the trees of pride-第7章

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hich　the　unhappy　master　of　the　house　had　dined　for　the　last　time；　and　Barbara　wore　her　old　mask　of　stone；　if　it　was　now　a　more　tragic　mask。　She　had　shown　no　passion　after　the　first　morning　of　discovery；　when　she　had　broken　forth　once；　speaking　strangely　enough　in　the　view　of　some　of　her　hearers。

She　had　come　slowly　out　of　the　house；　to　which　her　own　or　some　one　else's　wisdom　had　relegated　her　during　the　night　of　the　wager；　and　it　was　clear　from　her　face　that　somebody　had　told　her　the　truth；　Miles；　the　butler；　stood　on　the　steps　behind　her；　and　it　was　probably　he。

〃Do　not　be　much　distressed；　Miss　Vane；〃　said　Doctor　Brown；　in　a　low　and　rather　uncertain　voice。　　〃The　search　in　the　wood　has　hardly　begun。　I　am　convinced　we　shall　findsomething　quite　simple。〃

〃The　doctor　is　right；〃　said　Ashe；　in　his　firm　tones；　〃I　myself〃

〃The　doctor　is　not　right；〃　said　the　girl；　turning　a　white　face　on　the　speaker；　〃I　know　better。　　The　poet　is　right。　The　poet　is　always　right。　　Oh；　he　has　been　here　from　the　beginning　of　the　world；　and　seen　wonders　and　terrors　that　are　all　round　our　path；　and　only　hiding　behind　a　bush　or　a　stone。　You　and　your　doctoring　and　your　sciencewhy；　you　have　only　been　here　for　a　few　fumbling　generations；　and　you　can't　conquer　even　your　own　enemies　of　the　flesh。　　Oh；　forgive　me；　Doctor；　I　know　you　do　splendidly；　but　the　fever　comes　in　the　village；　and　the　people　die　and　die　for　all　that。　　And　now　it's　my　poor　father。　God　help　us　all　I　The　only　thing　left　is　to　believe　in　God；　for　we　can't　help　believing　in　devils。〃　　And　she　left　them；　still　walking　quite　slowly；　but　in　such　a　fashion　that　no　one　could　go　after　her。

The　spring　had　already　begun　to　ripen　into　summer；　and　spread　a　green　tent　from　the　tree　over　the　garden　table；　when　the　American　visitor；　sitting　there　with　his　two　professional　companions；　broke　the　silence　by　saying　what　had　long　been　in　his　mind。

〃Well；〃　he　said；　〃I　suppose　whatever　we　may　think　it　wise　to　say；　we　have　all　begun　to　think　of　a　possible　conclusion。　It　can't　be　put　very　delicately　anyhow；　but；　after　all；　there's　a　very　necessary　business　side　to　it。　　What　are　we　going　to　do　about　poor　Vane's　affairs；　apart　from　himself？　I　suppose　you　know；〃　he　added；　in　a　low　voice　to　the　lawyer；　〃whether　he　made　a　will？〃

〃He　left　everything　to　his　daughter　unconditionally；〃　replied　Ashe。　　〃But　nothing　can　be　done　with　it。　　There's　no　proof　whatever　that　he's　dead。〃　　〃No　legal　proof？〃　remarked　Paynter　dryly。　A　wrinkle　of　irritation　had　appeared　in　the　big　bald　brow　of　Doctor　Brown；　and　he　made　an　impatient　movement。

〃Of　course　he's　dead；〃　he　said。　　〃What's　the　sense　of　all　this　legal　fuss？　　We　were　watching　this　side　of　the　wood；　weren't　we？　A　man　couldn't　have　flown　off　those　high　cliffs　over　the　sea；　he　could　only　have　fallen　off。　　What　else　can　he　be　but　dead？〃

〃I　speak　as　a　lawyer；〃　returned　Ashe；　raising　his　eyebrows。　〃We　can't　presume　his　death；　or　have　an　inquest　or　anything　till　we　find　the　poor　fellow's　body；　or　some　remains　that　may　reasonably　be　presumed　to　be　his　body。〃

〃I　see；〃　observed　Paynter　quietly。　　〃You　speak　as　a　lawyer；　but　I　don't　think　it's　very　hard　to　guess　what　you　think　as　a　man。〃

〃I　own　I'd　rather　be　a　man　than　a　lawyer；〃　said　the　doctor；　rather　roughly。　　〃I'd　no　notion　the　law　was　such　an　ass。　What's　the　good　of　keeping　the　poor　girl　out　of　her　property；　and　the　estate　all　going　to　pieces？　　Well；　I　must　be　off；　or　my　patients　will　be　going　to　pieces　too。〃

And　with　a　curt　salutation　he　pursued　his　path　down　to　the　village。

〃That　man　does　his　duty；　if　anybody　does；〃　remarked　Paynter。　　〃We　must　pardon　hisshall　I　say　manners　or　manner？〃

〃Oh；　I　bear　him　no　malice；〃　replied　Ashe　good…humoredly；　〃But　I'm　glad　he's　gone；　becausewell；　because　I　don't　want　him　to　know　how　jolly　right　he　is。〃　　And　he　leaned　back　in　his　chair　and　stared　up　at　the　roof　of　green　leaves。

〃You　are　sure；〃　said　Paynter；　looking　at　the　table；　〃that　Squire　Vane　is　dead？〃

〃More　than　that；〃　said　Ashe；　still　staring　at　the　leaves。　〃I'm　sure　of　how　he　died。〃

