the innocence of father brown-第62章

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arfish。　　Two　or　three　of　the　police　instantly　put　their　hands　on　Royce；　but　to　the　rest　it　seemed　as　if　all　reason　had　broken　up　and　the　universe　were　turning　into　a　brainless　harlequinade。　　　　　〃None　of　that；　Mr。　Royce；〃　Gilder　had　called　out　authoritatively。　〃I　shall　arrest　you　for　assault。〃　　　　　〃No；　you　won't；〃　answered　the　secretary　in　a　voice　like　an　iron　gong；　〃you　will　arrest　me　for　murder。〃　　　　　Gilder　threw　an　alarmed　glance　at　the　man　knocked　down；　but　since　that　outraged　person　was　already　sitting　up　and　wiping　a　little　blood　off　a　substantially　uninjured　face；　he　only　said　shortly：　〃What　do　you　mean？〃　　　　　〃It　is　quite　true；　as　this　fellow　says；〃　explained　Royce；　〃that　Miss　Armstrong　fainted　with　a　knife　in　her　hand。　　But　she　had　not　snatched　the　knife　to　attack　her　father；　but　to　defend　him。〃　　　　　〃To　defend　him；〃　repeated　Gilder　gravely。　　〃Against　whom？〃　　　　　〃Against　me；〃　answered　the　secretary。　　　　　Alice　looked　at　him　with　a　complex　and　baffling　face；　then　she　said　in　a　low　voice：　〃After　it　all；　I　am　still　glad　you　are　brave。〃　　　　　〃Come　upstairs；〃　said　Patrick　Royce　heavily；　〃and　I　will　show　you　the　whole　cursed　thing。〃　　　　　The　attic；　which　was　the　secretary's　private　place　（and　rather　a　small　cell　for　so　large　a　hermit）；　had　indeed　all　the　vestiges　of　a　violent　drama。　　Near　the　centre　of　the　floor　lay　a　large　revolver　as　if　flung　away；　nearer　to　the　left　was　rolled　a　whisky　bottle；　open　but　not　quite　empty。　　The　cloth　of　the　little　table　lay　dragged　and　trampled；　and　a　length　of　cord；　like　that　found　on　the　corpse；　was　cast　wildly　across　the　windowsill。　　Two　vases　were　smashed　on　the　mantelpiece　and　one　on　the　carpet。　　　　　〃I　was　drunk；〃　said　Royce；　and　this　simplicity　in　the　prematurely　battered　man　somehow　had　the　pathos　of　the　first　sin　of　a　baby。　　　　　〃You　all　know　about　me；〃　he　continued　huskily；　〃everybody　knows　how　my　story　began；　and　it　may　as　well　end　like　that　too。　I　was　called　a　clever　man　once；　and　might　have　been　a　happy　one；　Armstrong　saved　the　remains　of　a　brain　and　body　from　the　taverns；　and　was　always　kind　to　me　in　his　own　way；　poor　fellow！　　Only　he　wouldn't　let　me　marry　Alice　here；　and　it　will　always　be　said　that　he　was　right　enough。　　Well；　you　can　form　your　own　conclusions；　and　you　won't　want　me　to　go　into　details。　　That　is　my　whisky　bottle　half　emptied　in　the　corner；　that　is　my　revolver　quite　emptied　on　the　carpet。　　It　was　the　rope　from　my　box　that　was　found　on　the　corpse；　and　it　was　from　my　window　the　corpse　was　thrown。　　You　need　not　set　detectives　to　grub　up　my　tragedy；　it　is　a　common　enough　weed　in　this　world。　　I　give　myself　to　the　gallows；　and；　by　God；　that　is　enough！〃　　　　　At　a　sufficiently　delicate　sign；　the　police　gathered　round　the　large　man　to　lead　him　away；　but　their　unobtrusiveness　was　somewhat　staggered　by　the　remarkable　appearance　of　Father　Brown；　who　was　on　his　hands　and　knees　on　the　carpet　in　the　doorway；　as　if　engaged　in　some　kind　of　undignified　prayers。　　Being　a　person　utterly　insensible　to　the　social　figure　he　cut；　he　remained　in　this　posture；　but　turned　a　bright　round　face　up　at　the　company；　presenting　the　appearance　of　a　quadruped　with　a　very　comic　human　head。　　　　　〃I　say；〃　he　said　good…naturedly；　〃this　really　won't　do　at　all；　you　know。　　At　the　beginning　you　said　we'd　found　no　weapon。　　But　now　we're　finding　too　many；　there's　the　knife　to　stab；　and　the　rope　to　strangle；　and　the　pistol　to　shoot；　and　after　all　he　broke　his　neck　by　falling　out　of　a　window！　　It　won't　do。　　It's　not　economical。〃　　And　he　shook　his　head　at　the　ground　as　a　horse　does　grazing。　　　　　