manalive-第24章
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he lifted a very pale face。
〃‘Why； what is the matter？' asked Eames； whose own nerves had by this
time twittered themselves quiet； like the morning birds。
〃‘I must ask your indulgence；' said Smith； rather brokenly。
‘I must ask you to realize that I have just had an escape from death。'
〃‘YOU have had an escape from death？' repeated the Professor
in not unpardonable irritation。 ‘Well； of all the cheek'
〃‘Oh； don't you understand； don't you understand？' cried the pale young
man impatiently。 ‘I had to do it； Eames；； I had to prove you wrong or die。
When a man's young； he nearly always has some one whom he thinks the top…water
mark of the mind of mansome one who knows all about it； if anybody knows。
〃‘Well； you were that to me； you spoke with authority；
and not as the scribes。 Nobody could comfort me if YOU
said there was no comfort。 If you really thought there was
nothing anywhere； it was because you had been there to see。
Don't you see that I HAD to prove you didn't really mean it？
or else drown myself in the canal。'
〃‘Well；' said Eames hesitatingly； ‘I think perhaps you confuse'
〃‘Oh； don't tell me that！' cried Smith with the sudden clairvoyance
of mental pain； ‘don't tell me I confuse enjoyment of existence
with the Will to Live！ That's German； and German is High Dutch；
and High Dutch is Double Dutch。 The thing I saw shining in your
eyes when you dangled on that bridge was enjoyment of life 〃the
Will to Live。〃 What you knew when you sat on that damned gargoyle
was that the world； when all is said and done； is a wonderful and
beautiful place； I know it； because I knew it at the same minute。
I saw the gray clouds turn pink； and the little gilt clock in the crack
between the houses。 It was THOSE things you hated leaving； not Life；
whatever that is。 Eames； we've been to the brink of death together；
won't you admit I'm right？'
〃‘Yes； said Eames very slowly； ‘I think you are right。
You shall have a First！'
〃‘Right！' cried Smith； springing up reanimated。 ‘I've passed with honours；
and now let me go and see about being sent down。'
〃‘You needn't be sent down；' said Eames with the quiet
confidence of twelve years of intrigue。 ‘Everything with us
comes from the man on top to the people just round him：
I am the man on top； and I shall tell the people round
me the truth。'
〃‘The massive Mr。 Smith rose and went firmly to the window；
but he spoke with equal firmness。 ‘I must be sent down；'
he said； ‘and the people must not be told the truth。'
〃‘And why not' asked the other。
〃‘Because I mean to follow your advice；' answered the massive youth；
‘I mean to keep the remaining shots for people in the shameful state
you and I were in last nightI wish we could even plead drunkenness。
I mean to keep those bullets for pessimistspills for pale people。
And in this way I want to walk the world like a wonderful surprise
to float as idly as the thistledown； and come as silently as the sunrise；
not to be expected any more than the thunderbolt； not to be
recalled any more than the dying breeze。 I don't want people to
anticipate me as a well…known practical joke。 I want both my gifts
to come virgin and violent； the death and the life after death。
I am going to hold a pistol to the head of the Modern Man。 But I
shall not use it to kill himonly to bring him to life。
I begin to see a new meaning in being the skeleton at the feast。'
〃‘You could scarcely be called a skeleton；' said Dr。 Eames； smiling。
〃‘That comes of being so much at the feast；' answered the massive youth。
‘No skeleton can keep his figure if he is always dining out。
But that is not quite what I meant： what I mean is that I caught
a kind of glimpse of the meaning of death and all thatthe skull
and cross…bones； the ~memento mori~。 It isn't only meant to remind
us of a future life； but to remind us of a present life too。
With our weak spirits we should grow old in eternity if we were not kept
young by death。 Providence has to cut immortality into lengths for us；
as nurses cut the bread and butter into fingers。'
〃Then he added suddenly in a voice of unnatural actuality；
‘But I know something now； Eames。 I knew it when I saw
the clouds turn pink。'
〃‘What do you mean？' asked Eames。 ‘What did you know？'
〃‘I knew for the first time that murder is really wrong。'
〃He gripped Dr。 Eames's hand and groped his way somewhat unsteadily
to the door。 Before he had vanished through it he had added；
‘It's very dangerous； though； when a man thinks for a split second
that he understands death。'
〃Dr。 Eames remained in repose and rumination some hours after his
late assailant had left。 Then he rose； took his hat and umbrella；
and went for a brisk if rotatory walk。 Several times；
however； he stood outside the villa with the spotted blinds；
studying them intently with his head slightly on one side。
Some took him for a lunatic and some for an intending purchaser。
He is not yet sure that the two characters would be widely different。
〃The above narrative has been constructed on a principle which is；
in the opinion of the undersigned persons； new in the art of letters。
Each of the two actors is described as he appeared to the other。
But the undersigned persons absolutely guarantee the exactitude
of the story； and if their version of the thing be questioned； they；
the undersigned persons； would deucedly well like to know who does
know about it if they don't。
〃The undersigned persons will now adjourn to ‘The Spotted Dog'
for beer。 Farewell。
〃（Signed） James Emerson Eames；
〃Warden of Brakespeare College； Cambridge。
〃Innocent Smith。〃
Chapter II
The Two Curates；
or； the Burglary Charge
Arthur Inglewood handed the document he had just read to the leaders
of the prosecution； who examined it with their heads together。
Both the Jew and the American were of sensitive and excitable stocks；
and they revealed by the jumpings and bumpings of the black head and the
yellow that nothing could be done in the way of denial of the document。
The letter from the Warden was as authentic as the letter from the
Sub…Warden； however regrettably different in dignity and social tone。
〃Very few words；〃 said Inglewood； 〃are required to conclude
our case in this matter。 Surely it is now plain that our client
carried his pistol about with the eccentric but innocent
purpose of giving a wholesome scare to those whom he regarded
as blasphemers。 In each case the scare was so wholesome
that the victim himself has dated from it as from a new birth。
Smith； so far from being a madman； is rather a mad doctor
he walks the world curing frenzies and not distributing them。
That is the answer to the two unanswerable questions which I
put to the prosecutors。 That is why they dared not produce
a line by any one who had actually confronted the pistol。
All who had actually confronted the pistol confessed that they
had profited by it。 That was why Smith； though a good shot；
never hit anybody。 He never hit anybody because he was a good shot。
His mind was as clear of murder as his hands are of blood。
This； I say； is the only possible explanation of these facts
and of all the other facts。 No one can possibly explain
the Warden's conduct except by believing the Warden's story。
Even Dr。 Pym； who is a very factory of ingenious theories；
could find no other theory to cover the case。〃
〃There are promising per…spectives in hypnotism and dual personality；〃
said Dr。 Cyrus Pym dreamily； 〃the science of criminology is in
its infancy； and〃
〃Infancy！〃 cried Moon； jerking his red pencil in the air with a gesture
of enlightenment； 〃why； that explains it！〃
〃I repeat；〃 proceeded Inglewood； 〃that neither Dr。 Pym nor any one else
can account on any other theory but ours for the Warden's signature；
for the shots missed and the witnesses missing。〃
The little Yankee had slipped to his feet with some return
of a cock…fighting coolness。 〃The defence；〃 he said；
〃omits a coldly colossal fact。 They say we produce none of
the ac
