the innocence of father brown-第12章

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ely　above　the　semicircular　arch　of　this　opening。　　It　threw　little　illumination　on　Father　Brown　himself；　who　seemed　a　mere　dark　outline　against　the　dim　sunset　window　behind　him。　　But　it　threw　an　almost　theatrical　light　on　the　man　who　stood　outside　the　cloak　room　in　the　corridor。　　　　　He　was　an　elegant　man　in　very　plain　evening　dress；　tall；　but　with　an　air　of　not　taking　up　much　room；　one　felt　that　he　could　have　slid　along　like　a　shadow　where　many　smaller　men　would　have　been　obvious　and　obstructive。　　His　face；　now　flung　back　in　the　lamplight；　was　swarthy　and　vivacious；　the　face　of　a　foreigner。　His　figure　was　good；　his　manners　good　humoured　and　confident；　a　critic　could　only　say　that　his　black　coat　was　a　shade　below　his　figure　and　manners；　and　even　bulged　and　bagged　in　an　odd　way。　　The　moment　he　caught　sight　of　Brown's　black　silhouette　against　the　sunset；　he　tossed　down　a　scrap　of　paper　with　a　number　and　called　out　with　amiable　authority：　〃I　want　my　hat　and　coat；　please；　I　find　I　have　to　go　away　at　once。〃　　　　　Father　Brown　took　the　paper　without　a　word；　and　obediently　went　to　look　for　the　coat；　it　was　not　the　first　menial　work　he　had　done　in　his　life。　　He　brought　it　and　laid　it　on　the　counter；　meanwhile；　the　strange　gentleman　who　had　been　feeling　in　his　waistcoat　pocket；　said　laughing：　〃I　haven't　got　any　silver；　you　can　keep　this。〃　　And　he　threw　down　half　a　sovereign；　and　caught　up　his　coat。　　　　　Father　Brown's　figure　remained　quite　dark　and　still；　but　in　that　instant　he　had　lost　his　head。　　His　head　was　always　most　valuable　when　he　had　lost　it。　　In　such　moments　he　put　two　and　two　together　and　made　four　million。　　Often　the　Catholic　Church　（which　is　wedded　to　common　sense）　did　not　approve　of　it。　　Often　he　did　not　approve　of　it　himself。　　But　it　was　real　inspirationimportant　at　rare　criseswhen　whosoever　shall　lose　his　head　the　same　shall　save　it。　　　　　〃I　think；　sir；〃　he　said　civilly；　〃that　you　have　some　silver　in　your　pocket。〃　　　　　The　tall　gentleman　stared。　　〃Hang　it；〃　he　cried；　〃if　I　choose　to　give　you　gold；　why　should　you　complain？〃　　　　　〃Because　silver　is　sometimes　more　valuable　than　gold；〃　said　the　priest　mildly；　〃that　is；　in　large　quantities。〃　　　　　The　stranger　looked　at　him　curiously。　　Then　he　looked　still　more　curiously　up　the　passage　towards　the　main　entrance。　　Then　he　looked　back　at　Brown　again；　and　then　he　looked　very　carefully　at　the　window　beyond　Brown's　head；　still　coloured　with　the　after…glow　of　the　storm。　　Then　he　seemed　to　make　up　his　mind。　　He　put　one　hand　on　the　counter；　vaulted　over　as　easily　as　an　acrobat　and　towered　above　the　priest；　putting　one　tremendous　hand　upon　his　collar。　　　　　〃Stand　still；〃　he　said；　in　a　hacking　whisper。　　〃I　don't　want　to　threaten　you；　but〃　　　　　〃I　do　want　to　threaten　you；〃　said　Father　Brown；　in　a　voice　like　a　rolling　drum；　〃I　want　to　threaten　you　with　the　worm　that　dieth　not；　and　the　fire　that　is　not　quenched。〃　　　　　〃You're　a　rum　sort　of　cloak…room　clerk；〃　said　the　other。　　　　　〃I　am　a　priest；　Monsieur　Flambeau；〃　said　Brown；　〃and　I　am　ready　to　hear　your　confession。