the wisdom of father brown-第31章

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ng　from　the　romance　of　a　valley　to　the　romance　of　a　hollow　and　so　to　the　supreme　romance　of　a　tunnel。　　Beyond　this　mere　look　of　things　there　was　little　for　Brown's　freshening　fancy　to　feed　on；　he　saw　no　human　beings；　except　some　gipsies　trailing　along　the　river　bank；　with　faggots　and　osiers　cut　in　the　forest；　and　one　sight　no　longer　unconventional；　but　in　such　remote　parts　still　uncommon：　　a　dark…haired　lady；　bare…headed；　and　paddling　her　own　canoe。　　If　Father　Brown　ever　attached　any　importance　to　either　of　these；　he　certainly　forgot　them　at　the　next　turn　of　the　river　which　brought　in　sight　a　singular　object。

　　　　　The　water　seemed　to　widen　and　split；　being　cloven　by　the　dark　wedge　of　a　fish…shaped　and　wooded　islet。　　With　the　rate　at　which　they　went；　the　islet　seemed　to　swim　towards　them　like　a　ship；　a　ship　with　a　very　high　prowor；　to　speak　more　strictly；　a　very　high　funnel。　　For　at　the　extreme　point　nearest　them　stood　up　an　odd…looking　building；　unlike　anything　they　could　remember　or　connect　with　any　purpose。　　It　was　not　specially　high；　but　it　was　too　high　for　its　breadth　to　be　called　anything　but　a　tower。　　Yet　it　appeared　to　be　built　entirely　of　wood；　and　that　in　a　most　unequal　and　eccentric　way。　　Some　of　the　planks　and　beams　were　of　good；　seasoned　oak；　some　of　such　wood　cut　raw　and　recent；　some　again　of　white　pinewood；　and　a　great　deal　more　of　the　same　sort　of　wood　painted　black　with　tar。　　These　black　beams　were　set　crooked　or　crisscross　at　all　kinds　of　angles；　giving　the　whole　a　most　patchy　and　puzzling　appearance。　　There　were　one　or　two　windows；　which　appeared　to　be　coloured　and　leaded　in　an　old…fashioned　but　more　elaborate　style。　　The　travellers　looked　at　it　with　that　paradoxical　feeling　we　have　when　something　reminds　us　of　something；　and　yet　we　are　certain　it　is　something　very　different。

　　　　　Father　Brown；　even　when　he　was　mystified；　was　clever　in　analysing　his　own　mystification。　　And　he　found　himself　reflecting　that　the　oddity　seemed　to　consist　in　a　particular　shape　cut　out　in　an　incongruous　material；　as　if　one　saw　a　top…hat　made　of　tin；　or　a　frock…coat　cut　out　of　tartan。　　He　was　sure　he　had　seen　timbers　of　different　tints　arranged　like　that　somewhere；　but　never　in　such　architectural　proportions。　　The　next　moment　a　glimpse　through　the　dark　trees　told　him　all　he　wanted　to　know　and　he　laughed。　　Through　a　gap　in　the　foliage　there　appeared　for　a　moment　one　of　those　old　wooden　houses；　faced　with　black　beams；　which　are　still　to　be　found　here　and　there　in　England；　but　which　most　of　us　see　imitated　in　some　show　called　〃Old　London〃　or　〃Shakespeare's　England'。　　It　was　in　view　only　long　enough　for　the　priest　to　see　that；　however　old…fashioned；　it　was　a　comfortable　and　well…kept　country…house；　with　flower…beds　in　front　of　it。　　It　had　none　of　the　piebald　and　crazy　look　of　the　tower　that　seemed　made　out　of　its　refuse。

　　　　　〃What　on　earth's　this？〃　said　Flambeau；　who　was　still　staring　at　the　tower。

　　　　　Fanshaw's　eyes　were　shining；　and　he　spoke　triumphantly。　　〃Aha！　you've　not　seen　a　place　quite　like　this　before；　I　fancy；　that's　why　I've　brought　you　here；　my　friend。　　Now　you　shall　see　whether　I　exaggerate　about　the　mariners　of　Cornwall。　　This　place　belongs　to　Old　Pendragon；　whom　we　call　the　Admiral；　though　he　retired　before　getting　the　rank。　　The　spirit　of　Raleigh　and　Hawkins　is　a　memory　with　the　Devon　folk；　it's　a　modern　fact　with　the　Pendragons。　　If　Queen　Elizabeth　were　to　rise　from　the　grave　and　come　up　this　river　in　a　gilded　barge；　she　would　be　received　by　the　Admiral　in　a　house　exactly　such　as　she　was　accustomed　to；　in　every　corner　and　casement；　in　every　panel　on　the　wall　or　plate　on　the　table。　　And　she　would　find　an　English　Captain　still　talking　fiercely　of　fresh　lands　to　be　found　in　little　ships；　as　much　as　if　she　had　dined　with　Drake。〃

　　　　　〃She'd　find　a　rum　sort　of　thing　in　the　garden；〃　said　Father　Brown；　〃which　would　not　please　her　Renaissance　eye。　　That　Elizabethan　domestic　architecture　is　charming　in　its　way；　but　it's　against　the　very　nature　of　it　to　break　out　into　turrets。〃

