　come　from　nowhere。　It　was　so　unnatural　and　so　unsuited　to　the　scene　that　it　might　have　been　made　by　some　inhuman　thing　flying　on　wings　above　them　or　eavesdropping　in　the　dark　woods　beyond。　But　Fisher　knew　that　it　had　started　and　stopped　on　the　pale　lips　of　Jefferson　Jenkins；　of　Montreal；　and　no　one　at　that　moment　catching　sight　of　Jefferson　Jenkins's　face　would　have　complained　that　it　was　commonplace。　The　next　moment　a　torrent　of　guttural　but　good…humored　oaths　came　from　Major　Burke　as　he　and　the　two　other　men　saw　what　was　in　front　of　them。　The　target　stood　up　in　the　dim　grass　like　a　dark　goblin　grinning　at　them；　and　it　was　literally　grinning。　It　had　two　eyes　like　stars；　and　in　similar　livid　points　of　light　were　picked　out　the　two　upturned　and　open　nostrils　and　the　two　ends　of　the　wide　and　tight　mouth。　A　few　white　dots　above　each　eye　indicated　the　hoary　eyebrows；　and　one　of　them　ran　upward　almost　erect。　It　was　a　brilliant　caricature　done　in　bright　botted　lines　and　March　knew　of　whom。　It　shone　in　the　shadowy　grass；　smeared　with　sea　fire　as　if　one　of　the　submarine　monsters　had　crawled　into　the　twilight　garden；　but　it　had　the　head　of　a　dead　man。

〃It's　only　luminous　paint；〃　said　Burke。　〃Old　Fisher's　been　having　a　joke　with　that　phosphorescent　stuff　of　his。〃

〃Seems　to　be　meant　for　old　Puggy〃'　observed　Sir　Howard。　〃Hits　him　off　very　well。〃

With　that　they　all　laughed；　except　Jenkins。　When　they　had　all　done；　he　made　a　noise　like　the　first　effort　of　an　animal　to　laugh；　and　Horne　Fisher　suddenly　strode　across　to　him　and　said：

〃Mr。　Jenkins；　I　must　speak　to　you　at　once　in　private。〃

It　was　by　the　little　watercourse　in　the　moors；　on　the　slope　under　the　hanging　rock；　that　March　met　his　new　friend　Fisher；　by　appointment；　shortly　after　the　ugly　and　almost　grotesque　scene　that　had　broken　up　the　group　in　the　garden。

〃It　was　a　monkey…trick　of　mine；〃　observed　Fisher；　gloomily；　〃putting　phosphorus　on　the　target；　but　the　only　chance　to　make　him　jump　was　to　give　him　the　horrors　suddenly。　And　when　he　saw　the　face　he'd　shot　at　shining　on　the　target　he　practiced　on；　all　lit　up　with　an　infernal　light；　he　did　jump。　Quite　enough　for　my　own　intellectual　satisfaction。〃

〃I'm　afraid　I　don't　quite　understand　even　now；〃　said　March；　〃exactly　what　he　did　or　why　he　did　it。〃

〃You　ought　to；〃　replied　Fisher；　with　his　rather　dreary　smile；　〃for　you　gave　me　the　first　suggestion　yourself。　Oh　yes；　you　did；　and　it　was。　a　very　shrewd　one。　You　said　a　man　wouldn't　take　sandwiches　with　him　to　dine　at　a　great　house。　It　was　quite　true；　and　the　inference　was　that；　though　he　was　going　there；　he　didn't　mean　to　dine　there。　Or；　at　any　rate；　that　he　might　not　be　dining　there。　It　occurred　to　me　at　once　that　he　probably　expected　the　visit　to　be　unpleasant；　or　the　reception　doubtful；　or　something　that　would　prevent　his　accepting　hospitality。　Then　it　struck　me　that　Turnbull　was　a　terror　to　certain　shady　characters　in　the　past；　and　that　he　had　come　down　to　identify　and　denounce　one　of　them。　The　chances　at　the　start　pointed　to　the　hostthat　is；　Jenkins。　I'm　morally　certain　now　that　Jenkins　was　the　undesirable　alien　Turnbull　wanted　to　convict　in　another　shooting…affair；　but　you　see　the　shooting　gentleman　had　another　shot　in　his　locker。〃

