the wisdom of father brown-第24章

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


s　not　for　his　sake；　I　assure　you；　but　for　the　story；　for　it　was　the　cause　of　a　very　curious　coincidence。

　　　　　〃One　summer　afternoon；　when　I　had　promised　to　go　shrimping　along　the　sands　with　Philip；　I　was　waiting　rather　impatiently　in　the　front　drawing…room；　watching　Arthur　handle　some　packets　of　coins　he　had　just　purchased　and　slowly　shunt　them；　one　or　two　at　a　time；　into　his　own　dark　study　and　museum　which　was　at　the　back　of　the　house。　　As　soon　as　I　heard　the　heavy　door　close　on　him　finally；　I　made　a　bolt　for　my　shrimping…net　and　tam…o'…shanter　and　was　just　going　to　slip　out；　when　I　saw　that　my　brother　had　left　behind　him　one　coin　that　lay　gleaming　on　the　long　bench　by　the　window。　　It　was　a　bronze　coin；　and　the　colour；　combined　with　the　exact　curve　of　the　Roman　nose　and　something　in　the　very　lift　of　the　long；　wiry　neck；　made　the　head　of　Caesar　on　it　the　almost　precise　portrait　of　Philip　Hawker。　　Then　I　suddenly　remembered　Giles　telling　Philip　of　a　coin　that　was　like　him；　and　Philip　wishing　he　had　it。　　Perhaps　you　can　fancy　the　wild；　foolish　thoughts　with　which　my　head　went　round；　I　felt　as　if　I　had　had　a　gift　from　the　fairies。　　It　seemed　to　me　that　if　I　could　only　run　away　with　this；　and　give　it　to　Philip　like　a　wild　sort　of　wedding…ring；　it　would　be　a　bond　between　us　for　ever；　I　felt　a　thousand　such　things　at　once。　　Then　there　yawned　under　me；　like　the　pit；　the　enormous；　awful　notion　of　what　I　was　doing；　above　all；　the　unbearable　thought；　which　was　like　touching　hot　iron；　of　what　Arthur　would　think　of　it。　　A　Carstairs　a　thief；　and　a　thief　of　the　Carstairs　treasure！　　I　believe　my　brother　could　see　me　burned　like　a　witch　for　such　a　thing；　But　then；　the　very　thought　of　such　fanatical　cruelty　heightened　my　old　hatred　of　his　dingy　old　antiquarian　fussiness　and　my　longing　for　the　youth　and　liberty　that　called　to　me　from　the　sea。　　Outside　was　strong　sunlight　with　a　wind；　and　a　yellow　head　of　some　broom　or　gorse　in　the　garden　rapped　against　the　glass　of　the　window。　　I　thought　of　that　living　and　growing　gold　calling　to　me　from　all　the　heaths　of　the　worldand　then　of　that　dead；　dull　gold　and　bronze　and　brass　of　my　brother's　growing　dustier　and　dustier　as　life　went　by。　　Nature　and　the　Carstairs　Collection　had　come　to　grips　at　last。

　　　　　〃Nature　is　older　than　the　Carstairs　Collection。　　As　I　ran　down　the　streets　to　the　sea；　the　coin　clenched　tight　in　my　fist；　I　felt　all　the　Roman　Empire　on　my　back　as　well　as　the　Carstairs　pedigree。　　It　was　not　only　the　old　lion　argent　that　was　roaring　in　my　ear；　but　all　the　eagles　of　the　Caesars　seemed　flapping　and　screaming　in　pursuit　of　me。　　And　yet　my　heart　rose　higher　and　higher　like　a　child's　kite；　until　I　came　over　the　loose；　dry　sand…hills　and　to　the　flat；　wet　sands；　where　Philip　stood　already　up　to　his　ankles　in　the　shallow　shining　water；　some　hundred　yards　out　to　sea。　　There　was　a　great　red　sunset；　and　the　long　stretch　of　low　water；　hardly　rising　over　the　ankle　for　half　a　mile；　was　like　a　lake　of　ruby　flame。　　It　was　not　till　I　had　torn　off　my　shoes　and　stockings　and　waded　to　where　he　stood；　which　was　well　away　from　the　dry　land；　that　I　turned　and　looked　round。　　We　were　quite　alone　in　a　circle　of　sea…water　and　wet　sand；　and　I　gave　him　the　head　of　Caesar。

　　　　　〃At　the　very　instant　I　had　a　shock　of　fancy：　　that　a　man　far　away　on　the　sand…hills　was　looking　at　me　intently。　　I　must　have　felt　immediately　after　that　it　was　a　mere　leap　of　unreasonable　nerves；　for　the　man　was　only　a　dark　dot　in　the　distance；　and　I　could　only　just　see　that　he　was　standing　quite　still　and　gazing；　with　his　head　a　little　on　one　side。　　There　was　no　earthly　logical　evidence　that　he　was　looking　at　me；　he　might　have　been　looking　at　a　ship；　or　the　sunset；　or　the　sea…gulls；　or　at　any　of　the　people　who　still　strayed　here　and　there　on　the　shore　between　us。　　Nevertheless；　whatever　my　start　sprang　from　was　prophetic；　for；　as　I　gazed；　he　started　walking　briskly　in　a　bee…line　towards　us　across　the　wide　wet　sands。　　As　he　drew　nearer　and　nearer　I　saw　that　he　was　dark　and　bearded；　and　that　his　eyes　were　marked　with　dark　spectacles。　　He　was　dressed　poorly　but　respectably　in　black；　from　the　old　black　top　hat　on　his　head　to　the　solid　black　boots　on　his　feet。　　In　spite　of　these　he　walked　straight　into　the　sea　without　a　flash　of　hesitation；　and　came　on　at　me　with　the　steadiness　of　a　travelling　bullet。

