manalive-第14章

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between　Inglewood　（who　was　still　left　in　charge　of　the　mysterious　captive）
and　Diana；　who　had　moved　to　his　assistance　from　without。　　After　a　few　minutes
and　gestures　they　went　inside；　shutting　the　glass　doors　upon　the　garden；
and　the　garden　seemed　to　grow　grayer　still。

The　American　gentleman　named　Pym　seemed　to　be　turning　and　on　the　move
in　the　same　direction；　but　before　he　started　he　spoke　to　Rosamund　with　a
flash　of　that　guileless　tact　which　redeemed　much　of　his　childish　vanity；
and　with　something　of　that　spontaneous　poetry　which　made　it　difficult；
pedantic　as　he　was；　to　call　him　a　pedant。

〃I'm　vurry　sorry；　Miss　Hunt；〃　he　said；　〃but　Dr。　Warner　and　I；
as　two　quali…FIED　practitioners；　had　better　take　Mr。　Smith
away　in　that　cab；　and　the　less　said　about　it　the　better。
Don't　you　agitate　yourself；　Miss　Hunt。　　You've　just　got　to　think
that　we're　taking　away　a　monstrosity；　something　that　oughtn't　to　be
at　allsomething　like　one　of　those　gods　in　your　Britannic　Museum；
all　wings；　and　beards；　and　legs；　and　eyes；　and　no　shape。
That's　what　Smith　is；　and　you　shall　soon　be　quit　of　him。〃

He　had　already　taken　a　step　towards　the　house；　and　Warner　was　about
to　follow　him；　when　the　glass　doors　were　opened　again　and　Diana　Duke
came　out　with　more　than　her　usual　quickness　across　the　lawn。
Her　face　was　aquiver　with　worry　and　excitement；　and　her　dark　earnest
eyes　fixed　only　on　the　other　girl。

〃Rosamund；〃　she　cried　in　despair；　〃what　shall　I　do　with　her？〃

〃With　her？〃　cried　Miss　Hunt；　with　a　violent　jump。　　〃O　lord；
he　isn't　a　woman　too；　is　he？〃

〃No；　no；　no；〃　said　Dr。　Pym　soothingly；　as　if　in　common　fairness。
〃A　woman？　no；　really；　he　is　not　so　bad　as　that。〃

〃I　mean　your　friend　Mary　Gray；〃　retorted　Diana　with　equal　tartness。
〃What　on　earth　am　I　to　do　with　her？〃

〃How　can　we　tell　her　about　Smith；　you　mean；〃　answered　Rosamund；　her　face
at　once　clouded　and　softening。　　〃Yes；　it　will　be　pretty　painful。〃

〃But　I　HAVE　told　her；〃　exploded　Diana；　with　more　than　her
congenital　exasperation。　　〃I　have　told　her；　and　she　doesn't　seem　to　mind。
She　still　says　she's　going　away　with　Smith　in　that　cab。〃

〃But　it's　impossible！〃　ejaculated　Rosamund。　　〃Why；　Mary　is
really　religious。　　She〃

She　stopped　in　time　to　realize　that　Mary　Gray　was　comparatively
close　to　her　on　the　lawn。　　Her　quiet　companion　had　come　down　very
quietly　into　the　garden；　but　dressed　very　decisively　for　travel。
She　had　a　neat　but　very　ancient　blue　tam…o'…shanter　on　her　head；
and　was　pulling　some　rather　threadbare　gray　gloves　on　to　her　hands。
Yet　the　two　tints　fitted　excellently　with　her　heavy　copper…coloured　hair；
the　more　excellently　for　the　touch　of　shabbiness：　　for　a　woman's　clothes
never　suit　her　so　well　as　when　they　seem　to　suit　her　by　accident。

But　in　this　case　the　woman　had　a　quality　yet　more　unique　and　attractive。
In　such　gray　hours；　when　the　sun　is　sunk　and　the　skies　are
already　sad；　it　will　often　happen　that　one　reflection　at　some
occasional　angle　will　cause　to　linger　the　last　of　the　light。
A　scrap　of　window；　a　scrap　of　water；　a　scrap　of　looking…glass；
will　be　full　of　the　fire　that　is　lost　to　all　the　rest　of　the　earth。
The　quaint；　almost　triangular　face　of　Mary　Gray　was　like　some
triangular　piece　of　mirror　that　could　still　repeat　the　splendour
of　hours　before。　　Mary；　though　she　was　always　graceful；
could　never　before　have　properly　been　called　beautiful；　and　yet
her　happiness　amid　all　that　misery　was　so　beautiful　as　to　make
a　man　catch　his　breath。

〃O　Diana；〃　cried　Rosamund　in　a　lower　voice　and　altering　her　phrase；
〃but　how　did　you　tell　her？〃

〃It　is　quite　easy　to　tell　her；〃　answered　Diana　sombrely；
〃it　makes　no　impression　at　all。〃

〃I'm　afraid　I've　kept　everything　waiting；〃　said　Mary　Gray　apologetically；
〃and　now　we　must　really　say　good…bye。　Innocent　is　taking　me　to　his　aunt's
over　at　Hampstead；　and　I'm　afraid　she　goes　to　bed　early。〃

Her　words　were　quite　casual　and　practical；　but　there　was　a　sort
of　sleepy　light　in　her　eyes　that　was　more　baffling　than　darkness；
she　was　like　one　speaking　absently　with　her　eye　on　some
very　distant　object。

