the innocence of father brown-第24章

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fore　he　fell。　　One　of　the　high…shouldered　hooks　that　served　the　thing　for　arms；　was　a　little　lifted；　and　Angus　had　suddenly　the　horrid　fancy　that　poor　Smythe's　own　iron　child　had　struck　him　down。　　Matter　had　rebelled；　and　these　machines　had　killed　their　master。　　But　even　so；　what　had　they　done　with　him？　　　　　〃Eaten　him？〃　said　the　nightmare　at　his　ear；　and　he　sickened　for　an　instant　at　the　idea　of　rent；　human　remains　absorbed　and　crushed　into　all　that　acephalous　clockwork。　　　　　He　recovered　his　mental　health　by　an　emphatic　effort；　and　said　to　Flambeau；　〃Well；　there　it　is。　　The　poor　fellow　has　evaporated　like　a　cloud　and　left　a　red　streak　on　the　floor。　　The　tale　does　not　belong　to　this　world。〃　　　　　〃There　is　only　one　thing　to　be　done；〃　said　Flambeau；　〃whether　it　belongs　to　this　world　or　the　other。　　I　must　go　down　and　talk　to　my　friend。〃　　　　　They　descended；　passing　the　man　with　the　pail；　who　again　asseverated　that　he　had　let　no　intruder　pass；　down　to　the　commissionaire　and　the　hovering　chestnut　man；　who　rigidly　reasserted　their　own　watchfulness。　　But　when　Angus　looked　round　for　his　fourth　confirmation　he　could　not　see　it；　and　called　out　with　some　nervousness；　〃Where　is　the　policeman？〃　　　　　〃I　beg　your　pardon；〃　said　Father　Brown；　〃that　is　my　fault。　　I　just　sent　him　down　the　road　to　investigate　somethingthat　I　just　thought　worth　investigating。〃　　　　　〃Well；　we　want　him　back　pretty　soon；〃　said　Angus　abruptly；　〃for　the　wretched　man　upstairs　has　not　only　been　murdered；　but　wiped　out。〃　　　　　〃How？〃　asked　the　priest。　　　　　〃Father；〃　said　Flambeau；　after　a　pause；　〃upon　my　soul　I　believe　it　is　more　in　your　department　than　mine。　　No　friend　or　foe　has　entered　the　house；　but　Smythe　is　gone；　as　if　stolen　by　the　fairies。　If　that　is　not　supernatural；　I〃　　　　　As　he　spoke　they　were　all　checked　by　an　unusual　sight；　the　big　blue　policeman　came　round　the　corner　of　the　crescent；　running。　　He　came　straight　up　to　Brown。　　　　　〃You're　right；　sir；〃　he　panted；　〃they've　just　found　poor　Mr。　Smythe's　body　in　the　canal　down　below。〃　　　　　Angus　put　his　hand　wildly　to　his　head。　　〃Did　he　run　down　and　drown　himself？〃　he　asked。　　　　　〃He　never　came　down；　I'll　swear；〃　said　the　constable；　〃and　he　wasn't　drowned　either；　for　he　died　of　a　great　stab　over　the　heart。〃　　　　　〃And　yet　you　saw　no　one　enter？〃　said　Flambeau　in　a　grave　voice。　　　　　〃Let　us　walk　down　the　road　a　little；〃　said　the　priest。　　　　　As　they　reached　the　other　end　of　the　crescent　he　observed　abruptly；　〃Stupid　of　me！　　I　forgot　to　ask　the　policeman　something。　I　wonder　if　they　found　a　light　brown　sack。〃　　　　　〃Why　a　light　brown　sack？〃　asked　Angus；　astonished。　　　　　〃Because　if　it　was　any　other　coloured　sack；　the　case　must　begin　over　again；〃　said　Father　Brown；　〃but　if　it　was　a　light　brown　sack；　why；　the　case　is　finished。〃　　　　　〃I　am　pleased　to　hear　it；〃　said　Angus　with　hearty　irony。　　〃It　hasn't　begun；　so　far　as　I　am　concerned。〃　　　　　〃You　must　tell　us　all　about　it；〃　said　Flambeau　with　a　strange　heavy　simplicity；　like　a　child。　　　　　Unconsciously　they　were　walking　with　quickening　steps　down　the　long　sweep　of　road　on　the　other　side　of　the　high　crescent；　Father　Brown　leading　briskly；　though　in　silence。　　At　last　he　said　with　an　almost　touching　vagueness；　〃Well；　I'm　afraid　you'll　think　it　so　prosy。　　We　always　begin　at　the　abstract　end　of　things；　and　you　can't　begin　this　story　anywhere　else。　　　　　〃Have　you　ever　noticed　thisthat　people　never　answer　what　you　say？　　They　answer　what　you　meanor　what　they　think　you　mean。　　Suppose　one　lady　says　to　another　in　a　country　house；　‘Is　anybody　staying　with　you？'　the　lady　doesn't　answer　‘Yes；　the　butler；　the　three　footmen；　the　parlourmaid；　and　so　on；'　though　the　parlourmaid　may　be　in　the　room；　or　the　butler　behind　her　chair。　She　says　‘There　is　nobody　staying　with　us；'　meaning　nobody　of　the　sort　you　mean。　　But　suppose　a　doctor　inquiring　into　an　epidemic　asks；　‘Who　is　staying　in　the　house？'　then　the　lady　will　remember　the　butler；　the　parlourmaid；　and　the　rest。　　All　language　is　used　like　that；　you　never　get　a　question　answered　literally；　even　when　you　get　it　answered　truly。　　