manalive-第15章

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〃No；〃　said　Moon　reflectively。　　〃Seldom　the　time　and　the　place
and　the　blue　gate　altogether；　and　it　all　depends　whether　you
come　of　an　old　country　family。　　My　ancestors　leaned　on　gates
before　any　one　had　discovered　how　to　open　them。〃

〃Michael！〃　cried　Arthur　Inglewood　in　a　kind　of　agony；　〃are　you　going　to　get
out　of　the　way？〃

〃Why；　no；　I　think　not；〃　said　Michael；　after　some　meditation；
and　swung　himself　slowly　round；　so　that　he　confronted　the　company；
while　still；　in　a　lounging　attitude；　occupying　the　path。

〃Hullo！〃　he　called　out　suddenly；　〃what　are　you　doing　to　Mr。　Smith？〃

〃Taking　him　away；〃　answered　Warner　shortly；　〃to　be　examined。〃

〃Matriculation？〃　asked　Moon　brightly。

〃By　a　magistrate；〃　said　the　other　curtly。

〃And　what　other　magistrate；〃　cried　Michael；　raising　his　voice；
〃dares　to　try　what　befell　on　this　free　soil；　save　only　the　ancient
and　independent　Dukes　of　Beacon？　　What　other　court　dares　to　try
one　of　our　company；　save　only　the　High　Court　of　Beacon？　　Have　you
forgotten　that　only　this　afternoon　we　flew　the　flag　of　independence
and　severed　ourselves　from　all　the　nations　of　the　earth？〃

〃Michael；〃　cried　Rosamund；　wringing　her　hands；　〃how　can　you　stand
there　talking　nonsense？　　Why；　you　saw　the　dreadful　thing　yourself。
You　were　there　when　he　went　mad。　　It　was　you　that　helped　the　doctor
up　when　he　fell　over　the　flower…pot。〃

〃And　the　High　Court　of　Beacon；〃　replied　Moon　with　hauteur；
〃has　special　powers　in　all　cases　concerning　lunatics；
flower…pots；　and　doctors　who　fall　down　in　gardens。
It's　in　our　very　first　charter　from　Edward　I：　　‘Si　medicus
quisquam　in　horto　prostratus'〃

〃Out　of　the　way！〃　cried　Warner　with　sudden　fury；　〃or　we　will　force
you　out　of　it。〃

〃What！〃　cried　Michael　Moon；　with　a　cry　of　hilarious　fierceness。
〃Shall　I　die　in　defence　of　this　sacred　pale？　　Will　you　paint
these　blue　railings　red　with　my　gore？〃　and　he　laid　hold　of　one
of　the　blue　spikes　behind　him。　　As　Inglewood　had　noticed　earlier
in　the　evening；　the　railing　was　loose　and　crooked　at　this　place；
and　the　painted　iron　staff　and　spearhead　came　away　in　Michael's
hand　as　he　shook　it。

〃See！〃　he　cried；　brandishing　this　broken　javelin　in　the　air；
〃the　very　lances　round　Beacon　Tower　leap　from　their　places　to　defend　it。
Ah；　in　such　a　place　and　hour　it　is　a　fine　thing　to　die　alone！〃
And　in　a　voice　like　a　drum　he　rolled　the　noble　lines　of　Ronsard

〃Ou　pour　l'honneur　de　Dieu；　ou　pour　le　droit　de　mon　prince；　Navre；
poitrine　ouverte；　au　bord　de　mon　province。〃


〃Sakes　alive！〃　said　the　American　gentleman；　almost　in　an　awed　tone。
Then　he　added；　〃Are　there　two　maniacs　here？〃

〃No；　there　are　five；〃　thundered　Moon。　　〃Smith　and　I　are　the　only
sane　people　left。〃

〃Michael！〃　cried　Rosamund；　〃Michael；　what　does　it　mean？〃

〃It　means　bosh！〃　roared　Michael；　and　slung　his　painted　spear
hurtling　to　the　other　end　of　the　garden。　　〃It　means　that　doctors
are　bosh；　and　criminology　is　bosh；　and　Americans　are　bosh
much　more　bosh　than　our　Court　of　Beacon。　　It　means；　you　fatheads；
that　Innocent　Smith　is　no　more　mad　or　bad　than　the　bird
on　that　tree。〃

〃But；　my　dear　Moon；〃　began　Inglewood　in　his　modest　manner；　〃these　gentlemen〃

〃On　the　word　of　two　doctors；〃　exploded　Moon　again；
without　listening　to　anybody　else；　〃shut　up　in　a　private　hell
on　the　word　of　two　doctors！　　And　such　doctors！　　Oh；　my　hat！
Look　at　'em！do　just　look　at　'em！　　Would　you　read　a　book；
or　buy　a　dog；　or　go　to　a　hotel　on　the　advice　of　twenty　such？
My　people　came　from　Ireland；　and　were　Catholics。　　What　would
you　say　if　I　called　a　man　wicked　on　the　word　of　two　priests？〃

〃But　it　isn't　only　their　word；　Michael；〃　reasoned　Rosamund；
〃they've　got　evidence　too。〃

〃Have　you　looked　at　it？〃　asked　Moon。

〃No；〃　said　Rosamund；　with　a　sort　of　faint　surprise；　〃these　gentlemen
are　in　charge　of　it。〃

〃And　of　everything　else；　it　seems　to　me；〃　said　Michael。　　〃Why；　you
haven't　even　had　the　decency　to　consult　Mrs。　Duke。〃

〃Oh；　that's　no　use；〃　said　Diana　in　an　undertone　to　Rosamund；　〃Auntie　can't
say　‘Bo！'　to　a　goose。〃

