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！
on； and there'd be plenty to say I only spoiled a horn or an honest man。 And if a struggling man staggers a bit over the line in his youth； in the lower parts of the law which are pretty dingy； anyhow； there's always some old vampire to hang on to him all his life for it。〃
〃Guatemalan Golcondas； wasn't it？〃 said Fisher； sympathetically。
Harker suddenly shuddered。 Then he said； 〃I believe you must know everything； like God Almighty。〃
〃I know too much；〃 said Horne Fisher； 〃and all the wrong things。〃
The other three men were drawing nearer to them； but before they came too near； Harker said； in a voice that had recovered all its firmness：
〃Yes； I did destroy a paper； but I really did find a paper； too； and I believe that it clears us all。〃
〃Very well；〃 said Fisher； in a louder and more cheerful tone； 〃let us all have the benefit of it。〃
〃On the very top of Sir Isaac's papers；〃 explained Harker； 〃there was a threatening letter from a man named Hugo。 It threatens to kill our unfortunate friend very much in the way that he was actually killed。 It is a wild letter； full of taunts； you can see it for yourselves； but it makes a particular point of poor Hook's habit of fishing from the island。 Above all； the man professes to be writing from a boat。 And； since we alone went across to him；〃 and he smiled in a rather ugly fashion； 〃the crime must have been committed by a man passing in a boat。〃
〃Why； dear me！〃 cried the duke； with something almost amounting to animation。 〃Why； I remember the man called Hugo quite well！ He was a sort of body servant and bodyguard of Sir Isaac。 You see； Sir Isaac was in some fear of assault。 He washe was not very popular with several people。 Hugo was discharged after some row or other； but I remember him well。 He was a great big Hungarian fellow with great mustaches that stood out on each side of his face。〃
A door opened in the darkness of Harold March's memory； or； rather； oblivion； and showed a shining landscape； like that of a lost dream。 It was rather a waterscape than a landscape； a thing of flooded meadows and low trees and the dark archway of a bridge。 And for one instant he saw again the man with mustaches like dark horns leap up on to the bridge and disappear。
〃Good heavens！〃 he cried。 〃Why； I met the murderer this morning！〃
Horne Fisher and Harold March had their day on the river； after all； for the little group broke up when the police arrived。 They declared that the coincidence of March's evidence had cleared the whole company； and clinched the case against the flying Hugo。 Whether that Hungarian fugitive would ever be caught appeared to Horne Fisher to be highly doubtful； nor can it be pretended that he displayed any very demoniac detective energy in the matter as he leaned back in the boat cushions； smoking； and watching the swaying reeds slide past。
〃It was a very good notion to hop up on to the bridge；〃 he said。 〃An empty boat means very little； he hasn't been seen to land on either bank； and he's walked off the bridge without walking on to it； so to speak。 He's got twenty…four hours' start； his mustaches will disappear； and then he will disappear。 I think there is every hope of his escape。〃
〃Hope？〃 repeated March； and stopped sculling for an instant。
〃Yes； hope；〃 repeated the other。 〃To begin with； I'm not going to be exactly consumed with Corsican revenge because somebody has killed Hook。 Perhaps you may guess by this time what Hook was。 A damned blood…sucking blackmailer was that simple； strenuous； self…made captain of industry。 He had secrets against nearly everybody； one against poor old Westmoreland about an early marriage in Cyprus that might have put the duchess in a queer position； and one against Harker about some flutter with his client's money when he was a young solicitor。 That's why they went to pieces when they found him murdered； of course。 They felt as if they'd done it in a dream。 But I admit I have another reason for not wanting our Hungarian friend actually hanged for the murder。〃
〃And what is that？〃 asked his friend。
〃Only that he didn't commit the murder；〃 answered Fisher。
Harold March laid down the oars and let the boat drift for a moment。
〃Do you know； I was half expecting something like that；〃 he said。 〃It was quite irrational； but it was hanging about in the atmosphere； like thunder in the air。〃
〃On the contrary； it's finding Hugo guilty that's irrational；〃 replied Fisher。 〃Don't you see that they're condemning him for the very reason for which they acquit everybody else？ Harker and Westmoreland were silent because they found him murdered； and knew there were papers that made them look like the murderers。 Well； so did Hugo find him murdered； and so did Hugo know there was a paper that would make him look like the murderer。 He had written it himself the day before。〃
〃But in that case；〃 said March； frowning； 〃at what sort of unearthly hour in the morning was the murder really committed？ It was barely daylight when I met him at the bridge； and that's some way above the island。〃
〃The answer is very simple；〃 replied Fisher。 〃The crime was not committed in the morning。 The crime was not committed on the island。〃
March stared at the shining water without replying； but Fisher resumed like one who had been asked a question：
〃Every intelligent murder involves taking advantage of some one uncommon feature in a common situation。 The feature here was the fancy of old Hook for being the first man up every morning； his fixed routine as an angler； and his annoyance at being disturbed。 The murderer strangled him in his own house after dinner on the night before； carried his corpse； with all his fishing tackle； across the stream in the dead of night； tied him to the tree； and left him there under the stars。 It was a dead man who sat fishing there all day。 Then the murderer went back to the house； or； rather； to the garage； and went off in his motor car。 The murderer drove his own motor car。〃
Fisher glanced at his friend's face and went on。 〃You look horrified； and the thing is horrible。 But other things are horrible； too。 If some obscure man had been hag…ridden by a blackmailer and had his family life ruined； you wouldn't think the murder of his persecutor the most inexcusable of murders。 Is it any worse when a whole great nation is set free as well as a family？ By this warning to Sweden we shall probably prevent war and not precipitate it； and save many thousand lives rather more valuable than the life of that viper。 Oh； I'm not talking sophistry or seriously justifying the thing； but the slavery that held him and his country was a thousand times less justifiable。 If I'd really been sharp I should have guessed it from his smooth； deadly smiling at dinner that night。 Do you remember that silly talk about how old Isaac could always play his fish？ In a pretty hellish sense he was a fisher of men。〃
Harold March took the oars and began to row again。
〃I remember；〃 he said； 〃and about how a big fish might break the line and get away。〃
VI。 THE HOLE IN THE WALL
Two men； the one an architect and the other an archaeologist； met on the steps of the great house at Prior's Park； and their host； Lord Bulmer； in hi