〃Mary；　Mary；〃　cried　Rosamund；　almost　breaking　down；　〃I'm　so　sorry　about　it；
but　the　thing　can't　be　at　all。　　Wewe　have　found　out　all　about　Mr。　Smith。〃

〃All？〃　repeated　Mary；　with　a　low　and　curious　intonation；
〃why；　that　must　be　awfully　exciting。〃

There　was　no　noise　for　an　instant　and　no　motion　except　that
the　silent　Michael　Moon；　leaning　on　the　gate；　lifted　his　head；
as　it　might　be　to　listen。　　Then　Rosamund　remaining　speechless；
Dr。　Pym　came　to　her　rescue　in　a　definite　way。

〃To　begin　with；〃　he　said；　〃this　man　Smith　is　constantly　attempting　murder。
The　Warden　of　Brakespeare　College〃

〃I　know；〃　said　Mary；　with　a　vague　but　radiant　smile。
〃Innocent　told　me。〃

〃I　can't　say　what　he　told　you；〃　replied　Pym　quickly；　〃but　I'm　very　much
afraid　it　wasn't　true。　　The　plain　truth　is　that　the　man's　stained
with　every　known　human　crime。　　I　assure　you　I　have　all　the　documents。
I　have　evidence　of　his　committing　burglary；　signed　by　a　most　eminent
English　curate。　　I　have〃

〃Oh；　but　there　were　two　curates；〃　cried　Mary；　with　a　certain　gentle　eagerness；
〃that　was　what　made　it　so　much　funnier。〃

The　darkened　glass　doors　of　the　house　opened　once　more；
and　Inglewood　appeared　for　an　instant；　making　a　sort　of　signal。
The　American　doctor　bowed；　the　English　doctor　did　not；
but　they　both　set　out　stolidly　towards　the　house。
No　one　else　moved；　not　even　Michael　hanging　on　the　gate；
but　the　back　of　his　head　and　shoulders　had　still　an　indescribable
indication　that　he　was　listening　to　every　word。

〃But　don't　you　understand；　Mary；〃　cried　Rosamund　in　despair；　〃don't　you
know　that　awful　things　have　happened　even　before　our　very　eyes。
I　should　have　thought　you　would　have　heard　the　revolver　shots　upstairs。〃

〃Yes；　I　heard　the　shots；〃　said　Mary　almost　brightly；　〃but　I　was　busy　packing
just　then。　　And　Innocent　had　told　me　he　was　going　to　shoot　at　Dr。　Warner；
so　it　wasn't　worth　while　to　come　down。〃

〃Oh；　I　don't　understand　what　you　mean；〃　cried　Rosamund　Hunt；
stamping；　〃but　you　must　and　shall　understand　what　I　mean。
I　don't　care　how　cruelly　I　put　it；　if　only　I　can　save　you。
I　mean　that　your　Innocent　Smith　is　the　most　awfully　wicked
man　in　the　world。　　He　has　sent　bullets　at　lots　of　other　men
and　gone　off　in　cabs　with　lots　of　other　women。　　And　he　seems
to　have　killed　the　women　too；　for　nobody　can　find　them。〃

〃He　is　really　rather　naughty　sometimes；〃　said　Mary　Gray；
laughing　softly　as　she　buttoned　her　old　gray　gloves。

〃Oh；　this　is　really　mesmerism；　or　something；〃　said　Rosamund；
and　burst　into　tears。

At　the　same　moment　the　two　black…clad　doctors　appeared　out
of　the　house　with　their　great　green…clad　captive　between　them。
He　made　no　resistance；　but　was　still　laughing　in　a　groggy
and　half…witted　style。　　Arthur　Inglewood　followed　in　the　rear；
a　dark　and　red　study　in　the　last　shades　of　distress　and　shame。
In　this　black；　funereal；　and　painfully　realistic　style　the　exit
from　Beacon　House　was　made　by　a　man　whose　entrance　a　day　before
had　been　effected　by　the　happy　leaping　of　a　wall　and　the　hilarious
climbing　of　a　tree。　　No　one　moved　of　the　groups　in　the　garden
except　Mary　Gray；　who　stepped　forward　quite　naturally；
calling　out；　〃Are　you　ready；　Innocent？　　Our　cab's　been　waiting
such　a　long　time。〃

〃Ladies　and　gentlemen；〃　said　Dr。　Warner　firmly；　〃I　must　insist　on　asking
this　lady　to　stand　aside。　　We　shall　have　trouble　enough　as　it　is；
with　the　three　of　us　in　a　cab。〃

〃But　it　IS　our　cab；〃　persisted　Mary。　　〃Why；　there's　Innocent's　yellow
bag　on　the　top　of　it。〃

〃Stand　aside；〃　repeated　Warner　roughly。　　〃And　you；　Mr。　Moon；
please　be　so　obliging　as　to　move　a　moment。　　Come；　come！　the　sooner
this　ugly　business　is　over　the　betterand　how　can　we　open　the　gate
if　you　will　keep　leaning　on　it？〃

Michael　Moon　looked　at　his　long　lean　forefinger；　and　seemed
to　consider　and　reconsider　this　argument。　　〃Yes；　he　said　at　last；
〃but　how　can　I　lean　on　this　gate　if　you　keep　on　opening　it？〃

〃Oh；　get　out　of　the　way！〃　cried　Warner；　almost　good…humouredly。
〃You　can　lean　on　the　gate　any　time。〃

〃No；〃　said　Moon　reflectively。　　〃Seldom　the　time　and　the　place
and　the　blue　gate　alto