the red house mystery-第21章

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about　a　year　ago。　It　took　him　more　than　a　week；　he　told　us。　He's　got　such　
a　frightful　lot；　hasn't　he？〃　

〃Now　that's　very　interesting；〃　said　Antony；　and　he　sat　down　and　filled　
his　pipe　again。　

There　was　indeed　a　〃frightful　lot〃　of　books。　The　four　walls　of　the　
library　were　plastered　with　them　from　floor　to　ceiling；　save　only　where　the　
door　and　the　two　windows　insisted　on　living　their　own　life；　even　though　an　
illiterate　one。　To　Bill　it　seemed　the　most　hopeless　room　of　any　in　which　
to　look　for　a　secret　opening。　

〃We　shall　have　to　take　every　blessed　book　down；〃　he　said；　〃before　we　
can　be　certain　that　we　haven't　missed　it。〃　

〃Anyway；〃　said　Antony；　〃if　we　take　them　down　one　at　a　time；　nobody　
can　suspect　us　of　sinister　designs。　After　all；　what　does　one　go　into　a　
library　for；　except　to　take　books　down？〃　

〃But　there's　such　a　frightful　lot。〃　

Antony's　pipe　was　now　going　satisfactorily；　and　he　got　up　and　walked　
leisurely　to　the　end　of　the　wall　opposite　the　door。　

〃Well；　let's　have　a　look；〃　he　said；　〃and　see　if　they　are　so　very　frightful。　
Hallo；　here's　your　'Badminton。'　You　often　read　that；　you　say？〃　

〃If　I　read　anything。〃　

〃Yes。〃　He　looked　down　and　up　the　shelf。　〃Sport　and　Travel　chiefly。　I　
like　books　of　travel；　don't　you？〃　

〃They're　pretty　dull　as　a　rule。〃　

〃Well；　anyhow；　some　people　like　them　very　much；〃　said　Antony；　
reproachfully。　He　moved　on　to　the　next　row　of　shelves。　〃The　Drama。　
The　Restoration　dramatists。　You　can　have　most　of　them。　Still；　as　you　
well　remark；　many　people　seem　to　love　them。　Shaw；　Wilde；　Robertson　
I　like　reading　plays；　Bill。　There　are　not　many　people　who　do；　but　those　
who　do　are　usually　very　keen。　Let　us　pass　on。〃　

〃I　say；　we　haven't　too　much　time；〃　said　Bill　restlessly。　

〃We　haven't。　That's　why　we　aren't　wasting　any。　Poetry。　Who　

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reads　poetry　nowadays？　Bill；　when　did　you　last　read　'Paradise　Lost'？〃　

〃Never。〃　

〃I　thought　not。　And　when　did　Miss　Calladine　last　read　'The　
Excursion'　aloud　to　you？〃　

〃As　a　matter　of　fact；　Betty　Miss　Calladine　happens　to　be　jolly　keen　on　
what's　the　beggar's　name？〃　

〃Never　mind　his　name。　You　have　said　quite　enough。　We　pass　on。〃　

He　moved　on　to　the　next　shelf。　

〃Biography。　Oh；　lots　of　it。　I　love　biographies。　Are　you　a　member　
of　the　Johnson　Club？　I　bet　Mark　is。　'Memories　of　Many　Courts'　I'm　
sure　Mrs。　Calladine　reads　that。　Anyway；　biographies　are　just　as　
interesting　as　most　novels；　so　why　linger？　We　pass　on。〃　He　went　to　the　
next　shelf；　and　then　gave　a　sudden　whistle。　〃Hallo；　hallo！〃　

〃What's　the　matter？〃　said　Bill　rather　peevishly。　

〃Stand　back　there。　Keep　the　crowd　back；　Bill。　We　are　getting　
amongst　it。　Sermons；　as　I　live。　Sermons。　Was　Mark's　father　a　
clergyman；　or　does　Mark　take　to　them　naturally？〃　

〃His　father　was　a　parson；　I　believe。　Oh；　yes；　I　know　he　was。〃　

〃Ah；　then　these　are　Father's　books。　'Half…Hours　with　the　Infinite'　I　
must　order　that　from　the　library　when　I　get　back。　'The　Lost　Sheep；'　
'Jones　on　the　Trinity；'　'The　Epistles　of　St。　Paul　Explained'　Oh；　Bill；　we're　
amongst　it。　'The　Narrow　Way；　being　Sermons　by　the　Rev。　Theodore　
Ussher'　hal…LO！〃　

〃What　is　the　matter？〃　

〃William；　I　am　inspired。　Stand　by。〃　He　took　down　the　Reverend　
Theodore　Ussher's　classic　work；　looked　at　it　with　a　happy　smile　for　a　
moment；　and　then　gave　it　to　Bill。　

〃Here；　hold　Ussher　for　a　bit。〃　

Bill　took　the　book　obediently。　

〃No；　give　it　me　back。　Just　go　out　into　the　hall；　and　see　if　you　can　
hear　Cayley　anywhere。　Say　'Hallo'　loudly；　if　you　do。〃　

Bill　went　out　quickly；　listened；　and　came　back。　

〃It's　all　right。〃　

〃Good。〃　He　took　the　book　out　of　its　shelf　again。　〃Now　then；　you　can　

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hold　Ussher。　Hold　him　in　the　left　hand　so。　With　the　right　or　dexter　
hand；　grasp　this　shelf　firmly　so。　Now；　when　I　say　'Pull；'　pull　gradually。　
Got　that？〃　

