the wisdom of father brown-第14部分

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ay　from　the　prisoner　by　main　force；　but　they　felt　his　figure　in　the　dock；　and　they　felt　it　as　gigantic。　　Tall　as　Bruno　was　to　the　eye；　he　seemed　to　swell　taller　and　taller　when　an　eyes　had　been　torn　away　from　him。

　　　　　Cowdray　was　resuming　his　seat　with　his　solemn　face；　smoothing　his　black　silk　robes；　and　white　silk　whiskers。　　Sir　Wilson　was　leaving　the　witness…box；　after　a　few　final　particulars　to　which　there　were　many　other　witnesses；　when　the　counsel　for　the　defence　sprang　up　and　stopped　him。

　　　　　〃I　shall　only　detain　you　a　moment；〃　said　Mr　Butler；　who　was　a　rustic…looking　person　with　red　eyebrows　and　an　expression　of　partial　slumber。　　〃Will　you　tell　his　lordship　how　you　knew　it　was　a　man？〃

　　　　　A　faint；　refined　smile　seemed　to　pass　over　Seymour's　features。　　〃I'm　afraid　it　is　the　vulgar　test　of　trousers；〃　he　said。　　〃When　I　saw　daylight　between　the　long　legs　I　was　sure　it　was　a　man；　after　all。〃

　　　　　Butler's　sleepy　eyes　opened　as　suddenly　as　some　silent　explosion。　　〃After　all！〃　he　repeated　slowly。　　〃So　you　did　think　at　first　it　was　a　woman？〃

　　　　　Seymour　looked　troubled　for　the　first　time。　　〃It　is　hardly　a　point　of　fact；〃　he　said；　〃but　if　his　lordship　would　like　me　to　answer　for　my　impression；　of　course　I　shall　do　so。　　There　was　something　about　the　thing　that　was　not　exactly　a　woman　and　yet　was　not　quite　a　man；　somehow　the　curves　were　different。　　And　it　had　something　that　looked　like　long　hair。〃

　　　　　〃Thank　you；〃　said　Mr　Butler；　K。C。；　and　sat　down　suddenly；　as　if　he　had　got　what　he　wanted。

　　　　　Captain　Cutler　was　a　far　less　plausible　and　composed　witness　than　Sir　Wilson；　but　his　account　of　the　opening　incidents　was　solidly　the　same。　　He　described　the　return　of　Bruno　to　his　dressing…room；　the　dispatching　of　himself　to　buy　a　bunch　of　lilies…of…the…valley；　his　return　to　the　upper　end　of　the　passage；　the　thing　he　saw　in　the　passage；　his　suspicion　of　Seymour；　and　his　struggle　with　Bruno。　　But　he　could　give　little　artistic　assistance　about　the　black　figure　that　he　and　Seymour　had　seen。　　Asked　about　its　outline；　he　said　he　was　no　art　criticwith　a　somewhat　too　obvious　sneer　at　Seymour。　　Asked　if　it　was　a　man　or　a　woman；　he　said　it　looked　more　like　a　beast　with　a　too　obvious　snarl　at　the　prisoner。　　But　the　man　was　plainly　shaken　with　sorrow　and　sincere　anger；　and　Cowdray　quickly　excused　him　from　confirming　facts　that　were　already　fairly　clear。

　　　　　The　defending　counsel　also　was　again　brief　in　his　cross…examination；　although　（as　was　his　custom）　even　in　being　brief；　he　seemed　to　take　a　long　time　about　it。　　〃You　used　a　rather　remarkable　expression；〃　he　said；　looking　at　Cutler　sleepily。　　〃What　do　you　mean　by　saying　that　it　looked　more　like　a　beast　than　a　man　or　a　woman？〃

　　　　　Cutler　seemed　seriously　agitated。　　〃Perhaps　I　oughtn't　to　have　said　that；〃　he　said；　〃but　when　the　brute　has　huge　humped　shoulders　like　a　chimpanzee；　and　bristles　sticking　out　of　its　head　like　a　pig〃

　　　　　Mr　Butler　cut　short　his　curious　impatience　in　the　middle。　　〃Never　mind　whether　its　hair　was　like　a　pig's；〃　he　said；　〃was　it　like　a　woman's？〃

　　　　　〃A　woman's！〃　cried　the　soldier。　　〃Great　Scott；　no！〃

　　　　　〃The　last　witness　said　it　was；〃　commented　the　counsel；　with　unscrupulous　swiftness。　　〃And　did　the　figure　have　any　of　those　serpentine　and　semi…feminine　curves　to　which　eloquent　allusion　has　been　made？　　No？　　No　feminine　curves？　　The　figure；　if　I　understand　you；　was　rather　heavy　and　square　than　otherwise？〃

