the wisdom of father brown-第50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！


　of　precipice。　　Behind　was　the　black　cave；　masked　with　green　thorn；　so　low　that　it　was　hard　to　believe　that　a　man　could　enter　it。　　In　front　was　the　fall　of　the　cliffs　and　the　vast　but　cloudy　vision　of　the　valley。　　On　the　small　rock　platform　stood　an　old　bronze　lectern　or　reading…stand；　groaning　under　a　great　German　Bible。　　The　bronze　or　copper　of　it　had　grown　green　with　the　eating　airs　of　that　exalted　place；　and　Otto　had　instantly　the　thought；　〃Even　if　they　had　arms；　they　must　be　rusted　by　now。〃　Moonrise　had　already　made　a　deathly　dawn　behind　the　crests　and　crags；　and　the　rain　had　ceased。

　　　　　〃Behind　the　lectern；　and　looking　across　the　valley；　stood　a　very　old　man　in　a　black　robe　that　fell　as　straight　as　the　cliffs　around　him；　but　whose　white　hair　and　weak　voice　seemed　alike　to　waver　in　the　wind。　　He　was　evidently　reading　some　daily　lesson　as　part　of　his　religious　exercises。　　〃They　trust　in　their　horses。。。〃

　　　　　〃‘Sir；'　said　the　Prince　of　Heiligwaldenstein；　with　quite　unusual　courtesy；　‘I　should　like　only　one　word　with　you。'

　　　　　〃‘。。。and　in　their　chariots；'　went　on　the　old　man　weakly；　‘but　we　will　trust　in　the　name　of　the　Lord　of　Hosts。。。。'　　His　last　words　were　inaudible；　but　he　closed　the　book　reverently　and；　being　nearly　blind；　made　a　groping　movement　and　gripped　the　reading…stand。　　Instantly　his　two　servants　slipped　out　of　the　low…browed　cavern　and　supported　him。　　They　wore　dull…black　gowns　like　his　own；　but　they　had　not　the　frosty　silver　on　the　hair；　nor　the　frost…bitten　refinement　of　the　features。　　They　were　peasants；　Croat　or　Magyar；　with　broad；　blunt　visages　and　blinking　eyes。　　For　the　first　time　something　troubled　the　Prince；　but　his　courage　and　diplomatic　sense　stood　firm。

　　　　　〃‘I　fear　we　have　not　met；'　he　said；　‘since　that　awful　cannonade　in　which　your　poor　brother　died。'

　　　　　〃‘All　my　brothers　died；'　said　the　old　man；　still　looking　across　the　valley。　　Then；　for　one　instant　turning　on　Otto　his　drooping；　delicate　features；　and　the　wintry　hair　that　seemed　to　drip　over　his　eyebrows　like　icicles；　he　added：　　‘You　see；　I　am　dead；　too。'

　　　　　〃‘I　hope　you'll　understand；'　said　the　Prince；　controlling　himself　almost　to　a　point　of　conciliation；　‘that　I　do　not　come　here　to　haunt　you；　as　a　mere　ghost　of　those　great　quarrels。　　We　will　not　talk　about　who　was　right　or　wrong　in　that；　but　at　least　there　was　one　point　on　which　we　were　never　wrong；　because　you　were　always　right。　　Whatever　is　to　be　said　of　the　policy　of　your　family；　no　one　for　one　moment　imagines　that　you　were　moved　by　the　mere　gold；　you　have　proved　yourself　above　the　suspicion　that。。。'

　　　　　〃The　old　man　in　the　black　gown　had　hitherto　continued　to　gaze　at　him　with　watery　blue　eyes　and　a　sort　of　weak　wisdom　in　his　face。　　But　when　the　word　‘gold'　was　said　he　held　out　his　hand　as　if　in　arrest　of　something；　and　turned　away　his　face　to　the　mountains。

　　　　　〃‘He　has　spoken　of　gold；'　he　said。　　‘He　has　spoken　of　things　not　lawful。　　Let　him　cease　to　speak。'

　　　　　〃Otto　had　the　vice　of　his　Prussian　type　and　tradition；　which　is　to　regard　success　not　as　an　incident　but　as　a　quality。　　He　conceived　himself　and　his　like　as　perpetually　conquering　peoples　who　were　perpetually　being　conquered。　　Consequently；　he　was　ill　acquainted　with　the　emotion　of　surprise；　and　ill　prepared　for　the　next　movement；　which　startled　and　stiffened　him。　　He　had　opened　his　mouth　to　answer　the　hermit；　when　the　mouth　was　stopped　and　the　voice　strangled　by　a　strong；　soft　gag　suddenly　twisted　round　his　head　like　a　tourniquet。　　It　was　fully　forty　seconds　before　he　even　realized　that　the　two　Hungarian　servants　had　done　it；　and　that　they　had　done　it　with　his　own　military　scarf。

　　　　　〃The　old　man　went　again　weakly　to　his　great　brazen…supported　Bible；　turned　over　the　leaves；　with　a　patience　that　had　something　horrible　about　it；　till　he　came　to　the　Epistle　of　St　James；　and　then　began　to　read：　　‘The　tongue　is　a　little　member；　but'

