the innocence of father brown-第32章

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r　had　joined　them）　turned　involuntarily　towards　the　dim　grassy　bank　amid　the　tossing　trees　purple　with　twilight；　where　they　had　last　seen　the　brown　man　swaying　in　his　strange　prayers。　　The　Indian　was　gone。　　　　　〃Confound　him；〃　cried　the　doctor；　stamping　furiously。　　〃Now　I　know　that　it　was　that　nigger　that　did　it。〃　　　　　〃I　thought　you　didn't　believe　in　magic；〃　said　Father　Brown　quietly。　　　　　〃No　more　I　did；〃　said　the　doctor；　rolling　his　eyes。　　〃I　only　know　that　I　loathed　that　yellow　devil　when　I　thought　he　was　a　sham　wizard。　　And　I　shall　loathe　him　more　if　I　come　to　think　he　was　a　real　one。〃　　　　　〃Well；　his　having　escaped　is　nothing；〃　said　Flambeau。　　〃For　we　could　have　proved　nothing　and　done　nothing　against　him。　　One　hardly　goes　to　the　parish　constable　with　a　story　of　suicide　imposed　by　witchcraft　or　auto…suggestion。〃　　　　　Meanwhile　Father　Brown　had　made　his　way　into　the　house；　and　now　went　to　break　the　news　to　the　wife　of　the　dead　man。　　　　　When　he　came　out　again　he　looked　a　little　pale　and　tragic；　but　what　passed　between　them　in　that　interview　was　never　known；　even　when　all　was　known。　　　　　Flambeau；　who　was　talking　quietly　with　the　doctor；　was　surprised　to　see　his　friend　reappear　so　soon　at　his　elbow；　but　Brown　took　no　notice；　and　merely　drew　the　doctor　apart。　　〃You　have　sent　for　the　police；　haven't　you？〃　he　asked。　　　　　〃Yes；〃　answered　Harris。　　〃They　ought　to　be　here　in　ten　minutes。〃　　　　　〃Will　you　do　me　a　favour？〃　said　the　priest　quietly。　　〃The　truth　is；　I　make　a　collection　of　these　curious　stories；　which　often　contain；　as　in　the　case　of　our　Hindoo　friend；　elements　which　can　hardly　be　put　into　a　police　report。　　Now；　I　want　you　to　write　out　a　report　of　this　case　for　my　private　use。　　Yours　is　a　clever　trade；〃　he　said；　looking　the　doctor　gravely　and　steadily　in　the　face。　　〃I　sometimes　think　that　you　know　some　details　of　this　matter　which　you　have　not　thought　fit　to　mention。　　Mine　is　a　confidential　trade　like　yours；　and　I　will　treat　anything　you　write　for　me　in　strict　confidence。　　But　write　the　whole。〃　　　　　The　doctor；　who　had　been　listening　thoughtfully　with　his　head　a　little　on　one　side；　looked　the　priest　in　the　face　for　an　instant；　and　said：　〃All　right；〃　and　went　into　the　study；　closing　the　door　behind　him。　　　　　〃Flambeau；〃　said　Father　Brown；　〃there　is　a　long　seat　there　under　the　veranda；　where　we　can　smoke　out　of　the　rain。　　You　are　my　only　friend　in　the　world；　and　I　want　to　talk　to　you。　　Or；　perhaps；　be　silent　with　you。〃　　　　　They　established　themselves　comfortably　in　the　veranda　seat；　Father　Brown；　against　his　common　habit；　accepted　a　good　cigar　and　smoked　it　steadily　in　silence；　while　the　rain　shrieked　and　rattled　on　the　roof　of　the　veranda。　　　　　〃My　friend；〃　he　said　at　length；　〃this　is　a　very　queer　case。　　A　very　queer　case。〃　　　　　〃I　should　think　it　was；〃　said　Flambeau；　with　something　like　a　shudder。　　　　　〃You　call　it　queer；　and　I　call　it　queer；〃　said　the　other；　〃and　yet　we　mean　quite　opposite　things。　　The　modern　mind　always　mixes　up　two　different　ideas：　mystery　in　the　sense　of　what　is　marvellous；　and　mystery　in　the　sense　of　what　is　complicated。　　That　is　half　its　difficulty　about　miracles。　　A　miracle　is　startling；　but　it　is　simple。　　It　is　simple　because　it　is　a　miracle。　　It　is　power　coming　directly　from　God　（or　the　devil）　instead　of　indirectly　through　nature　or　human　wills。　　Now；　you　mean　that　this　business　is　marvellous　because　it　is　miraculous；　because　it　is　witchcraft　worked　by　a　wicked　Indian。　　Understand；　I　do　not　say　that　it　was　not　spiritual　or　diabolic。　　Heaven　and　hell　only　know　by　what　surrounding　influences　strange　sins　come　into　the　lives　of　men。　But　for　the　present　my　point　is　this：　If　it　was　pure　magic；　as　you　think；　then　it　is　marvellous；　but　it　is　not　mysteriousthat　is；　it　is　not　complicated。　　The　quality　of　a　miracle　is　mysterious；　but　its　manner　is　simple。　　Now；　the　manner　of　this　business　has　been　the　reverse　of　simple。〃　　　　　The　storm　that　had　slackened　for　a　little　seemed　to　be　swelling　again；　and　there　came　heavy　movements　as　of　faint　thunder。　　