the club of queer trades-第24章

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〃Mr　Bingham；〃　said　Basil；　setting　a　chair　for　him；　〃I　imagine　that　Miss　Chadd　has　told　you　of　this　distressing　occurrence。〃

〃She　has；　Mr　Grant；〃　said　Bingham；　looking　at　the　table　with　a　sort　of　compassionate　nervousness。　〃I　am　more　pained　than　I　can　say　by　this　dreadful　calamity。　It　seems　quite　heart…rending　that　the　thing　should　have　happened　just　as　we　have　decided　to　give　your　eminent　friend　a　position　which　falls　far　short　of　his　merits。　As　it　is；　of　coursereally；　I　don't　know　what　to　say。　Professor　Chadd　may；　of　course；　retainI　sincerely　trust　he　willhis　extraordinarily　valuable　intellect。　But　I　am　afraidI　am　really　afraidthat　it　would　not　do　to　have　the　curator　of　the　Asiatic　manuscriptserdancing　about。〃

〃I　have　a　suggestion　to　make；〃　said　Basil；　and　sat　down　abruptly　in　his　chair；　drawing　it　up　to　the　table。

〃I　am　delighted；　of　course；〃　said　the　gentleman　from　the　British　Museum；　coughing　and　drawing　up　his　chair　also。

The　clock　on　the　mantelpiece　ticked　for　just　the　moments　required　for　Basil　to　clear　his　throat　and　collect　his　words；　and　then　he　said：

〃My　proposal　is　this。　I　do　not　know　that　in　the　strict　use　of　words　you　could　altogether　call　it　a　compromise；　still　it　has　something　of　that　character。　My　proposal　is　that　the　Government　（acting；　as　I　presume；　through　your　Museum）　should　pay　Professor　Chadd　L800　a　year　until　he　stops　dancing。〃

〃Eight　hundred　a　year！〃　said　Mr　Bingham；　and　for　the　first　time　lifted　his　mild　blue　eyes　to　those　of　his　interlocutorand　he　raised　them　with　a　mild　blue　stare。　〃I　think　I　have　not　quite　understood　you。　Did　I　understand　you　to　say　that　Professor　Chadd　ought　to　be　employed；　in　his　present　state；　in　the　Asiatic　manuscript　department　at　eight　hundred　a　year？〃

Grant　shook　his　head　resolutely。

〃No；〃　he　said　firmly。　〃No。　Chadd　is　a　friend　of　mine；　and　I　would　say　anything　for　him　I　could。　But　I　do　not　say；　I　cannot　say；　that　he　ought　to　take　on　the　Asiatic　manuscripts。　I　do　not　go　so　far　as　that。　I　merely　say　that　until　he　stops　dancing　you　ought　to　pay　him　L800　Surely　you　have　some　general　fund　for　the　endowment　of　research。〃

Mr　Bingham　looked　bewildered。

〃I　really　don't　know；〃　he　said；　blinking　his　eyes；　〃what　you　are　talking　about。　Do　you　ask　us　to　give　this　obvious　lunatic　nearly　a　thousand　a　year　for　life？〃

〃Not　at　all；〃　cried　Basil；　keenly　and　triumphantly。　〃I　never　said　for　life。　Not　at　all。〃

〃What　for；　then？〃　asked　the　meek　Bingham；　suppressing　an　instinct　meekly　to　tear　his　hair。　〃How　long　is　this　endowment　to　run？　Not　till　his　death？　Till　the　Judgement　day？〃

〃No；〃　said　Basil；　beaming；　〃but　just　what　I　said。　Till　he　has　stopped　dancing。〃　And　he　lay　back　with　satisfaction　and　his　hands　in　his　pockets。

Bingham　had　by　this　time　fastened　his　eyes　keenly　on　Basil　Grant　and　kept　them　there。

〃Come；　Mr　Grant；〃　he　said。　〃Do　I　seriously　understand　you　to　suggest　that　the　Government　pay　Professor　Chadd　an　extraordinarily　high　salary　simply　on　the　ground　that　he　has　（pardon　the　phrase）　gone　mad？　That　he　should　be　paid　more　than　four　good　clerks　solely　on　the　ground　that　he　is　flinging　his　boots　about　in　the　back　yard？〃

〃Precisely；〃　said　Grant　composedly。

〃That　this　absurd　payment　is　not　only　to　run　on　with　the　absurd　dancing；　but　actually　to　stop　with　the　absurd　dancing？〃

〃One　must　stop　somewhere；〃　said　Grant。　〃Of　course。〃

Bingham　rose　and　took　up　his　perfect　stick　and　gloves。

〃There　is　really　nothing　more　to　be　said；　Mr　Grant；〃　he　said　coldly。　〃What　you　are　trying　to　explain　to　me　may　be　a　jokea　slightly　unfeeling　joke。　It　may　be　your　sincere　view；　in　which　case　I　ask　your　pardon　for　the　former　suggestion。　But；　in　any　case；　it　appears　quite　irrelevant　to　my　duties。　The　mental　morbidity；　the　mental　downfall；　of　Professor　Chadd；　is　a　thing　so　painful　to　me　that　I　cannot　easily　endure　to　speak　of　it。　But　it　is　clear　there　is　a　limit　to　everything。　And　if　the　Archangel　Gabriel　went　mad　it　would　sever　his　connection；　I　am　sorry　to　say；　with　the　British　Museum　Library。〃

He　was　stepping　towards　the　door；　but　Grant's　hand；　flung　out　in　dramatic　warning；　arrested　him。

