the man who knew too much-第4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！


　effort；　but　with　considerable　mental　disturbance。　The　poplars　grew　so　close　against　the　fence　that　they　had　some　difficulty　in　slipping　past　them；　and　beyond　the　poplars　they　could　see　only　a　high　hedge　of　laurel；　green　and　lustrous　in　the　level　sun。　Something　in　this　limitation　by　a　series　of　living　walls　made　him　feel　as　if　he　were　really　entering　a　shattered　house　instead　of　an　open　field。　It　was　as　if　he　came　in　by　a　disused　door　or　window　and　found　the　way　blocked　by　furniture。　When　they　had　circumvented　the　laurel　hedge；　they　came　out　on　a　sort　of　terrace　of　turf；　which　fell　by　one　green　step　to　an　oblong　lawn　like　a　bowling　green。　Beyond　this　was　the　only　building　in　sight；　a　low　conservatory；　which　seemed　far　away　from　anywhere；　like　a　glass　cottage　standing　in　its　own　fields　in　fairyland。　Fisher　knew　that　lonely　look　of　the　outlying　parts　of　a　great　house　well　enough。　He　realized　that　it　is　more　of　a　satire　on　aristocracy　than　if　it　were　choked　with　weeds　and　littered　with　ruins。　For　it　is　not　neglected　and　yet　it　is　deserted；　at　any　rate；　it　is　disused。　It　is　regularly　swept　and　garnished　for　a　master　who　never　comes。

Looking　over　the　lawn；　however；　he　saw　one　object　which　he　had　not　apparently　expected。　It　was　a　sort　of　tripod　supporting　a　large　disk　like　the　round　top　of　a　table　tipped　sideways；　and　it　was　not　until　they　had　dropped　on　to　the　lawn　and　walked　across　to　look　at　it　that　March　realized　that　it　was　a　target。　It　was　worn　and　weatherstained；　the　gay　colors　of　its　concentric　rings　were　faded；　possibly　it　had　been　set　up　in　those　far…off　Victorian　days　when　there　was　a　fashion　of　archery。　March　had　one　of　his　vague　visions　of　ladies　in　cloudy　crinolines　and　gentlemen　in　outlandish　hats　and　whiskers　revisiting　that　lost　garden　like　ghosts。

Fisher；　who　was　peering　more　closely　at　the　target；　startled　him　by　an　exclamation。

〃Hullo！〃　he　said。　〃Somebody　has　been　peppering　this　thing　with　shot；　after　all；　and　quite　lately；　too。　Why；　I　believe　old　Jink's　been　trying　to　improve　his　bad　shooting　here。〃

〃Yes；　and　it　looks　as　if　it　still　wanted　improving；〃　answered　March；　laughing。　〃Not　one　of　these　shots　is　anywhere　near　the　bull's…eye；　they　seem　just　scattered　about　in　the　wildest　way。〃

〃In　the　wildest　way；〃　repeated　Fisher；　still　peering　intently　at　the　target。　He　seemed　merely　to　assent；　but　March　fancied　his　eye　was　shining　under　its　sleepy　lid　and　that　he　straightened　his　stooping　figure　with　a　strange　effort。

〃Excuse　me　a　moment；〃　he　said；　feeling　in　his　pockets。　〃I　think　I've　got　some　of　my　chemicals；　and　after　that　we'll　go　up　to　the　house。〃　And　he　stooped　again　over　the　target；　putting　something　with　his　finger　over　each　of　the　shot…holes；　so　far　as　March　could　see　merely　a　dull…gray　smear。　Then　they　went　through　the　gathering　twilight　up　the　long　green　avenues　to　the　great　house。

Here　again；　however；　the　eccentric　investigator　did　not　enter　by　the　front　door。　He　walked　round　the　house　until　he　found　a　window　open；　and；　leaping　into　it；　introduced　his　friend　to　what　appeared　to　be　the　gun…room。　Rows　of　the　regular　instruments　for　bringing　down　birds　stood　against　the　walls；　but　across　a　table　in　the　window　lay　one　or　two　weapons　of　a　heavier　and　more　formidable　pattern。

〃Hullo　I　these　are　Burke's　big…game　rifles；〃　said　Fisher。　〃I　never　knew　he　kept　them　here。〃　He　lifted　one　of　them；　examined　it　briefly；　and　put　it　down　again；　frowning　heavily。　Almost　as　he　did　so　a　strange　young　man　came　hurriedly　into　the　room。　He　was　dark　and　sturdy；　with　a　bumpy　forehead　and　a　bulldog　jaw；　and　he　spoke　with　a　curt　apology。

〃I　left　Major　Burke's　guns　here；〃　he　said；　〃and　he　wants　them　packed　up。　He's　going　away　to…night。〃

And　he　carried　off　the　two　rifles　without　casting　a　glance　at　the　stranger；　through　the　open　window　they　could　see　his　short；　dark　figure　walking　away　across　the　glimmering　garden。　Fisher　got　out　of　the　window　again　and　stood　looking　after　him。

〃That's　Halkett；　whom　I　told　you　about；〃　he　said。　〃I　knew　he　was　a　sort　of　secretary　and　had　to　do　with　Burke's　papers；　but　I　never　knew　he。　had　anything　to　do　with　his　guns。　But　he's　just　the　sort　of　silent；　sensible　little　devil　who　might　be　very　good　at　anything；　the　sort　of　man　you　know　for　years　before　you　find　he's　a　chess　champion。〃