　　　　　〃I　can't　tell　you　the　sense　of　monstrosity　and　miracle　I　had　when　he　thus　silently　burst　the　barrier　between　land　and　water。　　It　was　as　if　he　had　walked　straight　off　a　cliff　and　still　marched　steadily　in　mid…air。　　It　was　as　if　a　house　had　flown　up　into　the　sky　or　a　man's　head　had　fallen　off。　　He　was　only　wetting　his　boots；　but　he　seemed　to　be　a　demon　disregarding　a　law　of　Nature。　　If　he　had　hesitated　an　instant　at　the　water's　edge　it　would　have　been　nothing。　　As　it　was；　he　seemed　to　look　so　much　at　me　alone　as　not　to　notice　the　ocean。　　Philip　was　some　yards　away　with　his　back　to　me；　bending　over　his　net。　　The　stranger　came　on　till　he　stood　within　two　yards　of　me；　the　water　washing　half…way　up　to　his　knees。　　Then　he　said；　with　a　clearly　modulated　and　rather　mincing　articulation：　　‘Would　it　discommode　you　to　contribute　elsewhere　a　coin　with　a　somewhat　different　superscription？'

　　　　　〃With　one　exception　there　was　nothing　definably　abnormal　about　him。　　His　tinted　glasses　were　not　really　opaque；　but　of　a　blue　kind　common　enough；　nor　were　the　eyes　behind　them　shifty；　but　regarded　me　steadily。　　His　dark　beard　was　not　really　long　or　wild；　but　he　looked　rather　hairy；　because　the　beard　began　very　high　up　in　his　face；　just　under　the　cheek…bones。　　His　complexion　was　neither　sallow　nor　livid；　but　on　the　contrary　rather　clear　and　youthful；　yet　this　gave　a　pink…and…white　wax　look　which　somehow　（I　don't　know　why）　rather　increased　the　horror。　　The　only　oddity　one　could　fix　was　that　his　nose；　which　was　otherwise　of　a　good　shape；　was　just　slightly　turned　sideways　at　the　tip；　as　if；　when　it　was　soft；　it　had　been　tapped　on　one　side　with　a　toy　hammer。　　The　thing　was　hardly　a　deformity；　yet　I　cannot　tell　you　what　a　living　nightmare　it　was　to　me。　　As　he　stood　there　in　the　sunset…stained　water　he　affected　me　as　some　hellish　sea…monster　just　risen　roaring　out　of　a　sea　like　blood。　　I　don't　know　why　a　touch　on　the　nose　should　affect　my　imagination　so　much。　　I　think　it　seemed　as　if　he　could　move　his　nose　like　a　finger。　　And　as　if　he　had　just　that　moment　moved　it。

　　　　　〃‘Any　little　assistance；'　he　continued　with　the　same　queer；　priggish　accent；　‘that　may　obviate　the　necessity　of　my　communicating　with　the　family。'

　　　　　〃Then　it　rushed　over　me　that　I　was　being　blackmailed　for　the　theft　of　the　bronze　piece；　and　all　my　merely　superstitious　fears　and　doubts　were　swallowed　up　in　one　overpowering；　practical　question。　　How　could　he　have　found　out？　　I　had　stolen　the　thing　suddenly　and　on　impulse；　I　was　certainly　alone；　for　I　always　made　sure　of　being　unobserved　when　I　slipped　out　to　see　Philip　in　this　way。　　I　had　not；　to　all　appearance；　been　followed　in　the　street；　and　if　I　had；　they　could　not　‘X…ray'　the　coin　in　my　closed　hand。　　The　man　standing　on　the　sand…hills　could　no　more　have　seen　what　I　gave　Philip　than　shoot　a　fly　in　one　eye；　like　the　man　in　the　fairy…tale。

　　　　　〃‘Philip；'　I　cried　helplessly；　‘ask　this　man　what　he　wants。'

　　　　　〃When　Philip　lifted　his　head　at　last　from　mending　his　net　he　looked　rather　red；　as　if　sulky　or　ashamed；　but　it　may　have　been　only　the　exertion　of　stooping　and　the　red　evening　light；　I　may　have　only　had　another　of　the　morbid　fancies　that　seemed　to　be　dancing　about　me。　　He　merely　said　gruffly　to　the　man：　‘You　clear　out　of　this。'　　And；　motioning　me　to　follow；　set　off　wading　shoreward　without　paying　further　attention　to　him。　　He　stepped　on　to　a　stone　breakwater　that　ran　out　from　among　the　roots　of　the　sand…hills；　and　so　struck　homeward；　perhaps　thinking　our　incubus　would　find　it　less　easy　to　walk　on　such　rough　stones；　green　and　slippery　with　seaweed；　than　we；　who　were　young　and　used　to　it。　　But　my　persecutor　walked　as　daintily　as　he　talked；　and　he　still　followed　me；　picking　his　way　and　picking　his　phrases。　　I　heard　his　delicate；　detestable　voice　appealing　to　me　over　my　shoulder；　until　at　last；　when　we　had　crested　the　sand…hills；　Philip'