第5章

"Youhaveamotiveforkillinghim，"saidFisher。

Thedukecontinuedtostare，butheseemedunabletospeak。

"Ihopeyouhadamotiveforkillinghim，"continuedFisher，mildly。"Yousee，it’sratheracurioussituation。

Ifyouhaveamotiveformurdering，youprobablydidn’tmurder。Butifyouhadn’tanymotive，why，thenperhaps，youdid。"

"Whatonearthareyoutalkingabout？"demandedtheduke，violently。

"It’squitesimple，"saidFisher。"Whenyouwentacrosshewaseitheraliveordead。Ifhewasalive，itmightbeyouwhokilledhim，orwhyshouldyouhaveheldyourtongueabouthisdeath？Butifhewasdead，andyouhadareasonforkillinghim，youmighthaveheldyourtongueforfearofbeingaccused。"Thenafterasilenceheadded，abstractedly："Cyprusisabeautifulplace，Ibelieve。Romanticsceneryandromanticpeople。Veryintoxicatingforayoungman。"

Thedukesuddenlyclenchedhishandsandsaid，thickly，"Well，Ihadamotive。"

"Thenyou’reallright，"saidFisher，holdingouthishandwithanairofhugerelief。"Iwasprettysureyouwouldn’treallydoit;youhadafrightwhenyousawitdone，aswasonlynatural。Likeabaddreamcometrue，wasn’tit？"

Whilethiscuriousconversationwaspassing，Harkerhadgoneintothehouse，disregardingthedemonstrationsofthesulkynephew，andcamebackpresentlywithanewairofanimationandasheafofpapersinhishand。

"I’vetelephonedforthepolice，"hesaid，stoppingtospeaktoFisher，"butIthinkI’vedonemostoftheirworkforthem。IbelieveI’vefoundoutthetruth。

There’sapaperhere——"Hestopped，forFisherwaslookingathimwithasingularexpression;anditwasFisherwhospokenext：

"Arethereanypapersthatarenotthere，I

wonder？Imeanthatarenottherenow？"Afterapauseheadded："Letushavethecardsonthetable。

Whenyouwentthroughhispapersinsuchahurry，Harker，weren’tyoulookingforsomethingto——tomakesureitshouldn’tbefound？"

Harkerdidnotturnaredhaironhishardhead，buthelookedattheotheroutofthecornersofhiseyes。

"AndIsuppose，"wentonFisher，smoothly，"thatiswhyyou，too，toldusliesabouthavingfoundHookalive。Youknewtherewassomethingtoshowthatyoumighthavekilledhim，andyoudidn’tdaretellushewaskilled。But，believeme，it’smuchbettertobehonestnow。"

Harker’shaggardfacesuddenlylitupasifwithinfernalflames。

"Honest，"hecried，"it’snotsodamnedfineofyoufellowstobehonest。You’reallbornwithsilverspoonsinyourmouths，andthenyouswaggeraboutwitheverlastingvirtuebecauseyouhaven’tgototherpeople’sspoonsinyourpockets。ButIwasborninaPimlicolodginghouseandIhadtomakemyspoon，andthere’dbeplentytosayIonlyspoiledahornoranhonestman。Andifastrugglingmanstaggersabitoverthelineinhisyouth，inthelowerpartsofthelawwhichareprettydingy，anyhow，there’salwayssomeoldvampiretohangontohimallhislifeforit。"

"GuatemalanGolcondas，wasn’tit？"saidFisher，sympathetically。

Harkersuddenlyshuddered。Thenhesaid，"I

believeyoumustknoweverything，likeGodAlmighty。"

"Iknowtoomuch，"saidHorneFisher，"andallthewrongthings。"

Theotherthreemenweredrawingnearertothem，butbeforetheycametoonear，Harkersaid，inavoicethathadrecoveredallitsfirmness：

"Yes，Ididdestroyapaper，butIreallydidfindapaper，too;andIbelievethatitclearsusall。"

"Verywell，"saidFisher，inalouderandmorecheerfultone;"letusallhavethebenefitofit。"

