manalive-第13章
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spirits as best they might； Michael Moon still hung heavily against
the gate。 Somewhere about the expiration of that time Dr。 Warner
came out of the house with a face less pale but even more stern；
and the little man with the fish…bone face advanced gravely in his rear。
And if the face of Warner in the sunlight was that of a hanging judge；
the face of the little man behind was more like a death's head。
〃Miss Hunt；〃 said Dr。 Herbert Warner； 〃I only wish to offer you my warm
thanks and admiration。 By your prompt courage and wisdom in sending
for us by wire this evening； you have enabled us to capture and put out
of mischief one of the most cruel and terrible of the enemies of humanity
a criminal whose plausibility and pitilessness have never been before
combined in flesh。〃
Rosamund looked across at him with a white； blank face and blinking eyes。
〃What do you mean？〃 she asked。 〃You can't mean Mr。 Smith？〃
〃He has gone by many other names；〃 said the doctor gravely；
〃and not one he did not leave to be cursed behind him。 That man；
Miss Hunt； has left a track of blood and tears across the world。
Whether he is mad as well as wicked； we are trying； in the interests
of science； to discover。 In any case； we shall have to take him
to a magistrate first； even if only on the road to a lunatic asylum。
But the lunatic asylum in which he is confined will have to be
sealed with wall within wall； and ringed with guns like a fortress；
or he will break out again to bring forth carnage and darkness
on the earth。〃
Rosamund looked at the two doctors； her face growing paler and paler。
Then her eyes strayed to Michael； who was leaning on the gate；
but he continued to lean on it without moving； with his face turned
away towards the darkening road。
Chapter V
The Allegorical Practical Joker
The criminal specialist who had come with Dr。 Warner was a somewhat more
urbane and even dapper figure than he had appeared when clutching the railings
and craning his neck into the garden。 He even looked comparatively young
when he took his hat off； having fair hair parted in the middle and carefully
curled on each side； and lively movements； especially of the hands。
He had a dandified monocle slung round his neck by a broad black ribbon；
and a big bow tie； as if a big American moth had alighted on him。
His dress and gestures were bright enough for a boy's； it was only when you
looked at the fish…bone face that you beheld something acrid and old。
His manners were excellent； though hardly English； and he had two
half…conscious tricks by which people who only met him once remembered him。
One was a trick of closing his eyes when he wished to be particularly polite；
the other was one of lifting his joined thumb and forefinger in the air as if
holding a pinch of snuff； when he was hesitating or hovering over a word。
But hose who were longer in his company tended to forget these oddities
in the stream of his quaint and solemn conversation and really singular views。
〃Miss Hunt；〃 said Dr。 Warner； 〃this is Dr。 Cyrus Pym。〃
Dr。 Cyrus Pym shut his eyes during the introduction； rather as if he were
〃playing fair〃 in some child's game； and gave a prompt little bow；
which somehow suddenly revealed him as a citizen of the United States。
〃Dr。 Cyrus Pym；〃 continued Warner （Dr。 Pym shut his eyes again）； 〃is perhaps
the first criminological expert of America。 We are very fortunate to be able
to consult with him in this extraordinary case〃
〃I can't make head or tail of anything；〃 said Rosamund。 〃How can
poor Mr。 Smith be so dreadful as he is by your account？〃
〃Or by your telegram；〃 said Herbert Warner； smiling。
〃Oh； you don't understand；〃 cried the girl impatiently。
〃Why； he's done us all more good than going to church。〃
〃I think I can explain to the young lady；〃 said Dr。 Cyrus Pym。 〃This criminal
or maniac Smith is a very genius of evil； and has a method of his own；
a method of the most daring ingenuity。 He is popular wherever he goes；
for he invades every house as an uproarious child。 People are
getting suspicious of all the respectable disguises for a scoundrel；
so he always uses the disguise ofwhat shall I saythe Bohemian；
the blameless Bohemian。 He always carries people off their feet。
People are used to the mask of conventional good conduct。
He goes in for eccentric good…nature。 You expect a Don Juan to dress
up as a solemn and solid Spanish merchant； but you're not prepared
when he dresses up as Don Quixote。 You expect a humbug to behave like
Sir Charles Grandison； because （with all respect； Miss Hunt； for the deep；
tear…moving tenderness of Samuel Richardson） Sir Charles Grandison
so often behaved like a humbug。 But no real red…blooded citizen is quite
ready for a humbug that models himself not on Sir Charles Grandison
but on Sir Roger de Coverly。 Setting up to be a good man a little cracked
is a new criminal incognito； Miss Hunt。 It's been a great notion；
and uncommonly successful； but its success just makes it mighty cruel。
I can forgive Dick Turpin if he impersonates Dr。 Busby； I can't forgive
him when he impersonates Dr。 Johnson。 The saint with a tile loose
is a bit too sacred； I guess； to be parodied。〃
〃But how do you know；〃 cried Rosamund desperately； 〃that Mr。 Smith
is a known criminal？〃
〃I collated all the documents；〃 said the American； 〃when my friend Warner
knocked me up on receipt of your cable。 It is my professional affair
to know these facts； Miss Hunt； and there's no more doubt about them
than about the Bradshaw down at the depot。 This man has hitherto escaped
the law； through his admirable affectations of infancy or insanity。
But I myself； as a specialist； have privately authenticated notes
of some eighteen or twenty crimes attempted or achieved in this manner。
He comes to houses as he has to this； and gets a grand popularity。
He makes things go。 They do go； when he's gone the things are gone。
Gone； Miss Hunt； gone； a man's life or a man's spoons； or more often a woman。
I assure you I have all the memoranda。〃
〃I have seen them；〃 said Warner solidly； 〃I can assure you
that all this is correct。〃
〃The most unmanly aspect； according to my feelings；〃 went on the American
doctor； 〃is this perpetual deception of innocent women by a wild simulation
of innocence。 From almost every house where this great imaginative devil
has been； he has taken some poor girl away with him； some say he's got
a hypnotic eye with his other queer features； and that they go like automata。
What's become of all those poor girls nobody knows。 Murdered； I dare say；
for we've lots of instances； besides this one； of his turning his hand
to murder； though none ever brought him under the law。 Anyhow； our most
modern methods of research can't find any trace of the wretched women。
It's when I think of them that I am really moved； Miss Hunt。 And I've
really nothing else to say just now except what Dr。 Warner has said。〃
〃Quite so；〃 said Warner； with a smile that seemed moulded in marble〃that
we all have to thank you very much for that telegram。〃
The little Yankee scientist had been speaking with such evident
sincerity that one forgot the tricks of his voice and manner
the falling eyelids； the rising intonation； and the poised
finger and thumbwhich were at other times a little comic。
It was not so much that he was cleverer than Warner；
perhaps he was not so clever； though he was more celebrated。
But he had what Warner never had； a fresh and unaffected seriousness
the great American virtue of simplicity。 Rosamund knitted
her brows and looked gloomily toward the darkening house
that contained the dark prodigy。
Broad daylight still endured； but it had already changed from gold to silver；
and was changing from silver to gray。 The long plumy shadows of the one or
two trees in the garden faded more and more upon a dead background of dusk。
In the sharpest and deepest shadow； which was the entrance to the house
by the big French windows； Rosamund could watch a hurried consultation
between Inglewood （who was still left in charge of the mysterious captive）
and Diana； who had moved to his assi