〃　　　　　The　other　stood　gasping　for　a　few　moments；　and　then　staggered　back　into　a　chair。　　　　　The　first　two　courses　of　the　dinner　of　The　Twelve　True　Fishermen　had　proceeded　with　placid　success。　　I　do　not　possess　a　copy　of　the　menu；　and　if　I　did　it　would　not　convey　anything　to　anybody。　　It　was　written　in　a　sort　of　super…French　employed　by　cooks；　but　quite　unintelligible　to　Frenchmen。　　There　was　a　tradition　in　the　club　that　the　hors　d'oeuvres　should　be　various　and　manifold　to　the　point　of　madness。　　They　were　taken　seriously　because　they　were　avowedly　useless　extras；　like　the　whole　dinner　and　the　whole　club。　　There　was　also　a　tradition　that　the　soup　course　should　be　light　and　unpretendinga　sort　of　simple　and　austere　vigil　for　the　feast　of　fish　that　was　to　come。　　The　talk　was　that　strange；　slight　talk　which　governs　the　British　Empire；　which　governs　it　in　secret；　and　yet　would　scarcely　enlighten　an　ordinary　Englishman　even　if　he　could　overhear　it。　　Cabinet　ministers　on　both　sides　were　alluded　to　by　their　Christian　names　with　a　sort　of　bored　benignity。　　The　Radical　Chancellor　of　the　Exchequer；　whom　the　whole　Tory　party　was　supposed　to　be　cursing　for　his　extortions；　was　praised　for　his　minor　poetry；　or　his　saddle　in　the　hunting　field。　　The　Tory　leader；　whom　all　Liberals　were　supposed　to　hate　as　a　tyrant；　was　discussed　and；　on　the　whole；　praisedas　a　Liberal。　　It　seemed　somehow　that　politicians　were　very　important。　　And　yet；　anything　seemed　important　about　them　except　their　politics。　　Mr。　Audley；　the　chairman；　was　an　amiable；　elderly　man　who　still　wore　Gladstone　collars；　he　was　a　kind　of　symbol　of　all　that　phantasmal　and　yet　fixed　society。　　He　had　never　done　anythingnot　even　anything　wrong。　　He　was　not　fast；　he　was　not　even　particularly　rich。　　He　was　simply　in　the　thing；　and　there　was　an　end　of　it。　　No　party　could　ignore　him；　and　if　he　had　wished　to　be　in　the　Cabinet　he　certainly　would　have　been　put　there。　　The　Duke　of　Chester；　the　vice…president；　was　a　young　and　rising　politician。　　That　is　to　say；　he　was　a　pleasant　youth；　with　flat；　fair　hair　and　a　freckled　face；　with　moderate　intelligence　and　enormous　estates。　　In　public　his　appearances　were　always　successful　and　his　principle　was　simple　enough。　　When　he　thought　of　a　joke　he　made　it；　and　was　called　brilliant。　　When　he　could　not　think　of　a　joke　he　said　that　this　was　no　time　for　trifling；　and　was　called　able。　　In　private；　in　a　club　of　his　own　class；　he　was　simply　quite　pleasantly　frank　and　silly；　like　a　schoolboy。　　Mr。　Audley；　never　having　been　in　politics；　treated　them　a　little　more　seriously。　　Sometimes　he　even　embarrassed　the　company　by　phrases　suggesting　that　there　was　some　difference　between　a　Liberal　and　a　Conservative。　　He　himself　was　a　Conservative；　even　in　private　life。　　He　had　a　roll　of　grey　hair　over　the　back　of　his　collar；　like　certain　old…fashioned　statesmen；　and　seen　from　behind　he　looked　like　the　man　the　empire　wants。　　Seen　from　the　front　he　looked　like　a　mild；　self…indulgent　bachelor；　with　rooms　in　the　Albanywhich　he　was。　　　　　As　has　been　remarked；　there　were　twenty…four　seats　at　the　terrace　table；　and　only　twelve　members　of　the　club。　　