"OntheverytopofSirIsaac’spapers，"explainedHarker，"therewasathreateningletterfromamannamedHugo。Itthreatenstokillourunfortunatefriendverymuchinthewaythathewasactuallykilled。Itisawildletter，fulloftaunts;youcanseeitforyourselves;butitmakesaparticularpointofpoorHook’shabitoffishingfromtheisland。Aboveall，themanprofessestobewritingfromaboat。And，sincewealonewentacrosstohim，"andhesmiledinaratheruglyfashion，"thecrimemusthavebeencommittedbyamanpassinginaboat。"

"Why，dearme！"criedtheduke，withsomethingalmostamountingtoanimation。"Why，IrememberthemancalledHugoquitewell！HewasasortofbodyservantandbodyguardofSirIsaac。Yousee，SirIsaacwasinsomefearofassault。Hewas——hewasnotverypopularwithseveralpeople。Hugowasdischargedaftersomeroworother;butIrememberhimwell。

HewasagreatbigHungarianfellowwithgreatmustachesthatstoodoutoneachsideofhisface。"

AdooropenedinthedarknessofHaroldMarch’smemory，or，rather，oblivion，andshowedashininglandscape，likethatofalostdream。Itwasratherawaterscapethanalandscape，athingoffloodedmeadowsandlowtreesandthedarkarchwayofabridge。Andforoneinstanthesawagainthemanwithmustacheslikedarkhornsleapupontothebridgeanddisappear。

"Goodheavens！"hecried。"Why，Imetthemurdererthismorning！"

HorneFisherandHaroldMarchhadtheirdayontheriver，afterall，forthelittlegroupbrokeupwhenthepolicearrived。TheydeclaredthatthecoincidenceofMarch’sevidencehadclearedthewholecompany，andclinchedthecaseagainsttheflyingHugo。

WhetherthatHungarianfugitivewouldeverbecaughtappearedtoHorneFishertobehighlydoubtful;norcanitbepretendedthathedisplayedanyverydemoniacdetectiveenergyinthematterasheleanedbackintheboatcushions，smoking，andwatchingtheswayingreedsslidepast。

"Itwasaverygoodnotiontohopupontothebridge，"hesaid。"Anemptyboatmeansverylittle;hehasn’tbeenseentolandoneitherbank，andhe’swalkedoffthebridgewithoutwalkingontoit，sotospeak。He’sgottwenty—fourhours’start;hismustacheswilldisappear，andthenhewilldisappear。

Ithinkthereiseveryhopeofhisescape。"

"Hope？"repeatedMarch，andstoppedscullingforaninstant。

"Yes，hope，"repeatedtheother。"Tobeginwith，I’mnotgoingtobeexactlyconsumedwithCorsicanrevengebecausesomebodyhaskilledHook。PerhapsyoumayguessbythistimewhatHookwas。A

damnedblood—suckingblackmailerwasthatsimple，strenuous，self—madecaptainofindustry。Hehadsecretsagainstnearlyeverybody;oneagainstpooroldWestmorelandaboutanearlymarriageinCyprusthatmighthaveputtheduchessinaqueerposition;

andoneagainstHarkeraboutsomeflutterwithhisclient’smoneywhenhewasayoungsolicitor。That’swhytheywenttopieceswhentheyfoundhimmurdered，ofcourse。Theyfeltasifthey’ddoneitinadream。ButIadmitIhaveanotherreasonfornotwantingourHungarianfriendactuallyhangedforthemurder。"

"Andwhatisthat？"askedhisfriend。

"Onlythathedidn’tcommitthemurder，"answeredFisher。

HaroldMarchlaiddowntheoarsandlettheboatdriftforamoment。

"Doyouknow，Iwashalfexpectingsomethinglikethat，"hesaid。"Itwasquiteirrational，butitwashangingaboutintheatmosphere，likethunderintheair。"

