迪文小说>电影沉默的英语 > 第8章 花园血案之谜5（第1页）
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?
