小说园

花园血案之谜 the ecret garden（第3页）

“Left！”criedValentin，androseforthefrsttimetohisfeet。

“Gone。Scooted。Evaorated，”reliedIvaninhumorousFrench。“Hishatandcoataregone，too，andIlltellyousomethingtocaitall。Iranoutsidethehousetofndanytracesofhim，andIfoundone，andabigtrace，too。”

“Whatdoyoumean?”askedValentin。

“Illshowyou，”saidhisservant，andreaearedwithafashingnakedcavalrysabre，streakedwithbloodabouttheointandedge。Everyoneintheroomeyeditasifitwereathunderbolt；buttheexeriencedIvanwentonquitequietly：

“Ifoundthis，”hesaid，“fungamongthebushesfftyyardsutheroadtoParis。Inotherwords，IfounditjustwhereyourresectableMr。Braynethrewitwhenheranaway。”

Therewasagainasilence，butofanewsort。Valentintookthesabre，examinedit，refectedwithunaffectedconcentrationofthought，andthenturnedaresectfulfacetoOBrien。“Commandant，”hesaid，“wetrustyouwillalwaysroducethisweaonifitiswantedforoliceexamination。Meanwhile，”headded，slaingthesteelbackintheringingscabbard，“letmereturnyouyoursword。”

Atthemilitarysymbolismoftheactiontheaudiencecouldhardlyrefrainfromalause。

ForNeilOBrien，indeed，thatgesturewastheturning-ointofexistence。Bythetimehewaswanderinginthemysteriousgardenagaininthecoloursofthemorningthetragicfutilityofhisordinarymienhadfallenfromhim；hewasamanwithmanyreasonsforhainess。LordGallowaywasagentleman，andhadofferedhimanaology。LadyMargaretwassomethingbetterthanalady，awomanatleast，andhaderhasgivenhimsomethingbetterthananaology，astheydriftedamongtheoldfowerbedsbeforebreakfast。Thewholecomanywasmorelightheartedandhumane，forthoughtheriddleofthedeathremained，theloadofsusicionwasliftedoffthemall，andsentfyingofftoPariswiththestrangemillionaire-amantheyhardlyknew。Thedevilwascastoutofthehouse-hehadcasthimselfout。

Still，theriddleremained；andwhenO‘BrienthrewhimselfonagardenseatbesideDr。Simon，thatkeenlyscientifcersonatonceresumedit。HedidnotgetmuchtalkoutofO’Brien，whosethoughtswereonleasanterthings。

“Icantsayitinterestsmemuch，”saidtheIrishmanfrankly，“eseciallyasitseemsrettylainnow。AarentlyBraynehatedthisstrangerforsomereason；luredhimintothegarden，andkilledhimwithmysword。Thenhefledtothecity，tossingtheswordawayashewent。Bytheway，IvantellsmethedeadmanhadaYankeedollarinhisocket。SohewasacountrymanofBrayne‘s，andthatseemstoclinchit。Idon’tseeanydiffcultiesaboutthebusiness。”

“Therearefvecolossaldiffculties，”saidthedoctorquietly；“likehighwallswithinwalls。Don‘tmistakeme。Idon’tdoubtthatBraynedidit；hisflight，Ifancy，rovesthat。Butastohowhedidit。Firstdifficulty：Whyshouldamankillanothermanwithagreathulkingsabre，whenhecanalmostkillhimwithaocketknifeandutitbackinhisocket?Seconddiffculty：Whywastherenonoiseoroutcry?Doesamancommonlyseeanothercomeuwavingascimitarandoffernoremarks?Thirddiffculty：Aservantwatchedthefrontdooralltheevening；andaratcannotgetintoValentinsgardenanywhere。Howdidthedeadmangetintothegarden?Fourthdiffculty：Giventhesameconditions，howdidBraynegetoutofthegarden?”

“Andtheffth，”saidNeil，witheyesfxedontheEnglishriestwhowascomingslowlyutheath。

“Isatrifle，Isuose，”saidthedoctor，“butIthinkanoddone。WhenIfrstsawhowtheheadhadbeenslashed，Isuosedtheassassinhadstruckmorethanonce。ButonexaminationIfoundmanycutsacrossthetruncatedsection；inotherwords，theywerestruckaftertheheadwasoff。DidBraynehatehisfoesofendishlythathestoodsabringhisbodyinthemoonlight?”

“Horrible！”saidOBrien，andshuddered。

Thelittleriest，Brown，hadarrivedwhiletheyweretalking，andhadwaited，withcharacteristicshyness，tilltheyhadfnished。Thenhesaidawkwardly：

“Isay，Imsorrytointerrut。ButIwassenttotellyouthenews！”

“News?”reeatedSimon，andstaredathimratherainfullythroughhisglasses。

“Yes，Imsorry，”saidFatherBrownmildly。“Theresbeenanothermurder，youknow。”

Bothmenontheseatsrangu，leavingitrocking。

“And，whatsstrangerstill，”continuedtheriest，withhisdulleyeontherhododendrons，“it‘sthesamedisgustingsort；it’sanotherbeheading。Theyfoundthesecondheadactuallybleedingintotheriver，afewyardsalongBraynesroadtoParis；sotheysuosethathe-”

“GreatHeaven！”criedOBrien。“IsBrayneamonomaniac?”