"Onthecontrary，it’sfindingHugoguiltythat’sirrational，"repliedFisher。"Don’tyouseethatthey’recondemninghimfortheveryreasonforwhichtheyacquiteverybodyelse？HarkerandWestmorelandweresilentbecausetheyfoundhimmurdered，andknewtherewerepapersthatmadethemlooklikethemurderers。Well，sodidHugofindhimmurdered，andsodidHugoknowtherewasapaperthatwouldmakehimlooklikethemurderer。Hehadwrittenithimselfthedaybefore。"

"Butinthatcase，"saidMarch，frowning，"atwhatsortofunearthlyhourinthemorningwasthemurderreallycommitted？ItwasbarelydaylightwhenImethimatthebridge，andthat’ssomewayabovetheisland。"

"Theanswerisverysimple，"repliedFisher。"Thecrimewasnotcommittedinthemorning。Thecrimewasnotcommittedontheisland。"

Marchstaredattheshiningwaterwithoutreplying，butFisherresumedlikeonewhohadbeenaskedaquestion：

"Everyintelligentmurderinvolvestakingadvantageofsomeoneuncommonfeatureinacommonsituation。ThefeatureherewasthefancyofoldHookforbeingthefirstmanupeverymorning，hisfixedroutineasanangler，andhisannoyanceatbeingdisturbed。Themurdererstrangledhiminhisownhouseafterdinneronthenightbefore，carriedhiscorpse，withallhisfishingtackle，acrossthestreaminthedeadofnight，tiedhimtothetree，andlefthimthereunderthestars。Itwasadeadmanwhosatfishingthereallday。Thenthemurdererwentbacktothehouse，or，rather，tothegarage，andwentoffinhismotorcar。Themurdererdrovehisownmotorcar。"

Fisherglancedathisfriend’sfaceandwenton。

"Youlookhorrified，andthethingishorrible。Butotherthingsarehorrible，too。Ifsomeobscuremanhadbeenhag—riddenbyablackmailerandhadhisfamilyliferuined，youwouldn’tthinkthemurderofhispersecutorthemostinexcusableofmurders。Isitanyworsewhenawholegreatnationissetfreeaswellasafamily？BythiswarningtoSwedenweshallprobablypreventwarandnotprecipitateit，andsavemanythousandlivesrathermorevaluablethanthelifeofthatviper。Oh，I’mnottalkingsophistryorseriouslyjustifyingthething，buttheslaverythatheldhimandhiscountrywasathousandtimeslessjustifiable。IfI’dreallybeensharpIshouldhaveguesseditfromhissmooth，deadlysmilingatdinnerthatnight。DoyourememberthatsillytalkabouthowoldIsaaccouldalwaysplayhisfish？Inaprettyhellishsensehewasafisherofmen。"

HaroldMarchtooktheoarsandbegantorowagain。

"Iremember，"hesaid，"andabouthowabigfishmightbreakthelineandgetaway。"

VI。THEHOLEINTHEWALL

Twomen，theoneanarchitectandtheotheranarchaeologist，metonthestepsofthegreathouseatPrior’sPark;andtheirhost，LordBulmer，inhisbreezyway，thoughtitnaturaltointroducethem。Itmustbeconfessedthathewashazyaswellasbreezy，andhadnoveryclearconnectioninhismind，beyondthesensethatanarchitectandanarchaeologistbeginwiththesameseriesofletters。Theworldmustremaininareverentdoubtastowhetherhewould，onthesameprinciples，havepresentedadiplomatisttoadipsomaniacoraratiocinatortoaratcatcher。Hewasabig，fair，bull—neckedyoungman，aboundinginoutwardgestures，unconsciouslyflappinghisglovesandflourishinghisstick。

"Youtwooughttohavesomethingtotalkabout，"

hesaid，cheerfully。"Oldbuildingsandallthatsortofthing;thisisratheranoldbuilding，bytheway，thoughIsayitwhoshouldn’t。Imustaskyoutoexcusemeamoment;I’vegottogoandseeaboutthecardsforthisChristmasrompmysister’sarranging。Wehopetoseeyouallthere，ofcourse。Julietwantsittobeafancy—dressaffair——abbotsandcrusadersandallthat。

Myancestors，Isuppose，afterall。"

