the man who knew too much-第35部分

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！


t　had　a　deep　gash　across　the　jugular；　which　the　triumphant　doctor　instantly　identified　as　having　been　made　with　a　sharp　steel　edge　like　a　razor。　The　other　was　that　immediately　under　the　bank　lay　littered　three　shining　scraps　of　steel；　each　nearly　a　foot　long；　one　pointed　and　another　fitted　into　a　gorgeously　jeweled　hilt　or　handle。　It　was　evidently　a　sort　of　long　Oriental　knife；　long　enough　to　be　called　a　sword；　but　with　a　curious　wavy　edge；　and　there　was　a　touch　or　two　of　blood　on　the　point。

〃I　should　have　expected　more　blood；　hardly　on　the　point；〃　observed　Doctor　Prince；　thoughtfully；　〃but　this　is　certainly　the　instrument。　The　slash　was　certainly　made　with　a　weapon　shaped　like　this；　and　probably　the　slashing　of　the　pocket　as　well。　I　suppose　the　brute　threw　in　the　statue；　by　way　of　giving　him　a　public　funeral。〃

March　did　not　answer；　he　was　mesmerized　by　the　strange　stones　that　glittered　on　the　strange　sword　hilt；　and　their　possible　significance　was　broadening　upon　him　like　a　dreadful　dawn。　It　was　a　curious　Asiatic　weapon。　He　knew　what　name　was　connected　in　his　memory　with　curious　Asiatic　weapons。　Lord　James　spoke　his　secret　thought　for　him；　and　yet　it　startled　him　like　an　irrelevance。

〃Where　is　the　Prime　Minister？〃　Herries　had　cried；　suddenly；　and　somehow　like　the　bark　of　a　dog　at　some　discovery。

Doctor　Prince　turned　on　him　his　goggles　and　his　grim　face；　and　it　was　grimmer　than　ever。

〃I　cannot　find　him　anywhere；〃　he　said。　〃I　looked　for　him　at　once；　as　soon　as　I　found　the　papers　were　gone。　That　servant　of　yours；　Campbell；　made　a　most　efficient　search；　but　there　are　no　traces。〃

There　was　a　long　silence；　at　the　end　of　which　Herries　uttered　another　cry；　but　upon　an　entirely　new　note。

〃Well；　you　needn't　look　for　him　any　longer；〃　he　said；　〃for　here　he　comes；　along　with　your　friend　Fisher。　They　look　as　if　they'd　been　for　a　little　walking　tour。〃

The　two　figures　approaching　up　the　path　were　indeed　those　of　Fisher；　splashed　with　the　mire　of　travel　and　carrying　a　scratch　like　that　of　a　bramble　across　one　side　of　his　bald　forehead；　and　of　the　great　and　gray…haired　statesman　who　looked　like　a　baby　and　was　interested　in　Eastern　swords　and　swordmanship。　But　beyond　this　bodily　recognition；　March　could　make　neither　head　nor　tail　of　their　presence　or　demeanor；　which　seemed　to　give　a　final　touch　of　nonsense　to　the　whole　nightmare。　The　more　closely　he　watched　them；　as　they　stood　listening　to　the　revelations　of　the　detective；　the　more　puzzled　he　was　by　their　attitudeFisher　seemed　grieved　by　the　death　of　his　uncle；　but　hardly　shocked　at　it；　the　older　man　seemed　almost　openly　thinking　about　something　else；　and　neither　had　anything　to　suggest　about　a　further　pursuit　of　the　fugitive　spy　and　murderer；　in　spite　of　the　prodigious　importance　of　the　documents　he　had　stolen。　When　the　detective　had　gone　off　to　busy　himself　with　that　department　of　the　business；　to　telephone　and　write　his　report；　when　Herries　had　gone　back；　probably　to　the　brandy　bottle；　and　the　Prime　Minister　had　blandly　sauntered　away　toward　a　comfortable　armchair　in　another　part　of　the　garden；　Horne　Fisher　spoke　directly　to　Harold　March。