　　　　　〃He　may　have　been　bending　forward；〃　said　Cutler；　in　a　hoarse　and　rather　faint　voice。

　　　　　〃Or　again；　he　may　not；〃　said　Mr　Butler；　and　sat　down　suddenly　for　the　second　time。

　　　　　The　third；　witness　called　by　Sir　Walter　Cowdray　was　the　little　Catholic　clergyman；　so　little；　compared　with　the　others；　that　his　head　seemed　hardly　to　come　above　the　box；　so　that　it　was　like　cross…examining　a　child。　　But　unfortunately　Sir　Walter　had　somehow　got　it　into　his　head　（mostly　by　some　ramifications　of　his　family's　religion）　that　Father　Brown　was　on　the　side　of　the　prisoner；　because　the　prisoner　was　wicked　and　foreign　and　even　partly　black。　　Therefore　he　took　Father　Brown　up　sharply　whenever　that　proud　pontiff　tried　to　explain　anything；　and　told　him　to　answer　yes　or　no；　and　tell　the　plain　facts　without　any　jesuitry。　　When　Father　Brown　began；　in　his　simplicity；　to　say　who　he　thought　the　man　in　the　passage　was；　the　barrister　told　him　that　he　did　not　want　his　theories。

　　　　　〃A　black　shape　was　seen　in　the　passage。　　And　you　say　you　saw　the　black　shape。　　Well；　what　shape　was　it？〃

　　　　　Father　Brown　blinked　as　under　rebuke；　but　he　had　long　known　the　literal　nature　of　obedience。　　〃The　shape；〃　he　said；　〃was　short　and　thick；　but　had　two　sharp；　black　projections　curved　upwards　on　each　side　of　the　head　or　top；　rather　like　horns；　and〃

　　　　　〃Oh！　the　devil　with　horns；　no　doubt；〃　ejaculated　Cowdray；　sitting　down　in　triumphant　jocularity。　　〃It　was　the　devil　come　to　eat　Protestants。〃

　　　　　〃No；〃　said　the　priest　dispassionately；　〃I　know　who　it　was。〃

　　　　　Those　in　court　had　been　wrought　up　to　an　irrational；　but　real　sense　of　some　monstrosity。　　They　had　forgotten　the　figure　in　the　dock　and　thought　only　of　the　figure　in　the　passage。　　And　the　figure　in　the　passage；　described　by　three　capable　and　respectable　men　who　had　all　seen　it；　was　a　shifting　nightmare：　one　called　it　a　woman；　and　the　other　a　beast；　and　the　other　a　devil。。。。

　　　　　The　judge　was　looking　at　Father　Brown　with　level　and　piercing　eyes。　　〃You　are　a　most　extraordinary　witness；〃　he　said；　〃but　there　is　something　about　you　that　makes　me　think　you　are　trying　to　tell　the　truth。　　Well；　who　was　the　man　you　saw　in　the　passage？〃

　　　　　〃He　was　myself；〃　said　Father　Brown。

　　　　　Butler；　K。C。；　sprang　to　his　feet　in　an　extraordinary　stillness；　and　said　quite　calmly：　　〃Your　lordship　will　allow　me　to　cross…examine？〃　And　then；　without　stopping；　he　shot　at　Brown　the　apparently　disconnected　question：　　〃You　have　heard　about　this　dagger；　you　know　the　experts　say　the　crime　was　committed　with　a　short　blade？〃

　　　　　〃A　short　blade；〃　assented　Brown；　nodding　solemnly　like　an　owl；　〃but　a　very　long　hilt。〃

　　　　　Before　the　audience　could　quite　dismiss　the　idea　that　the　priest　had　really　seen　himself　doing　murder　with　a　short　dagger　with　a　long　hilt　（which　seemed　somehow　to　make　it　more　horrible）；　he　had　himself　hurried　on　to　explain。

　　　　　〃I　mean　daggers　aren't　the　only　things　with　short　blades。　　Spears　have　short　blades。　　And　spears　catch　at　the　end　of　the　steel　just　like　daggers；　if　they're　that　sort　of　fancy　spear　they　had　in　theatres；　like　the　spear　poor　old　Parkinson　killed　his　wife　with；　just　when　she'd　sent　for　me　to　settle　their　family　troubles　and　I　came　just　too　late；　God　forgive　me！　　But　he　died　penitent　he　just　died　of　being　penitent。　　He　couldn't　bear　what　he'd　done。〃