"Itrusttheabbotwasnotanancestor，"saidthearchaeologicalgentleman，withasmile。

"Onlyasortofgreat—uncle，Iimagine，"answeredtheother，laughing;thenhisratherramblingeyerolledroundtheorderedlandscapeinfrontofthehouse;anartificialsheetofwaterornamentedwithanantiquatednymphinthecenterandsurroundedbyaparkoftalltreesnowgrayandblackandfrosty，foritwasinthedepthofaseverewinter。

"It’sgettingjollycold，"hislordshipcontinued。"Mysisterhopesweshallhavesomeskatingaswellasdancing。"

"Ifthecrusaderscomeinfullarmor，"saidtheother，"youmustbecarefulnottodrownyourancestors。"

"Oh，there’snofearofthat，"answeredBulmer;

"thispreciouslakeofoursisnottwofeetdeepanywhere。"Andwithoneofhisflourishinggestureshestuckhisstickintothewatertodemonstrateitsshallowness。Theycouldseetheshortendbentinthewater，sothatheseemedforamomenttoleanhislargeweightonabreakingstaff。

"Theworstyoucanexpectistoseeanabbotsitdownrathersuddenly，"headded，turningaway。

"Well，aurevoir;I’llletyouknowaboutitlater。"

Thearchaeologistandthearchitectwereleftonthegreatstonestepssmilingateachother;

butwhatevertheircommoninterests，theypresentedaconsiderablepersonalcontrast，andthefancifulmightevenhavefoundsomecontradictionineachconsideredindividually。Theformer，aMr。

JamesHaddow，camefromadrowsydenintheInnsofCourt，fullofleatherandparchment，forthelawwashisprofessionandhistoryonlyhishobby;hewasindeed，amongotherthings，thesolicitorandagentofthePrior’sParkestate。Buthehimselfwasfarfromdrowsyandseemedremarkablywideawake，withshrewdandprominentblueeyes，andredhairbrushedasneatlyashisveryneatcostume。Thelatter，whosenamewasLeonardCrane，camestraightfromacrudeandalmostcockneyofficeofbuildersandhouseagentsintheneighboringsuburb，sunningitselfattheendofanewrowofjerry—builthouseswithplansinverybrightcolorsandnoticesinverylargeletters。Butaseriousobserver，atasecondglance，mighthaveseeninhiseyessomethingofthatshiningsleepthatiscalledvision;andhisyellowhair，whilenotaffectedlylong，wasunaffectedlyuntidy。

Itwasamanifestifmelancholytruththatthearchitectwasanartist。Buttheartistictemperamentwasfarfromexplaininghim;therewassomethingelseabouthimthatwasnotdefinable，butwhichsomeevenfelttobedangerous。

Despitehisdreaminess，hewouldsometimessurprisehisfriendswithartsandevensportsapartfromhisordinarylife，likememoriesofsomepreviousexistence。Onthisoccasion，nevertheless，hehastenedtodisclaimanyauthorityontheotherman’shobby。

"Imustn’tappearonfalsepretences，"hesaid，withasmile。"Ihardlyevenknowwhatanarchaeologistis，exceptthataratherrustyremnantofGreeksuggeststhatheisamanwhostudiesoldthings。"

"Yes，"repliedHaddow，grimly。"Anarchaeologistisamanwhostudiesoldthingsandfindstheyarenew。"

Cranelookedathimsteadilyforamomentandthensmiledagain。

"Dareonesuggest，"hesaid，"thatsomeofthethingswehavebeentalkingaboutareamongtheoldthingsthatturnoutnottobeold？"

Hiscompanionalsowassilentforamoment，andthesmileonhisruggedfacewasfainterashereplied，quietly：

