manalive-第32章

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in　consequence；　treated　his　actions　with　coldness　and　brevity。
But　the　gardener　was　certain　that　on　one　particular　morning　in　October　he
（the　gardener）　had　come　round　the　corner　of　the　house　carrying　the　hose；
had　seen　Mr。　Smith　standing　on　the　lawn　in　a　striped　red　and　white　jacket
（which　might　have　been　his　smoking…jacket；　but　was　quite　as　like　a　part
of　his　pyjamas）；　and　had　heard　him　then　and　there　call　out　to　his　wife；
who　was　looking　out　of　the　bedroom　window　on　to　the　garden；　these　decisive
and　very　loud　expressions

〃I　won't　stay　here　any　longer。　　I've　got　another　wife　and　much
better　children　a　long　way　from　here。　　My　other　wife's　got　redder
hair　than　yours；　and　my　other　garden's　got　a　much　finer　situation；
and　I'm　going　off　to　them。〃

With　these　words；　apparently；　he　sent　the　rake　flying　far　up　into　the　sky；
higher　than　many　could　have　shot　an　arrow；　and　caught　it　again。
Then　he　cleared　the　hedge　at　a　leap　and　alighted　on　his　feet　down
in　the　lane　below；　and　set　off　up　the　road　without　even　a　hat。
Much　of　the　picture　was　doubtless　supplied　by　Inglewood's　accidental
memory　of　the　place。　　He　could　see　with　his　mind's　eye　that　big
bare…headed　figure　with　the　ragged　rake　swaggering　up　the　crooked
woodland　road；　and　leaving　lamp…post　and　pillar…box　behind。
But　the　gardener；　on　his　own　account；　was　quite　prepared　to　swear
to　the　public　confession　of　bigamy；　to　the　temporary　disappearance
of　the　rake　in　the　sky；　and　the　final　disappearance　of　the　man　up
the　road。　　Moreover；　being　a　local　man；　he　could　swear　that；　beyond　some
local　rumours　that　Smith　had　embarked　on　the　south…eastern　coast；
nothing　was　known　of　him　again。

This　impression　was　somewhat　curiously　clinched　by　Michael　Moon　in　the　few
but　clear　phrases　in　which　he　opened　the　defence　upon　the　third　charge。
So　far　from　denying　that　Smith　had　fled　from　Croydon　and　disappeared　on
the　Continent；　he　seemed　prepared　to　prove　all　this　on　his　own　account。
〃I　hope　you　are　not　so　insular；〃　he　said；　〃that　you　will　not　respect
the　word　of　a　French　innkeeper　as　much　as　that　of　an　English　gardener。
By　Mr。　Inglewood's　favour　we　will　hear　the　French　innkeeper。〃

Before　the　company　had　decided　the　delicate　point　Inglewood　was　already
reading　the　account　in　question。　　It　was　in　French。　　It　seemed　to　them
to　run　something　like　this：


〃Sir；Yes；　I　am　Durobin　of　Durobin's　Cafe　on　the　sea…front　at　Gras；
rather　north　of　Dunquerque。　　I　am　willing　to　write　all　I　know
of　the　stranger　out　of　the　sea。

〃I　have　no　sympathy　with　eccentrics　or　poets。　　A　man　of　sense
looks　for　beauty　in　things　deliberately　intended　to　be　beautiful；
such　as　a　trim　flower…bed　or　an　ivory　statuette。　　One　does　not　permit
beauty　to　pervade　one's　whole　life；　just　as　one　does　not　pave
all　the　roads　with　ivory　or　cover　all　the　fields　with　geraniums。
My　faith；　but　we　should　miss　the　onions！

〃But　whether　I　read　things　backwards　through　my　memory；　or　whether　there
are　indeed　atmospheres　of　psychology　which　the　eye　of　science　cannot
as　yet　pierce；　it　is　the　humiliating　fact　that　on　that　particular　evening
I　felt　like　a　poetlike　any　little　rascal　of　a　poet　who　drinks　absinthe
in　the　mad　Montmartre。

〃Positively　the　sea　itself　looked　like　absinthe；　green　and　bitter
and　poisonous。　　I　had　never　known　it　look　so　unfamiliar　before。
In　the　sky　was　that　early　and　stormy　darkness　that　is　so　depressing　to
the　mind；　and　the　wind　blew　shrilly　round　the　little　lonely　coloured　kiosk
where　they　sell　the　newspapers；　and　along　the　sand…hills　by　the　shore。
There　I　saw　a　fishing…boat　with　a　brown　sail　standing　in　silently　from
the　sea。　　It　was　already　quite　close；　and　out　of　it　clambered　a　man
of　monstrous　stature；　who　came　wading　to　shore　with　the　water　not　up
to　his　knees；　though　it　would　have　reached　the　hips　of　many　men。
He　leaned　on　a　long　rake　or　pole；　which　looked　like　a　trident；　and　made　him
look　like　a　Triton。　　Wet　as　he　was；　and　with　strips　of　seaweed　clinging
to　him；　he　walked　across　to　my　cafe；　and；　sitting　down　at　a　table　outside；
asked　for　cherry　brandy；　a　liqueur　which　I　keep；　but　is　seldom　demanded。
Then　the　monster；　with　great　politeness；　invited　me　to　partake
of　a　vermouth　before　my　dinner；　and　we　fell　into　conversation。
He　had　apparently　crossed　from　Kent　by　a　small　boat　got　at　a　private
bargain　because　of　some　odd　fancy　he　had　for　passing　promptly　in　an
easterly　direction；　and　not　waiting　for　any　of　the　official　boats。
He　was；　he　somewhat　vaguely　explained；　looking　for　a　house。　　When　I
naturally　asked　him　where　the　house　was；　he　answered　that　he　did　not　know；
it　was　on　an　island；　it　was　somewhere　to　the　east；　or；　as　he　expressed
it　with　a　hazy　and　yet　impatient　gesture；　‘over　there。'