　　　　　The　general　impression　in　court　was　that　the　little　priest；　who　was　gobbling　away；　had　literally　gone　mad　in　the　box。　　But　the　judge　still　looked　at　him　with　bright　and　steady　eyes　of　interest；　and　the　counsel　for　the　defence　went　on　with　his　questions　unperturbed。

　　　　　〃If　Parkinson　did　it　with　that　pantomime　spear；〃　said　Butler；　〃he　must　have　thrust　from　four　yards　away。　　How　do　you　account　for　signs　of　struggle；　like　the　dress　dragged　off　the　shoulder？〃　He　had　slipped　into　treating　his　mere　witness　as　an　expert；　but　no　one　noticed　it　now。

　　　　　〃The　poor　lady's　dress　was　torn；〃　said　the　witness；　〃because　it　was　caught　in　a　panel　that　slid　to　just　behind　her。　　She　struggled　to　free　herself；　and　as　she　did　so　Parkinson　came　out　of　the　prisoner's　room　and　lunged　with　the　spear。〃

　　　　　〃A　panel？〃　repeated　the　barrister　in　a　curious　voice。

　　　　　〃It　was　a　looking…glass　on　the　other　side；〃　explained　Father　Brown。　　〃When　I　was　in　the　dressing…room　I　noticed　that　some　of　them　could　probably　be　slid　out　into　the　passage。〃

　　　　　There　was　another　vast　and　unnatural　silence；　and　this　time　it　was　the　judge　who　spoke。　　〃So　you　really　mean　that　when　you　looked　down　that　passage；　the　man　you　saw　was　yourselfin　a　mirror？〃

　　　　　〃Yes；　my　lord；　that　was　what　I　was　trying　to　say；〃　said　Brown；　〃but　they　asked　me　for　the　shape；　and　our　hats　have　corners　just　like　horns；　and　so　I〃

　　　　　The　judge　leaned　forward；　his　old　eyes　yet　more　brilliant；　and　said　in　specially　distinct　tones：　　〃Do　you　really　mean　to　say　that　when　Sir　Wilson　Seymour　saw　that　wild　what…you…call…him　with　curves　and　a　woman's　hair　and　a　man's　trousers；　what　he　saw　was　Sir　Wilson　Seymour？〃

　　　　　〃Yes；　my　lord；〃　said　Father　Brown。

　　　　　〃And　you　mean　to　say　that　when　Captain　Cutler　saw　that　chimpanzee　with　humped　shoulders　and　hog's　bristles；　he　simply　saw　himself？〃

　　　　　〃Yes；　my　lord。〃

　　　　　The　judge　leaned　back　in　his　chair　with　a　luxuriance　in　which　it　was　hard　to　separate　the　cynicism　and　the　admiration。　　〃And　can　you　tell　us　why；〃　he　asked；　〃you　should　know　your　own　figure　in　a　looking…glass；　when　two　such　distinguished　men　don't？〃

　　　　　Father　Brown　blinked　even　more　painfully　than　before；　then　he　stammered：　　〃Really；　my　lord；　I　don't　know　unless　it's　because　I　don't　look　at　it　so　often。〃




　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　FIVE


　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　The　Mistake　of　the　Machine


FLAMBEAU　and　his　friend　the　priest　were　sitting　in　the　Temple　Gardens　about　sunset；　and　their　neighbourhood　or　some　such　accidental　influence　had　turned　their　talk　to　matters　of　legal　process。　　From　the　problem　of　the　licence　in　cross…examination；　their　talk　strayed　to　Roman　and　mediaeval　torture；　to　the　examining　magistrate　in　France　and　the　Third　Degree　in　America。

　　　　　〃I've　been　reading；〃　said　Flambeau；　〃of　this　new　psychometric　method　they　talk　about　so　much；　especially　in　America。　　You　know　what　I　mean；　they　put　a　pulsometer　on　a　man's　wrist　and　judge　by　how　his　heart　goes　at　the　pronunciation　of　certain　words。　　What　do　you　think　of　it？〃

　　　　　〃I　think　it　very　interesting；〃　replied　Father　Brown；　〃it　reminds　me　of　that　interesting　idea　in　the　Dark　Ages　that　blood　would　flow　from　a　corpse　if　the　murderer　touched　it。〃

　　　　　〃Do　you　really　mean；〃　demanded　his　friend；　〃that　you　think　the　two　methods　equally　valuable？〃

　　　　　〃I　think　them　equally　valueless；〃　replied　Brown。　　〃Blood　flows；　fast　or　slow；　in　dead　folk　or　living；　for　so　many　more　million　re