the innocence of father brown-第42章

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　shaken　Wilfred　was　led　away　by　Father　Brown；　who　had　an　easy　and　friendly　way　with　him。　　〃Let　us　get　out　of　this　horrid　place；　Mr。　Bohun；〃　he　said。　　〃May　I　look　inside　your　church？　　I　hear　it's　one　of　the　oldest　in　England。　　We　take　some　interest；　you　know；〃　he　added　with　a　comical　grimace；　〃in　old　English　churches。〃　　　　　Wilfred　Bohun　did　not　smile；　for　humour　was　never　his　strong　point。　　But　he　nodded　rather　eagerly；　being　only　too　ready　to　explain　the　Gothic　splendours　to　someone　more　likely　to　be　sympathetic　than　the　Presbyterian　blacksmith　or　the　atheist　cobbler。　　　　　〃By　all　means；〃　he　said；　〃let　us　go　in　at　this　side。〃　　And　he　led　the　way　into　the　high　side　entrance　at　the　top　of　the　flight　of　steps。　　Father　Brown　was　mounting　the　first　step　to　follow　him　when　he　felt　a　hand　on　his　shoulder；　and　turned　to　behold　the　dark；　thin　figure　of　the　doctor；　his　face　darker　yet　with　suspicion。　　　　　〃Sir；〃　said　the　physician　harshly；　〃you　appear　to　know　some　secrets　in　this　black　business。　　May　I　ask　if　you　are　going　to　keep　them　to　yourself？〃　　　　　〃Why；　doctor；〃　answered　the　priest；　smiling　quite　pleasantly；　〃there　is　one　very　good　reason　why　a　man　of　my　trade　should　keep　things　to　himself　when　he　is　not　sure　of　them；　and　that　is　that　it　is　so　constantly　his　duty　to　keep　them　to　himself　when　he　is　sure　of　them。　　But　if　you　think　I　have　been　discourteously　reticent　with　you　or　anyone；　I　will　go　to　the　extreme　limit　of　my　custom。　I　will　give　you　two　very　large　hints。〃　　　　　〃Well；　sir？〃　said　the　doctor　gloomily。　　　　　〃First；〃　said　Father　Brown　quietly；　〃the　thing　is　quite　in　your　own　province。　　It　is　a　matter　of　physical　science。　　The　blacksmith　is　mistaken；　not　perhaps　in　saying　that　the　blow　was　divine；　but　certainly　in　saying　that　it　came　by　a　miracle。　　It　was　no　miracle；　doctor；　except　in　so　far　as　man　is　himself　a　miracle；　with　his　strange　and　wicked　and　yet　half…heroic　heart。　　The　force　that　smashed　that　skull　was　a　force　well　known　to　scientists　one　of　the　most　frequently　debated　of　the　laws　of　nature。〃　　　　　The　doctor；　who　was　looking　at　him　with　frowning　intentness；　only　said：　〃And　the　other　hint？〃　　　　　〃The　other　hint　is　this；〃　said　the　priest。　　〃Do　you　remember　the　blacksmith；　though　he　believes　in　miracles；　talking　scornfully　of　the　impossible　fairy　tale　that　his　hammer　had　wings　and　flew　half　a　mile　across　country？〃　　　　　〃Yes；〃　said　the　doctor；　〃I　remember　that。〃　　　　　〃Well；〃　added　Father　Brown；　with　a　broad　smile；　〃that　fairy　tale　was　the　nearest　thing　to　the　real　truth　that　has　been　said　today。〃　　And　with　that　he　turned　his　back　and　stumped　up　the　steps　after　the　curate。　　　　　The　Reverend　Wilfred；　who　had　been　waiting　for　him；　pale　and　impatient；　as　if　this　little　delay　were　the　last　straw　for　his　nerves；　led　him　immediately　to　his　favourite　corner　of　the　church；　that　part　of　the　gallery　closest　to　the　carved　roof　and　lit　by　the　wonderful　window　with　the　angel。　　The　little　Latin　priest　explored　and　admired　everything　exhaustively；　talking　cheerfully　but　in　a　low　voice　all　the　time。　　When　in　the　course　of　his　investigation　he　found　the　side　exit　and　the　winding　stair　down　which　Wilfred　had　rushed　to　find　his　brother　dead；　Father　Brown　ran　not　down　but　up；　with　the　agility　of　a　monkey；　and　his　clear　voice　came　from　an　outer　platform　above。　　　　　〃Come　up　here；　Mr。　Bohun；〃　he　called。　　〃The　air　will　do　you　good。〃　　　　　Bohun　followed　him；　and　came　out　on　a　kind　of　stone　gallery　or　balcony　outside　the　building；　from　which　one　could　see　the　illimitable　plain　in　which　their　small　hill　stood；　wooded　away　to　the　purple　horizon　and　dotted　with　villages　and　farms。　　Clear　and　square；　but　quite　small　beneath　them；　was　the　blacksmith's　yard；　where　the　inspector　still　stood　taking　notes　and　the　corpse　still　lay　like　a　smashed　fly。　　　　　〃Might　be　the　map　of　the　world；　mightn't　it？〃　said　Father　Brown。　　　　　〃Yes；〃　said　Bohun　very　gravely；　and　nodded　his　head。　　　　　Immediately　beneath　and　about　them　the　lines　of　the　Gothic　building　plunged　outwards　into　the　void　with　a　sickening　swiftness　akin　to　suicide。　　