He　had　begun　to　walk　in　the　direction　of　the　disappearing　secretary；　and　they　soon　came　within　sight　of　the　rest　of　the　house…party　talking　and　laughing　on　the　lawn。　They　could　see　the　tall　figure　and　loose　mane　of　the　lion…hunter　dominating　the　little　group。

〃By　the　way；〃　observed　Fisher；　〃when　we　were　talking　about　Burke　and　Halkett；　I　said　that　a　man　couldn't　very　well　write　with　a　gun。　Well；　I'm　not　so　sure　now。　Did　you　ever　hear　of　an　artist　so　clever　that　he　could　draw　with　a　gun？　There's　a　wonderful　chap　loose　about　here。〃

Sir　Howard　hailed　Fisher　and　his　friend　the　journalist　with　almost　boisterous　amiability。　The　latter　was　presented　to　Major　Burke　and　Mr。　Halkett　and　also　（by　way　of　a　parenthesis）　to　his　host；　Mr。　Jenkins；　a　commonplace　little　man　in　loud　tweeds；　whom　everybody　else　seemed　to　treat　with　a　sort　of　affection；　as　if　he　were　a　baby。

The　irrepressible　Chancellor　of　the　Exchequer　was　still　talking　about　the　birds　he　had　brought　down；　the　birds　that　Burke　and　Halkett　had　brought　down；　and　the　birds　that　Jenkins；　their　host；　had　failed　to　bring　down。　It　seemed　to　be　a　sort　of　sociable　monomania。

〃You　and　your　big　game；〃　he　ejaculated；　aggressively；　to　Burke。　〃Why；　anybody　could　shoot　big　game。　You　want　to　be　a　shot　to　shoot　small　game。〃

〃Quite　so；〃　interposed　Horne　Fisher。　〃Now　if　only　a　hippopotamus　could　fly　up　in　the　air　out　of　that　bush；　or　you　preserved　flying　elephants　on　the　estate；　why；　then〃

〃Why　even　Jink　might　hit　that　sort　of　bird；〃　cried　Sir　Howard；　hilariously　slapping　his　host　on　the　back。　〃Even　he　might　hit　a　haystack　or　a　hippopotamus。〃

〃Look　here；　you　fellows；〃　said　Fisher。　〃I　want　you　to　come　along　with　me　for　a　minute　and　shoot　at　something　else。　Not　a　hippopotamus。　Another　kind　of　queer　animal　I've　found　on　the　estate。　It's　an　animal　with　three　legs　and　one　eye；　and　it's　all　the　colors　of　the　rainbow。〃

〃What　the　deuce　are　you　talking　about？〃　asked　Burke。

〃You　come　along　and　see；〃　replied　Fisher；　cheerfully。

Such　people　seldom　reject　anything　nonsensical；　for　they　are　always　seeking　for　somethingnew。　They　gravely　rearmed　themselves　fromthe　gun…room　and　trooped　along　at　the　tail　of　their　guide；　Sir　Howard　only　pausing；　in　a　sort　of　ecstasy；　to　point　out　the　celebrated　gilt　summerhouse　on　which　the　gilt　weathercock　still　stood　crooked。　It　was　dusk　turning　to　dark　by　the　time　they　reached　the　remote　green　by　the　poplars　and　accepted　the　new　and　aimless　game　of　shooting　at　the　old　mark。

The　last　light　seemed　to　fade　from　the　lawn；　and　the　poplars　against　the　sunset　were　like　great　plumes　upon　a　purple　hearse；　when　the　futile　procession　finally　curved　round；and　came　out　in　front　of　the　target。　Sir　Howard　again　slapped　his　host　on　the　shoulder；　shoving　him　playfully　forward　to　take　the　first　shot。　The　shoulder　and　arm　he　touched　seemed　unnaturally　stiff　and　angular。　Mr。　Jenkins　was　holding　his　gun　in　an　attitude　more　awkward　than　any　that　his　satiric　friends　had　seen　or　expected。

At　the　same　instant　a　horrible　scream　seemed　to　come　from　nowhere。　It　was　so　unnatural　and　so　unsuited　to　the　scene　that　it　might　have　been　made　by　some　inhuman　thing　flying　on　wings　above　them　or　eavesdropping　in　the　dark　woods　beyond。　But　Fisher　knew　that　it　had　started　and　stopped　on　the　pale　lips　of　Jefferson　Jenkins；　of　Montreal；　and　no　one　at　that　moment　catching　sight　of　Jefferson　Jenkins's　face　would　have　complained　that　it　was　commonplace。　The　next　moment　a　torrent　of　guttural　but　good…humored　oaths　came　from　Major　Burke　as　he　and　the　two　other　men　saw　what　was　in　front　of　them。　The　target　stood　up　in　the　dim　grass　like　a　dark　goblin　grinning　at　them；　and　it　was　literally　grinning。　It　had　two　eyes　like　stars；　and　in　similar　livid　points　of　light　were　picked　out　the　two　upturned　and　open　nostrils　and　the　two　ends　of　the　wide　and　tight　mouth。　A　few　white　dots　above　each　eye　indicated　the　hoary　eyebrows；　and　one　of　them　ran　upward　almost　erect。　It　was