〃I　asked　him　how；　if　he　did　not　know　the　place；　he　would　know　it　when　he
saw　it。　　Here　he　suddenly　ceased　to　be　hazy；　and　became　alarmingly　minute。
He　gave　a　description　of　the　house　detailed　enough　for　an　auctioneer。
I　have　forgotten　nearly　all　the　details　except　the　last　two；　which　were
that　the　lamp…post　was　painted　green；　and　that　there　was　a　red　pillar…box
at　the　corner。

〃‘A　red　pillar…box！'　I　cried　in　astonishment。　　‘Why；　the　place　must
be　in　England！'

〃‘I　had　forgotten；'　he　said；　nodding　heavily。　　‘That　is　the　island's　name。'

〃‘But；　~nom　du　nom~；'　I　cried　testily；　‘you've　just　come
from　England；　my　boy。'

〃‘They　SAID　it　was　England；'　said　my　imbecile；　conspiratorially。
‘They　said　it　was　Kent。　　But　Kentish　men　are　such　liars　one　can't
believe　anything　they　say。'

〃‘Monsieur；'　I　said；　‘you　must　pardon　me。　　I　am　elderly；
and　the　~fumisteries~　of　the　young　men　are　beyond　me。
I　go　by　common　sense；　or；　at　the　largest；　by　that　extension
of　applied　common　sense　called　science。'

〃‘Science！'　cried　the　stranger。　　‘There　is　only　one　good　things
science　ever　discovereda　good　thing；　good　tidings　of　great　joy
that　the　world　is　round。'

〃I　told　him　with　civility　that　his　words　conveyed　no　impression
to　my　intelligence。　　‘I　mean；'　he　said；　‘that　going　right　round
the　world　is　the　shortest　way　to　where　you　are　already。'

〃‘Is　it　not　even　shorter；'　I　asked；　‘to　stop　where　you　are？'

〃‘No；　no；　no！'　he　cried　emphatically。　　‘That　way　is　long　and　very　weary。
At　the　end　of　the　world；　at　the　back　of　the　dawn；　I　shall　find
the　wife　I　really　married　and　the　house　that　is　really　mine。
And　that　house　will　have　a　greener　lamp…post　and　a　redder　pillar…box。
Do　you；'　he　asked　with　a　sudden　intensity；　‘do　you　never　want　to　rush
out　of　your　house　in　order　to　find　it？'

〃‘No；　I　think　not；'　I　replied；　‘reason　tells　a　man　from
the　first　to　adapt　his　desires　to　the　probable　supply　of　life。
I　remain　here；　content　to　fulfil　the　life　of　man。
All　my　interests　are　here；　and　most　of　my　friends；　and'

〃‘And　yet；'　he　cried；　starting　to　his　almost　terrific　height；
‘you　made　the　French　Revolution！'

〃‘Pardon　me；〃　I　said；　‘I　am　not　quite　so　elderly。
A　relative　perhaps。'

〃‘I　mean　your　sort　did！'　exclaimed　this　personage。
‘Yes；　your　damned　smug；　settled；　sensible　sort　made
the　French　Revolution。　　Oh！　　I　know　some　say　it　was　no　good；
and　you're　just　back　where　you　were　before。　　Why；　blast　it　all；
that's　just　where　we　all　want　to　beback　where　we　were　before！
That　is　revolutiongoing　right　round！　　Every　revolution；
like　a　repentance；　is　a　return。'

〃He　was　so　excited　that　I　waited　till　he　had　taken　his　seat　again；
and　then　said　something　indifferent　and　soothing；　but　he　struck
the　tiny　table　with　his　colossal　fist　and　went　on。

〃‘I　am　going　to　have　a　revolution；　not　a　French　Revolution；　but　an
English　Revolution。　　God　has　given　to　each　tribe　its　own　type　of　mutiny。
The　Frenchmen　march　against　the　citadel　of　the　city　together；　the　Englishman
marches　to　the　outskirts　of　the　town；　and　alone。　　But　I　am　going　to　turn
the　world　upside　down；　too。　　I'm　going　to　turn　myself　upside　down。
I'm　going　to　walk　upside　down　in　the　cursed　upsidedownland　of　the　Antipodes；
where　trees　and　men　hang　head　downward　in　the　sky。　　But　my　revolution；
like　yours；　like　the　earth's；　will　end　up　in　the　holy；　happy　place
the　celestial；　incredible　placethe　place　where　we　were　before。'

〃With　these　remarks；　which　can　scarcely　be　reconciled　with　reason；
he　leapt　from　the　se