　　　　　〃And　yet；〃　answered　Fanshaw；　〃that's　the　most　romantic　and　Elizabethan　part　of　the　business。　　It　was　built　by　the　Pendragons　in　the　very　days　of　the　Spanish　wars；　and　though　it's　needed　patching　and　even　rebuilding　for　another　reason；　it's　always　been　rebuilt　in　the　old　way。　　The　story　goes　that　the　lady　of　Sir　Peter　Pendragon　built　it　in　this　place　and　to　this　height；　because　from　the　top　you　can　just　see　the　corner　where　vessels　turn　into　the　river　mouth；　and　she　wished　to　be　the　first　to　see　her　husband's　ship；　as　he　sailed　home　from　the　Spanish　Main。〃

　　　　　〃For　what　other　reason；〃　asked　Father　Brown；　〃do　you　mean　that　it　has　been　rebuilt？〃

　　　　　〃Oh；　there's　a　strange　story　about　that；　too；〃　said　the　young　squire　with　relish。　　〃You　are　really　in　a　land　of　strange　stories。　　King　Arthur　was　here　and　Merlin　and　the　fairies　before　him。　　The　story　goes　that　Sir　Peter　Pendragon；　who　（I　fear）　had　some　of　the　faults　of　the　pirates　as　well　as　the　virtues　of　the　sailor；　was　bringing　home　three　Spanish　gentlemen　in　honourable　captivity；　intending　to　escort　them　to　Elizabeth's　court。　　But　he　was　a　man　of　flaming　and　tigerish　temper；　and　coming　to　high　words　with　one　of　them；　he　caught　him　by　the　throat　and　flung　him　by　accident　or　design；　into　the　sea。　　A　second　Spaniard；　who　was　the　brother　of　the　first；　instantly　drew　his　sword　and　flew　at　Pendragon；　and　after　a　short　but　furious　combat　in　which　both　got　three　wounds　in　as　many　minutes；　Pendragon　drove　his　blade　through　the　other's　body　and　the　second　Spaniard　was　accounted　for。　　As　it　happened　the　ship　had　already　turned　into　the　river　mouth　and　was　close　to　comparatively　shallow　water。　　The　third　Spaniard　sprang　over　the　side　of　the　ship；　struck　out　for　the　shore；　and　was　soon　near　enough　to　it　to　stand　up　to　his　waist　in　water。　　And　turning　again　to　face　the　ship；　and　holding　up　both　arms　to　Heavenlike　a　prophet　calling　plagues　upon　a　wicked　city　he　called　out　to　Pendragon　in　a　piercing　and　terrible　voice；　that　he　at　least　was　yet　living；　that　he　would　go　on　living；　that　he　would　live　for　ever；　and　that　generation　after　generation　the　house　of　Pendragon　should　never　see　him　or　his；　but　should　know　by　very　certain　signs　that　he　and　his　vengeance　were　alive。　　With　that　he　dived　under　the　wave；　and　was　either　drowned　or　swam　so　long　under　water　that　no　hair　of　his　head　was　seen　afterwards。〃

　　　　　〃There's　that　girl　in　the　canoe　again；〃　said　Flambeau　irrelevantly；　for　good…looking　young　women　would　call　him　off　any　topic。　　〃She　seems　bothered　by　the　queer　tower　just　as　we　were。〃

　　　　　Indeed；　the　black…haired　young　lady　was　letting　her　canoe　float　slowly　and　silently　past　the　strange　islet；　and　was　looking　intently　up　at　the　strange　tower；　with　a　strong　glow　of　curiosity　on　her　oval　and　olive　face。

　　　　　〃Never　mind　girls；〃　said　Fanshaw　impatiently；　〃there　are　plenty　of　them　in　the　world；　but　not　many　things　like　the　Pendragon　Tower。　　As　you　may　easily　suppose；　plenty　of　superstitions　and　scandals　have　followed　in　the　track　of　the　Spaniard's　curse；　and　no　doubt；　as　you　would　put　it；　any　accident　happening　to　this　Cornish　family　would　be　connected　with　it　by　rural　credulity。　　But　it　is　perfectly　true　that　this　tower　has　been　burnt　down　two　or　three　times；　and　the　family　can't　be　called　lucky；　for　more　than　two；　I　think；　of　the　Admiral's　near　kin　have　perished　by　shipwreck；　and　one　at　least；　to　my　own　knowledge；　on　practically　the　same　spot　where　Sir　Peter　threw　the　Spaniard　overboard。〃

　　　　　〃What　a　pity！〃　exclaimed　Flambeau。　　〃She's　going。〃

　　　　　〃When　did　your　friend　the　Admiral　tell　you　this　family　history？〃　asked　Father　Brown；　as　the　girl　in　the　canoe　paddled　off；　without　showing　the　least　intention　of　extending　her　interest　from　the　tower　to　the　yacht；　which　Fanshaw　had　already　caused　to　lie　alongside　the　island。

　　　　　〃Many　years　ago；〃　replied　Fanshaw；　〃he　hasn't　been　to　sea　for　some　time　now；　though　he　is　as　keen　on　it　as　ever。　　I　believe　there's　a　family　compact　or　something。　　Well；　here's　the　landing　stage；　let's　come　ashore　and　see　the　old　boy。〃

　　　　　They　followed　him　on　to　the　island；　just　under　the　tower；　and　Father　Brown；　whether　from　the　mere　touch　of　dry　land；　or