第24章 蓝宝石十字架4（第1页）

第24章蓝宝石十字架（4）

TherewasohingwhichFlambeau，withallhisdexterityofdisguise，otdthatwashissi。IfValentin'squickeyehadcaughtatallapple-woman，atallgrenadier，oreveallduchess，hemighthavearrestedthemoallalonghistraintherewasnobodythatcouldbeadisguisedFlambeau，aacatcouldbedisguisedagiraffe。Aboutthepeopleohehadalreadysatisfiedhimself;andthepeoplepickedupatHarwithejourhemselveswithtytosix。Therewasashortrailwayofficialtravellinguptotheterminus，threefairlyshardewostationsafterwards，owidowladygoingupfromasmallEssextown，aRomanCathoingupfromasmallEssexvillage。Whehelastcase，Valeupandalmostlaughed。ThelittlepriestwassomuchtheessehoseEasternflats;hehadafadanddullasaNorfolkdumpling;hehadeyesasemptyastheNorthSea;hehadseveralbroarcels，whichhewasquiteincapableofg。TheEucharistigresshaddoubtlesssuckedoutoftheirloationmanysuchcreatures，blindandhelpless，likemolesdisiintitheseverestyleofFrandcouldhavenoloveforpriests。Buthecouldhavepityforthem，andthisohaveprovokedpityinanybody。Hehadalarge，shabbyumbrella，whitlyfellonthefloor。Hedidokherightendofhisretur。Heexplaihamoon-calfsimplicitytoeverybodyinthecarriagethathehadtobecareful，becausehehadsomethingmadeofrealsilver"withbluesto;inoneofhisbroarcels。HisquaintblehsaintlysimplitinuouslyamusedtheFrentillthepriestarrived（somehow）atTottenhamardcamebabrella。Whehelast，Valehegoodowarnhimnottotakecareofthesilverbytellingeverybodyaboutit。Buttowhomeverhetalked，Valehiseyeopenforsomeoneelse;helookedoutsteadilyforanyone，rialeorfemale，elluptosixfeet;forFlambeauwasfourinchesaboveit。

&edatLiverpoolStreet，however，quitetiouslysecurethathehadhealsofar。HetheoSdYardtularizehispositieforhelpineed;hethenlitateafstrollisofLondon。AshewaswalkisandsquaresbeyondVictoria，hepausedsuddenlyandstood。Itwasaquaisquare，verytypidon，fullofaillall，flathousesrouonceprosperousanduhesquareofshrubberyirelookedasdesertedasagreenPacifieofthefoursideswasmuchhighertha，likeadais;andthelihissidewasbrokenbyoneofLondon'sadmirableats-arestaurantthatlookedasifithadstrayedfromSoho。Itwasanunreasonablyattractiveobject，lantsinpotsandlong，stripedblindsoflemonyellowaoodspeciallyhighabovethestreet，andintheusualpatchworkwayofLondon，aflightofstepsfromthestreetrahefrontdooralmostasafire-escapemightrunuptoafirst-floorwioodandsmokedinfrontoftheyellow-whiteblindsahemlong。

&ihingaboutmiraclesisthattheyhappen。Afewheaveheriaringshapeoforeedoesstandupinthelandscapeofadoubtfuljouraeshapeofaerrogatiohthesethihifewdays。NelsoheinstantofvidamannamedWilliamsdoesquiteatallymurderamannamedWilliamson;itsouofi，thereisinlifeaofelfincewhichifpeontheprosaicmayperpetuallymiss。AsithasbeenwellexpressedintheparadoxofPoe，"wisdomshouldretheu;

AristideValentinwasunfathomablyFrendtheFrentelligeelligencespedsolely。Hewasnot"athinki;;forthatisabrainlessphraseofmodernfatalismandmaterialism。Amalyisamaebecauseitotthihinkingman，andaplainmaime。Allhiswonderfulsuccesses，thatlookedlikeg，hadbeengainedbyploddinglogic，bydohought。TheFreheworldnanyparadox;theyelectrifyitbygoutatruism。Theycarryatruismsofar-asintheFreiolybecauseValeoodreasohelimitsofreason。Onlyamanwhoknowsnothingofmotorstalkswithoutpetrol;onlyamanwhoknowsnothialkswith，uprinciples。Herehehadnfirstprinciples。FlambeauhadbeeHarwidifhewasinLondonatall，hemightbeanythingfromatalltramponWimbledonontoatalltoast-masterattheHotelMetropole。Insuakedstateofinhadaviewahodofhisown。

Insuchcasesheretheunforeseen。Insuchcases，whenheotfollowthetrainofthereasonable，hedcarefullyfollowedthetrainoftheunreasoeadofgoiplaks，polis，rendezvous-hesystematittplaockedateveryemptyhouse，turneddowneverycul-de-satupeverylahrubbish，wentroundeverytthatledhimuselesslyoutoftheway。Hedefehiscrazycoursequitelogically。Hesaidthatifonehadacluethisay;butifonehadallitwasthebest，becausetherewasjusttheyodditythatcaughttheeyehtbethesamethathadcaughttheeyeofthepursued。Somewhereamanmustbegin，andithadbetterbejustwhereanhtstop。Somethingaboutthatflightofstepsuptotheshop，somethingaboutthequietudeandquaiherestaurahedetective'srareromantidmadehimresolvetostrikeatrahesteps，andsittingdownatatablebythewindow，askedforacupofblackcoffee。

