the innocence of father brown-第49章

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e　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　am　going　to　save　the　living；　and　let　the　dead　bury　their　dead。〃　　　　　He　went　to　the　fatal　window；　and　blinked　out　of　it　as　he　went　on　talking。　　　　　〃I　told　you　that　in　this　case　there　were　too　many　weapons　and　only　one　death。　　I　tell　you　now　that　they　were　not　weapons；　and　were　not　used　to　cause　death。　　All　those　grisly　tools；　the　noose；　the　bloody　knife；　the　exploding　pistol；　were　instruments　of　a　curious　mercy。　　They　were　not　used　to　kill　Sir　Aaron；　but　to　save　him。〃　　　　　〃To　save　him！〃　repeated　Gilder。　　〃And　from　what？〃　　　　　〃From　himself；〃　said　Father　Brown。　　〃He　was　a　suicidal　maniac。〃　　　　　〃What？〃　cried　Merton　in　an　incredulous　tone。　　〃And　the　Religion　of　Cheerfulness〃　　　　　〃It　is　a　cruel　religion；〃　said　the　priest；　looking　out　of　the　window。　　〃Why　couldn't　they　let　him　weep　a　little；　like　his　fathers　before　him？　　His　plans　stiffened；　his　views　grew　cold；　behind　that　merry　mask　was　the　empty　mind　of　the　atheist。　　At　last；　to　keep　up　his　hilarious　public　level；　he　fell　back　on　that　dram…drinking　he　had　abandoned　long　ago。　　But　there　is　this　horror　about　alcoholism　in　a　sincere　teetotaler：　that　he　pictures　and　expects　that　psychological　inferno　from　which　he　has　warned　others。　　It　leapt　upon　poor　Armstrong　prematurely；　and　by　this　morning　he　was　in　such　a　case　that　he　sat　here　and　cried　he　was　in　hell；　in　so　crazy　a　voice　that　his　daughter　did　not　know　it。　　He　was　mad　for　death；　and　with　the　monkey　tricks　of　the　mad　he　had　scattered　round　him　death　in　many　shapesa　running　noose　and　his　friend's　revolver　and　a　knife。　　Royce　entered　accidentally　and　acted　in　a　flash。　　He　flung　the　knife　on　the　mat　behind　him；　snatched　up　the　revolver；　and　having　no　time　to　unload　it；　emptied　it　shot　after　shot　all　over　the　floor。　　The　suicide　saw　a　fourth　shape　of　death；　and　made　a　dash　for　the　window。　　The　rescuer　did　the　only　thing　he　could　ran　after　him　with　the　rope　and　tried　to　tie　him　hand　and　foot。　Then　it　was　that　the　unlucky　girl　ran　in；　and　misunderstanding　the　struggle；　strove　to　slash　her　father　free。　　At　first　she　only　slashed　poor　Royce's　knuckles；　from　which　has　come　all　the　little　blood　in　this　affair。　　But；　of　course；　you　noticed　that　he　left　blood；　but　no　wound；　on　that　servant's　face？　　Only　before　the　poor　woman　swooned；　she　did　hack　her　father　loose；　so　that　he　went　crashing　through　that　window　into　eternity。〃　　　　　There　was　a　long　stillness　slowly　broken　by　the　metallic　noises　of　Gilder　unlocking　the　handcuffs　of　Patrick　Royce；　to　whom　he　said：　〃I　think　I　should　have　told　the　truth；　sir。　　You　and　the　young　lady　are　worth　more　than　Armstrong's　obituary　notices。〃　　　　　〃Confound　Armstrong's　notices；〃　cried　Royce　roughly。　　〃Don't　you　see　it　was　because　she　mustn't　know？〃　　　　　〃Mustn't　know　what？〃　asked　Merton。　　　　　〃Why；　that　she　killed　her　father；　you　fool！〃　roared　the　other。　〃He'd　have　been　alive　now　but　for　her。　　It　might　craze　her　to　know　that。〃　　　　　〃No；　I　don't　think　it　would；〃　remarked　Father　Brown；　as　he　picked　up　his　hat。　　〃I　rather　think　I　should　tell　her。　　Even　the　most　murderous　blunders　don't　poison　life　like　sins；　anyhow；　I　think　you　may　both　be　the　happier　now。　　I've　got　to　go　back　to　the　Deaf　School。〃　　　　　As　he　went　out　on　to　the　gusty　grass　an　acquaintance　from　Highgate　stopped　him　and　said：　　　　　〃The　Coroner　has　arrived。　　The　inquiry　is　just　going　to　begin。〃　　　　　〃I've　got　to　get　back　to　the　Deaf　School；〃　said　Father　Brown。　〃I'm　sorry　I　can't　stop　for　the　inquiry。〃



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