the innocence of father brown-第41章

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ds　from　Greenford；　who　were　indeed　friends　of　nearly　everyone　present。　　Each　of　them　said　a　few　words　which　no　one　ever　thought　of　disbelieving。　　When　they　had　spoken；　the　innocence　of　Simeon　stood　up　as　solid　as　the　great　church　above　them。　　　　　One　of　those　silences　struck　the　group　which　are　more　strange　and　insufferable　than　any　speech。　　Madly；　in　order　to　make　conversation；　the　curate　said　to　the　Catholic　priest：　　　　　〃You　seem　very　much　interested　in　that　hammer；　Father　Brown。〃　　　　　〃Yes；　I　am；〃　said　Father　Brown；　〃why　is　it　such　a　small　hammer？〃　　　　　The　doctor　swung　round　on　him。　　　　　〃By　George；　that's　true；〃　he　cried；　〃who　would　use　a　little　hammer　with　ten　larger　hammers　lying　about？〃　　　　　Then　he　lowered　his　voice　in　the　curate's　ear　and　said：　〃Only　the　kind　of　person　that　can't　lift　a　large　hammer。　　It　is　not　a　question　of　force　or　courage　between　the　sexes。　　It's　a　question　of　lifting　power　in　the　shoulders。　　A　bold　woman　could　commit　ten　murders　with　a　light　hammer　and　never　turn　a　hair。　　She　could　not　kill　a　beetle　with　a　heavy　one。〃　　　　　Wilfred　Bohun　was　staring　at　him　with　a　sort　of　hypnotised　horror；　while　Father　Brown　listened　with　his　head　a　little　on　one　side；　really　interested　and　attentive。　　The　doctor　went　on　with　more　hissing　emphasis：　　　　　〃Why　do　these　idiots　always　assume　that　the　only　person　who　hates　the　wife's　lover　is　the　wife's　husband？　　Nine　times　out　of　ten　the　person　who　most　hates　the　wife's　lover　is　the　wife。　　Who　knows　what　insolence　or　treachery　he　had　shown　herlook　there！〃　　　　　He　made　a　momentary　gesture　towards　the　red…haired　woman　on　the　bench。　　She　had　lifted　her　head　at　last　and　the　tears　were　drying　on　her　splendid　face。　　But　the　eyes　were　fixed　on　the　corpse　with　an　electric　glare　that　had　in　it　something　of　idiocy。　　　　　The　Rev。　Wilfred　Bohun　made　a　limp　gesture　as　if　waving　away　all　desire　to　know；　but　Father　Brown；　dusting　off　his　sleeve　some　ashes　blown　from　the　furnace；　spoke　in　his　indifferent　way。　　　　　〃You　are　like　so　many　doctors；〃　he　said；　〃your　mental　science　is　really　suggestive。　　It　is　your　physical　science　that　is　utterly　impossible。　　I　agree　that　the　woman　wants　to　kill　the　co…respondent　much　more　than　the　petitioner　does。　　And　I　agree　that　a　woman　will　always　pick　up　a　small　hammer　instead　of　a　big　one。　　But　the　difficulty　is　one　of　physical　impossibility。　　No　woman　ever　born　could　have　smashed　a　man's　skull　out　flat　like　that。〃　　Then　he　added　reflectively；　after　a　pause：　〃These　people　haven't　grasped　the　whole　of　it。　　The　man　was　actually　wearing　an　iron　helmet；　and　the　blow　scattered　it　like　broken　glass。　　Look　at　that　woman。　　Look　at　her　arms。〃　　　　　Silence　held　them　all　up　again；　and　then　the　doctor　said　rather　sulkily：　〃Well；　I　may　be　wrong；　there　are　objections　to　everything。　　But　I　stick　to　the　main　point。　　No　man　but　an　idiot　would　pick　up　that　little　hammer　if　he　could　use　a　big　hammer。〃　　　　　With　that　the　lean　and　quivering　hands　of　Wilfred　Bohun　went　up　to　his　head　and　seemed　to　clutch　his　scanty　yellow　hair。　　After　an　instant　they　dropped；　and　he　cried：　〃That　was　the　word　I　wanted；　you　have　said　the　word。〃　　　　　Then　he　continued；　mastering　his　discomposure：　〃The　words　you　said　were；　‘No　man　but　an　idiot　would　pick　up　the　small　hammer。'〃　　　　　〃Yes；〃　said　the　doctor。　　〃Well？〃　　　　　〃Well；〃　said　the　curate；　〃no　man　but　an　idiot　did。〃　　The　rest　stared　at　him　with　eyes　arrested　and　riveted；　and　he　went　on　in　a　febrile　and　feminine　agitation。　　　　　〃I　am　a　priest；〃　he　cried　unsteadily；　〃and　a　priest　should　be　no　shedder　of　blood。　　II　mean　that　he　should　bring　no　one　to　the　gallows。　　And　I　thank　God　that　I　see　the　criminal　clearly　now　because　he　is　a　criminal　who　cannot　be　brought　to　the　gallows。〃　　　　　〃You　will　not　denounce　him？〃　inquired　the　doctor。　　　　　〃He　would　not　be　hanged　if　I　did　denounce　him；〃　answered　Wilfred　with　a　wild　but　curiously　happy　smile。　　〃When　I　went　into　the　church　this　morning　I　found　a　madman　praying　there　that　poor　Joe；　who　has　been　wrong　all　his　life。　　God　knows　what　he　prayed；　but　with　such　strange　folk　it　is　not　incredible　to　suppose　that　their　prayers　are　all　upside　down。　　