花园血案之谜 The Secret Garden（第3页）

“Begpardon，sir，”hesaid，“butMr。Brayhehouse。”

&！”criedValentin，ahefrsttimetohisfeet。

&ed。Evaporated，”repliedIvaninhumorousFrench。“Hishatandcooo，andIlltellyousomethingtocapitall。Irahehousetofndanytra，andIfoundone，andabigtrace，too。”

“Whatdoyoumeain。

“Illshowyou，”saidhisservant，ahafashingnakedcavalrysabre，streakedwithbloodaboutthepointandedge。Everyoheroomeyeditasifitwereathutheexperienwentoly：

“Ifoundthis，”hesaid，“fungamongthebushesfftyyardsuptheroadtoParis。Inotherwords，IfounditjustwhereyourrespectableMr。Braywhenherana

Therewasagaiofa。Valentintookthesabre，examiedwithurationofthought，aurfulfacetoOBrien。“andant，”hesaid，“wetrustyouroducethisonifitiswantedforpoliation。Meanwhile，”headded，slappieelbatheringingscabbard，“letmereturnyouyoursword。”

Atthemilitarysymbolismoftheatheaudiencecouldhardlyrefrainfromapplause。

ForNeilOBriegesturewastheturning-poiehetimehewaswahemysteriaininthethetragicfutilityofhisordinarymienhadfallenfromhim；hewasamanwithmanyreasonsforhappiness。Lallowaywasagentleman，andhadofferedhimanapology。LadyMargaretwassomethihanalady，awoma，andhadperhapsgiveterthananapology，astheydriftedamongtheoldfowerbedsbeforebreakfast。Thewholepanywasmhtheartedahoughtheriddleofthedeathremaiheloadofsuspiwasliftedoffthemall，afyingofftoPariswiththestrangemillioheyhardlykhedevilwascastoutofthehouse-hehadcasthimselfout。

Still，theriddleremained；andwhehrewhimselfobesideDr。Simon，thatkeeifato。HedidalkoutofO’Brieswereohings。

“Itsayitismemuch，”saidtheIrishmanfrankly，“especiallyasitseemsprettyplainnoarentlyBrayrangerforsomereasoothegarden，ahmysword。Thehecity，tossingtheswordawayashewent。Bytheway，IvahedeadmanhadaYankeedollarinhispocket。SohewasaanofBrayhatseemstochit。Idon’tseeanydiffcultiesaboutthebusiness。”

“Therearefvecolossaldiffculties，”saidthedoctorquietly；“likehighalls。Don‘tmistakeme。Idon’tdoubtthatBray；hisflight，Ifa。Butastohowhedidit。Firstdifficulty：Whyshouldamankillahagreathulkingsabre，whenhealmostkillhimoifeandputitbahispoddiffculty：Whywasthereanohereupwavingasdofferhirddiffculty：Aservahefrontdooralltheevening；andaratotgetiinsgardenanywhere。Howdidthedeadmahegarden?Fourthdiffculty：Giveions，hetoutofthegarden?”

“Ah，”saidheyesfxedontheEnglishpriestwhowasingslowlyupthepath。

“Isatrifle，Isuppose，”saidthedoctor，“butIthinkanoddosawhowtheheadhadbeenslashed，IsupposedtheassassinhadstruckmorethaoionIfoundmanycutsacrossthetruion；inotherwords，theywerestruckaftertheheadwasoff。DidBrayehisfoesofendishlythathesthisbodyinthemoonlight?”

“Horrible！”saidOBrien，andshuddered。

&lepriest，Brown，hadarrivedwhiletheyweretalking，andhadwaited，withcharacteristiess，tilltheyhadfhenhesaida>

“Isay，Imsorrytoi。ButIwassehenews！”

“edSimon，ahimratherpainfullythroughhisglasses。

“Yes，Imsorry，”saidFatherBrownmildly。“Theresbeenanothermurder，youknow。”

Bothmesprarog。

“And，whatsstraill，”uedthepriest，withhisdulleyeontherhododendrons，“it‘sthesamedisgustingsort；it’sanotherbeheadihesedheadactuallybleedingintotheriver，afewyardsalooParis；sotheysupposethathe-”

&Heaven！”criedOBrien。“IsBrayneamonomaniac?”

“ThereareAmeridettas，”saidthepriestimpassively。Theheywantyoutoetothelibrarya。”

andantO‘Brieherstowardsthei，feelingdecidedlysick。Asasoldier，heloathedallthissecretiveage；whereweretheseextravagantamputationsgoingtostop?Firstoneheadwashackedoff，aher；inthisselfbitterly）itwaswoheadswerebetterthanone。AshecrossedthestudyhealmoststaggeredatashoValentihecolouredpictureofyetathirdbleediwastheheadofValentinhimself。AseitwasonlyaNationalistpaper，calledTheGuillotine，whicheveryweekshowedospolitientswithrollingeyesandwrithiafterexe；forValentinwasananti-eO‘BrienwasanIrishman，withakindofchastityeveninhissins；andhisgainstthatgreatbrutalityoftheiwhigsonlytoFraParisasawhrotesquesohicchurchestothegrosscaritheneers。HerememberedthegigaheRevolutiohewholeeuglyenergy，fromthesanguigoableuptowhere，aboveamountaioyles，thegreatdevilgrinsonNotreDame。

Thelibrarywaslong，low，anddark；whatlightefromunderlowblindsandhadstillsomee。ValentinaIvaiheupperendofalong，slightly-slopingdesk，onwhichlaythemortalremains，lookingenormousi。Thebigblackfigureandyellowfaanfoundinthegardenessentiallyuhesedhead，whichhadbeenfshedfromamongtheriverreedsthatm，laystreaminganddrippi；Valeillseekiherestofthissedcorpse，osedtobeafloat。FatherBrown，whodidoshareO’Brieiesiuptothesedheadahhisbliwaslittlemorethanamopofwetwhitehair，frihsilverfreintheredandlevelmht；theface，whichseemedofanugly，empurpledandperhapsaltype，hadbeenmuchbatteredagaioossedier。

“G，andantOBrien，”saidValentin，withquietcordiality。“YouhaveheardofBrayinbutchery，Isuppose?”

FatherBrownwasstillbeheheadwithwhitehair，andhesaid，withoutlookingup：

“IsupposeitisquitethatBrayoffthishead，too。”

&seemsonsense，”saidValentin，withhishandsinhispockets。“Killediheother。Foundwithinafewyardsoftheother。Ahesameeknowhecarrieda>

“Yes，yes；IkherBrownsubmissively。“Yet，youknow，IdoubtwhetherBraynecouldhavecutoffthishead。”

“Whynot?”inquiredDr。Simon，witharationalstare。

&or，”saidthepriest，lookingupblinking，“cutoffhisowknow。”

&aninsaneuniversegabouthisears；butthedforwardwithimpetuouspractidpushedbackthewet>

“Oh，there‘snodoubtit’sBrayhepriestquietly。“Hehadexactlythattheleftear。”

&ive，whohadbeehepriestwithsteadyandglitteringeyes，openedhischedmouthandsaidsharply：“Youseemtoknowalotabouthim，FatherBrown。”

“Ido，”saidthelittlemansimply。“Ivebeenaboutwithhimforsomeweeks。Hewasthinkingofjoiningourchurch。”

&arofthefanatigiioriestwithds。“And，perhaps，”hecried，withablastingsneer，“perhapshewasalsothinkingofleavingallhismooyourchurch。”