the man who knew too much-第34章

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〃Only　take　me　into　Sir　Francis　Verner；〃　replied　the　　visitor。

Sir　Francis　Verner　was　sitting　in　an　easy　chair　beside　　a　small　table　in　a　large　room　hung　with　tapestries。　On　　the　table　were　a　small　flask　and　glass；　with　the　green　glimmer　of　a　liqueur　and　a　cup　of　black　coffee。　He　was　clad　in　a　quiet　gray　suit　with　a　moderately　harmonious　purple　tie；　but　Fisher　saw　something　about　the　turn　of　his　fair　mustache　and　the　lie　of　his　flat　hairit　suddenly　revealed　that　his　name　was　Franz　Werner。

〃You　are　Mr。　Horne　Fisher；〃　he　said。　〃Won't　you　sit　down？〃

〃No；　thank　you；〃　replied　Fisher。　〃I　fear　this　is　not　a　friendly　occasion；　and　I　shall　remain　standing。　Possibly　you　know　that　I　am　already　standing　standing　for　Parliament；　in　fact〃

〃I　am　aware　we　are　political　opponents；〃　replied　Verner；　raising　his　eyebrows。　〃But　I　think　it　would　be　better　if　we　fought　in　a　sporting　spirit；　in　a　spirit　of　English　fair　play。〃

〃Much　better；〃　assented　Fisher。　〃It　would　be　much　better　if　you　were　English　and　very　much　better　if　you　had　ever　played　fair。　But　what　I've　come　to　say　can　be　said　very　shortly。　　I　don't　quite　know　how　we　stand　with　the　law　about　that　old　Hawker　story；　but　my　chief　object　is　to　prevent　England　being　entirely　ruled　by　people　like　you。　So　whatever　the　law　would　say；　I　will　say　no　more　if　you　will　retire　from　the　election　at　once。〃

〃You　are　evidently　a　lunatic；〃　said　Verner。

〃My　psychology　may　be　a　little　abnormal；〃　replied　Horne　Fisher；　in　a　rather　hazy　manner。　〃I　am　subject　to　dreams；　especially　day…dreams。　Sometimes　what　is　happening　to　me　grows　vivid　in　a　curious　double　way；　as　if　it　had　happened　before。　Have　you　ever　had　that　mystical　feeling　that　things　have　happened　before？〃

〃I　hope　you　are　a　harmless　lunatic；〃　said　Verner。

But　Fisher　was　still　staring　in　an　absent　fashion　at　the　golden　gigantic　figures　and　traceries　of　brown　and　red　in　the　tapestries　on　the　walls；　then　he　looked　again　at　Verner　and　resumed：　〃I　have　a　feeling　that　this　interview　has　happened　before；　here　in　this　tapestried　room；　and　we　are　two　ghosts　revisiting　a　haunted　chamber。　But　it　was　Squire　Hawker　who　sat　where　you　sit　and　it　was　you　who　stood　where　I　stand。〃　He　paused　a　moment　and　then　added；　with　simplicity；　〃I　suppose　I　am　a　blackmailer；　too。〃

〃If　you　are；〃　said　Sir　Francis；　〃I　promise　you　you　shall　go　to　jail。〃　But　his　face　had　a　shade　on　it　that　looked　like　the　reflection　of　the　green　wine　gleaming　on　the　table。　Horne　Fisher　regarded　him　steadily　and　answered；　quietly　enough：

〃Blackmailers　do　not　always　go　to　jail。　Sometimes　they　go　to　Parliament。　But；　though　Parliament　is　rotten　enough　already；　you　shall　not　go　there　if　I　can　help　it。　I　am　not　so　criminal　as　you　were　in　bargaining　with　crime。　You　made　a　squire　give　up　his　country　seat。　I　only　ask　you　to　give　up　your　Parliamentary　seat。〃

Sir　Francis　Verner　sprang　to　his　feet　and　looked　about　for　one　of　the　bell　ropes　of　the　old…fashioned；　curtained　room。

〃Where　is　Usher？〃　he　cried；　with　a　livid　face。

〃And　who　is　Usher？〃　said　Fisher；　softly。　〃I　wonder　how　much　Usher　knows　of　the　truth。〃

Verner's　hand　fell　from　the　bell　rope　and；　after　standing　for　a　moment　with　rolling　eyes；　he　strode　abruptly　from　the　room。　Fisher　went　but　by　the　other　door；　by　which　he　had　entered；　and；　seeing　no　sign　of　Usher；　let　himself　out　and　betook　himself　again　toward　the　town。

