manalive-第25章

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of　a　cock…fighting　coolness。　　〃The　defence；〃　he　said；
〃omits　a　coldly　colossal　fact。　　They　say　we　produce　none　of
the　actual　victims。　　Wal；　here　is　one　victimEngland's　celebrated
and　stricken　Warner。　　I　reckon　he　is　pretty　well　produced。
And　they　suggest　that　all　the　outrages　were　followed
by　reconciliation。　　Wal；　there's　no　flies　on　England's　Warner；
and　he　isn't　reconciliated　much。〃

〃My　learned　friend；〃　said　Moon；　getting　elaborately　to　his　feet；
〃must　remember　that　the　science　of　shooting　Dr。　Warner　is　in　its　infancy。
Dr。　Warner　would　strike　the　idlest　eye　as　one　specially　difficult　to　startle
into　any　recognition　of　the　glory　of　God。　　We　admit　that　our　client；
in　this　one　instance；　failed；　and　that　the　operation　was　not　successful。
But　I　am　empowered　to　offer；　on　behalf　of　my　client；　a　proposal
for　operating　on　Dr。　Warner　again；　at　his　earliest　convenience；
and　without　further　fees。〃

〃'Ang　it　all；　Michael；〃　cried　Gould；　quite　serious　for　the　first　time
in　his　life；　〃you　might　give　us　a　bit　of　bally　sense　for　a　chinge。〃

〃What　was　Dr。　Warner　talking　about　just　before　the　first　shot？〃
asked　Moon　sharply。

〃The　creature；〃　said　Dr。　Warner　superciliously；　〃asked　me；
with　characteristic　rationality；　whether　it　was　my　birthday。〃

〃And　you　answered；　with　characteristic　swank；〃　cried　Moon；　shooting　out
a　long　lean　finger；　as　rigid　and　arresting　as　the　pistol　of　Smith；
〃that　you　didn't　keep　your　birthday。〃

〃Something　like　that；〃　assented　the　doctor。

〃Then；〃　continued　Moon；　〃he　asked　you　why　not；　and　you　said　it　was　because　you
didn't　see　that　birth　was　anything　to　rejoice　over。　　Agreed？　　Now　is　there
any　one　who　doubts　that　our　tale　is　true？〃

There　was　a　cold　crash　of　stillness　in　the　room；　and　Moon　said；　〃Pax　populi
vox　Dei；　it　is　the　silence　of　the　people　that　is　the　voice　of　God。　　Or　in
Dr。　Pym's　more　civilized　language；　it　is　up　to　him　to　open　the　next　charge。
On　this　we　claim　an　acquittal。〃


It　was　about　an　hour　later。　　Dr。　Cyrus　Pym　had　remained　for　an　unprecedented
time　with　his　eyes　closed　and　his　thumb　and　finger　in　the　air。
It　almost　seemed　as　if　he　had　been　〃struck　so；〃　as　the　nurses　say；
and　in　the　deathly　silence　Michael　Moon　felt　forced　to　relieve
the　strain　with　some　remark。　　For　the　last　half…hour　or　so　the　eminent
criminologist　had　been　explaining　that　science　took　the　same　view
of　offences　against　property　as　id　did　of　offences　against　life。
〃Most　murder；〃　he　had　said；　〃is　a　variation　of　homicidal　mania；
and　in　the　same　way　most　theft　is　a　version　of　kleptomania。
I　cannot　entertain　any　doubt　that　my　learned　friends　opposite
adequately　con…ceive　how　this　must　involve　a　scheme　of　punishment
more　tol'rant　and　humane　than　the　cruel　methods　of　ancient　codes。
They　will　doubtless　exhibit　consciousness　of　a　chasm　so　eminently　yawning；
so　thought…arresting；　so〃　It　was　here　that　he　paused　and　indulged
in　the　delicate　gesture　to　which　allusion　has　been　made；　and　Michael
could　bear　it　no　longer。

〃Yes；　yes；〃　he　said　impatiently；　〃we　admit　the　chasm。
The　old　cruel　codes　accuse　a　man　of　theft　and　send　him
to　prison　for　ten　years。　　The　tolerant　and　humane　ticket
accuses　him　of　nothing　and　sends　him　to　prison　for　ever。
We　pass　the　chasm。〃

It　was　characteristic　of　the　eminent　Pym；　in　one　of　his　trances
of　verbal　fastidiousness；　that　he　went　on；　unconscious　not　only
of　his　opponent's　interruption；　but　even　of　his　own　pause。

〃So　stock…improving；〃　continued　Dr。　Cyrus　Pym；　〃so　fraught
with　real　high　hopes　of　the　future。　　Science　therefore
regards　thieves；　in　the　abstract；　just　as　it　regards　murderers。
It　regards　them　not　as　sinners　to　be　punished　for　an　arbitrary　period；
but　as　patients　to　be　detained　and　cared　for；〃　（his　first　two　digits
closed　again　as　he　hesitated）〃in　short；　for　the　required　period。
But　there　is　something　special　in　the　case　we　investigate　here。
Kleptomania　commonly　con…joins　itself〃