“ThereareAmericanvendettas，”saidtheriestimassively。Thenheadded：“Theywantyoutocometothelibraryandseeit。”

CommandantO‘Brienfollowedtheotherstowardstheinquest，feelingdecidedlysick。Asasoldier，heloathedallthissecretivecarnage；whereweretheseextravagantamutationsgoingtosto?Firstoneheadwashackedoff，andthenanother；inthiscase（hetoldhimselfbitterly）itwasnottruethattwoheadswerebetterthanone。Ashecrossedthestudyhealmoststaggeredatashockingcoincidence。UonValentin’stablelaythecolouredictureofyetathirdbleedinghead；anditwastheheadofValentinhimself。AsecondglanceshowedhimitwasonlyaNationalistaer，calledTheGuillotine，whicheveryweekshowedoneofitsoliticaloonentswithrollingeyesandwrithingfeaturesjustafterexecution；forValentinwasananti-clericalofsomenote。ButO‘BrienwasanIrishman，withakindofchastityeveninhissins；andhisgorgeroseagainstthatgreatbrutalityoftheintellectwhichbelongsonlytoFrance。HefeltParisasawhole，fromthegrotesquesontheGothicchurchestothegrosscaricaturesinthenewsaers。HerememberedthegiganticjestsoftheRevolution。Hesawthewholecityasoneuglyenergy，fromthesanguinarysketchlyingonValentin’stableutowhere，aboveamountainandforestofgargoyles，thegreatdevilgrinsonNotreDame。

Thelibrarywaslong，low，anddark；whatlightentereditshotfromunderlowblindsandhadstillsomeoftheruddytingeofmorning。ValentinandhisservantIvanwerewaitingforthemattheuerendofalong，slightly-sloingdesk，onwhichlaythemortalremains，lookingenormousinthetwilight。Thebigblackfigureandyellowfaceofthemanfoundinthegardenconfrontedthemessentiallyunchanged。Thesecondhead，whichhadbeenfshedfromamongtheriverreedsthatmorning，laystreaminganddriingbesideit；Valentin‘smenwerestillseekingtorecovertherestofthissecondcorse，whichwassuosedtobeafloat。FatherBrown，whodidnotseemtoshareO’Brienssensibilitiesintheleast，wentutothesecondheadandexamineditwithhisblinkingcare。Itwaslittlemorethanamoofwetwhitehair，fringedwithsilverfreintheredandlevelmorninglight；theface，whichseemedofanugly，emurledanderhascriminaltye，hadbeenmuchbatteredagainsttreesorstonesasittossedinthewater。

“Goodmorning，CommandantOBrien，”saidValentin，withquietcordiality。“YouhaveheardofBrayneslastexerimentinbutchery，Isuose?”

FatherBrownwasstillbendingovertheheadwithwhitehair，andhesaid，withoutlookingu：

“IsuoseitisquitecertainthatBraynecutoffthishead，too。”

“Well，itseemscommonsense，”saidValentin，withhishandsinhisockets。“Killedinthesamewayastheother。Foundwithinafewyardsoftheother。Andslicedbythesameweaonwhichweknowhecarriedaway。”

“Yes，yes；Iknow，”reliedFatherBrownsubmissively。“Yet，youknow，IdoubtwhetherBraynecouldhavecutoffthishead。”

“Whynot?”inquiredDr。Simon，witharationalstare。

“Well，doctor，”saidtheriest，lookingublinking，“canamancutoffhisownhead?Idontknow。”

OBrienfeltaninsaneuniversecrashingabouthisears；butthedoctorsrangforwardwithimetuousracticalityandushedbackthewetwhitehair。

“Oh，there‘snodoubtit’sBrayne，”saidtheriestquietly。“Hehadexactlythatchiintheleftear。”

Thedetective，whohadbeenregardingtheriestwithsteadyandglitteringeyes，oenedhisclenchedmouthandsaidsharly：“Youseemtoknowalotabouthim，FatherBrown。”

“Ido，”saidthelittlemansimly。“Ivebeenaboutwithhimforsomeweeks。Hewasthinkingofjoiningourchurch。”

ThestarofthefanaticsrangintoValentinseyes；hestrodetowardstheriestwithclenchedhands。“And，erhas，”hecried，withablastingsneer，“erhashewasalsothinkingofleavingallhismoneytoyourchurch。”

“Perhashewas，”saidBrownstolidly；“itisossible。”