〃Stop！〃　said　Basil　sternly。　〃Stop　while　there　is　yet　time。　Do　you　want　to　take　part　in　a　great　work；　Mr　Bingham？　Do　you　want　to　help　in　the　glory　of　Europein　the　glory　of　science？　Do　you　want　to　carry　your　head　in　the　air　when　it　is　bald　or　white　because　of　the　part　that　you　bore　in　a　great　discovery？　Do　you　want〃

Bingham　cut　in　sharply：

〃And　if　I　do　want　this；　Mr　Grant〃

〃Then；〃　said　Basil　lightly；　〃your　task　is　easy。　Get　Chadd　L800　a　year　till　he　stops　dancing。〃

With　a　fierce　flap　of　his　swinging　gloves　Bingham　turned　impatiently　to　the　door；　but　in　passing　out　of　it　found　it　blocked。　Dr　Colman　was　coming　in。

〃Forgive　me；　gentlemen；〃　he　said；　in　a　nervous；　confidential　voice；　〃the　fact　is；　Mr　Grant；　Ierhave　made　a　most　disturbing　discovery　about　Mr　Chadd。〃

Bingham　looked　at　him　with　grave　eyes。

〃I　was　afraid　so；〃　he　said。　〃Drink；　I　imagine。〃

〃Drink！〃　echoed　Colman；　as　if　that　were　a　much　milder　affair。　〃Oh；　no；　it's　not　drink。〃

Mr　Bingham　became　somewhat　agitated；　and　his　voice　grew　hurried　and　vague。　〃Homicidal　mania〃　he　began。

〃No；　no；〃　said　the　medical　man　impatiently。

〃Thinks　he's　made　of　glass；〃　said　Bingham　feverishly；　〃or　says　he's　Godor〃

〃No；〃　said　Dr　Colman　sharply；　〃the　fact　is；　Mr　Grant；　my　discovery　is　of　a　different　character。　The　awful　thing　about　him　is〃

〃Oh；　go　on；　sir；〃　cried　Bingham；　in　agony。

〃The　awful　thing　about　him　is；〃　repeated　Colman；　with　deliberation；　〃that　he　isn't　mad。〃

〃Not　mad！〃

〃There　are　quite　well…known　physical　tests　of　lunacy；〃　said　the　doctor　shortly；　〃he　hasn't　got　any　of　them。〃

〃But　why　does　he　dance？〃　cried　the　despairing　Bingham。　〃Why　doesn't　he　answer　us？　Why　hasn't　he　spoken　to　his　family？〃

〃The　devil　knows；〃　said　Dr　Colman　coolly。　〃I'm　paid　to　judge　of　lunatics；　but　not　of　fools。　The　man's　not　mad。〃

〃What　on　earth　can　it　mean？　Can't　we　make　him　listen？〃　said　Mr　Bingham。　〃Can　none　get　into　any　kind　of　communication　with　him？〃

Grant's　voice　struck　in　sudden　and　clear；　like　a　steel　bell：

〃I　shall　be　very　happy；〃　he　said；　〃to　give　him　any　message　you　like　to　send。〃

Both　men　stared　at　him。

〃Give　him　a　message？〃　they　cried　simultaneously。　〃How　will　you　give　him　a　message？〃

Basil　smiled　in　his　slow　way。

〃If　you　really　want　to　know　how　I　shall　give　him　your　message；〃　he　began；　but　Bingham　cried：

〃Of　course；　of　course；〃　with　a　sort　of　frenzy。

〃Well；〃　said　Basil；　〃like　this。〃　And　he　suddenly　sprang　a　foot　into　the　air；　coming　down　with　crashing　boots；　and　then　stood　on　one　leg。

His　face　was　stern；　though　this　effect　was　slightly　spoiled　by　the　fact　that　one　of　his　feet　was　making　wild　circles　in　the　air。

〃You　drive　me　to　it；〃　he　said。　〃You　drive　me　to　betray　my　friend。　And　I　will；　for　his　own　sake；　betray　him。〃

The　sensitive　face　of　Bingham　took　on　an　extra　expression　of　distress　as　of　one　anticipating　some　disgraceful　disclosure。　〃Anything　painful；　of　course〃　he　began。

Basil　let　his　loose　foot　fall　on　the　carpet　with　a　crash　that　struck　them　all　rigid　in　their　feeble　attitudes。

〃Idiots！〃　he　cried。　〃Have　you　seen　the　man？　Have　you　looked　at　James　Chadd　going　dismally　to　and　fro　from　his　dingy　house　to　your　miserable　library；　with　his　futile　books　and　his　confounded　umbrella；　and　never　seen　that　he　has　the　eyes　of　a　fanatic？　Have　you　never　noticed；　stuck　casually　behind　his　spectacles　and　above　his　seedy　old　collar；　the　face　of　a　man　who　might　have　burned　heretics；　or　died　for　the　philosopher's　stone？　It　is　all　my　fault；　in　a　way：　I　lit　the　dynamite　of　his　deadly　faith。　I　argued　against　him　on　the　score　of　his　famous　theory　about　languagethe　theory　that　language　was　complete　in　certain　individuals　and　was　picked　up　by　others　simply　by　watching　them。　I　also　chaffed　him　about　not　understanding　things　in　rough　and　ready　practice。　What　has　this　glorious　bigot　done？　He　has　answered　me。　He　has　worked　out　a　system　of　language　of　his　own　（it　would　take　too　long　to　explain）；　he　has　made　up；　I　say；　a　language　of　his　own。　And　he　has　sworn　that　till　people　understand　it；　till　he　can　speak　to　us　in　this　language；　he　will　not　speak　in　any　other。　And　he　shall　n