〃Ah！〃　said　the　American；　with　an　intake　of　breath；　and　they　remained　for　a　moment；　one　gazing　at　the　tree　and　the　other　at　the　table。

〃Sure　is　perhaps　too　strong　a　word；〃　continued　Ashe。　　〃But　my　conviction　will　want　some　shaking。　　I　don't　envy　the　counsel　for　the　defense。〃

〃The　counsel　for　the　defense；〃　repeated　Paynter；　and　looked　up　quickly　at　his　companion。　　He　was　struck　again　by　the　man's　Napoleon'ic　chin　and　jaw；　as　he　had　been　when　they　first　talked　of　the　legend　of　St。　Securis。

〃Then；〃　he　began；　〃you　don't　think　the　trees〃

〃The　trees　be　damned！〃　snorted　the　lawyer。　　〃The　tree　had　two　legs　on　that　evening。　　What　our　friend　the　poet；〃　he　added；　with　a　sneer；　〃would　call　a　walking　tree。　　Apropos　of　our　friend　the　poet；　you　seemed　surprised　that　night　to　find　he　was　not　walking　poetically　by　the　sea　all　the　time；　and　I　fear　I　affected　to　share　your　ignorance。　I　was　not　so　sure　then　as　I　am　now。〃

〃Sure　of　what？〃　demanded　the　other。

〃To　begin　with；〃　said　Ashe；　〃I'm　sure　our　friend　the　poet　followed　Vane　into　the　wood　that　night；　for　I　saw　him　coming　out　again。〃

Paynter　leaned　forward；　suddenly　pale　with　excitement；　and　struck　the　wooden　table　so　that　it　rattled。

〃Mr。　Ashe；　you're　wrong；〃　he　cried。　　〃You're　a　wonderful　man　and　you're　wrong。　　You've　probably　got　tons　of　true　convincing　evidence；　and　you're　wrong。　　I　know　this　poet；　I　know　him　as　a　poet；　and　that's　just　what　you　don't。　I　know　you　think　he　gave　you　crooked　answers；　and　seemed　to　be　all　smiles　and　black　looks　at　once；　but　you　don't　understand　the　type。　I　know　now　why　you　don't　understand　the　Irish。　　Sometimes　you　think　it's　soft；　and　sometimes　sly；　and　sometimes　murderous；　and　sometimes　uncivilized；　and　all　the　time　it's　only　civilized；　quivering　with　the　sensitive　irony　of　understanding　all　that　you　don't　understand。〃

〃Well；〃　said　Ashe　shortly；　〃we'll　see　who's　right。〃

〃We　will；〃　cried　Cyprian；　and　rose　suddenly　from　the　table。　All　the　drooping　of　the　aesthete　had　dropped　from　him；　his　Yankee　accent　rose　high；　like　a　horn　of　defiance；　and　there　was　nothing　about　him　but　the　New　World。

〃I　guess　I　will　look　into　this　myself；〃　he　said；　stretching　his　long　limbs　like　an　athlete。　　〃I　search　that　little　wood　of　yours　to…morrow。　It's　a　bit　late；　or　I'd　do　it　now。〃

〃The　wood　has　been　searched；〃　said　the　lawyer；　rising　also。

〃Yes；〃　drawled　the　American。　　〃It's　been　searched　by　servants；　policemen；　local　policeman；　and　quite　a　lot　of　people；　and　do　you　know　I　have　a　notion　that　nobody　round　here　is　likely　to　have　searched　it　at　all。〃

〃And　what　are　you　going　to　do　with　it？〃　asked　Ashe。

〃What　I　bet　they　haven't　done；〃　replied　Cyprian。　　〃I'm　going　to　climb　a　tree。〃

And　with　a　quaint　air　of　renewed　cheerfulness　he　took　himself　away　at　a　rapid　walk　to　his　inn。

He　appeared　at　daybreak　next　morning　outside　the　Vane　Arms　with　all　the　air　of　one　setting　out　on　his　travels　in　distant　lands。　He　had　a　field　glass　slung　over　his　shoulder；　and　a　very　large　sheath　knife　buckled　by　a　belt　round　his　waist；　and　carried　with　the　cool　bravado　of　the　bowie　knife　of　a　cowboy。　But　in　spite　of　this　backwoodsman's　simplicity；　or　perhaps　rather　because　of　it；　he　eyed　with　rising　relish　the　picturesque　plan　and　sky　line　of　the　antiquated　village；　and　especially　the　wooden　square　of　the　old　inn　sign　that　hung　over　his　head；　a　shield；　of　which　the　charges　seemed　to　him　a　mere　medley　of　blue　dolphins；　gold　crosses；　and　scarlet　birds。　　The　colors　and　cubic　corners　of　that　painted　board　pleased　him　like　a　play　or　a　puppet　show。　He　stood　staring　and　straddling　for　some　moments　on　the　cobbles　of　the　little　market　place；　then　he　gave　a　short　laugh　and　began　to　mount　the　steep　streets　toward　the　high　park　and　garden　beyond。　From　the　high　lawn；　above　the　tree　and　table；　he　could　see　on　one　side　the　land　stretch　away　past　the　house　into　a　great　rolling　plain；　which　under　the　clear　edges　of　the　dawn　seemed　dotted　with　picturesque　details。　　The　woods　here　and　there　on　the　plain　looked　like　green　hedgehogs；　as　grotesque　as　the　incongruous　beasts　found　unaccountably　walking　in　the　blank　spaces　of　mediaeval　maps。　The　land；　cut　up　into　colored　fields；　recalled　the　herald