　　　　　〃Something　in　the　very　voice　made　the　Prince　turn　suddenly　and　plunge　down　the　mountain…path　he　had　climbed。　　He　was　half…way　towards　the　gardens　of　the　palace　before　he　even　tried　to　tear　the　strangling　scarf　from　his　neck　and　jaws。　　He　tried　again　and　again；　and　it　was　impossible；　the　men　who　had　knotted　that　gag　knew　the　difference　between　what　a　man　can　do　with　his　hands　in　front　of　him　and　what　he　can　do　with　his　hands　behind　his　head。　　His　legs　were　free　to　leap　like　an　antelope　on　the　mountains；　his　arms　were　free　to　use　any　gesture　or　wave　any　signal；　but　he　could　not　speak。　　A　dumb　devil　was　in　him。

　　　　　〃He　had　come　close　to　the　woods　that　walled　in　the　castle　before　he　had　quite　realized　what　his　wordless　state　meant　and　was　meant　to　mean。　　Once　more　he　looked　down　grimly　at　the　bright；　square　labyrinths　of　the　lamp…lit　city　below　him；　and　he　smiled　no　more。　　He　felt　himself　repeating　the　phrases　of　his　former　mood　with　a　murderous　irony。　　Far　as　the　eye　could　see　ran　the　rifles　of　his　friends；　every　one　of　whom　would　shoot　him　dead　if　he　could　not　answer　the　challenge。　　Rifles　were　so　near　that　the　wood　and　ridge　could　be　patrolled　at　regular　intervals；　therefore　it　was　useless　to　hide　in　the　wood　till　morning。　　Rifles　were　ranked　so　far　away　that　an　enemy　could　not　slink　into　the　town　by　any　detour；　therefore　it　was　vain　to　return　to　the　city　by　any　remote　course。　　A　cry　from　him　would　bring　his　soldiers　rushing　up　the　hill。　　But　from　him　no　cry　would　come。

　　　　　〃The　moon　had　risen　in　strengthening　silver；　and　the　sky　showed　in　stripes　of　bright；　nocturnal　blue　between　the　black　stripes　of　the　pines　about　the　castle。　　Flowers　of　some　wide　and　feathery　sort　for　he　had　never　noticed　such　things　beforewere　at　once　luminous　and　discoloured　by　the　moonshine；　and　seemed　indescribably　fantastic　as　they　clustered；　as　if　crawling　about　the　roots　of　the　trees。　　Perhaps　his　reason　had　been　suddenly　unseated　by　the　unnatural　captivity　he　carried　with　him；　but　in　that　wood　he　felt　something　unfathomably　Germanthe　fairy　tale。　　He　knew　with　half　his　mind　that　he　was　drawing　near　to　the　castle　of　an　ogrehe　had　forgotten　that　he　was　the　ogre。　　He　remembered　asking　his　mother　if　bears　lived　in　the　old　park　at　home。　　He　stooped　to　pick　a　flower；　as　if　it　were　a　charm　against　enchantment。　　The　stalk　was　stronger　than　he　expected；　and　broke　with　a　slight　snap。　　Carefully　trying　to　place　it　in　his　scarf；　he　heard　the　halloo；　‘Who　goes　there？'　Then　he　remembered　the　scarf　was　not　in　its　usual　place。

　　　　　〃He　tried　to　scream　and　was　silent。　　The　second　challenge　came；　and　then　a　shot　that　shrieked　as　it　came　and　then　was　stilled　suddenly　by　impact。　　Otto　of　Grossenmark　lay　very　peacefully　among　the　fairy　trees；　and　would　do　no　more　harm　either　with　gold　or　steel；　only　the　silver　pencil　of　the　moon　would　pick　out　and　trace　here　and　there　the　intricate　ornament　of　his　uniform；　or　the　old　wrinkles　on　his　brow。　　May　God　have　mercy　on　his　soul。

　　　　　〃The　sentry　who　had　fired；　according　to　the　strict　orders　of　the　garrison；　naturally　ran　forward　to　find　some　trace　of　his　quarry。　　He　was　a　private　named　Schwartz；　since　not　unknown　in　his　profession；　and　what　he　found　was　a　bald　man　in　uniform；　but　with　his　face　so　bandaged　by　a　kind　of　mask　made　of　his　own　military　scarf　that　nothing　but　open；　dead　eyes　could　be　seen；　glittering　stonily　in　the　moonlight。　　The　bullet　had　gone　through　the　gag　into　the　jaw；　that　is　why　there　was　a　shot…hole　in　the　scarf；　but　only　one　shot。　　Naturally；　if　not　correctly；　young　Schwartz　tore　off　the　mysterious　silken　mask　and　cast　it　on　the　grass；　and　then　he　saw　whom　he　had　slain。

　　　　　〃We　cannot　be　certain　of　the　next　phase。　　But　I　incline　to　believe　that　there　was　a　fairy　tale；　after　all；　in　that　little　wood；　horrible　as　was　its　occasion。　　Whether　the　young　lady　named　Hedwig　had　any　previous　knowledge　of　the　soldier　she　saved　and　eventually　married；　or　whether　she　came　accidentally　upon　the　accident　and　their　intimacy　began　that　night；　we　shall　probably　never　know。　　But　we　can　know；　I　fancy；　that　this　Hedwig　was　a　heroine；　and　deserved　to　marry　a　man　who　became　something　of　a　hero。　　She　did　the　bold　and　the　wise　thing。　　She　persuaded　the　sentry　to　go　back　to　his　post；　in　which　place　there　was　nothing　to　connect　him　with　the　disaster；　he