〃But　you　said　he　would　have　to　be　a　very　good　shot；〃　protested　March。

〃Jenkins　is　a　very　good　shot；〃　said　Fisher。　〃A　very　good　shot　who　can　pretend　to　be　a　very　bad　shot。　Shall　I　tell　you　the　second　hint　I　hit　on；　after　yours；　to　make　me　think　it　was　Jenkins？　It　was　my　cousin's　account　of　his　bad　shooting。　He'd　shot　a　cockade　off　a　hat　and　a　weathercock　off　a　building。　Now；　in　fact；　a　man　must　shoot　very　well　indeed　to　shoot　so　badly　as　that。　He　must　shoot　very　neatly　to　hit　the　cockade　and　not　the　head；　or　even　the　hat。　If　the　shots　had　really　gone　at　random；　the　chances　are　a　thousand　to　one　that　they　would　not　have　hit　such　prominent　and　picturesque　objects。　They　were　chosen　because　they　were　prominent　and　picturesque　objects。　They　make　a　story　to　go　the　round　of　society。　He　keeps　the　crooked　weathercock　in　the　summerhouse　to　perpetuate　the　story　of　a　legend。　And　then　he　lay　in　wait　with　his　evil　eye　and　wicked　gun；　safely　ambushed　behind　the　legend　of　his　own　incompetence。

〃But　there　is　more　than　that。　There　is　the　summerhouse　itself。　I　mean　there　is　the　whole　thing。　There's　all　that　Jenkins　gets　chaffed　about；　the　gilding　and　the　gaudy　colors　and　all　the　vulgarity　that's　supposed　to　stamp　him　as　an　upstart。　Now；　as　a　matter　of　fact；　upstarts　generally　don't　do　this。　God　knows　there's　enough　of　'em　in　society；　and　one　knows　'em　well　enough。　And　this　is　the　very　last　thing　they　do。　They're　generally　only　too　keen　to　know　the　right　thing　and　do　it；　and　they　instantly　put　themselves　body　and　soul　into　the　hands　of　art　decorators　and　art　experts；　who　do　the　whole　thing　for　them。　There's　hardly　another　millionaire　alive　who　has　the　moral　courage　to　have　a　gilt　monogram　on　a　chair　like　that　one　in　the　gun…room。　For　that　matter；　there's　the　name　as　well　as　the　monogram。　Names　like　Tompkins　and　Jenkins　and　Jinks　are　funny　without　being　vulgar；　I　mean　they　are　vulgar　without　being　common。　If　you　prefer　it；　they　are　commonplace　without　being　common。　They　are　just　the　names　to　be　chosen　to　LOOK　ordinary；　but　they're　really　rather　extraordinary。　Do　you　know　many　people　called　Tompkins？　It's　a　good　deal　rarer　than　Talbot。　It's　pretty　much　the　same　with　the　comic　clothes　of　the　parvenu。　Jenkins　dresses　like　a　character　in　Punch。　But　that's　because　he　is　a　character　in　Punch。　I　mean　he's　a　fictitious　character。　He's　a　fabulous　animal。　He　doesn't　exist。