Inspector　Gilder　had　opened　his　mouth　with　serious　intentions；　but　before　he　could　speak　the　grotesque　figure　on　the　floor　had　gone　on　quite　volubly。　　　　　〃And　now　three　quite　impossible　things。　　First；　these　holes　in　the　carpet；　where　the　six　bullets　have　gone　in。　　Why　on　earth　should　anybody　fire　at　the　carpet？　　A　drunken　man　lets　fly　at　his　enemy's　head；　the　thing　that's　grinning　at　him。　　He　doesn't　pick　a　quarrel　with　his　feet；　or　lay　siege　to　his　slippers。　　And　then　there's　the　rope〃and　having　done　with　the　carpet　the　speaker　lifted　his　hands　and　put　them　in　his　pocket；　but　continued　unaffectedly　on　his　knees〃in　what　conceivable　intoxication　would　anybody　try　to　put　a　rope　round　a　man's　neck　and　finally　put　it　round　his　leg？　　Royce；　anyhow；　was　not　so　drunk　as　that；　or　he　would　be　sleeping　like　a　log　by　now。　　And；　plainest　of　all；　the　whisky　bottle。　　You　suggest　a　dipsomaniac　fought　for　the　whisky　bottle；　and　then　having　won；　rolled　it　away　in　a　corner；　spilling　one　half　and　leaving　the　other。　　That　is　the　very　last　thing　a　dipsomaniac　would　do。〃　　　　　He　scrambled　awkwardly　to　his　feet；　and　said　to　the　self…accused　murderer　in　tones　of　limpid　penitence：　〃I'm　awfully　sorry；　my　dear　sir；　but　your　tale　is　really　rubbish。〃　　　　　〃Sir；〃　said　Alice　Armstrong　in　a　low　tone　to　the　priest；　〃can　I　speak　to　you　alone　for　a　moment？〃　　　　　This　request　forced　the　communicative　cleric　out　of　the　gangway；　and　before　he　could　speak　in　the　next　room；　the　girl　was　talking　with　strange　incisiveness。　　　　　〃You　are　a　clever　man；〃　she　said；　〃and　you　are　trying　to　save　Patrick；　I　know。　　But　it's　no　use。　　The　core　of　all　this　is　black；　and　the　more　things　you　find　out　the　more　there　will　be　against　the　miserable　man　I　love。〃　　　　　〃Why？〃　asked　Brown；　looking　at　her　steadily。　　　　　〃Because；〃　she　answered　equally　steadily；　〃I　saw　him　commit　the　crime　myself。〃　　　　　〃Ah！〃　said　the　unmoved　Brown；　〃and　what　did　he　do？〃　　　　　〃I　was　in　this　room　next　to　them；〃　she　explained；　〃both　doors　were　closed；　but　I　suddenly　heard　a　voice；　such　as　I　had　never　heard　on　earth；　roaring　‘Hell；　hell；　hell；'　again　and　again；　and　then　the　two　doors　shook　with　the　first　explosion　of　the　revolver。　Thrice　again　the　thing　banged　before　I　got　the　two　doors　open　and　found　the　room　full　of　smoke；　but　the　pistol　was　smoking　in　my　poor；　mad　Patrick's　hand；　and　I　saw　him　fire　the　last　murderous　volley　with　my　own　eyes。　　Then　he　leapt　on　my　father；　who　was　clinging　in　terror　to　the　window…sill；　and；　grappling；　tried　to　strangle　him　with　the　rope；　which　he　threw　over　his　head；　but　which　slipped　over　his　struggling　shoulders　to　his　feet。　　Then　it　tightened　round　one　leg　and　Patrick　dragged　him　along　like　a　maniac。　　I　snatched　a　knife　from　the　mat；　and；　rushing　between　them；　managed　to　cut　the　rope　before　I　fainted。〃　　　　　〃I　see；〃　said　Father　Brown；　with　the　same　wooden　civility。　〃Thank　you。〃　　　　　As　the　girl　collapsed　under　her　memories；　the　priest　passed　stiffly　into　the　next　room；　where　he　found　Gilder　and　Merton　alone　with　Patrick　Royce；　who　sat　in　a　chair；　handcuffed。　　There　he　said　to　the　Inspector　submissively：　　　　　〃Might　I　say　a　word　to　the　prisoner　in　your　presence；　and　might　he　take　off　those　funny　cuffs　for　a　minute？〃　　　　　〃He　is　a　very　powerful　man；〃　said　Merton　in　an　undertone。　〃Why　do　you　want　them　taken　off？〃　　　　　〃Why；　I　thought；〃　replied　the　priest　humbly；　〃that　perhaps　I　might　have　the　very　great　honour　of　shaking　hands　with　him。〃　　　　　Both　detectives　stared；　and　Father　Brown　added：　〃Won't　you　tell　them　about　it；　sir？〃　　　　　The　man　on　the　chair　shook　his　tousled　head；　and　the　priest　turned　impatiently。　　　　　〃Then　I　will；〃　he　said。　　〃Private　lives　are　more　important　than　public　reputations。　　I