〃I　beg　pardon；〃　said　Michael；　〃I　did　not　ask　just　now　because；
to　tell　the　truth；　I　really　though　Dr。　Pym；　though　seemingly　vertical；
was　enjoying　well…earned　slumber；　with　a　pinch　in　his　fingers
of　scentless　and　delicate　dust。　　But　now　that　things　are　moving
a　little　more；　there　is　something　I　should　really　like　to　know。
I　have　hung　on　Dr。　Pym's　lips；　of　course；　with　an　interest　that　it
were　weak　to　call　rapture；　but　I　have　so　far　been　unable　to　form
any　conjecture　about　what　the　accused；　in　the　present　instance；
is　supposed　to　have　been　and　gone　and　done。〃

〃If　Mr。　Moon　will　have　patience；〃　said　Pym　with　dignity；　〃he　will　find
that　this　was　the　very　point　to　which　my　exposition　was　di…rected。
Kleptomania；　I　say；　exhibits　itself　as　a　kind　of　physical　attraction
to　certain　defined　materials；　and　it　has　been　held　（by　no　less　a　man
than　Harris）　that　this　is　the　ultimate　explanation　of　the　strict
specialism　and　vurry　narrow　professional　outlook　of　most　criminals。
One　will　have　an　irresistible　physical　impulsion　towards　pearl
sleeve…links；　while　he　passes　over　the　most　elegant　and　celebrated
diamond　sleeve…links；　placed　about　in　the　most　conspicuous　locations。
Another　will　impede　his　flight　with　no　less　than　forty…seven　buttoned　boots；
while　elastic…sided　boots　leave　him　cold；　and　even　sarcastic。
The　specialism　of　the　criminal；　I　repeat；　is　a　mark　rather　of　insanity
than　of　any　brightness　of　business　habits；　but　there　is　one　kind
of　depredator　to　whom　this　principle　is　at　first　sight　hard　to　apply。
I　allude　to　our　fellow…citizen　the　housebreaker。

〃It　has　been　maintained　by　some　of　our　boldest　young
truth…seekers；　that　the　eye　of　a　burglar　beyond　the　back…garden
wall　could　hardly　be　caught　and　hypnotized　by　a　fork
that　is　insulated　in　a　locked　box　under　the　butler's　bed。
They　have　thrown　down　the　gauntlet　to　American　science　on　this　point。
They　declare　that　diamond　links　are　not　left　about　in　conspicuous
locations　in　the　haunts　of　the　lower　classes；　as　they　were
in　the　great　test　experiment　of　Calypso　College。　　We　hope　this
experiment　here　will　be　an　answer　to　that　young　ringing　challenge；
and　will　bring　the　burglar　once　more　into　line　and　union
with　his　fellow　criminals。〃

Moon；　whose　face　had　gone　through　every　phase　of　black　bewilderment
for　five　minutes　past；　suddenly　lifted　his　hand　and　struck　the　table
in　explosive　enlightenment。

〃Oh；　I　see！〃　he　cried；　〃you　mean　that　Smith　is　a　burglar。〃

〃I　thought　I　made　it　quite　ad'quately　lucid；〃　said　Mr。　Pym；
folding　up　his　eyelids。　　It　was　typical　of　this　topsy…turvy　private
trial　that　all　the　eloquent　extras；　all　the　rhetoric　or　digression
on　either　side；　was　exasperating　and　unintelligible　to　the　other。
Moon　could　not　make　head　or　tail　of　the　solemnity　of　a　new　civilization。
Pym　could　not　make　head　or　tail　of　the　gaiety　of　an　old　one。

〃All　the　cases　in　which　Smith　has　figured　as　an　expropriator；〃
continued　the　American　doctor；　〃are　cases　of　burglary。
Pursuing　the　same　course　as　in　the　previous　case；　we　select
the　indubitable　instance　from　the　rest；　and　we　take　the　most
correct　cast…iron　evidence。　　I　will　now　call　on　my　colleague；
Mr。　Gould；　to　read　a　letter　we　have　received　from　the　earnest；
unspotted　Canon　of　Durham；　Canon　Hawkins。〃

Mr。　Moses　Gould　leapt　up　with　his　usual　alacrity　to　read　the　letter　from
the　earnest　and　unspotted　Hawkins。　　Moses　Gould　could　imitate　a　farmyard　well；
Sir　Henry　Irving　not　so　well；　Marie　Lloyd　to　a　point　of　excellence；　and　the
new　motor　horns　in　a　manner　that　put　him　upon　the　platform　of　great　artists。
But　his　imitation　of　a　Canon　of　Durham　was　not　convincing；　indeed；　the　sense
of　the　letter　was　so　much　obscured　by　the　extraordinary　leaps　and　gasps　of　his
pronunciation　that　it　is　perhaps　better　to　print　it　here　as　Moon　read　it　when；
a　little　later；　it　was　handed　across　the　table。


〃Dear　Sir；I　can　scarcely　feel　surprise　that　the　incident
you　mention；　private　as　it　was；　should　have　filtered　through
our　omnivorous　journals　to　the　mere　populace；　for　the　position
I　have　since　attained　makes　me；　I　conceive；　a　public　character；
and　this　was　certainly　the　most　extraordinary　incident
in　a　not　uneventful　and　perhaps　not　an　unimportant　career。
I　am　by　no　means　without　experience　in　scenes　of　civil　tumult。
I　have　faced