the innocence of father brown-第13章

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hey　felt　as　you　and　I　would　feel　if　the　inanimate　world　disobeyed　if　a　chair　ran　away　from　us。　　　　　The　waiter　stood　staring　a　few　seconds；　while　there　deepened　on　every　face　at　table　a　strange　shame　which　is　wholly　the　product　of　our　time。　　It　is　the　combination　of　modern　humanitarianism　with　the　horrible　modern　abyss　between　the　souls　of　the　rich　and　poor。　A　genuine　historic　aristocrat　would　have　thrown　things　at　the　waiter；　beginning　with　empty　bottles；　and　very　probably　ending　with　money。　　A　genuine　democrat　would　have　asked　him；　with　comrade…like　clearness　of　speech；　what　the　devil　he　was　doing。　But　these　modern　plutocrats　could　not　bear　a　poor　man　near　to　them；　either　as　a　slave　or　as　a　friend。　　That　something　had　gone　wrong　with　the　servants　was　merely　a　dull；　hot　embarrassment。　They　did　not　want　to　be　brutal；　and　they　dreaded　the　need　to　be　benevolent。　　They　wanted　the　thing；　whatever　it　was；　to　be　over。　It　was　over。　　The　waiter；　after　standing　for　some　seconds　rigid；　like　a　cataleptic；　turned　round　and　ran　madly　out　of　the　room。　　　　　When　he　reappeared　in　the　room；　or　rather　in　the　doorway；　it　was　in　company　with　another　waiter；　with　whom　he　whispered　and　gesticulated　with　southern　fierceness。　　Then　the　first　waiter　went　away；　leaving　the　second　waiter；　and　reappeared　with　a　third　waiter。　　By　the　time　a　fourth　waiter　had　joined　this　hurried　synod；　Mr。　Audley　felt　it　necessary　to　break　the　silence　in　the　interests　of　Tact。　　He　used　a　very　loud　cough；　instead　of　a　presidential　hammer；　and　said：　〃Splendid　work　young　Moocher's　doing　in　Burmah。　　Now；　no　other　nation　in　the　world　could　have〃　　　　　A　fifth　waiter　had　sped　towards　him　like　an　arrow；　and　was　whispering　in　his　ear：　〃So　sorry。　　Important！　　Might　the　proprietor　speak　to　you？〃　　　　　The　chairman　turned　in　disorder；　and　with　a　dazed　stare　saw　Mr。　Lever　coming　towards　them　with　his　lumbering　quickness。　　The　gait　of　the　good　proprietor　was　indeed　his　usual　gait；　but　his　face　was　by　no　means　usual。　　Generally　it　was　a　genial　copper…brown；　now　it　was　a　sickly　yellow。　　　　　〃You　will　pardon　me；　Mr。　Audley；〃　he　said；　with　asthmatic　breathlessness。　　〃I　have　great　apprehensions。　　Your　fish…plates；　they　are　cleared　away　with　the　knife　and　fork　on　them！〃　　　　　〃Well；　I　hope　so；〃　said　the　chairman；　with　some　warmth。　　　　　〃You　see　him？〃　panted　the　excited　hotel　keeper；　〃you　see　the　waiter　who　took　them　away？　　You　know　him？〃　　　　　〃Know　the　waiter？〃　answered　Mr。　Audley　indignantly。　　〃Certainly　not！〃　　　　　Mr。　Lever　opened　his　hands　with　a　gesture　of　agony。　　〃I　never　send　him；〃　he　said。　　〃I　know　not　when　or　why　he　come。　　I　send　my　waiter　to　take　away　the　plates；　and　he　find　them　already　away。〃　　　　　Mr。　Audley　still　looked　rather　too　bewildered　to　be　really　the　man　the　empire　wants；　none　of　the　company　could　say　anything　except　the　man　of　woodColonel　Poundwho　seemed　galvanised　into　an　unnatural　life。　　He　rose　rigidly　from　his　chair；　leaving　all　the　rest　sitting；　screwed　his　eyeglass　into　his　eye；　and　spoke　in　a　raucous　undertone　as　if　he　had　half…forgotten　how　to　speak。　　