There　is　that　element　of　Titan　energy　in　the　architecture　of　the　Middle　Ages　that；　from　whatever　aspect　it　be　seen；　it　always　seems　to　be　rushing　away；　like　the　strong　back　of　some　maddened　horse。　　This　church　was　hewn　out　of　ancient　and　silent　stone；　bearded　with　old　fungoids　and　stained　with　the　nests　of　birds。　　And　yet；　when　they　saw　it　from　below；　it　sprang　like　a　fountain　at　the　stars；　and　when　they　saw　it；　as　now；　from　above；　it　poured　like　a　cataract　into　a　voiceless　pit。　　For　these　two　men　on　the　tower　were　left　alone　with　the　most　terrible　aspect　of　Gothic；　the　monstrous　foreshortening　and　disproportion；　the　dizzy　perspectives；　the　glimpses　of　great　things　small　and　small　things　great；　a　topsy…turvydom　of　stone　in　the　mid…air。　　Details　of　stone；　enormous　by　their　proximity；　were　relieved　against　a　pattern　of　fields　and　farms；　pygmy　in　their　distance。　　A　carved　bird　or　beast　at　a　corner　seemed　like　some　vast　walking　or　flying　dragon　wasting　the　pastures　and　villages　below。　　The　whole　atmosphere　was　dizzy　and　dangerous；　as　if　men　were　upheld　in　air　amid　the　gyrating　wings　of　colossal　genii；　and　the　whole　of　that　old　church；　as　tall　and　rich　as　a　cathedral；　seemed　to　sit　upon　the　sunlit　country　like　a　cloudburst。　　　　　〃I　think　there　is　something　rather　dangerous　about　standing　on　these　high　places　even　to　pray；〃　said　Father　Brown。　　〃Heights　were　made　to　be　looked　at；　not　to　be　looked　from。〃　　　　　〃Do　you　mean　that　one　may　fall　over；〃　asked　Wilfred。　　　　　〃I　mean　that　one's　soul　may　fall　if　one's　body　doesn't；〃　said　the　other　priest。　　　　　〃I　scarcely　understand　you；〃　remarked　Bohun　indistinctly。　　　　　〃Look　at　that　blacksmith；　for　instance；〃　went　on　Father　Brown　calmly；　〃a　good　man；　but　not　a　Christianhard；　imperious；　unforgiving。　　Well；　his　Scotch　religion　was　made　up　by　men　who　prayed　on　hills　and　high　crags；　and　learnt　to　look　down　on　the　world　more　than　to　look　up　at　heaven。　　Humility　is　the　mother　of　giants。　　One　sees　great　things　from　the　valley；　only　small　things　from　the　peak。〃　　　　　〃But　hehe　didn't　do　it；〃　said　Bohun　tremulously。　　　　　〃No；〃　said　the　other　in　an　odd　voice；　〃we　know　he　didn't　do　it。〃　　　　　After　a　moment　he　resumed；　looking　tranquilly　out　over　the　plain　with　his　pale　grey　eyes。　　〃I　knew　a　man；〃　he　said；　〃who　began　by　worshipping　with　others　before　the　altar；　but　who　grew　fond　of　high　and　lonely　places　to　pray　from；　corners　or　niches　in　the　belfry　or　the　spire。　　And　once　in　one　of　those　dizzy　places；　where　the　whole　world　seemed　to　turn　under　him　like　a　wheel；　his　brain　turned　also；　and　he　fancied　he　was　God。　　So　that；　though　he　was　a　good　man；　he　committed　a　great　crime。〃　　　　　Wilfred's　face　was　turned　away；　but　his　bony　hands　turned　blue　and　white　as　they　tightened　on　the　parapet　of　stone。　　　　　〃He　thought　it　was　given　to　him　to　judge　the　world　and　strike　down　the　sinner。　　He　would　never　have　had　such　a　thought　if　he　had　been　kneeling　with　other　men　upon　a　floor。　　But　he　saw　all　men　walking　about　like　insects。　　He　saw　one　especially　strutting　just　below　him；　insolent　and　evident　by　a　bright　green　hata　poisonous　insect。〃　　　　　Rooks　cawed　round　the　corners　of　the　belfry；　but　there　was　no　other　sound　till　Father　Brown　went　on。　　　　　〃This　also　tempted　him；　that　he　had　in　his　hand　one　of　the　most　awful　engines　of　nature；　I　mean　gravitation；　that　mad　and　quickening　rush　by　which　all　earth's　creatures　fly　back　to　her　heart　when　released。　　See；　the　inspector　is　strutting　just　below　us　in　the　smithy。　　If　I　were　to　toss　a　pebble　over　this　parapet　it　would　be　something　like　a　bullet　by　the　time　it　struck　him。　　If　I　were　to　drop　a　hammereven　a　small　hammer〃　　　　　Wilfred　Bohun　threw　one　leg　over　the　parapet；　and　Father　Brown　had　him　in　a　minute　by　the　collar。　　　　　〃Not　by　that　door；〃　he　said　quite　gently；　〃that　door　leads　to　hell。〃　　　　　Bohun　staggered　back　against　the　wall；　and　stared　at　him　with　frightful　eyes。　　　　　〃How　do　you　know　all　this？〃　he　cried。　　〃Are　you　a　devil？〃　　　　　〃I　am　a　man；〃　answered　Father　Brown　gravely；　〃and　therefore　have　all　devils　in　my　heart。　　Listen　to　me；〃　he　said　after　a　short　pause。　　〃I　know　what　you　didat　least；　I　can　guess　the　great　part　of　it。　　When　you　left　your　brother　you　were　racked　with　no　unrighteous　rage；　to　the　extent　even