Bill　nodded；　his　face　alight　with　excitement。　

〃Good。〃　Antony　put　his　hand　into　the　space　left　by　the　stout　Ussher；　
and　fingered　the　hack　of　the　shelf。　〃Pull；〃　he　said。　

Bill　pulled。　

〃Now　just　go　on　pulling　like　that。　I　shall　get　it　directly。　Not　hard；　
you　know；　but　just　keeping　up　the　strain。〃　

His　fingers　went　at　it　again　busily。　

And　then　suddenly　the　whole　row　of　shelves；　from　top　to　bottom；　
swung　gently　open　towards　them。　

〃Good　Lord！〃　said　Bill；　letting　go　of　the　shelf　in　his　amazement。　

Antony　pushed　the　shelves　back；　extracted　Ussher　from　Bill's　fingers；　
replaced　him；　and　then；　taking　Bill　by　the　arm；　led　him　to　the　sofa　and　
deposited　him　in　it。　Standing　in　front　of　him；　he　bowed　gravely。　

〃Child's　play；　Watson；〃　he　said；　〃child's　play。〃　

〃How　on　earth　〃　

Antony　laughed　happily　and　sat　down　on　the　sofa　beside　him。　

〃You　don't　really　want　it　explained；〃　he　said；　smacking　him　on　the　
knee；　〃you're　just　being　Watsonish。　It's　very　nice　of　you；　of　course；　and　I　
appreciate　it。〃　

〃No；　but　really；　Tony。〃　

〃Oh；　my　dear　Bill！〃　He　smoked　silently　for　a　little；　and　then　went　on；　
〃It's　what　I　was　saying　just　now　a　secret　is　a　secret　until　you　have　
discovered　it；　and　as　soon　as　you　have　discovered　it；　you　wonder　why　
everybody　else　isn't　discovering　it；　and　how　it　could　ever　have　been　a　
secret　at　all。　This　passage　has　been　here　for　years；　with　an　opening　at　
one　end　into　the　library；　and　at　the　other　end　into　the　shed。　Then　Mark　
discovered　it；　and　immediately　he　felt　that　everybody　else　must　discover　it。　
So　he　made　the　shed　end　more　difficult　by　putting　the　croquet…box　there；　
and　this　end　more　difficult　by　〃　he　stopped　and　looked　at　the　other　〃by　
what；　Bill？〃　

But　Bill　was　being　Watsonish。　

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〃What？〃　

〃Obviously　by　re…arranging　his　books。　He　happened　to　take　out　'The　
Life　of　Nelson'　or　'Three　Men　in　a　Boat；'　or　whatever　it　was；　and　by　the　
merest　chance　discovered　the　secret。　Naturally　he　felt　that　everybody　
else　would　be　taking　down　'The　Life　of　Nelson'　or　'Three　Men　in　a　Boat。'　
Naturally　he　felt　that　the　secret　would　be　safer　if　nobody　ever　interfered　
with　that　shelf　at　all。　When　you　said　that　the　books　had　been　re…arranged　
a　year　ago　just　about　the　time　the　croquet…box　came　into　existence　of　
course　I　guessed　why。　So　I　looked　about　for　the　dullest　books　I　could　find；　
the　books　nobody　ever　read。　Obviously　the　collection　of　sermon…books　
of　a　mid…Victorian　clergyman　was　the　shelf　we　wanted。〃　

〃Yes；　I　see。　But　why　were　you　so　certain　of　the　particular　place？〃　

〃Well；　he　had　to　mark　the　particular　place　by　some　book。　I　thought　
that　the　joke　of　putting　'The　Narrow　Way'　just　over　the　entrance　to　the　
passage　might　appeal　to　him。　Apparently　it　did。〃　

Bill　nodded　to　himself　thoughtfully　several　times。　〃Yes；　that's　very　
neat；〃　he　said。　〃You're　a　clever　devil；　Tony。〃　

Tony　laughed。　

〃You　encourage　me　to　think　so；　which　is　bad　for　me；　but　very　
delightful。〃　

〃Well；　come　on；　then；〃　said　Bill；　and　he　got　up；　and　held　out　a　hand。　

〃Come　on　where？〃　

〃To　explore　the　passage；　of　course。〃　

Antony　shook　his　head。　

〃Why　ever　not？〃　

〃Well；　what　do　you　expect　to　find　there？〃　

〃I　don't　know。　But　you　seemed　to　think　that　we　might　find　something　
that　would　help。〃　

〃Suppose　we　find　Mark？〃　said　Antony　quietly。　

。〃I　say；　do　you　really　think　he's　there？〃　

〃Suppose　he　is？〃　

〃Well；　then；　there　we　are。〃　

Antony　walked　over　to　the　fireplace；　knocked　out　the　ashes　of　his　pipe；　
and　turned　back　to　Bill。　He　looked　at　him　gravely　without　speaking。　

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〃What　are　you　going　to　say　to　him？〃　he　said　at　last。　

〃How　do　you　mean？〃　

〃Are　you　going　to　arrest　him；　or　help　him　to　escape？〃　

〃I　…　I　…　well；　of　course；　I　…〃　began　Bill；　stammering；　and　then　ended　
lamely；　〃Well；　I　don't　know。〃　

〃Exactly。　We've　got　to　make　up　our　minds；　haven't　we？〃　

Bill　didn't　answer。　Very　much　disturbed　in　his　mind；　he　walked　
restlessly　about　the　room；　frowning　to　himself；　stopping　now　and　then　at　
the　newly　discovered　door　and　looking　at　it　as　if　he　were　trying　to　learn　
what　lay　behind　it。　Which　side　was　he　on；　if　it　came　to　choosing　sides　
Mark's　or　the　Law's？　

〃You　know；　you　can't　j