manalive-第17章

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Rosamund　expostulated；　Michael　had　ranted　and　Moses　had　ragged。
He　had　remained　like　a　thing　graven；　the　god　of　the　garden。
A　sparrow　had　perched　on　one　of　his　heavy　shoulders；　and　then；
after　correcting　its　costume　of　feathers；　had　flown　away。

〃Why；〃　cried　Michael；　with　a　shout　of　laughter；　〃the　Court　of　Beacon
has　openedand　shut　up　again　too。　　You　all　know　now　I　am　right。
Your　buried　common　sense　has　told　you　what　my　buried　common　sense　has
told　me。　　Smith　might　have　fired　off　a　hundred　cannons　instead　of　a　pistol；
and　you　would　still　know　he　was　harmless　as　I　know　he　is　harmless。
Back　we　all　go　to　the　house　and　clear　a　room　for　discussion。
For　the　High　Court　of　Beacon；　which　has　already　arrived　at　its　decision；
is　just　about　to　begin　its　inquiry。〃

〃Just　a　goin'　to　begin！〃　cried　little　Mr。　Moses　in　an　extraordinary
sort　of　disinterested　excitement；　like　that　of　an　animal　during　music
or　a　thunderstorm。　　〃Follow　on　to　the　'Igh　Court　of　Eggs　and　Bacon；
'ave　a　kipper　from　the　old　firm！　　'Is　Lordship　complimented
Mr。　Gould　on　the　'igh　professional　delicacy　'e　had　shown；
and　which　was　worthy　of　the　best　traditions　of　the　Saloon　Bar
and　three　of　Scotch　hot；　miss！　　Oh；　chase　me；　girls！〃

The　girls　betraying　no　temptation　to　chase　him；　he　went　away　in　a
sort　of　waddling　dance　of　pure　excitement；　and　has　made　a　circuit
of　the　garden　before　he　reappeared；　breathless　but　still　beaming。
Moon　had　known　his　man　when　he　realized　that　no　people　presented
to　Moses　Gould　could　be　quite　serious；　even　if　they　were
quite　furious。　　The　glass　doors　stood　open　on　the　side　nearest
to　Mr。　Moses　Gould；　and　as　the　feet　of　that　festive　idiot　were
evidently　turned　in　the　same　direction；　everybody　else　went
that　way　with　the　unanimity　of　some　uproarious　procession。
Only　Diana　Duke　retained　enough　rigidity　to　say　the　thing　that　had
been　boiling　at　her　fierce　feminine　lips　for　the　last　few　hours。
Under　the　shadow　of　tragedy　she　had　kept　it　back　as　unsympathetic。
〃In　that　case；〃　she　said　sharply；　〃these　cabs　can　be　sent　away。〃

〃Well；　Innocent　must　have　his　bag；　you　know；〃　said　Mary　with　a　smile。
〃I　dare　say　the　cabman　would　get　it　down　for　us。〃

〃I'll　get　the　bag；〃　said　Smith；　speaking　for　the　first　time　in　hours；
his　voice　sounded　remote　and　rude；　like　the　voice　of　a　statue。

Those　who　had　so　long　danced　and　disputed　round　his　immobility
were　left　breathless　by　his　precipitance。　　With　a　run　and　spring
he　was　out　of　the　garden　into　the　street；　with　a　spring　and
one　quivering　kick　he　was　actually　on　the　roof　of　the　cab。
The　cabman　happened　to　be　standing　by　the　horse's　head；　having　just
removed　its　emptied　nose…bag。　Smith　seemed　for　an　instant　to　be
rolling　about　on　the　cab's　back　in　the　embraces　of　his　Gladstone　bag。
The　next　instant；　however；　he　had　rolled；　as　if　by　a　royal　luck；
into　the　high　seat　behind；　and　with　a　shriek　of　piercing　and
appalling　suddenness　had　sent　the　horse　flying　and　scampering
down　the　street。

His　evanescence　was　so　violent　and　swift；　that　this　time　it
was　all　the　other　people　who　were　turned　into　garden　statues。
Mr。　Moses　Gould；　however；　being　ill…adapted　both　physically　and　morally
for　the　purposes　of　permanent　sculpture；　came　to　life　some　time　before
the　rest；　and；　turning　to　Moon；　remarked；　like　a　man　starting　chattily
with　a　stranger　on　an　omnibus；　〃Tile　loose；　eh？　　Cab　loose　anyhow。〃
There　followed　a　fatal　silence；　and　then　Dr。　Warner　said；　with　a　sneer
like　a　club　of　stone；

〃This　is　what　comes　of　the　Court　of　Beacon；　Mr。　Moon。　　You　have　let
loose　a　maniac　on　the　whole　metropolis。〃

Beacon　House　stood；　as　has　been　said；　at　the　end　of　a　long　crescent
of　continuous　houses。　　The　little　garden　that　shut　it　in　ran　out　into
a　sharp　point　like　a　green　cape　pushed　out　into　the　sea　of　two　streets。
Smith　and　his　cab　shot　up　one　side　of　the　triangle；　and　certainly
most　of　those　standing　inside　of　it　never　expected　to　see　him　again。
At　the　apex；　however；　he　turned　the　horse　sharply　round　and　drove　with　equal
violence　up　the　other　side　of　the　garden；　visible　to　all　those　in　the　group。
With　a　common　impulse　the　little　crowd　ran　across　the　lawn　as　if　to　stop　him；
but　they　soon　had　reason　to　duck　and　recoil。　　Even　as　he　vanished　up
street　for　the　second　time；　he　let　the　big　yellow　bag　fly　from　his　hand；
so　that　it　fell　in　the　centre　of　the　garden；　scattering　the　company
like　a　bomb；　and　nearly　damaging　Dr。　Warner's　hat　for　the　third　time。
Long　before　they　had　collected　themselves；　the　cab　had　shot　away　with　a
shriek　that　went　into　a　whisper。