〃My　friend；〃　he　said；　〃I　want　you　to　come　with　me　at　once；　there　is　no　one　else　I　can　trust　so　much　as　that。　The　journey　will　take　us　most　of　the　day；　and　the　chief　business　cannot　be　done　till　nightfall。　So　we　can　talk　things　over　thoroughly　on　the　way。　But　I　want　you　to　be　with　me；　for　I　rather　think　it　is　my　hour。〃

March　and　Fisher　both　had　motor　bicycles；　and　the　first　half　of　their　day's　journey　consisted　in　coasting　eastward　amid　the　unconversational　noise　of　those　uncomfortable　engines。　But　when　they　came　out　beyond　Canterbury　into　the　flats　of　eastern　Kent；　Fisher　stopped　at　a　pleasant　little　public　house　beside　a　sleepy　stream；　and　they　sat　down　to　cat　and　to　drink　and　to　speak　almost　for　the　first　time。　It　was　a　brilliant　afternoon；　birds　were　singing　in　the　wood　behind；　and　the　sun　shone　full　on　their　ale　bench　and　table；　but　the　face　of　Fisher　in　the　strong　sunlight　had　a　gravity　never　seen　on　it　before。

〃Before　we　go　any　farther；〃　he　said；　〃there　is　something　you　ought　to　know。　You　and　I　have　seen　some　mysterious　things　and　got　to　the　bottom　of　them　before　now；　and　it's　only　right　that　you　should　get　to　the　bottom　of　this　one。　But　in　dealing　with　the　death　of　my　uncle　I　must　begin　at　the　other　end　from　where　our　old　detective　yarns　began。　I　will　give　you　the　steps　of　deduction　presently；　if　you　want　to　listen　to　them；　but　I　did　not　reach　the　truth　of　this　by　steps　of　deduction。　I　will　first　of　all　tell　you　the　truth　itself；　because　I　knew　the　truth　from　the　first。　The　other　cases　I　approached　from　the　outside；　but　in　this　case　I　was　inside。　I　myself　was　the　very　core　and　center　of　everything。〃

Something　in　the　speaker's　pendent　eyelids　and　grave　gray　eyes　suddenly　shook　March　to　his　foundations；　and　he　cried；　distractedly；　〃I　don't　understand！〃　as　men　do　when　they　fear　that　they　do　understand。　There　was　no　sound　for　a　space　but　the　happy　chatter　of　the　birds；　and　then　Horne　Fisher　said；　calmly：

〃It　was　I　who　killed　my　uncle。　If　you　particularly　want　more；　it　was　I　who　stole　the　state　papers　from　him。〃

〃Fisher！〃　cried　his　friend　in　a　strangled　voice。

〃Let　me　tell　you　the　whole　thing　before　we　part；〃　continued　the　other；　〃and　let　me　put　it；　for　the　sake　of　clearness；　as　we　used　to　put　our　old　problems。　Now　there　are　two　things　that　are　puzzling　people　about　that　problem；　aren't　there？　The　first　is　how　the　murderer　managed　to　slip　off　the　dead　man's　coat；　when　he　was　already　pinned　to　the　ground　with　that　stone　incubus。　The　other；　which　is　much　smaller　and　less　puzzling；　is　the　fact　of　the　sword　that　cut　his　throat　being　slightly　stained　at　the　point；　instead　of　a　good　deal　more　stained　at　the　edge。　Well；　I　can　dispose　of　the　first　question　easily。　Horne　Hewitt　took　off　his　own　coat　before　he　was　killed。　I　might　say　he　took　off　his　coat　to　be　killed。〃

〃Do　you　call　that　an　explanation？〃　exclaimed　March。　〃The　words　seem　more　meaningless；　than　the　facts。〃

〃Well；　let　us　go　on　to　the　other　facts；〃　continued　Fisher；　equably。　〃The　reason　that　particular　sword　is　not　stained　at　the　edge　with　Hewitt's　blood　is　that　it　was　not　used　to　kill　Hewitt。

