the club of queer trades-第6部分

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。　But　they　are　saints　all　the　same；　they　are　angels；　they　are　robed　in　white；　they　are　clad　with　wings　and　haloesat　any　rate　compared　to　that　man。〃

〃Which　man？〃　I　cried　again；　and　then　my　eye　caught　the　figure　at　which　Basil's　bull's　eyes　were　glaring。

He　was　a　slim；　smooth　person；　passing　very　quickly　among　the　quickly　passing　crowd；　but　though　there　was　nothing　about　him　sufficient　to　attract　a　startled　notice；　there　was　quite　enough　to　demand　a　curious　consideration　when　once　that　notice　was　attracted。　He　wore　a　black　top…hat；　but　there　was　enough　in　it　of　those　strange　curves　whereby　the　decadent　artist　of　the　eighties　tried　to　turn　the　top…hat　into　something　as　rhythmic　as　an　Etruscan　vase。　His　hair；　which　was　largely　grey；　was　curled　with　the　instinct　of　one　who　appreciated　the　gradual　beauty　of　grey　and　silver。　The　rest　of　his　face　was　oval　and；　I　thought；　rather　Oriental；　he　had　two　black　tufts　of　moustache。

〃What　has　he　done？〃　I　asked。

〃I　am　not　sure　of　the　details；〃　said　Grant；　〃but　his　besetting　sin　is　a　desire　to　intrigue　to　the　disadvantage　of　others。　Probably　he　has　adopted　some　imposture　or　other　to　effect　his　plan。〃

〃What　plan？〃　I　asked。　〃If　you　know　all　about　him；　why　don't　you　tell　me　why　he　is　the　wickedest　man　in　England？　What　is　his　name？〃

Basil　Grant　stared　at　me　for　some　moments。

〃I　think　you've　made　a　mistake　in　my　meaning；〃　he　said。　〃I　don't　know　his　name。　I　never　saw　him　before　in　my　life。〃

〃Never　saw　him　before！〃　I　cried；　with　a　kind　of　anger；　〃then　what　in　heaven's　name　do　you　mean　by　saying　that　he　is　the　wickedest　man　in　England？〃

〃I　meant　what　I　said；〃　said　Basil　Grant　calmly。　〃The　moment　I　saw　that　man；　I　saw　all　these　people　stricken　with　a　sudden　and　splendid　innocence。　I　saw　that　while　all　ordinary　poor　men　in　the　streets　were　being　themselves；　he　was　not　being　himself。　I　saw　that　all　the　men　in　these　slums；　cadgers；　pickpockets；　hooligans；　are　all；　in　the　deepest　sense；　trying　to　be　good。　And　I　saw　that　that　man　was　trying　to　be　evil。〃

〃But　if　you　never　saw　him　before〃　I　began。

〃In　God's　name；　look　at　his　face；〃　cried　out　Basil　in　a　voice　that　startled　the　driver。　〃Look　at　the　eyebrows。　They　mean　that　infernal　pride　which　made　Satan　so　proud　that　he　sneered　even　at　heaven　when　he　was　one　of　the　first　angels　in　it。　Look　at　his　moustaches；　they　are　so　grown　as　to　insult　humanity。　In　the　name　of　the　sacred　heavens　look　at　his　hair。　In　the　name　of　God　and　the　stars；　look　at　his　hat。〃

I　stirred　uncomfortably。

〃But；　after　all；〃　I　said；　〃this　is　very　fancifulperfectly　absurd。　Look　at　the　mere　facts。　You　have　never　seen　the　man　before；　you〃

〃Oh；　the　mere　facts；〃　he　cried　out　in　a　kind　of　despair。　〃The　mere　facts！　Do　you　really　admitare　you　still　so　sunk　in　superstitions；　so　clinging　to　dim　and　prehistoric　altars；　that　you　believe　in　facts？　Do　you　not　trust　an　immediate　impression？〃

〃Well；　an　immediate　impression　may　be；〃　I　said；　〃a　little　less　practical　than　facts。〃

〃Bosh；〃　he　said。　〃On　what　else　is　the　whole　world　run　but　immediate　impressions？　What　is　more　practical？　My　friend；　the　philosophy　of　this　world　may　be　founded　on　facts；　its　business　is　run　on　spiritual　impressions　and　atmospheres。　Why　do　you　refuse　or　accept　a　clerk？　Do　you　measure　his　skull？　Do　you　read　up　his　physiological　state　in　a　handbook？　Do　you　go　upon　facts　at　all？　Not　a　scrap。　You　accept　a　clerk　who　may　save　your　businessyou　refuse　a　clerk　that　may　rob　your　till；　entirely　upon　those　immediate　mystical　impressions　under　the　pressure　of　which　I　pronounce；　with　a　perfect　sense　of　certainty　and　sincerity；　that　that　man　walking　in　that　street　beside　us　is　a　humbug　and　a　villain　of　some　kind。〃