Very　likely　a　lunatic　would　pray　before　killing　a　man。　　When　I　last　saw　poor　Joe　he　was　with　my　brother。　　My　brother　was　mocking　him。〃　　　　　〃By　Jove！〃　cried　the　doctor；　〃this　is　talking　at　last。　　But　how　do　you　explain〃　　　　　The　Rev。　Wilfred　was　almost　trembling　with　the　excitement　of　his　own　glimpse　of　the　truth。　　〃Don't　you　see；　don't　you　see；〃　he　cried　feverishly；　〃that　is　the　only　theory　that　covers　both　the　queer　things；　that　answers　both　the　riddles。　　The　two　riddles　are　the　little　hammer　and　the　big　blow。　　The　smith　might　have　struck　the　big　blow；　but　would　not　have　chosen　the　little　hammer。　　His　wife　would　have　chosen　the　little　hammer；　but　she　could　not　have　struck　the　big　blow。　　But　the　madman　might　have　done　both。　　As　for　the　little　hammerwhy；　he　was　mad　and　might　have　picked　up　anything。　　And　for　the　big　blow；　have　you　never　heard；　doctor；　that　a　maniac　in　his　paroxysm　may　have　the　strength　of　ten　men？〃　　　　　The　doctor　drew　a　deep　breath　and　then　said；　〃By　golly；　I　believe　you've　got　it。〃　　　　　Father　Brown　had　fixed　his　eyes　on　the　speaker　so　long　and　steadily　as　to　prove　that　his　large　grey；　ox…like　eyes　were　not　quite　so　insignificant　as　the　rest　of　his　face。　　When　silence　had　fallen　he　said　with　marked　respect：　〃Mr。　Bohun；　yours　is　the　only　theory　yet　propounded　which　holds　water　every　way　and　is　essentially　unassailable。　　I　think；　therefore；　that　you　deserve　to　be　told；　on　my　positive　knowledge；　that　it　is　not　the　true　one。〃　And　with　that　the　old　little　man　walked　away　and　stared　again　at　the　hammer。　　　　　〃That　fellow　seems　to　know　more　than　he　ought　to；〃　whispered　the　doctor　peevishly　to　Wilfred。　　〃Those　popish　priests　are　deucedly　sly。〃　　　　　〃No；　no；〃　said　Bohun；　with　a　sort　of　wild　fatigue。　　〃It　was　the　lunatic。　　It　was　the　lunatic。〃　　　　　The　group　of　the　two　clerics　and　the　doctor　had　fallen　away　from　the　more　official　group　containing　the　inspector　and　the　man　he　had　arrested。　　Now；　however；　that　their　own　party　had　broken　up；　they　heard　voices　from　the　others。　　The　priest　looked　up　quietly　and　then　looked　down　again　as　he　heard　the　blacksmith　say　in　a　loud　voice：　　　　　〃I　hope　I've　convinced　you；　Mr。　Inspector。　　I'm　a　strong　man；　as　you　say；　but　I　couldn't　have　flung　my　hammer　bang　here　from　Greenford。　　My　hammer　hasn't　got　wings　that　it　should　come　flying　half　a　mile　over　hedges　and　fields。〃　　　　　The　inspector　laughed　amicably　and　said：　〃No；　I　think　you　can　be　considered　out　of　it；　though　it's　one　of　the　rummiest　coincidences　I　ever　saw。　　I　can　only　ask　you　to　give　us　all　the　assistance　you　can　in　finding　a　man　as　big　and　strong　as　yourself。　By　George！　you　might　be　useful；　if　only　to　hold　him！　　I　suppose　you　yourself　have　no　guess　at　the　man？〃　　　　　〃I　may　have　a　guess；〃　said　the　pale　smith；　〃but　it　is　not　at　a　man。〃　　Then；　seeing　the　scared　eyes　turn　towards　his　wife　on　the　bench；　he　put　his　huge　hand　on　her　shoulder　and　said：　〃Nor　a　woman　either。〃　　　　　〃What　do　you　mean？〃　asked　the　inspector　jocularly。　　〃You　don't　think　cows　use　hammers；　do　you？〃　　　　　〃I　think　no　thing　of　flesh　held　that　hammer；〃　said　the　blacksmith　in　a　stifled　voice；　〃mortally　speaking；　I　think　the　man　died　alone。〃　　　　　Wilfred　made　a　sudden　forward　movement　and　peered　at　him　with　burning　eyes。　　　　　〃Do　you　mean　to　say；　Barnes；〃　came　the　sharp　voice　of　the　cobbler；　〃that　the　hammer　jumped　up　of　itself　and　knocked　the　man　down？〃　　　　　〃Oh；　you　gentlemen　may　stare　and　snigger；〃　cried　Simeon；　〃you　clergymen　who　tell　us　on　Sunday　in　what　a　stillness　the　Lord　smote　Sennacherib。　　I　believe　that　One　who　walks　invisible　in　every　house　defended　the　honour　of　mine；　and　laid　the　defiler　dead　before　the　door　of　it。　　I　believe　the　force　in　that　blow　was　just　the　force　there　is　in　earthquakes；　and　no　force　less。〃　　　　　Wilfred　said；　with　a　voice　utterly　undescribable：　〃I　told　Norman　myself　to　beware　of　the　thunderbolt。〃　　　　　〃That　agent　is　outside　my　jurisdiction；〃　said　the　inspector　with　a　slight　smile。　　　　　〃You　are　not　outside　His；〃　answered　the　smith；　〃see　you　to　it；〃　and；　turning　his　broad　back；　he　went　into　the　house。　　　　　The　shaken　Wilfred　was　led　away　by　Father　Brown；　who　had　an　easy　and　friendly　way　with　him。　　〃Let　us　ge