the wisdom of father brown-第17章

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ed　lady　and　said　his　name　was　Brown。　　Miss　Rome　had　then　gone　just　outside　the　theatre　to　the　entrance　of　the　passage；　in　order　to　point　out　to　Captain　Cutler　a　flower…shop　at　which　he　was　to　buy　her　some　more　flowers；　and　the　witness　had　remained　in　the　room；　exchanging　a　few　words　with　the　priest。　　He　had　then　distinctly　heard　the　deceased；　having　sent　the　Captain　on　his　errand；　turn　round　laughing　and　run　down　the　passage　towards　its　other　end；　where　was　the　prisoner's　dressing…room。　　In　idle　curiosity　as　to　the　rapid　movement　of　his　friends；　he　had　strolled　out　to　the　head　of　the　passage　himself　and　looked　down　it　towards　the　prisoner's　door。　　Did　he　see　anything　in　the　passage？　　Yes；　he　saw　something　in　the　passage。

　　　　　Sir　Walter　Cowdray　allowed　an　impressive　interval；　during　which　the　witness　looked　down；　and　for　all　his　usual　composure　seemed　to　have　more　than　his　usual　pallor。　　Then　the　barrister　said　in　a　lower　voice；　which　seemed　at　once　sympathetic　and　creepy：　　〃Did　you　see　it　distinctly？〃

　　　　　Sir　Wilson　Seymour；　however　moved；　had　his　excellent　brains　in　full　working…order。　　〃Very　distinctly　as　regards　its　outline；　but　quite　indistinctly；　indeed　not　at　all；　as　regards　the　details　inside　the　outline。　　The　passage　is　of　such　length　that　anyone　in　the　middle　of　it　appears　quite　black　against　the　light　at　the　other　end。〃　The　witness　lowered　his　steady　eyes　once　more　and　added：　　〃I　had　noticed　the　fact　before；　when　Captain　Cutler　first　entered　it。〃　There　was　another　silence；　and　the　judge　leaned　forward　and　made　a　note。

　　　　　〃Well；〃　said　Sir　Walter　patiently；　〃what　was　the　outline　like？　Was　it；　for　instance；　like　the　figure　of　the　murdered　woman？〃

　　　　　〃Not　in　the　least；〃　answered　Seymour　quietly。

　　　　　〃What　did　it　look　like　to　you？〃

　　　　　〃It　looked　to　me；〃　replied　the　witness；　〃like　a　tall　man。〃

　　　　　Everyone　in　court　kept　his　eyes　riveted　on　his　pen；　or　his　umbrella…handle；　or　his　book；　or　his　boots　or　whatever　he　happened　to　be　looking　at。　　They　seemed　to　be　holding　their　eyes　away　from　the　prisoner　by　main　force；　but　they　felt　his　figure　in　the　dock；　and　they　felt　it　as　gigantic。　　Tall　as　Bruno　was　to　the　eye；　he　seemed　to　swell　taller　and　taller　when　an　eyes　had　been　torn　away　from　him。

　　　　　Cowdray　was　resuming　his　seat　with　his　solemn　face；　smoothing　his　black　silk　robes；　and　white　silk　whiskers。　　Sir　Wilson　was　leaving　the　witness…box；　after　a　few　final　particulars　to　which　there　were　many　other　witnesses；　when　the　counsel　for　the　defence　sprang　up　and　stopped　him。

　　　　　〃I　shall　only　detain　you　a　moment；〃　said　Mr　Butler；　who　was　a　rustic…looking　person　with　red　eyebrows　and　an　expression　of　partial　slumber。　　〃Will　you　tell　his　lordship　how　you　knew　it　was　a　man？〃

　　　　　A　faint；　refined　smile　seemed　to　pass　over　Seymour's　features。　　〃I'm　afraid　it　is　the　vulgar　test　of　trousers；〃　he　said。　　〃When　I　saw　daylight　between　the　long　legs　I　was　sure　it　was　a　man；　after　all。〃

　　　　　Butler's　sleepy　eyes　opened　as　suddenly　as　some　silent　explosion。　　〃After　all！〃　he　repeated　slowly。　　〃So　you　did　think　at　first　it　was　a　woman？〃

　　　　　Seymour　looked　troubled　for　the　first　time。　　〃It　is　hardly　a　point　of　fact；〃　he　said；　〃but　if　his　lordship　would　like　me　to　answer　for　my　impression；　of　course　I　shall　do　so。　　There　was　something　about　the　thing　that　was　not　exactly　a　woman　and　yet　was　not　quite　a　man；　somehow　the　curves　were　different。　　And　it　had　something　that　looked　like　long　hair。〃

　　　　　〃Thank　you；〃　said　Mr　Butler；　K。C。；　and　sat　down　suddenly；　as　if　he　had　got　what　he　wanted。

　　　　　Captain　Cutler　was　a　far　less　plausible　and　composed　witness　than　Sir　Wilson；　but　his　account　of　the　opening　incidents　was　solidly　the　same。　　He　described　the　return　of　Bruno　to　his　dressing…room；　the　dispatching　of　himself　to　buy　a　bunch　of　lilies…of…the…valley；　his　return　to　the　upper　end　of　the　passage；　the　thing　he　saw　in　the　passage；　his　suspicion　of　Seymour；　and　his　struggle　with　Bruno。　　But　he　could　give　little　artistic　assistance　about　the　black　figure　that　he　and　Seymour　had　seen。　　Asked　about　its　outline；　he　said　he　was　no　art　criticwith　a　somewhat　too　obvious　sneer　at　Seymour。　　Asked　if　it　was　a　man　or　a　woman；　he　said　it　looked　more　like　a　beast　with　a　too　obvious　snarl　at　the　prisoner。　　But　the　man　was　plainly　shaken　with　sorrow　and　sincere　anger；　and　Cowdray　quickly　excused　him　from　confirming　facts　that　were　already　fairly　clear。