〃You　always　put　things　well；〃　I　said；　〃but；　of　course；　such　things　cannot　immediately　be　put　to　the　test。〃

Basil　sprang　up　straight　and　swayed　with　the　swaying　car。

〃Let　us　get　off　and　follow　him；〃　he　said。　〃I　bet　you　five　pounds　it　will　turn　out　as　I　say。〃

And　with　a　scuttle；　a　jump；　and　a　run；　we　were　off　the　car。

The　man　with　the　curved　silver　hair　and　the　curved　Eastern　face　walked　along　for　some　time；　his　long　splendid　frock…coat　flying　behind　him。　Then　he　swung　sharply　out　of　the　great　glaring　road　and　disappeared　down　an　ill…lit　alley。　We　swung　silently　after　him。

〃This　is　an　odd　turning　for　a　man　of　that　kind　to　take；〃　I　said。

〃A　man　of　what　kind？〃　asked　my　friend。

〃Well；〃　I　said；　〃a　man　with　that　kind　of　expression　and　those　boots。　I　thought　it　rather　odd；　to　tell　the　truth；　that　he　should　be　in　this　part　of　the　world　at　all。〃

〃Ah；　yes；〃　said　Basil；　and　said　no　more。

We　tramped　on；　looking　steadily　in　front　of　us。　The　elegant　figure；　like　the　figure　of　a　black　swan；　was　silhouetted　suddenly　against　the　glare　of　intermittent　gaslight　and　then　swallowed　again　in　night。　The　intervals　between　the　lights　were　long；　and　a　fog　was　thickening　the　whole　city。　Our　pace；　therefore；　had　become　swift　and　mechanical　between　the　lamp…posts；　but　Basil　came　to　a　standstill　suddenly　like　a　reined　horse；　I　stopped　also。　We　had　almost　run　into　the　man。　A　great　part　of　the　solid　darkness　in　front　of　us　was　the　darkness　of　his　body。

At　first　I　thought　he　had　turned　to　face　us。　But　though　we　were　hardly　a　yard　off　he　did　not　realize　that　we　were　there。　He　tapped　four　times　on　a　very　low　and　dirty　door　in　the　dark；　crabbed　street。　A　gleam　of　gas　cut　the　darkness　as　it　opened　slowly。　We　listened　intently；　but　the　interview　was　short　and　simple　and　inexplicable　as　an　interview　could　be。　Our　exquisite　friend　handed　in　what　looked　like　a　paper　or　a　card　and　said：

〃At　once。　Take　a　cab。〃

A　heavy；　deep　voice　from　inside　said：

〃Right　you　are。〃

And　with　a　click　we　were　in　the　blackness　again；　and　striding　after　the　striding　stranger　through　a　labyrinth　of　London　lanes；　the　lights　just　helping　us。　It　was　only　five　o'clock；　but　winter　and　the　fog　had　made　it　like　midnight。

〃This　is　really　an　extraordinary　walk　for　the　patent…leather　boots；〃　I　repeated。

〃I　don't　know；〃　said　Basil　humbly。　〃It　leads　to　Berkeley　Square。〃

As　I　tramped　on　I　strained　my　eyes　through　the　dusky　atmosphere　and　tried　to　make　out　the　direction　described。　For　some　ten　minutes　I　wondered　and　doubted；　at　the　end　of　that　I　saw　that　my　friend　was　right。　We　were　coming　to　the　great　dreary　spaces　of　fashionable　Londonmore　dreary；　one　must　admit；　even　than　the　dreary　plebeian　spaces。

〃This　is　very　extraordinary！〃　said　Basil　Grant；　as　we　turned　into　Berkeley　Square。

〃What　is　extraordinary？〃　I　asked。　〃I　thought　you　said　it　was　quite　natural。〃

〃I　do　not　wonder；〃　answered　Basil；　〃at　his　walking　through　nasty　streets；　I　do　not　wonder　at　his　going　to　Berkeley　Square。　But　I　do　wonder　at　his　going　to　the　house　of　a　very　good　man。〃

