a book of scoundrels-第38章

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y　and　appropriately　apparelled。　　He　was　well…mannered；　cultured；　with　scarce　a　touch　of　provincialism　to　mar　his　gay　demeanour：　whereas　Peace　knew　little　enough　outside　the　practice　of　burglary；　and　the　proper　handling　of　the　revolver。

Our　Charles；　for　example；　could　neither　spell　nor　write；　he　dissembled　his　low　origin　with　the　utmost　difficulty；　and　at　the　best　was　plastered　over　（when　not　at　work）　with　the　parochialism　of　the　suburbs。　　So　far　the　contrast　is　complete；　and　even　in　their　similarities　there　is　an　evident　difference。　　Each　led　a　double　life；　but　while　Brodie　was　most　himself　among　his　own　kind；　the　real　Peace　was　to　be　found　not　fiddle…scraping　in　Evelina　Road　but　marking　down　policemen　in　the　dusky　byways　of　Blackheath。　　Brodie's　grandeur　was　natural　to　him；　Peace's　respectability；　so　far　as　it　transcended　the　man's　origin；　was　a　cloak　of　villainy。

Each；　again；　was　an　inventor；　and　while　the　more　innocent　Brodie　designed　a　gallows；　the　more　hardened　Peace　would　have　gained　notoriety　by　the　raising　of　wrecks　and　the　patronage　of　Mr。　Plimsoll。　　And　since　both　preserved　a　certain　courage　to　the　end；　since　both　died　on　the　scaffold　as　becomes　a　man；　the　contrast　is　once　more　characteristic。　　Brodie's　cynicism　is　a　fine　foil　to　the　piety　of　Peace；　and　while　each　end　was　natural　after　its　own　fashion；　there　is　none　who　will　deny　to　the　Scot　the　finer　sense　of　fitness。　　Nor　did　any　step　in　their　career　explain　more　clearly　the　difference　in　their　temperament　than　their　definitions　of　the　gallows。　　For　Peace　it　is　‘a　short　cut　to　Heaven'；　for　Brodie　it　is　‘a　leap　in　the　dark。'　　Again　the　Scot　has　the　advantage。　　Again　you　reflect　that；　if　Peace　is　the　most　accomplished　Classic　among　the　housebreakers；　the　Deacon　is　the　merriest　companion　who　ever　climbed　the　gallows　by　the　shoulders　of　the　incomparable　Macheath。



THE　MAN　IN　THE　GREY　SUIT


THE　MAN　IN　THE　GREY　SUIT

THE　Abb…le…Berenger。　　He　counted　a　dozen　Chouans　among　his　ancestry；　and　brigandage　swam　in　his　blood。　　Even　his　childhood　was　crimson　with　crimes；　which　the　quick　memory　of　the　countryside　long　ago　lost　in　the　pride　of　having　bred　a　priest。　　He　stained　his　first　cure　of　souls　with　the　poor；　sad　sin　of　arson；　which　the　bishop；　fearful　of　scandal　and　loth　to　check　a　promising　career；　condoned　with　a　suitable　advancement。　　At　Entrammes；　his　next　benefice；　he　entered　into　his　full　inheritance　of　villainy；　and　here　it　wasdespite　his　own　protestthat　he　devised　the　grey　suit　which　brought　him　ruin　and　immortality。　　To　the　wild；　hilarious　dissipation　of　Laval；　the　nearest　town；　he　fell　an　immediate　and　unresisting　prey。　　Think　of　the　glittering　lamps；　the　sparkling　taverns；　the　bright…eyed　women；　the　manifold　fascinations；　which　are　the　character　and　delight　of　this　forgotten　city！　　Why；　if　the　Abb　disappeared　with　a　commendable　constancy；　and　with　that　just　sense　of　secrecy　which　should　compel　even　an　archiepiscopal　admiration。　　He　was　not　of　those　who　would　drag　his　cloth　through　the　mire。　　Not　until　the　darkness　he　loved　so　fervently　covered　the　earth　would　he　escape　from　the　dull　respectability　of　Entrammes；　nor　did　he　ever　thus　escape　unaccompanied　by　his　famous　valise。　　The　grey　suit　was　an　effectual　disguise　to　his　calling；　and　so　jealous　was　he　of　the　Church's　honour　that　he　neverunless　in　his　cupsdisclosed　his　tonsure。　　One　of　his　innumerable　loves　confessed　in　the　witness…box　that　Bruneau　always　retained　his　hat　in　the　glare　of　the　Caf　was　never　guilty　of　a　meanness。　　The　less　guilty　scheme　was　speedily　staled；　and　then　it　was　that　the　Abb