〃Do　you　mean；〃　he　said；　〃that　somebody　has　stolen　our　silver　fish　service？〃　　　　　The　proprietor　repeated　the　open…handed　gesture　with　even　greater　helplessness　and　in　a　flash　all　the　men　at　the　table　were　on　their　feet。　　　　　〃Are　all　your　waiters　here？〃　demanded　the　colonel；　in　his　low；　harsh　accent。　　　　　〃Yes；　they're　all　here。　　I　noticed　it　myself；〃　cried　the　young　duke；　pushing　his　boyish　face　into　the　inmost　ring。　　〃Always　count　'em　as　I　come　in；　they　look　so　queer　standing　up　against　the　wall。〃　　　　　〃But　surely　one　cannot　exactly　remember；〃　began　Mr。　Audley；　with　heavy　hesitation。　　　　　〃I　remember　exactly；　I　tell　you；〃　cried　the　duke　excitedly。　〃There　never　have　been　more　than　fifteen　waiters　at　this　place；　and　there　were　no　more　than　fifteen　tonight；　I'll　swear；　no　more　and　no　less。〃　　　　　The　proprietor　turned　upon　him；　quaking　in　a　kind　of　palsy　of　surprise。　　〃You　sayyou　say；〃　he　stammered；　〃that　you　see　all　my　fifteen　waiters？〃　　　　　〃As　usual；〃　assented　the　duke。　　〃What　is　the　matter　with　that！〃　　　　　〃Nothing；〃　said　Lever；　with　a　deepening　accent；　〃only　you　did　not。　　For　one　of　zem　is　dead　upstairs。〃　　　　　There　was　a　shocking　stillness　for　an　instant　in　that　room。　It　may　be　（so　supernatural　is　the　word　death）　that　each　of　those　idle　men　looked　for　a　second　at　his　soul；　and　saw　it　as　a　small　dried　pea。　　One　of　themthe　duke；　I　thinkeven　said　with　the　idiotic　kindness　of　wealth：　〃Is　there　anything　we　can　do？〃　　　　　〃He　has　had　a　priest；〃　said　the　Jew；　not　untouched。　　　　　Then；　as　to　the　clang　of　doom；　they　awoke　to　their　own　position。　　For　a　few　weird　seconds　they　had　really　felt　as　if　the　fifteenth　waiter　might　be　the　ghost　of　the　dead　man　upstairs。　They　had　been　dumb　under　that　oppression；　for　ghosts　were　to　them　an　embarrassment；　like　beggars。　　But　the　remembrance　of　the　silver　broke　the　spell　of　the　miraculous；　broke　it　abruptly　and　with　a　brutal　reaction。　　The　colonel　flung　over　his　chair　and　strode　to　the　door。　　〃If　there　was　a　fifteenth　man　here；　friends；〃　he　said；　〃that　fifteenth　fellow　was　a　thief。　　Down　at　once　to　the　front　and　back　doors　and　secure　everything；　then　we'll　talk。　　The　twenty…four　pearls　of　the　club　are　worth　recovering。〃　　　　　Mr。　Audley　seemed　at　first　to　hesitate　about　whether　it　was　gentlemanly　to　be　in　such　a　hurry　about　anything；　but；　seeing　the　duke　dash　down　the　stairs　with　youthful　energy；　he　followed　with　a　more　mature　motion。　　　　　At　the　same　instant　a　sixth　waiter　ran　into　the　room；　and　declared　that　he　had　found　the　pile　of　fish　plates　on　a　sideboard；　with　no　trace　of　the　silver。　　　　　The　crowd　of　diners　and　attendants　that　tumbled　helter…skelter　down　the　passages　divided　into　two　groups。　　Most　of　the　Fishermen　followed　the　proprietor　to　the　front　room　to　demand　news　of　any　exit。　　Colonel　Pound；　with　the　chairman；　the　vice…president；　and　one　or　two　others　darted　down　the　corridor　leading　to　the　servants'　quarters；　as　the　more　likely　line　of　escape。　　As　they　did　so　they　passed　the　dim　alcove　or　cavern　of　the　cloak　room；　and　saw　a　short；　black…coated　figure；　presumably　an　attendant；　standing　a　little　way　back　in　the　shadow　of　it。　　　　　〃Hallo；　there！