〃Have　you　ever　considered　what　it　must　be　like　to　be　a　man　who　doesn't　exist？　I　mean　to　be　a　man　with　a　fictitious　character　that　he　has　to　keep　up　at　the　expense　not　merely　of　personal　talents：　To　be　a　new　kind　of　hypocrite　hiding　a　talent　in　a　new　kind　of　napkin。　This　man　has　chosen　his　hypocrisy　very　ingeniously；　it　was　really　a　new　one。　A　subtle　villain　has　dressed　up　as　a　dashing　gentleman　and　a　worthy　business　man　and　a　philanthropist　and　a　saint；　but　the　loud　checks　of　a　comical　little　cad　were　really　rather　a　new　disguise。　But　the　disguise　must　be　very　irksome　to　a　man　who　can　really　do　things。　This　is　a　dexterous　little　cosmopolitan　guttersnipe　who　can　do　scores　of　things；　not　only　shoot；　but　draw　and　paint；　and　probably　play　the　fiddle。　Now　a　man　like　that　may　find　the　hiding　of　his　talents　useful；　but　he　could　never　help　wanting　to　use　them　where　they　were　useless。　If　he　can　draw；　he　will　draw　absent…mindedly　on　blotting　paper。　I　suspect　this　rascal　has　often　drawn　poor　old　Puggy's　face　on　blotting　paper。　Probably　he　began　doing　it　in　blots　as　he　afterward　did　it　in　dots；　or　rather　shots。　It　was　the　same　sort　of　thing；　he　found　a　disused　target　in　a　deserted　yard　and　couldn't　resist　indulging　in　a　little　secret　shooting；　like　secret　drinking。　You　thought　the　shots　all　scattered　and　irregular；　and　so　they　were；　but　not　accidental。　No　two　distances　were　alike；　but　the　different　points　were　exactly　where　he　wanted　to　put　them。　There's　nothing　needs　such　mathematical　precision　as　a　wild　caricature。　I've　dabbled　a　little　in　drawing　myself；　and　I　assure　you　that　to　put　one　dot　where　you　want　it　is　a　marvel　with　a　pen　close　to　a　piece　of　paper。　It　was　a　miracle　to　do　it　across　a　garden　with　a　gun。　But　a　man　who　can　work　those　miracles　will　always　itch　to　work　them；　if　it's　only　in　the　dark。〃

After　a　pause　March　observed；　thoughtfully；　〃But　he　couldn't　have　brought　him　down　like　a　bird　with　one　of　those　little　guns。〃

〃No；　that　was　why　I　went　into　the　gun…room；〃　replied　Fisher。　〃He　did　it　with　one　of　Burke's　rifles；　and　Burke　thought　he　knew　the　sound　of　it。　That's　why　he　rushed　out　without　a　hat；　looking　so　wild。　He　saw　nothing　but　a　car　passing　quickly；　which　he　followed　for　a　little　way；　and　then　concluded　he'd　made　a　mistake。〃

There　was　another　silence；　during　which　Fisher　sat　on　a　great　stone　as　motionless　as　on　their　first　meeting；　and　watched　the　gray　and　silver　river　eddying　past　under　the　bushes。　Then　March　said；　abruptly；　〃Of　course　he　knows　the　truth　now。〃

〃Nobody　knows　the　truth　but　you　and　I；〃　answered　Fisher；　with　a　certain　softening　in　his　voice。　〃And　I　don't　think　you　and　I　will　ever　quarrel。〃

〃What　do　you　mean？〃　asked　March；　in　an　altered　accent。　〃What　have　you　done　about　it？〃

Horne　Fisher　continued　to　gaze　steadily　at　the　eddying　stream。　At　last　he　said；　〃The　police　have　proved　it　was　a　motor　accident。〃

〃But　you　know　it　was　not。〃

〃I　told　you　that　I　know　too　much；〃　replied　Fisher；　with　his　eye　on　the　river。　〃I　know　that；　and　I　know　a　great　many　other　things。　I　know　the　atmosphere　and　the　way　the　whole　thing　works。　I　know　this　fellow　has　succeeded　in　making　himself　something　incurably　commonplace　and　comic。　I　know　you　can't　get　up　a　persecution　of　old　Toole　or　Little　Tich。　If　I　were　to　tell　Hoggs　or　Halkett　that　old　Jink　was　an　assassin；　they　would　almost　die　of　laughter　before　my　eyes。　Oh；　I　don't　say　their　laughter's　quite　innocent；　though　it's　genuine　in　its　w