〃I　am　glad　to　hear　it；〃　answered　Michael；　〃for　with　such　a　flock　of　geese
to　say　it　to；　the　horrid　expletive　might　be　constantly　on　her　lips。
For　my　part；　I　simply　refuse　to　let　things　be　done　in　this　light
and　airy　style。　　I　appeal　to　Mrs。　Dukeit's　her　house。〃

〃Mrs。　Duke？〃　repeated　Inglewood　doubtfully。

〃Yes；　Mrs。　Duke；〃　said　Michael　firmly；　〃commonly　called　the　Iron　Duke。〃

〃If　you　ask　Auntie；〃　said　Diana　quietly；　〃she'll　only　be　for　doing　nothing
at　all。　　Her　only　idea　is　to　hush　things　up　or　to　let　things　slide。
That　just　suits　her。〃

〃Yes；〃　replied　Michael　Moon；　〃and；　as　it　happens；　it　just　suits
all　of　us。　　You　are　impatient　with　your　elders；　Miss　Duke；
but　when　you　are　as　old　yourself　you　will　know　what　Napoleon　knew
that　half　one's　letters　answer　themselves　if　you　can　only　refrain
from　the　fleshly　appetite　of　answering　them。〃

He　was　still　lounging　in　the　same　absurd　attitude；　with　his　elbow
on　the　grate；　but　his　voice　had　altered　abruptly　for　the　third　time；
just　as　it　had　changed　from　the　mock　heroic　to　the　humanly　indignant；
it　now　changed　to　the　airy　incisiveness　of　a　lawyer　giving
good　legal　advice。

〃It　isn't　only　your　aunt　who　wants　to　keep　this　quiet　if
she　can；〃　he　said；　〃we　all　want　to　keep　it　quiet　if　we　can。
Look　at　the　large　factsthe　big　bones　of　the　case。　　I　believe
those　scientific　gentlemen　have　made　a　highly　scientific　mistake。
I　believe　Smith　is　as　blameless　as　a　buttercup。　　I　admit
buttercups　don't　often　let　off　loaded　pistols　in　private　houses；
I　admit　there　is　something　demanding　explanation。
But　I　am　morally　certain　there's　some　blunder；　or　some　joke；
or　some　allegory；　or　some　accident　behind　all　this。
Well；　suppose　I'm　wrong。　　We've　disarmed　him；　we're　five　men
to　hold　him；　he　may　as　well　go　to　a　lock…up　later　on　as　now。
But　suppose　there's　even　a　chance　of　my　being　right。
Is　it　anybody's　interest　here　to　wash　this　linen　in　public？

〃Come；　I'll　take　each　of　you　in　order。　　Once　take　Smith　outside　that　gate；
and　you　take　him　into　the　front　page　of　the　evening　papers。　　I　know；
I've　written　the　front　page　myself。　　Miss　Duke；　do　you　or　your　aunt　want
a　sort　of　notice　stuck　up　over　your　boarding…house‘Doctors　shot　here。'
No；　nodoctors　are　rubbish；　as　I　said；　but　you　don't　want　the　rubbish
shot　here。　　Arthur；　suppose　I　am　right；　or　suppose　I　am　wrong。
Smith　has　appeared　as　an　old　schoolfellow　of　yours。　　Mark　my　words；
if　he's　proved　guilty；　the　Organs　of　Public　Opinion　will　say　you
introduced　him。　　If　he's　proved　innocent；　they　will　say　you　helped
to　collar　him。　　Rosamund；　my　dear；　suppose　I　am　right　or　wrong。
If　he's　proved　guilty；　they'll　say　you　engaged　your　companion　to　him。
If　he's　proved　innocent；　they'll　print　that　telegram。
I　know　the　Organs；　damn　them。〃

He　stopped　an　instant；　for　this　rapid　rationalism　left　him　more
breathless　than　had　either　his　theatrical　or　his　real　denunciation。
But　he　was　plainly　in　earnest；　as　well　as　positive　and　lucid；
as　was　proved　by　his　proceeding　quickly　the　moment　he　had
found　his　breath。

〃It　is　just　the　same；〃　he　cried；　〃with　our　medical　friends。
You　will　say　that　Dr。　Warner　has　a　grievance。　　I　agree。
But　does　he　want　specially　to　be　snapshotted　by　all　the
journalists　~prostratus　in　horto~？　It　was　no　fault　of　his；
but　the　scene　was　not　very　dignified　even　for　him。
He　must　have　justice；　but　does　he　want　to　ask　for　justice；
not　only　on　his　knees；　but　on　his　hands　and　knees？
Does　he　want　to　enter　the　court　of　justice　on　all　fours？
Doctors　are　not　allowed　to　advertise；　and　I'm　sure　no
doctor　wants　to　advertise　himself　as　looking　like　that。
And　even　for　our　American　guest　the　interest　is　the　same。
Let　us　suppose　that　he　has　conclusive　documents。
Let　us　assume　that　he　has　revelations　really　worth　reading。
Well；　in　a　legal　inquiry　（or　a　medical　inquiry；　for　that　matter）
ten　to　one　he　won't　be　allowed　to　read　them。　　He'll　be　tripped
up　every　two　or　three　minutes　with　some　tangle　of　old　rules。
A　man　can't　tell　the　truth　in　public　nowadays。　　But　he　can
still　tell　it　in　private；　he　can　tell　it　inside　that　house。〃

〃It　is　quite　true；〃　said　Dr。　Cyrus　Pym；　who　had　listened　throughout
the　speech　with　a