　　　　　The　defending　counsel　also　was　again　brief　in　his　cross…examination；　although　（as　was　his　custom）　even　in　being　brief；　he　seemed　to　take　a　long　time　about　it。　　〃You　used　a　rather　remarkable　expression；〃　he　said；　looking　at　Cutler　sleepily。　　〃What　do　you　mean　by　saying　that　it　looked　more　like　a　beast　than　a　man　or　a　woman？〃

　　　　　Cutler　seemed　seriously　agitated。　　〃Perhaps　I　oughtn't　to　have　said　that；〃　he　said；　〃but　when　the　brute　has　huge　humped　shoulders　like　a　chimpanzee；　and　bristles　sticking　out　of　its　head　like　a　pig〃

　　　　　Mr　Butler　cut　short　his　curious　impatience　in　the　middle。　　〃Never　mind　whether　its　hair　was　like　a　pig's；〃　he　said；　〃was　it　like　a　woman's？〃

　　　　　〃A　woman's！〃　cried　the　soldier。　　〃Great　Scott；　no！〃

　　　　　〃The　last　witness　said　it　was；〃　commented　the　counsel；　with　unscrupulous　swiftness。　　〃And　did　the　figure　have　any　of　those　serpentine　and　semi…feminine　curves　to　which　eloquent　allusion　has　been　made？　　No？　　No　feminine　curves？　　The　figure；　if　I　understand　you；　was　rather　heavy　and　square　than　otherwise？〃

　　　　　〃He　may　have　been　bending　forward；〃　said　Cutler；　in　a　hoarse　and　rather　faint　voice。

　　　　　〃Or　again；　he　may　not；〃　said　Mr　Butler；　and　sat　down　suddenly　for　the　second　time。

　　　　　The　third；　witness　called　by　Sir　Walter　Cowdray　was　the　little　Catholic　clergyman；　so　little；　compared　with　the　others；　that　his　head　seemed　hardly　to　come　above　the　box；　so　that　it　was　like　cross…examining　a　child。　　But　unfortunately　Sir　Walter　had　somehow　got　it　into　his　head　（mostly　by　some　ramifications　of　his　family's　religion）　that　Father　Brown　was　on　the　side　of　the　prisoner；　because　the　prisoner　was　wicked　and　foreign　and　even　partly　black。　　Therefore　he　took　Father　Brown　up　sharply　whenever　that　proud　pontiff　tried　to　explain　anything；　and　told　him　to　answer　yes　or　no；　and　tell　the　plain　facts　without　any　jesuitry。　　When　Father　Brown　began；　in　his　simplicity；　to　say　who　he　thought　the　man　in　the　passage　was；　the　barrister　told　him　that　he　did　not　want　his　theories。

　　　　　〃A　black　shape　was　seen　in　the　passage。　　And　you　say　you　saw　the　black　shape。　　Well；　what　shape　was　it？〃

　　　　　Father　Brown　blinked　as　under　rebuke；　but　he　had　long　known　the　literal　nature　of　obedience。　　〃The　shape；〃　he　said；　〃was　short　and　thick；　but　had　two　sharp；　black　projections　curved　upwards　on　each　side　of　the　head　or　top；　rather　like　horns；　and〃

　　　　　〃Oh！　the　devil　with　horns；　no　doubt；〃　ejaculated　Cowdray；　sitting　down　in　triumphant　jocularity。　　〃It　was　the　devil　come　to　eat　Protestants。〃

　　　　　〃No；〃　said　the　priest　dispassionately；　〃I　know　who　it　was。〃

　　　　　Those　in　court　had　been　wrought　up　to　an　irrational；　but　real　sense　of　some　monstrosity。　　They　had　forgotten　the　figure　in　the　dock　and　thought　only　of　the　figure　in　the　passage。　　And　the　figure　in　the　passage；　described　by　three　capable　and　respectable　men　who　had　all　seen　it；　was　a　shifting　nightmare：　one　called　it　a　woman；　and　the　other　a　beast；　and　the　other　a　devil。。。。

　　　　　The　judge　was　looking　at　Father　Brown　with　level　and　piercing　eyes。　　〃You　are　a　most　extraordinary　witness；〃　he　said；　〃but　there　is　something　about　you　that　makes　me　think　you　are　trying　to　tell　the　truth。　　Well；　who　was　the　man　you　saw　in　the　passage？〃

　　　　　〃He　was　myself；〃　said　Father　Brown。

　　　　　Butler；　K。C。；　sprang　to　his　feet　in　an　extraordinary　stillness；　and　said　quite　calmly：　　〃Your　lordship　will　allow　me　to　cross…examine？〃　And　then；　without　stopping；　he　shot　at　Brown　the　apparently　disconnected　question：　　〃You　have　heard　about　this　dagger；　you　know　the　experts　say　the　crime　was　committed　with　a　short　blade？〃

　　　　　〃A　short　blade；〃　assented　Brown；　nodding　solemnly　like　an　owl；　〃but　a　very　long　hilt。〃

　　　　　Before　the　audience　could　quite　dismiss　the　idea　that　the　priest　had　really　seen　himself　d