〃　called　out　the　duke。　　〃Have　you　seen　anyone　pass？〃　　　　　The　short　figure　did　not　answer　the　question　directly；　but　merely　said：　〃Perhaps　I　have　got　what　you　are　looking　for；　gentlemen。〃　　　　　They　paused；　wavering　and　wondering；　while　he　quietly　went　to　the　back　of　the　cloak　room；　and　came　back　with　both　hands　full　of　shining　silver；　which　he　laid　out　on　the　counter　as　calmly　as　a　salesman。　　It　took　the　form　of　a　dozen　quaintly　shaped　forks　and　knives。　　　　　〃Youyou〃　began　the　colonel；　quite　thrown　off　his　balance　at　last。　　Then　he　peered　into　the　dim　little　room　and　saw　two　things：　first；　that　the　short；　black…clad　man　was　dressed　like　a　clergyman；　and；　second；　that　the　window　of　the　room　behind　him　was　burst；　as　if　someone　had　passed　violently　through。　　〃Valuable　things　to　deposit　in　a　cloak　room；　aren't　they？〃　remarked　the　clergyman；　with　cheerful　composure。　　　　　〃Diddid　you　steal　those　things？〃　stammered　Mr。　Audley；　with　staring　eyes。　　　　　〃If　I　did；〃　said　the　cleric　pleasantly；　〃at　least　I　am　bringing　them　back　again。〃　　　　　〃But　you　didn't；〃　said　Colonel　Pound；　still　staring　at　the　broken　window。　　　　　〃To　make　a　clean　breast　of　it；　I　didn't；〃　said　the　other；　with　some　humour。　　And　he　seated　himself　quite　gravely　on　a　stool。　〃But　you　know　who　did；〃　said　the；　colonel。　　　　　〃I　don't　know　his　real　name；〃　said　the　priest　placidly；　〃but　I　know　something　of　his　fighting　weight；　and　a　great　deal　about　his　spiritual　difficulties。　　I　formed　the　physical　estimate　when　he　was　trying　to　throttle　me；　and　the　moral　estimate　when　he　repented。〃　　　　　〃Oh；　I　sayrepented！〃　cried　young　Chester；　with　a　sort　of　crow　of　laughter。　　　　　Father　Brown　got　to　his　feet；　putting　his　hands　behind　him。　〃Odd；　isn't　it；〃　he　said；　〃that　a　thief　and　a　vagabond　should　repent；　when　so　many　who　are　rich　and　secure　remain　hard　and　frivolous；　and　without　fruit　for　God　or　man？　　But　there；　if　you　will　excuse　me；　you　trespass　a　little　upon　my　province。　　If　you　doubt　the　penitence　as　a　practical　fact；　there　are　your　knives　and　forks。　　You　are　The　Twelve　True　Fishers；　and　there　are　all　your　silver　fish。　　But　He　has　made　me　a　fisher　of　men。〃　　　　　〃Did　you　catch　this　man？〃　asked　the　colonel；　frowning。　　　　　Father　Brown　looked　him　full　in　his　frowning　face。　　〃Yes；〃　he　said；　〃I　caught　him；　with　an　unseen　hook　and　an　invisible　line　which　is　long　enough　to　let　him　wander　to　the　ends　of　the　world；　and　still　to　bring　him　back　with　a　twitch　upon　the　thread。〃　　　　　There　was　a　long　silence。　　All　the　other　men　present　drifted　away　to　carry　the　recovered　silver　to　their　comrades；　or　to　consult　the　proprietor　about　the　queer　condition　of　affairs。　　But　the　grim…faced　colonel　still　sat　sideways　on　the　counter；　swinging　his　long；　lank　legs　and　biting　his　dark　moustache。　　　　　At　last　he　said　quietly　to　the　priest：　〃He　must　have　been　a　clever　fellow；　but　I　think　I　know　a　cleverer。〃　　　　　〃He　was　a　clever　fellow；〃　answered　the　other；　〃but　I　am　not　quite　sure　of　what　other　you　mean。〃　　　　　〃I　mean　you；〃　said　the　colonel；　with　a　short　laugh。　　〃I　don't　want　to　get　the　fellow　jailed；　make　yourself　easy　about　that。　　But　I'd　give　a　good　many　silver　forks　to