Itwashalf-waythroughthem，abreakfasted;theslightlitterofotherbreakfastsstoodaboutooremindhimofhishunger;andaddingapoachedeggtohisorder，heproceededmusinglytoshakesomewhitesugarintohiscoffee，thinkiimeaboutFlambeau。HerememberedhowFlambeauhadescebyapairofnailscissors，andoncebyahouseonfire;oncebyhavingtopayforaer，aihatelescopeataetthatmightdestroytheworld。Hethoughthisdetectivebrainasgoodastheal's，whichwastrue。Buthefullyrealisedthedisadvahealisthecreativeartist;thedetelythecritic，"hesaidwithasoursmile，andliftedhiscoffeecuptohislipssloutitdownveryquickly。Hehadputsaltinit。

Helookedatthevesselfromwhichthesilverypowderhade;itwaslyasugar-basin，asunmistakablymeantfarasae-bne。Hewoheyshouldkeepsaltioseeiftherewereahodoxvessels。Yes;thereweretwosalt-cellarsquitefull。Perhapsthereethee-cellars。Hetastedit;itwassugar。Thenhelookedrouaurantwitharefreshedairofioseeiftherewerearacesofthatsingularartistictastewhichputsthesugari-dthesaltinthesugar-basiforanoddsplashofsomedarkfluidoheeredwalls，theeared，cheerfulandthebellforthe>

&officialhurriedup，fuzzy-hairedablear-eyedatthatearlyhour，thedetective（ithoutaionofthesimplerformsofhumour）askedhimtotastethesugaratothehighreputatioheresultwasthatthewaiteryawnedsuddenlyandwokeup。

"Doyouplaythisdelicatejokeonyourerseverym?"iin。"Doesgthesaltandsugarneverpallonyouasajest?"

&er，whenthisironygrewclearer，stammeringlyassuredhimthattheestablishmeainlynosution;itmustbeamostistake。Hepickedupthesugar-basina;hepickedupthesalt-dlookedatthat，hisfaoreandmorebewildered。Atlastheabruptlyexcusedhimself，andhurryingaway，returnedihtheproprietor。Theproprietoralsoexamihesugar-basihesalt-cellar;theproprietoralsolookedbewildered。

&hewaiterseemedtogrowinartiwitharushofwords。

"Ithink，"hestutteredeagerly，"Ithinkitisthosetwy-men。"

"Whattwymen?"

"Thetwymen，"saidthewaiter，"thatthrewsoupatthewall。"

"Threwsoupatthewall?"repeatedValentin，feelihismustbesomesingularItaliaaphor。

"Yes，yes，"saidtheatteedly，ahedarksplashoepaper，"threwitoverthereonthewall。"

&inlookedhisqueryattheproprietor，whocametohisrescuewithfullerreports。

"Yes，sir，"hesaid，"it'squitetrue，thoughIdon'tsupposeithasanythingtodowiththesugarandsalt。Twymenddranksouphereveryearly，assooersweretakendowhveryquiet，respectablepeople;ohebillaheother，whoseemedaslowercoachaltogether，wassomeminuteslhisthihewentatlast。Obeforehesteppedihedeliberatelypickeduphiscup，whichhehadoied，ahesoupslaponthewall。Iwasinthebayself，andsowasthewaiter;soIlyrushoutiofindthelashedandtheshopempty。Itdon'tdoanyparticulardamage，butitwasdeddItriedtocatiheyweretoofaroffthough;IoheywentroutoCarstairsStreet。"

&ivewasosettledandstid。Hehadalreadydecidedthatintheuniversaldarknessofhismindhelyfollowthefirstoddfipoihisfingerwasoddenough。Payinghisbillandgtheglassdoorsbehindhim，hewassoonswingingroundireet。

Itwasfortueveninsuchfeveredmomentshiseyewasdquiethinginashop-frobyhimlikeamereflash;yethewentbacktolookatit。Theshopulargreengrodfruiterer's，anarrayofgoodssetoutintheopenairandplaihtheirnamesahetwomostpromies，esandofively。Oslayascrapofcardboard，onritteninbold，bluechalk，"Besttangerienny。"eswastheequallydexa，"FiBrazilnuts，4d。alb。"Valehesetwopladfathishighlysubtleformofhumourbefore，andthatsomewhatretly。Hedrewtheattentionofthered-facedfruiterer，whowaslookingrathersullenlyupanddowhisinahisadvertisemeerersaidnothing，butsharplyputeatoitsproperplace。Thedetective，lealyonhiswalkiiosizetheshop。Atlasthesaid，"Prayexcusemyapparentirrelevance，mygoodsir，butIshouldliketoaskyouaquestioalpsydtheassoofideas。"

Thered-faahaneyeofmeheuedgaily，swinginghise，"Why，"hepursued，"whyaretwotiglyplaagreengrocer'sshoplikeashovelhatthathasetoLondonforaholiday?Or，imakemyselfclear，whatisthemysticalassowhiectstheideaofnutsmarkedaseswiththeideaoftwymeallahershort?"

&hetradesmanstoodoutofhisheadlikeasnail's;hereallyseemedforaninstaoflihestralasthestammeredangrily，"Idon'tknowwhatyouhavetodowithit，butifyou'reoheirfriends，youtellthemfrommethatI'llknocktheirsillyheadsoff，parsonsornoparsomyapplesagain。"

"I;askedthedetective，athy。"Didtheyupsetyourapples?"

"Ohemdid，"saidtheheatedshopman，"rolledthemalloverthestreet。I'dhavecaughtthefotopickthemup。"

"Whichwaydidtheseparsonsgo?"askedValentin。