第7章 花园血案之谜4（第1页）

第7章花园血案之谜（4）

Hishoarseshhtapalefacetothestudydoor，thebeamingglassesandworriedbrowofDrSimohenobleman'sfirstclearwallowaywasg:"Athegrass-ablood-stai;O'Brienatlasthadgoofhismind。

"WemusttellValenti;saidthedotheotherhadbrokenlydescribedallthathehaddaredtoexamiisfortuheishere。"Andevehegreatdeteteredthestudy，attractedbythecry。Itwasalmostamusiypisformation;hehadewiththeonofahostalemahatsomeguestorservantastoldthegoryfact，heturhallhisgravityinstantlybrightandbusihis，hotandawful，washisbusiness。

&que;hesaidastheyhurriedoutintothegarden，"thatIshouldhavehueriesallovertheearth，andnowotlesinmyownback-yard。Butwhereistheplace?"Theycrossedthelawnlesseasily，asaslightmisthadbeguheriver;butuheguidaheshakenGallowaytheyfoundthebodysunkehebodyofaverytallandbroad-shoulderedman。Helayfawards，sotheylyseethathisbigshoulderswereblackdthathisbigheadtforanhairthatgtohisskulllikewetseaentofbloodcrawledfromunderhisfallenface。

"Atleast，"saidSimon，andsingularintonation，"heisnoneofourparty。"

"Examinehim，doctor，"criedValentinrathersharply。"hemay;

&orbentdowquitecold，butIamafraidheisdeadenough，"hea;justhelpmetolifthimup。"

&edhimcarefullyanintheground，andalldoubtsastohisbeingreallydeadweresettledatondfrightfully。Theheadfellaway。Ithadbeeirelysuhebody;whoeverhadcuthisthroathadmaosevertheneckaswell。Eveinwasslightlyshousthavebeenasstrongasagorilla。"hemuttered。

Notwithoutashiver，thoughhewasusedtoanatomicalabortions，DrSimohehead。Itwasslightlyslashedaboutthenedjaw，butthefacewassubstantiallyunhurt。Itonderous，yellowfaahahawk-likenoseandheavylids-afaceofawiperor，with，perhaps，adistanttouchofaeseemperor。Allpreseolookatitwiththecoldesteyeofighingelseotedaboutthema，astheyhadliftedhisbody，theyhadseehewhitegleamofashirt-froharedgleamofblood。AsDrSimonsaid，themanhadheirparty。Buthemightverywellhavebeentryingtojoinit，forhehadedressedforsuo。

&downonhishandsandkneesahhisclosestprofessiohegrassandgroundforsometwentyyardsroundthebody，inwhichhewasassistedlessskillfullybythedodquitevaguelybytheEnglishlord。heirgrovelliafewtedortoverysmalllengths，whitinliftedforaninstant'sexaminatioosseda>

"Twigs，"hesaidgravely，"twigs，andaterwithhisheadcutoff;thatisallthereisonthislawn。"

TherewasanalmostcreepystillhentheunnervedGallowaycalledoutsharply:"Who'sthat!Who'sthatovertherebythegardenwall!"

Asmallfigurewithafoolishlylargeheaddrewwaverihemihaze;lookedforaninstantlikeagoblin，butturobetheharmlesslittlepriestwhomtheyhadleftinthedrawing-room。

"Isay，"hesaidmeekly，"therearehisgarden，doyouknow。"

&in'sblackbrowshadetogethersomewhatcrossly，astheydidonprihesightofthecassock。Buthewasfartoojustamaherelevaheremark。&quht，"hesaid。"Beforewefindouthowhecametobekilled，wemayhavetofindouthowhecametobehere。ome，geewithoutprejudiypositionandduty，weshallallagreethatdistinguishedwellbekeptoutofthis。Thereareladies，gehereisafnambassador。Ifwemustmarkitdownasacrime，thenitmustbefollowedupasacrime。ButtillthenIusemyowion。Iamtheheadofthepolice;IamsopublicthatIaffordtobeprivate。PleaseHeaven，IwillcleareveryoneofmyowsbeforeImymentolookforalemen，uponyourhonour，youwillnoneofyouleavethehousetilltomorrowatnoon;therearebedroomsforall。Simon，Ithinkyoukofindmyman，Ivahall;heisatialmaoleaveaonguardaalloway，youarelythebestpersoheladiesened，aapanic。Theyalsomuststay。FatherBrownandIwillremainwiththebody。"

&hisspiritofthespokeiinhewasobeyedlikeabugle。DrSimohroughtothearmouryaIvan，thepublicdetective'sprivatedetective。Gallowaywentt-roomandtoldtheterriblefullyenough，sothatbythetimethepaheretheladieswerealreadystartledahed。Meahegoodpriestaheiststoodattheheadandfootofthedeadmahemoonlight，likesymbolicstatuesoftheirtwophilosophiesofdeath。

Ivan，thetialmanwiththesdthemoustaches，cameoutofthehouselikeaball，andgacrossthelawiohismaster。Hislividfacewasquitelivelywiththeglowofthisdomesticdetectivestory，anditleasaheaskedhismaster'spermissioheremains。

"Yes，look，ifyoulike，Ivan，"saidValentin，"butdon'tbelogoinandthrashthisoutinthehouse。"

Ivahehead，aletitdrop。

"Why，"hegasped，"it's-no，itisn't;it'tbe。Doyouknowthisman，sir?"

"No，"saidValentily，"wehadbettergoi;

&heycarriedthecorpsetoasofaiudy，andtheheirwayt-room。

&ivesatdowly，ahesitation;buthiseyewastheironeyeofajudgeatassize。Hemadeafeidnotesuponpaperinfrontofhim，andthensaidshortly:"Iseverybodyhere?"

"NotMrBray;saidtheDuontSt。Michel，lookinground。

"No。"saidLallowayinahoarse，harshvoice。"AndnotMrNeilO'Brien，Ifancy。Isawthatgentlemanwalkinginthegardehecorpsewasstillwarm。"

"Ivan，"saidthedetective，"goaandantO'BrienandMrBrayne。MrBrayne，Iknow，isfinishingathedining-room;andantO'Brien，Ithink，isanddownthe;

&hfulattendaheroom，andbeforeairorspeakValehthesamesoldierlyswiftion。

"Everyohatadeadmanhasbeenfoundinthegardehisbody。DrSimon，youhaveexami。Doyouthinkthatto'sthroatlikethatwouldforce?Or，perhaps，onlyaverysharpk;

"Ishouldsaythatitotbedohakall，"saidthepaledoctor。

"Haveyouanythought，"resumedValentin，"ofatoolwithwhichitcouldbedo;

"Speakingwithinmodernprobabilities，Ireallyhaven't。"saidthedhispainfulbrows。"It'sohaeckthroughevenclumsily，andthiswasaverycut。Itcouldbedohabattle-axeoranoldheadsman'saxe，oranoldtwo-handedsword。"

"But，goodheavens!"criedtheDuchess，almostinhysterics，"Therearen'tanytwo-handedswordsandbattle-axesrou;

&inwasstillbusywiththepaperinfrontofhim。"Tellme，"hesaid，stillidly，"couldithavebeehalongFrenchcavalrysabre?"

Alowknogcameatthedoor，whieunreasonablereason，curdledeveryone'sbloodliketheknoMacbeth。Amidthatfrozensilenaosay:"Asabre-yes，Isupposeitcould。"

"Thankyou，"saidValentin。"ein，Ivan。"