Father　Brown　let　fall　the　ash　of　his　cigar　and　went　on：　　　　　〃There　has　been　in　this　incident；〃　he　said；　〃a　twisted；　ugly；　complex　quality　that　does　not　belong　to　the　straight　bolts　either　of　heaven　or　hell。　　As　one　knows　the　crooked　track　of　a　snail；　I　know　the　crooked　track　of　a　man。〃　　　　　The　white　lightning　opened　its　enormous　eye　in　one　wink；　the　sky　shut　up　again；　and　the　priest　went　on：　　　　　〃Of　all　these　crooked　things；　the　crookedest　was　the　shape　of　that　piece　of　paper。　　It　was　crookeder　than　the　dagger　that　killed　him。〃　　　　　〃You　mean　the　paper　on　which　Quinton　confessed　his　suicide；〃　said　Flambeau。　　　　　〃I　mean　the　paper　on　which　Quinton　wrote；　‘I　die　by　my　own　hand；'〃　answered　Father　Brown。　　〃The　shape　of　that　paper；　my　friend；　was　the　wrong　shape；　the　wrong　shape；　if　ever　I　have　seen　it　in　this　wicked　world。〃　　　　　〃It　only　had　a　corner　snipped　off；〃　said　Flambeau；　〃and　I　understand　that　all　Quinton's　paper　was　cut　that　way。〃　　　　　〃It　was　a　very　odd　way；〃　said　the　other；　〃and　a　very　bad　way；　to　my　taste　and　fancy。　　Look　here；　Flambeau；　this　QuintonGod　receive　his　soul！was　perhaps　a　bit　of　a　cur　in　some　ways；　but　he　really　was　an　artist；　with　the　pencil　as　well　as　the　pen。　　His　handwriting；　though　hard　to　read；　was　bold　and　beautiful。　　I　can't　prove　what　I　say；　I　can't　prove　anything。　　But　I　tell　you　with　the　full　force　of　conviction　that　he　could　never　have　cut　that　mean　little　piece　off　a　sheet　of　paper。　　If　he　had　wanted　to　cut　down　paper　for　some　purpose　of　fitting　in；　or　binding　up；　or　what　not；　he　would　have　made　quite　a　different　slash　with　the　scissors。　　Do　you　remember　the　shape？　　It　was　a　mean　shape。　　It　was　a　wrong　shape。　　Like　this。　　Don't　you　remember？〃　　　　　And　he　waved　his　burning　cigar　before　him　in　the　darkness；　making　irregular　squares　so　rapidly　that　Flambeau　really　seemed　to　see　them　as　fiery　hieroglyphics　upon　the　darknesshieroglyphics　such　as　his　friend　had　spoken　of；　which　are　undecipherable；　yet　can　have　no　good　meaning。　　　　　〃But；〃　said　Flambeau；　as　the　priest　put　his　cigar　in　his　mouth　again　and　leaned　back；　staring　at　the　roof；　〃suppose　somebody　else　did　use　the　scissors。　　Why　should　somebody　else；　cutting　pieces　off　his　sermon　paper；　make　Quinton　commit　suicide？〃　　　　　Father　Brown　was　still　leaning　back　and　staring　at　the　roof；　but　he　took　his　cigar　out　of　his　mouth　and　said：　〃Quinton　never　did　commit　suicide。〃　　　　　Flambeau　stared　at　him。　　〃Why；　confound　it　all；〃　he　cried；　〃then　why　did　he　confess　to　suicide？〃　　　　　The　priest　leant　forward　again；　settled　his　elbows　on　his　knees；　looked　at　the　ground；　and　said；　in　a　low；　distinct　voice：　〃He　never　did　confess　to　suicide。〃　　　　　Flambeau　laid　his　cigar　down。　　〃You　mean；〃　he　said；　〃that　the　writing　was　forged？〃　　　　　〃No；〃　said　Father　Brown。　　〃Quinton　wrote　it　all　right。〃　　　　　〃Well；　there　you　are；〃　said　the　aggravated　Flambeau；　〃Quinton　wrote；　‘I　die　by　my　own　hand；'　with　his　own　hand　on　a　plain　piece　of　paper。〃　　　　　〃Of　the　wrong　shape；〃　said　the　priest　calmly。　　　　　〃Oh；　the　shape　be　damned！〃　cried　Flambeau。　　〃What　has　the　shape　to　do　with　it？〃　　　　　〃There　were　twenty…three　snipped　papers；〃　resumed　Brown　unmoved；　〃and　only　twenty…two　pieces　snipped　off。　　Therefore　one　of　the　pieces　had　been　destroyed；　probably　that　from　the　written　paper。　　Does　that　suggest　anything　to　you？〃　　　　　A　light　dawned　on　Flambeau's　face；　and　he　said：　〃There　was　something　else　written　by　Quinton；　some　other　words。　　‘They　will　tell　you　I　die　by　my　own　hand；'　or　‘Do　not　believe　that'〃　　　　　〃Hotter；　as　the　children　say；〃　said　his　friend。　　〃But　the　piece　was　hardly　half　an　inch　across；　there　was　no　room　for　one　word；　let　alone　five。　　Can　you　think　of　anything　hardly　bigger　than　a　comma　which　the　man　with　hell　in　his　heart　had　to　tear　away　as　a　testimony　against　him？〃　　　　　〃I　can　think　of　nothing；〃　said　Flambeau　at　last。　　　　　〃What　about　quotation　marks？〃　said　the　priest；　and　flung　his　cigar　far　into　the　darkness　like　a　shooting　star。　　　　　All　words　had　left　the　other　man's　mouth；　and　Father　Brown　said；　like　one　going　back　to　fundamentals：　　　　　〃Leonard　Quinton　was　a　romancer；　and　was　writing　an　Oriental　romance　about　wizardry　and　hypnotism。　　He〃　　　　　At　this　moment　the　door　opened　briskly　behind　them；　and　the　doctor　came　out　with　his　hat　on。　　He　put