When　those　four　quite　honest　men　said　that　no　man　had　gone　into　the　Mansions；　they　did　not　really　mean　that　no　man　had　gone　into　them。　　They　meant　no　man　whom　they　could　suspect　of　being　your　man。　　A　man　did　go　into　the　house；　and　did　come　out　of　it；　but　they　never　noticed　him。〃　　　　　〃An　invisible　man？〃　inquired　Angus；　raising　his　red　eyebrows。　〃A　mentally　invisible　man；〃　said　Father　Brown。　　　　　A　minute　or　two　after　he　resumed　in　the　same　unassuming　voice；　like　a　man　thinking　his　way。　　〃Of　course　you　can't　think　of　such　a　man；　until　you　do　think　of　him。　　That's　where　his　cleverness　comes　in。　　But　I　came　to　think　of　him　through　two　or　three　little　things　in　the　tale　Mr。　Angus　told　us。　　First；　there　was　the　fact　that　this　Welkin　went　for　long　walks。　　And　then　there　was　the　vast　lot　of　stamp　paper　on　the　window。　　And　then；　most　of　all；　there　were　the　two　things　the　young　lady　saidthings　that　couldn't　be　true。　Don't　get　annoyed；〃　he　added　hastily；　noting　a　sudden　movement　of　the　Scotchman's　head；　〃she　thought　they　were　true。　　A　person　can't　be　quite　alone　in　a　street　a　second　before　she　receives　a　letter。　She　can't　be　quite　alone　in　a　street　when　she　starts　reading　a　letter　just　received。　　There　must　be　somebody　pretty　near　her；　he　must　be　mentally　invisible。〃　　　　　〃Why　must　there　be　somebody　near　her？〃　asked　Angus。　　　　　〃Because；〃　said　Father　Brown；　〃barring　carrier…pigeons；　somebody　must　have　brought　her　the　letter。〃　　　　　〃Do　you　really　mean　to　say；〃　asked　Flambeau；　with　energy；　〃that　Welkin　carried　his　rival's　letters　to　his　lady？〃　　　　　〃Yes；〃　said　the　priest。　　〃Welkin　carried　his　rival's　letters　to　his　lady。　　You　see；　he　had　to。〃　　　　　〃Oh；　I　can't　stand　much　more　of　this；〃　exploded　Flambeau。　〃Who　is　this　fellow？　　What　does　he　look　like？　　What　is　the　usual　get…up　of　a　mentally　invisible　man？〃　　　　　〃He　is　dressed　rather　handsomely　in　red；　blue　and　gold；〃　replied　the　priest　promptly　with　precision；　〃and　in　this　striking；　and　even　showy；　costume　he　entered　Himylaya　Mansions　under　eight　human　eyes；　he　killed　Smythe　in　cold　blood；　and　came　down　into　the　street　again　carrying　the　dead　body　in　his　arms〃　　　　　〃Reverend　sir；〃　cried　Angus；　standing　still；　〃are　you　raving　mad；　or　am　I？〃　　　　　〃You　are　not　mad；〃　said　Brown；　〃only　a　little　unobservant。　You　have　not　noticed　such　a　man　as　this；　for　example。〃　　　　　He　took　three　quick　strides　forward；　and　put　his　hand　on　the　shoulder　of　an　ordinary　passing　postman　who　had　bustled　by　them　unnoticed　under　the　shade　of　the　trees。　　　　　〃Nobody　ever　notices　postmen　somehow；〃　he　said　thoughtfully；　〃yet　they　have　passions　like　other　men；　and　even　carry　large　bags　where　a　small　corpse　can　be　stowed　quite　easily。〃　　　　　The　postman；　instead　of　turning　naturally；　had　ducked　and　tumbled　against　the　garden　fence。　　He　was　a　lean　fair…bearded　man　of　very　ordinary　appearance；　but　as　he　turned　an　alarmed　face　over　his　shoulder；　all　three　men　were　fixed　with　an　almost　fiendish　squint。　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　*　*　*　*　*　*　　　　　Flambeau　went　back　to　his　sabres；　purple　rugs　and　Persian　cat；　having　many　things　to　attend　to。　　John　Turnbull　Angus　went　back　to　the　lady　at　the　shop；　with　whom　that　imprudent　young　man　contrives　to　be　extremely　comfortable。　　But　Father　Brown　walked　those　snow…covered　hills　under　the　stars　for　many　hours　with　a　murderer；　and　what　they　said　to　each　other　will　never　be　known。



　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　The　Honour　of　Israel　Gow

A　stormy　evening　of　olive　and　silver　was　closing　in；　as　Father　Brown；　wrapped　in　a　grey　Scotch　plaid；　came　to　the　end　of　a　grey　Scotch　valley　and　beheld　the　strange　castle　of　Glengyle。　　It　stopped　one　end　of　the　glen　or　hollow　like　a　blind　alley；　and　it　looked　like　the　end　of　the　world。　　Rising　in　steep　roofs　and　spires　of　seagreen　slate　in　the　manner　of　the　old　French…Scotch　chateaux；　it　reminded　an　Englishman　of　the　sinister　steeple…hats　of　witches　in　fairy　tales；　and　the　pine　woods　that　rocked　round　the　green　turrets　looked；　by　comparison；　as　black　as　numberless　flocks　of　ravens。　　This　note　of　a　dreamy；　almost　a　sleepy　devilry；　was　no　mere　fancy　from　the　landscape。　　For　there　did　rest　on　the　place　one　of　those　clouds　of　pride　and　madness　and　mysterious　sorrow　which　lie　more　heavily　on　the　noble　h