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第8章 花园血案之谜5（第1页）

Therearefivecolossaldifficulties，

"saidthedoctorquietly，

"likehighwallswithinwalls。Dontmistakeme。IdontdoubtthatBraynedidit;hisflight，Ifancy，rovesthat。Butastohowhedidit。Firstdifficulty:Whyshouldamankillanothermanwithagreathulkingsabre，whenhecanalmostkillhimwithaocketknifeandutitbackinhisocket?Seconddifficulty:Whywastherenonoiseoroutcry?Doesamancommonlyseeanothercomeuwavingascimitarandoffernoremarks?Thirddifficulty:Aservantwatchedthefrontdooralltheevening;andaratcannotgetintoValentinsgardenanywhere。Howdidthedeadmangetintothegarden?Fourthdifficulty:Giventhesameconditions，howdidBraynegetoutofthegarden?

"

"Andthefifth。

"saidNeil，witheyesfixedontheEnglishriestwhowascomingslowlyutheath。

"Isatrifle，Isuose，

"saidthedoctor，

"butIthinkanoddone。WhenIfirstsawhowtheheadhadbeenslashed，Isuosedtheassassinhadstruckmorethanonce。ButonexaminationIfoundmanycutsacrossthetruncatedsection;inotherwords，theywerestruckaftertheheadwasoff。DidBraynehatehisfoesofiendishlythathestoodsabringhisbodyinthemoonlight?

"

"Horrible!

"saidOBrien，andshuddered。

Thelittleriest，Brown，hadarrivedwhiletheyweretalking，andhadwaited，withcharacteristicshyness，tilltheyhadfinished。Thenhesaidawkwardly:

"Isay，Imsorrytointerrut。ButIwassenttotellyouthenews!

"

"News?

"reeatedSimon，andstaredathimratherainfullythroughhisglasses。

"Yes，Imsorry，

"saidFatherBrownmildly。

"Theresbeenanothermurder，youknow。

"

Bothmenontheseatsrangu，leavingitrocking。

"And，whatsstrangerstill，

"continuedtheriest，withhisdulleyeontherhododendrons，

"itsthesamedisgustingsort;itsanotherbeheading。Theyfoundthesecondheadactuallybleedingintotheriver，afewyardsalongBraynesroadtoParis;sotheysuosethathe-

"

"GreatHeaven!

"criedOBrien。

"IsBrayneamonomaniac?

"

"ThereareAmericanvendettas，

"saidtheriestimassively。Thenheadded，

"Theywantyoutocometothelibraryandseeit。

"

CommandantOBrienfollowedtheotherstowardstheinquest，feelingdecidedlysick。Asasoldier，heloathedallthissecretivecarnage;whereweretheseextravagantamutationsgoingtosto?Firstoneheadwashackedoff，andthenanother;inthiscase（hetoldhimselfbitterly）itwasnottruethattwoheadswerebetterthanone。Ashecrossedthestudyhealmoststaggeredatashockingcoincidence。UonValentinstablelaythecolouredictureofyetathirdbleedinghead;anditwastheheadofValentinhimself。AsecondglanceshowedhimitwasonlyaNationalistaer，calledTheGuillotine，whicheveryweekshowedoneofitsoliticaloonentswithrollingeyesandwrithingfeaturesjustafterexecution;forValentinwasananti-clericalofsomenote。ButOBrienwasanIrishman，withakindofchastityeveninhissins;andhisgorgeroseagainstthatgreatbrutalityoftheintellectwhichbelongsonlytoFrance。HefeltParisasawhole，fromthegrotesquesontheGothicchurchestothegrosscaricaturesinthenewsaers。HerememberedthegiganticjestsoftheRevolution。Hesawthewholecityasoneuglyenergy，fromthesanguinarysketchlyingonValentinstableutowhere，aboveamountainandforestofgargoyles，thegreatdevilgrinsonNotreDame。

Thelibrarywaslong，low，anddark;whatlightentereditshotfromunderlowblindsandhadstillsomeoftheruddytingeofmorning。ValentinandhisservantIvanwerewaitingforthemattheuerendofalong，slightly-sloingdesk，onwhichlaythemortalremains，lookingenormousinthetwilight。Thebigblackfigureandyellowfaceofthemanfoundinthegardenconfrontedthemessentiallyunchanged。Thesecondhead，whichhadbeenfishedfromamongtheriverreedsthatmorning，laystreaminganddriingbesideit;Valentinsmenwerestillseekingtorecovertherestofthissecondcorse，whichwassuosedtobeafloat。FatherBrown，whodidnotseemtoshareOBrienssensibilitiesintheleast，wentutothesecondheadandexamineditwithhisblinkingcare。Itwaslittlemorethanamoofwetwhitehair，fringedwithsilverfireintheredandlevelmorninglight;theface，whichseemedofanugly，emurledanderhascriminaltye，hadbeenmuchbatteredagainsttreesorstonesasittossedinthewater。

"Goodmorning，CommandantOBrien。

"saidValentin，withquietcordiality。

"YouhaveheardofBrayneslastexerimentinbutchery，Isuose?

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