That　night　he　put　an　electric　torch　in　his　pocket　and　set　out　alone　in　the　darkness　to　add　the　last　links　to　his　argument。　There　was　much　that　he　did　not　know　yet；　but　he　thought　he　knew　where　he　could　find　the　knowledge。　The　night　closed　dark　and　stormy　and　the　black　gap　in　the　wall　looked　blacker　than　ever；　the　wood　seemed　to　have　grown　thicker　and　darker　in　a　day。　If　the　deserted　lake　with　its　black　woods　and　gray　urns　and　images　looked　desolate　even　by　daylight；　under　the　night　and　the　growing　storm　it　seemed　still　more　kke　the　pool　of　Acheron　in　the　land　of　lost　souls。　As　he　stepped　carefully　along　the　jetty　stones　he　seemed　to　be　traveling　farther　and　farther　into　the　abyss　of　night；　and　to　have　left　behind　him　the　last　points　from　which　it　would　be　possible　to　signal　to　the　land　of　the　living。　The　lake　seemed　to　have　grown　larger　than　a　sea；　but　a　sea　of　black　and　slimy　waters　that　slept　with　abominable　serenity；　as　if　they　had　washed　out　the　world。　There　was　so　much　of　this　nightmare　sense　of　extension　and　expansion　that　he　was　strangely　surprised　to　come　to　his　desert　island　so　soon。　But　he　knew　it　for　a　place　of　inhuman　silence　and　solitude；　and　he　felt　as　if　he　had　been　walking　for　years。

Nerving　himself　to　a　more　normal　mood；　he　paused　under　one　of　the　dark　dragon　trees　that　branched　out　above　him；　and；　taking　out　his　torch；　turned　in　the　direction　of　the　door　at　the　back　of　the　temple。　It　was　unbolted　as　before；　and　the　thought　stirred　faintly　in　him　that　it　was　slightly　open；　though　only　by　a　crack。　The　more　he　thought　of　it；　however；　the　more　certain　he　grew　that　this　was　but　one　of　the　common　illusions　of　light　coming　from　a　different　angle。He　studied　in　a　more　scientific　spirit　the　details　of　the　door；　with　its　rusty　bolts　and　hinges；　when　he　became　conscious　of　something　very　near　himindeed；　nearly　above　his　head。　Something　was　dangling　from　the　tree　that　was　not　a　broken　branch。　For　some　seconds　he　stood　as　still　as　a　stone；　and　as　cold。　What　he　saw　above　him　were　the　legs　of　a　man　hanging；　presumably　a　dead　man　hanged。　But　the　next　moment　he　knew　better。　The　man　was　literally　alive　and　kicking；　and　an　instant　after　he　had　dropped　to　the　ground　and　turned　on　the　intruder。　Simultaneously　three　or　four　other　trees　seemed　to　come　to　life　in　the　same　fashion。　Five　or　six　other　figures　had　fallen　on　their　feet　from　these　unnatural　nests。　It　was　as　if　the　place　were　an　island　of　monkeys。　But　a　moment　after　they　had　made　a　stampede　toward　him；　and　when　they　laid　their　hands　on　him　he　knew　that　they　were　men。

With　the　electric　torch　in　his　hand　he　struck　the　foremost　of　them　so　furiously　in　the　face　that　the　man　stumbled　and　rolled　over　on　the　slimy　grass；　but　the　torch　was　broken　and　extinguished；　leaving　everything　in　a　denser　obscurity。　He　flung　another　man　flat　against　the　temple　wall；　so　that　he　slid　to　the　ground；　but　a　third　and　fourth　carried　Fisher　off　his　feet　and　began　to　bear　him；　struggling；　toward　the　doorway。　Even　in　the　bewilderment　of　the　battle　he　was　conscious　that　the　door　was　standing　　open。　Somebody　was　summoning　the　roughs　from　inside。

The　moment　they　were　within　they　hurled　him　upon　a　sort　of　bench　or　bed　with　violence；　but　no　damage；　for　the　settee；　or　whatever　it　was；　seemed　to　be　comfortably　cushioned　for　his　reception。　Their　violence　had　in　it　a　great　element　of　haste；　and　before　he　could　rise　they　had　all　rushed　for　the　door　to　escape。　Whatever　bandits　they　were　that　infested　this　desert　island；　they　were　obviously　uneasy　about　their　job　and　very　anxious　to　be　quit　of　it。　He　had　the　flying　fancy　that　regular　criminals　would　hardly　be　in　such　a　panic。　The　next　moment　the　great　door　crashed　to　and　he　could　hear　the　bolts　shriek　as　they　shot　into　their　place；　and　the　feet　of　the　retreating　men　scampering　and　stumbling　along　the　causeway。　But　rapidly　as　it　happened；　it　did　not　happen　before　Fisher　had　done　something　that　he　wanted　to　to。　Unable　to　rise　from　his　sprawling　attitude　in　that　flash　of　time；　he　had　shot　out　one　of　his　long　legs　and　hooked　it　round　the　ankle　of　the　last　man　disappearing　through　the　door。　The　man　swayed　and　toppled　over　inside　the　prison　chamber；　and　the　door　closed　between　him　and　his　fleeing　companions。　Clearly　they　were　in　too　much　haste　to　realize　that　they　had　left　one　of　their　company　behind。

The　man　sprang　to　his　feet　again　and　hammered　and　kicked　furiously　at　the　door。　Fisher's　sense　of　humor　began　to　recover　from　the　struggle　and　he　sat　up　on　his　sofa　with　something　of　his　native　nonchalance。　But　as　he　listened　to　the　captive　captor　beating　on　the　door　of　the　prison；　a　new　and　curious　reflection　came　to　him。

The　natural　course　for　a　man　thus　wishing　to　attract　his　friends'　attention　would　be　to　call　out；　to　shout　as　well　as　kick。　This　man　was　making　as　much　noise　as　he　could　with　his　feet　and　hands；　but　not　a　sound　came　fr