Thus　they　could　occupy　the　terrace　in　the　most　luxurious　style　of　all；　being　ranged　along　the　inner　side　of　the　table；　with　no　one　opposite；　commanding　an　uninterrupted　view　of　the　garden；　the　colours　of　which　were　still　vivid；　though　evening　was　closing　in　somewhat　luridly　for　the　time　of　year。　　The　chairman　sat　in　the　centre　of　the　line；　and　the　vice…president　at　the　right…hand　end　of　it。　When　the　twelve　guests　first　trooped　into　their　seats　it　was　the　custom　（for　some　unknown　reason）　for　all　the　fifteen　waiters　to　stand　lining　the　wall　like　troops　presenting　arms　to　the　king；　while　the　fat　proprietor　stood　and　bowed　to　the　club　with　radiant　surprise；　as　if　he　had　never　heard　of　them　before。　　But　before　the　first　chink　of　knife　and　fork　this　army　of　retainers　had　vanished；　only　the　one　or　two　required　to　collect　and　distribute　the　plates　darting　about　in　deathly　silence。　　Mr。　Lever；　the　proprietor；　of　course　had　disappeared　in　convulsions　of　courtesy　long　before。　　It　would　be　exaggerative；　indeed　irreverent；　to　say　that　he　ever　positively　appeared　again。　　But　when　the　important　course；　the　fish　course；　was　being　brought　on；　there　washow　shall　I　put　it？　　a　vivid　shadow；　a　projection　of　his　personality；　which　told　that　he　was　hovering　near。　　The　sacred　fish　course　consisted　（to　the　eyes　of　the　vulgar）　in　a　sort　of　monstrous　pudding；　about　the　size　and　shape　of　a　wedding　cake；　in　which　some　considerable　number　of　interesting　fishes　had　finally　lost　the　shapes　which　God　had　given　to　them。　　The　Twelve　True　Fishermen　took　up　their　celebrated　fish　knives　and　fish　forks；　and　approached　it　as　gravely　as　if　every　inch　of　the　pudding　cost　as　much　as　the　silver　fork　it　was　eaten　with。　　So　it　did；　for　all　I　know。　　This　course　was　dealt　with　in　eager　and　devouring　silence；　and　it　was　only　when　his　plate　was　nearly　empty　that　the　young　duke　made　the　ritual　remark：　〃They　can't　do　this　anywhere　but　here。〃　　　　　〃Nowhere；〃　said　Mr。　Audley；　in　a　deep　bass　voice；　turning　to　the　speaker　and　nodding　his　venerable　head　a　number　of　times。　〃Nowhere；　assuredly；　except　here。　　It　was　represented　to　me　that　at　the　Cafe　Anglais〃　　　　　Here　he　was　interrupted　and　even　agitated　for　a　moment　by　the　removal　of　his　plate；　but　he　recaptured　the　valuable　thread　of　his　thoughts。　　〃It　was　represented　to　me　that　the　same　could　be　done　at　the　Cafe　Anglais。　　Nothing　like　it；　sir；〃　he　said；　shaking　his　head　ruthlessly；　like　a　hanging　judge。　　〃Nothing　like　it。〃　　　　　〃Overrated　place；〃　said　a　certain　Colonel　Pound；　speaking　（by　the　look　of　him）　for　the　first　time　for　some　months。　　　　　〃Oh；　I　don't　know；〃　said　the　Duke　of　Chester；　who　was　an　optimist；　〃it's　jolly　good　for　some　things。　　You　can't　beat　it　at〃　　　　　A　waiter　came　swiftly　along　the　room；　and　then　stopped　dead。　His　stoppage　was　as　silent　as　his　tread；　but　all　those　vague　and　kindly　gentlemen　were　so　used　to　the　utter　smoothness　of　the　unseen　machinery　which　surrounded　and　supported　their　lives；　that　a　waiter　doing　anything　unexpected　was　a　start　and　a　jar。　　They　felt　as　you　and　I　would　feel　if　the　inanimate　world　disobeyed　if　a　chair　ran　away　from　us。　　　　　T