the wisdom of father brown-第48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！


　post　of　chamberlain　to　Prince　Otto。　　After　this；　Ludwig；　the　one　genuine　hero　among　Mr　Swinburne's　heroes；　was　killed；　sword　in　hand；　in　the　capture　of　the　city；　and　the　third；　Heinrich；　who；　though　not　a　traitor；　had　always　been　tame　and　even　timid　compared　with　his　active　brothers；　retired　into　something　like　a　hermitage；　became　converted　to　a　Christian　quietism　which　was　almost　Quakerish；　and　never　mixed　with　men　except　to　give　nearly　all　he　had　to　the　poor。　　They　tell　me　that　not　long　ago　he　could　still　be　seen　about　the　neighbourhood　occasionally；　a　man　in　a　black　cloak；　nearly　blind；　with　very　wild；　white　hair；　but　a　face　of　astonishing　softness。〃

　　　　　〃I　know；〃　said　Father　Brown。　　〃I　saw　him　once。〃

　　　　　His　friend　looked　at　him　in　some　surprise。　　〃I　didn't　know　you'd　been　here　before；〃　he　said。　　〃Perhaps　you　know　as　much　about　it　as　I　do。　　Anyhow；　that's　the　story　of　the　Arnholds；　and　he　was　the　last　survivor　of　them。　　Yes；　and　of　all　the　men　who　played　parts　in　that　drama。〃

　　　　　〃You　mean　that　the　Prince；　too；　died　long　before？〃

　　　　　〃Died；〃　repeated　Flambeau；　〃and　that's　about　as　much　as　we　can　say。　　You　must　understand　that　towards　the　end　of　his　life　he　began　to　have　those　tricks　of　the　nerves　not　uncommon　with　tyrants。　　He　multiplied　the　ordinary　daily　and　nightly　guard　round　his　castle　till　there　seemed　to　be　more　sentry…boxes　than　houses　in　the　town；　and　doubtful　characters　were　shot　without　mercy。　　He　lived　almost　entirely　in　a　little　room　that　was　in　the　very　centre　of　the　enormous　labyrinth　of　all　the　other　rooms；　and　even　in　this　he　erected　another　sort　of　central　cabin　or　cupboard；　lined　with　steel；　like　a　safe　or　a　battleship。　　Some　say　that　under　the　floor　of　this　again　was　a　secret　hole　in　the　earth；　no　more　than　large　enough　to　hold　him；　so　that；　in　his　anxiety　to　avoid　the　grave；　he　was　willing　to　go　into　a　place　pretty　much　like　it。　　But　he　went　further　yet。　　The　populace　had　been　supposed　to　be　disarmed　ever　since　the　suppression　of　the　revolt；　but　Otto　now　insisted；　as　governments　very　seldom　insist；　on　an　absolute　and　literal　disarmament。　　It　was　carried　out；　with　extraordinary　thoroughness　and　severity；　by　very　well…organized　officials　over　a　small　and　familiar　area；　and；　so　far　as　human　strength　and　science　can　be　absolutely　certain　of　anything；　Prince　Otto　was　absolutely　certain　that　nobody　could　introduce　so　much　as　a　toy　pistol　into　Heiligwaldenstein。〃

　　　　　〃Human　science　can　never　be　quite　certain　of　things　like　that；〃　said　Father　Brown；　still　looking　at　the　red　budding　of　the　branches　over　his　head；　〃if　only　because　of　the　difficulty　about　definition　and　connotation。　　What　is　a　weapon？　　People　have　been　murdered　with　the　mildest　domestic　comforts；　certainly　with　tea…kettles；　probably　with　tea…cosies。　　On　the　other　hand；　if　you　showed　an　Ancient　Briton　a　revolver；　I　doubt　if　he　would　know　it　was　a　weapon　until　it　was　fired　into　him；　of　course。　　Perhaps　somebody　introduced　a　firearm　so　new　that　it　didn't　even　look　like　a　firearm。　　Perhaps　it　looked　like　a　thimble　or　something。　　Was　the　bullet　at　all　peculiar？〃

　　　　　〃Not　that　I　ever　heard　of；〃　answered　Flambeau；　〃but　my　information　is　fragmentary；　and　only　comes　from　my　old　friend　Grimm。　　He　was　a　very　able　detective　in　the　German　service；　and　he　tried　to　arrest　me；　I　arrested　him　instead；　and　we　had　many　interesting　chats。　　He　was　in　charge　here　of　the　inquiry　about　Prince　Otto；　but　I　forgot　to　ask　him　anything　about　the　bullet。　　According　to　Grimm；　what　happened　was　this。〃　　He　paused　a　moment　to　drain　the　greater　part　of　his　dark　lager　at　a　draught；　and　then　resumed：

　　　　　〃On　the　evening　in　question；　it　seems；　the　Prince　was　expected　to　appear　in　one　of　the　outer　rooms；　because　he　had　to　receive　certain　visitors　whom　he　really　wished　to　meet。　　They　were　geological　experts　sent　to　investigate　the　old　question　of　the　alleged　supply　of　gold　from　the　rocks　round　here；　upon　which　（as　it　was　said）　the　small　city…state　had　so　long　maintained　its　credit　and　been　able　to　negotiate　with　its　neighbours　even　under　the　ceaseless　bombardment　of　bigger　armies。　　Hitherto　it　had　never　been　found　by　the　most　exacting　inquiry　which　could〃