〃What　very　good　man？〃　I　asked　with　exasperation。

〃The　operation　of　time　is　a　singular　one；〃　he　said　with　his　imperturbable　irrelevancy。　〃It　is　not　a　true　statement　of　the　case　to　say　that　I　have　forgotten　my　career　when　I　was　a　judge　and　a　public　man。　I　remember　it　all　vividly；　but　it　is　like　remembering　some　novel。　But　fifteen　years　ago　I　knew　this　square　as　well　as　Lord　Rosebery　does；　and　a　confounded　long　sight　better　than　that　man　who　is　going　up　the　steps　of　old　Beaumont's　house。〃

〃Who　is　old　Beaumont？〃　I　asked　irritably。

〃A　perfectly　good　fellow。　Lord　Beaumont　of　Foxwooddon't　you　know　his　name？　He　is　a　man　of　transparent　sincerity；　a　nobleman　who　does　more　work　than　a　navvy；　a　socialist；　an　anarchist；　I　don't　know　what；　anyhow；　he's　a　philosopher　and　philanthropist。　I　admit　he　has　the　slight　disadvantage　of　being；　beyond　all　question；　off　his　head。　He　has　that　real　disadvantage　which　has　arisen　out　of　the　modern　worship　of　progress　and　novelty；　and　he　thinks　anything　odd　and　new　must　be　an　advance。　If　you　went　to　him　and　proposed　to　eat　your　grandmother；　he　would　agree　with　you；　so　long　as　you　put　it　on　hygienic　and　public　grounds；　as　a　cheap　alternative　to　cremation。　So　long　as　you　progress　fast　enough　it　seems　a　matter　of　indifference　to　him　whether　you　are　progressing　to　the　stars　or　the　devil。　So　his　house　is　filled　with　an　endless　succession　of　literary　and　political　fashions；　men　who　wear　long　hair　because　it　is　romantic；　men　who　wear　short　hair　because　it　is　medical；　men　who　walk　on　their　feet　only　to　exercise　their　hands；　and　men　who　walk　on　their　hands　for　fear　of　tiring　their　feet。　But　though　the　inhabitants　of　his　salons　are　generally　fools；　like　himself；　they　are　almost　always；　like　himself；　good　men。　I　am　really　surprised　to　see　a　criminal　enter　there。〃

〃My　good　fellow；〃　I　said　firmly；　striking　my　foot　on　the　pavement；　〃the　truth　of　this　affair　is　very　simple。　To　use　your　own　eloquent　language；　you　have　the　‘slight　disadvantage'　of　being　off　your　head。　You　see　a　total　stranger　in　a　public　street；　you　choose　to　start　certain　theories　about　his　eyebrows。　You　then　treat　him　as　a　burglar　because　he　enters　an　honest　man's　door。　The　thing　is　too　monstrous。　Admit　that　it　is；　Basil；　and　come　home　with　me。　Though　these　people　are　still　having　tea；　yet　with　the　distance　we　have　to　go；　we　shall　be　late　for　dinner。〃

Basil's　eyes　were　shining　in　the　twilight　like　lamps。

〃I　thought；〃　he　said；　〃that　I　had　outlived　vanity。〃

〃What　do　you　want　now？〃　I　cried。

〃I　want；〃　he　cried　out；　〃what　a　girl　wants　when　she　wears　her　new　frock；　I　want　what　a　boy　wants　when　he　goes　in　for　a　clanging　match　with　a　monitorI　want　to　show　somebody　what　a　fine　fellow　I　am。　I　am　as　right　about　that　man　as　I　am　about　your　having　a　hat　on　your　head。　You　say　it　cannot　be　tested。　I　say　it　can。　I　will　take　you　to　see　my　old　friend　Beaumont。　He　is　a　delightful　man　to　know。〃

〃Do　you　really　mean？〃　I　began。

〃I　will　apologize；〃　he　said　calmly；　〃for　our　not　being　dressed　for　a　call；〃　and　walking　across　the　vast　misty　square；　he　walked　up　the　dark　stone　steps　and　rang　at　the　bell。

A　severe　servant　in　black　and　white　opened　the　door　to　us：　on　receiving　my　friend's　name　his　manner　passed　in　a　flash　from　astonishment　to　respect。　We　were　ushered　into　the　house　very　quickly；　but　not　so　quickly　but　that　our　host；　a　white…haired　man　with　a　fiery　face；　came　out　quickly　to　meet　us。

〃My　dear　fellow；〃　he　cried；　shaking　Basil's　hand　again　and　again；　〃I　have　not　seen　you　for　years。　Have　you　beener〃　he