〃But　the　doctor；〃　protested　March；　〃declared　distinctly　that　the　wound　was　made　by　that　particular　sword。〃

〃I　beg　your　pardon；〃　replied　Fisher。　〃He　did　not　declare　that　it　was　made　by　that　particular　sword。　He　declared　it　was　made　by　a　sword　of　that　particular　pattern。〃

〃But　it　was　quite　a　queer　and　exceptional　pattern；〃　argued　March；　〃surely　it　is　far　too　fantastic　a　coincidence　to　imagine〃

〃It　was　a　fantastic　coincidence；〃　reflected　Horne　Fisher。　〃It's　extraordinary　what　coincidences　　do　sometimes　occur。　By　the　oddest　chance　in　the　world；　by　one　chance　in　a　million；　it　so　happened　that　another　sword　of　exactly　the　same　shape　was　in　the　same　garden　at　the　same　time。　It　may　be　partly　explained；　by　the　fact　that　I　brought　them　both　into　the　garden　myself　。　。　。　come；　my　dear　fellow；　surely　you　can　see　now　what　it　means。　Put　those　two　things　together；　there　were　two　duplicate　swords　and　he　took　off　his　coat　for　himself。　It　　may　assist　your　speculations　to　recall　the　fact　that　I　am　not　exactly　an　assassin。〃

〃A　duel！〃　exclaimed　March；　recovering　himself。　〃Of　course　I　ought　to　have　thought　of　that。　But　who　was　the　spy　who　stole　the　papers？〃

〃My　uncle　was　the　spy　who　stole　the　papers；〃　replied　Fisher；　〃or　who　tried　to　steal　the　papers　when　I　stopped　himin　the　only　way　I　could。　The　papers；　that　should　have　gone　west　to　reassure　our　friends　and　give　them　the　plans　for　repelling　the　invasion；　would　in　a　few　hours　have　been　in　the　hands　of　the　invader。　What　could　I　do？　To　have　denounced　one　of　our　friends　at　this　moment　would　have　been　to　play　into　the　hands　of　your　friend　Attwood；　and　all　the　party　of　panic　and　slavery。　Besides；　it　may　be　that　a　man　over　forty　has　a　subconscious　desire　to　die　as　he　has　lived；　and　that　I　wanted；　in　a　sense；　to　carry　my　secrets　to　the　grave。　Perhaps　a　hobby　hardens　with　age；　and　my　hobby　has　been　silence。　Perhaps　I　feel　that　I　have　killed　my　mother's　brother；　but　I　have　saved　my　mother's　name。　Anyhow；　I　chose　a　time　when　I　knew　you　were　all　asleep；　and　he　was　walking　alone　in　the　garden。　I　saw　all　the　stone　statues　standing　in　the　moonlight；　and　I　myself　was　like　one　of　those　stone　statues　walking。　In　a　voice　that　was　not　my　own；　I　told　him　of　his　treason　and　demanded　the　papers；　and　when　he　refused；　I　forced　him　to　take　one　of　the　two　swords。　The　swords　were　among　some　specimens　sent　down　here　for　the　Prime　Minister's　inspection；　he　is　a　collector；　you　know；　they　were　the　only　equal　weapons　I　could　find。　To　cut　an　ugly　tale　short；　we　fought　there　on　the　path　in　front　of　the　Britannia　statue；　he　was　a　man　of　great　strength；　but　I　had　somewhat　the　advantage　in　skill。　His　sword　grazed　my　forehead　almost　at　the　moment　when　mine　sank　into　the　joint　in　his　neck。　He　fell　against　the　statue；　like　Caesar　against　Pompey's；　hanging　on　to　the　iron　rail；　his　sword　was　already　broken。　When　I　saw　the　blood　from　that　deadly　wound；　everything　else　went　from　me；　I　dropped　my　sword　and　ran　as　if　to　lift　him　up。　As　I　bent　toward　him　something　happened　too