　　　　　〃Which　could　be　quite　certain　of　discovering　a　toy　pistol；〃　said　Father　Brown　with　a　smile。　　〃But　what　about　the　brother　who　ratted？　　Hadn't　he　anything　to　tell　the　Prince？〃

　　　　　〃He　always　asseverated　that　he　did　not　know；〃　replied　Flambeau；　〃that　this　was　the　one　secret　his　brothers　had　not　told　him。　　It　is　only　right　to　say　that　it　received　some　support　from　fragmentary　wordsspoken　by　the　great　Ludwig　in　the　hour　of　death；　when　he　looked　at　Heinrich　but　pointed　at　Paul；　and　said；　‘You　have　not　told　him。。。'　and　was　soon　afterwards　incapable　of　speech。　　Anyhow；　the　deputation　of　distinguished　geologists　and　mineralogists　from　Paris　and　Berlin　were　there　in　the　most　magnificent　and　appropriate　dress；　for　there　are　no　men　who　like　wearing　their　decorations　so　much　as　the　men　of　scienceas　anybody　knows　who　has　ever　been　to　a　soiree　of　the　Royal　Society。　　It　was　a　brilliant　gathering；　but　very　late；　and　gradually　the　Chamberlainyou　saw　his　portrait；　too：　　a　man　with　black　eyebrows；　serious　eyes；　and　a　meaningless　sort　of　smile　underneaththe　Chamberlain；　I　say；　discovered　there　was　everything　there　except　the　Prince　himself。　　He　searched　all　the　outer　salons；　then；　remembering　the　man's　mad　fits　of　fear；　hurried　to　the　inmost　chamber。　　That　also　was　empty；　but　the　steel　turret　or　cabin　erected　in　the　middle　of　it　took　some　time　to　open。　　When　it　did　open　it　was　empty；　too。　　He　went　and　looked　into　the　hole　in　the　ground；　which　seemed　deeper　and　somehow　all　the　more　like　a　gravethat　is　his　account；　of　course。　　And　even　as　he　did　so　he　heard　a　burst　of　cries　and　tumult　in　the　long　rooms　and　corridors　without。

　　　　　〃First　it　was　a　distant　din　and　thrill　of　something　unthinkable　on　the　horizon　of　the　crowd；　even　beyond　the　castle。　　Next　it　was　a　wordless　clamour　startlingly　close；　and　loud　enough　to　be　distinct　if　each　word　had　not　killed　the　other。　　Next　came　words　of　a　terrible　clearness；　coming　nearer；　and　next　one　man；　rushing　into　the　room　and　telling　the　news　as　briefly　as　such　news　is　told。

　　　　　〃Otto；　Prince　of　Heiligwaldenstein　and　Grossenmark；　was　lying　in　the　dews　of　the　darkening　twilight　in　the　woods　beyond　the　castle；　with　his　arms　flung　out　and　his　face　flung　up　to　the　moon。　　The　blood　still　pulsed　from　his　shattered　temple　and　jaw；　but　it　was　the　only　part　of　him　that　moved　like　a　living　thing。　　He　was　clad　in　his　full　white　and　yellow　uniform；　as　to　receive　his　guests　within；　except　that　the　sash　or　scarf　had　been　unbound　and　lay　rather　crumpled　by　his　side。　　Before　he　could　be　lifted　he　was　dead。　　But；　dead　or　alive；　he　was　a　riddlehe　who　had　always　hidden　in　the　inmost　chamber　out　there　in　the　wet　woods；　unarmed　and　alone。〃

　　　　　〃Who　found　his　body？〃　asked　Father　Brown。

　　　　　〃Some　girl　attached　to　the　Court　named　Hedwig　von　something　or　other；〃　replied　his　friend；　〃who　had　been　out　in　the　wood　picking　wild　flowers。〃

　　　　　〃Had　she　picked　any？〃　asked　the　priest；　staring　rather　vacantly　at　the　veil　of　the　branches　above　him。

　　　　　〃Yes；〃　replied　Flambeau。　　〃I　particularly　remember　that　the　Chamberlain；　or　old　Grimm　or　somebody；　said　how　horrible　it　was；　when　they　came　up　at　her　call；　to　see　a　girl　holding　spring　flowers　and　bending　over　thatthat　bloody　collapse。　　However；　the　main　point　is　that　before　help　arrived　he　was　dead；　and　the　news；　of　course；　had　to　be　carried　back　to　the　castle。　　The　consternation　it　created　was　something　beyond　even　that　natural　in　a　Court　at　the　fall　of　a　potentate。　　The　foreign　visitors；　especially　the　mining　experts；　were　in　the　wildest　doubt　and　excitement；　as　well　as　many　important　Prussian　officials；　and　it　soon　began　to　be　clear　that　the　scheme　for　finding　the　treasure　bulked　much　bigger　in　the　business　than　people　had　supposed。　　Experts　and　officials　had　been　promised　great　prizes　or　international　advantages；　and　some　even　said　that　the　Prince's　secret　apartments　and　strong　military　protection　were　due　less　to　fear　of　the　populace　than　to　the　pursuit　of　some　private　investigation　of〃

　　　　　〃Had　the　flowers　got　long　stalks？〃　asked　Father　Brow