〃Well；〃　said　Michael　Moon；　with　a　queer　note　in　his　voice；
〃you　may　as　well　all　go　inside　anyhow。　　We've　got　two　relics
of　Mr。　Smith　at　least；　his　fiancee　and　his　trunk。〃

〃Why　do　you　want　us　to　go　inside？〃　asked　Arthur　Inglewood；
in　whose　red　brow　and　rough　brown　hair　botheration　seemed
to　have　reached　its　limit。

〃I　want　the　rest　to　go　in；〃　said　Michael　in　a　clear　voice；
〃because　I　want　the　whole　of　this　garden　in　which　to　talk　to　you。〃

There　was　an　atmosphere　of　irrational　doubt；　it　was　really　getting　colder；
and　a　night　wind　had　begun　to　wave　the　one　or　two　trees　in　the　twilight。
Dr。　Warner；　however；　spoke　in　a　voice　devoid　of　indecision。

〃I　refuse　to　listen　to　any　such　proposal；〃　he　said；　〃you　have　lost
this　ruffian；　and　I　must　find　him。〃

〃I　don't　ask　you　to　listen　to　any　proposal；〃　answered　Moon　quietly；
〃I　only　ask　you　to　listen。〃

He　made　a　silencing　movement　with　his　hand；　and　immediately
the　whistling　noise　that　had　been　lost　in　the　dark　streets　on　one　side
of　the　house　could　be　heard　from　quite　a　new　quarter　on　the　other　side。
Through　the　night…maze　of　streets　the　noise　increased　with　incredible
rapidity；　and　the　next　moment　the　flying　hoofs　and　flashing　wheels　had
swept　up　to　the　blue…railed　gate　at　which　they　had　originally　stood。
Mr。　Smith　got　down　from　his　perch　with　an　air　of　absent…mindedness；
and　coming　back　into　the　garden　stood　in　the　same　elephantine
attitude　as　before。

〃Get　inside！　get　inside！〃　cried　Moon　hilariously；　with　the　air
of　one　shooing　a　company　of　cats。　　〃Come；　come；　be　quick　about　it！
Didn't　I　tell　you　I　wanted　to　talk　to　Inglewood？〃

How　they　were　all　really　driven　into　the　house　again　it　would
have　been　difficult　afterwards　to　say。　　They　had　reached　the　point
of　being　exhausted　with　incongruities；　as　people　at　a　farce
are　ill　with　laughing；　and　the　brisk　growth　of　the　storm　among
the　trees　seemed　like　a　final　gesture　of　things　in　general。
Inglewood　lingered　behind　them；　saying　with　a　certain　amicable
exasperation；　〃I　say；　do　you　really　want　to　speak　to　me？〃

〃I　do；〃　said　Michael；　〃very　much。〃

Nigh　had　come　as　it　generally　does；　quicker　than　the　twilight　had　seemed
to　promise。　　While　the　human　eye　still　felt　the　sky　as　light　gray；　a　very
large　and　lustrous　moon　appearing　abruptly　above　a　bulk　of　roofs　and　trees；
proved　by　contrast　that　the　sky　was　already　a　very　dark　gray　indeed。
A　drift　of　barren　leaves　across　the　lawn；　a　drift　of　riven　clouds　across
the　sky；　seemed　to　be　lifted　on　the　same　strong　and　yet　laborious　wind。

〃Arthur；〃　said　Michael；　〃I　began　with　an　intuition；　but　now　I　am　sure。
You　and　I　are　going　to　defend　this　friend　of　yours　before　the　blessed　Court
of　Beacon；　and　to　clear　him　tooclear　him　of　both　crime　and　lunacy。
Just　listen　to　me　while　I　preach　to　you　for　a　bit。〃　　They　walked　up
and　down　the　darkening　garden　together　as　Michael　Moon　went　on。

〃Can　you；〃　asked　Michael；　〃shut　your　eyes　and　see　some　of　those　queer　old
hieroglyphics　they　stuck　up　on　white　walls　in　the　old　hot　countries。
How　stiff　they　were　in　shape　and　yet　how　gaudy　in　colour。
Think　of　some　alphabet　of　arbitrary　figures　picked　out　in　black　and　red；
or　white　and　green；　with　some　old　Semitic　crowd　of　Nosey　Gould's
ancestors　staring　at　it；　and　try　to　think　why　the　people　put　it
up　at　all。〃

Inglewood's　first　instinct　was　to　think　that　his　perplexing　friend
had　really　gone　off　his　head　at　last；　there　seemed　so　reckless
a　flight　of　irrelevancy　from　the　tropic…pictured　walls　he　was
asked　to　imagine　to　the　gray；　wind…swept；　and　somewhat　chilly
suburban　garden　in　which　he　was　actually　kicking　his　heels。
How　he　could　be　more　happy　in　one　by　imag