[ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
.It isn’t only meant to remind us of a future life, but to remind us of a present life too.With our weak spirits we should grow old in eternity if we were not kept young by death.Providence has to cut immortality into lengths for us, as nurses cut the bread and butter into fingers.’“Then he added suddenly in a voice of unnatural actuality, ‘But I know something now, Eames.I knew it when I saw the clouds turn pink.’“‘What do you mean?’ asked Eames.‘What did you know?’“‘I knew for the first time that murder is really wrong.’“He gripped Dr.Eames’s hand and groped his way somewhat unsteadily to the door.Before he had vanished through it he had added, ‘It’s very dangerous, though, when a man thinks for a split second that he understands death.’“Dr.Eames remained in repose and rumination some hours after his late assailant had left.Then he rose, took his hat and umbrella, and went for a brisk if rotatory walk.Several times, however, he stood outside the villa with the spotted blinds, studying them intently with his head slightly on one side.Some took him for a lunatic and some for an intending purchaser.He is not yet sure that the two characters would be widely different.“The above narrative has been constructed on a principle which is, in the opinion of the undersigned persons, new in the art of letters.Each of the two actors is described as he appeared to the other.But the undersigned persons absolutely guarantee the exactitude of the story; and if their version of the thing be questioned, they, the undersigned persons, would deucedly well like to know who does know about it if they don’t.“The undersigned persons will now adjourn to ‘The Spotted Dog’ for beer.Farewell.“(Signed) James Emerson Eames, “Warden of Brakespeare College, Cambridge.“Innocent Smith.”Chapter IIThe Two Curates; or, the Burglary ChargeArthur Inglewood handed the document he had just read to the leaders of the prosecution, who examined it with their heads together.Both the Jew and the American were of sensitive and excitable stocks, and they revealed by the jumpings and bumpings of the black head and the yellow that nothing could be done in the way of denial of the document.The letter from the Warden was as authentic as the letter from the Sub-Warden, however regrettably different in dignity and social tone.“Very few words,” said Inglewood, “are required to conclude our case in this matter.Surely it is now plain that our client carried his pistol about with the eccentric but innocent purpose of giving a wholesome scare to those whom he regarded as blasphemers.In each case the scare was so wholesome that the victim himself has dated from it as from a new birth.Smith, so far from being a madman, is rather a mad doctor– he walks the world curing frenzies and not distributing them.That is the answer to the two unanswerable questions which I put to the prosecutors.That is why they dared not produce a line by any one who had actually confronted the pistol.All who had actually confronted the pistol confessed that they had profited by it.That was why Smith, though a good shot, never hit anybody.He never hit anybody because he was a good shot.His mind was as clear of murder as his hands are of blood.This, I say, is the only possible explanation of these facts and of all the other facts.No one can possibly explain the Warden’s conduct except by believing the Warden’s story.Even Dr.Pym, who is a very factory of ingenious theories, could find no other theory to cover the case.”“There are promising per-spectives in hypnotism and dual personality,” said Dr.Cyrus Pym dreamily; “the science of criminology is in its infancy, and–”“Infancy!” cried Moon, jerking his red pencil in the air with a gesture of enlightenment; “why, that explains it!”“I repeat,” proceeded Inglewood, “that neither Dr.Pym nor any one else can account on any other theory but ours for the Warden’s signature, for the shots missed and the witnesses missing.”The little Yankee had slipped to his feet with some return of a cock-fighting coolness.“The defence,” he said, “omits a coldly colossal fact.They say we produce none of the actual victims.Wal, here is one victim–England’s celebrated and stricken Warner.I reckon he is pretty well produced.And they suggest that all the outrages were followed by reconciliation.Wal, there’s no flies on England’s Warner; and he isn’t reconciliated much.”“My learned friend,” said Moon, getting elaborately to his feet, “must remember that the science of shooting Dr.Warner is in its infancy.Dr.Warner would strike the idlest eye as one specially difficult to startle into any recognition of the glory of God
[ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
Tematy
IndexChester D Campbell [Greg McKe The Marathon Murders (epub)
Chester Himes Il Pleut des Coups Durs
Chesterton Gilbert Keith Autobiografia(1)
Chesterton The Return of Don Quixote
Chesterton G.K. Eugenika i inne
Chesterton The Flying Inn
Ostrovsky Victor Drugie oblicze zdrady
Włodzimierz Bednarski Pismo ÂŚwięte a nauka ÂŚwiadków Jehowy
Kimie Hara Cold War Frontiers in the Asia Pacific, Divided Territories in the San Francisco System (2006)
POLO MARCO OPISANIE ÂŚWIATA