"Thewallroundtheparkisreallyold。TheonegateinitisGothic，andIcannotfindanytraceofdestructionorrestoration。Butthehouseandtheestategenerally——welltheromanticideasreadintothesethingsareoftenratherrecentromances，thingsalmostlikefashionablenovels。Forinstance，theverynameofthisplace，Prior’sPark，makeseverybodythinkofitasamoonlitmediaevalabbey;I

daresaythespiritualistsbythistimehavediscoveredtheghostofamonkthere。But，accordingtotheonlyauthoritativestudyofthematterIcanfind，theplacewassimplycalledPrior’sasanyruralplaceiscalledPodger’s。ItwasthehouseofaMr。Prior，afarmhouse，probably，thatstoodhereatsometimeorotherandwasalocallandmark。Oh，thereareagreatmanyexamplesofthesamething，hereandeverywhereelse。Thissuburbofoursusedtobeavillage，andbecausesomeofthepeopleslurredthenameandpronounceditHolliwell，manyaminorpoetindulgedinfanciesaboutaHolyWell，withspellsandfairiesandalltherestofit，fillingthesuburbandrawing—roomswiththeCeltictwilight。Whereasanyoneacquaintedwiththefactsknowsthat’Hollinwall’simplymeans’theholeinthewall，’andprobablyreferredtosomequitetrivialaccident。

That’swhatImeanwhenIsaythatwedon’tsomuchfindoldthingsaswefindnewones。"

Craneseemedtohavegrownsomewhatinattentivetothelittlelectureonantiquitiesandnovelties，andthecauseofhisrestlessnesswassoonapparent，andindeedapproaching。LordBulmer’ssister，JulietBray，wascomingslowlyacrossthelawn，accompaniedbyonegentlemanandfollowedbytwoothers。Theyoungarchitectwasintheillogicalconditionofmindinwhichhepreferredthreetoone。

ThemanwalkingwiththeladywasnootherthantheeminentPrinceBorodino，whowasatleastasfamousasadistinguisheddiplomatistoughttobe，intheinterestsofwhatiscalledsecretdiplomacy。HehadbeenpayingaroundofvisitsatvariousEnglishcountryhouses，andexactlywhathewasdoingfordiplomacyatPrior’sParkwasasmuchasecretasanydiplomatistcoulddesire。Theobviousthingtosayofhisappearancewasthathewouldhavebeenextremelyhandsomeifhehadnotbeenentirelybald。

But，indeed，thatwoulditselfbearatherbaldwayofputtingit。Fantasticasitsounds，itwouldfitthecasebettertosaythatpeoplewouldhavebeensurprisedtoseehairgrowingonhim;assurprisedasiftheyhadfoundhairgrowingonthebustofaRomanemperor。Histallfigurewasbuttonedupinatight—waistedfashionthatratheraccentuatedhispotentialbulk，andheworearedflowerinhisbuttonhole。Ofthetwomenwalkingbehindonewasalsobald，butinamorepartialandalsoamoreprematurefashion，forhisdroopingmustachewasstillyellow，andifhiseyesweresomewhatheavyitwaswithlanguorandnotwithage。ItwasHorneFisher，andhewastalkingaseasilyandidlyabouteverythingashealwaysdid。Hisalwaysdid。Hiscompanionwasamorestriking，andevenmorecompanionwasamorestriking，andevenmoresinister，figure，andhehadtheaddedimportanceofbeingLordBulmer’soldestandmostintimatefriend。

HewasgenerallyknownwithaseveresimplicityasMr。Brain;butitwasunderstoodthathehadbeenajudgeandpoliceofficialinIndia，andthathehadenemies，whohadrepresentedhismeasuresagainstcrimeasthemselvesalmostcriminal。Hewasabrownskeletonofamanwithdark，deep，sunkeneyesandablackmustachethathidthemeaningofhismouth。Thoughhehadthelookofonewastedbysometropicaldisease，hismovementsweremuchmorealertthanthoseofhisloungingcompanion。

"It’sallsettled，"announcedthelady，withgreatanimation，whentheycamewithinhailingdistance。

"You’veallgottoputonmasqueradethingsandverylikelyskatesaswell，thoughtheprincesaystheydon’tgowithit;butwedon’tcareaboutthat。It’sfreezingalready，andwedon’toftengetsuchachanceinEngland。"

"EveninIndiawedon’texactlyskatealltheyearround，"observedMr。Brain。

"AndevenItalyisnotprimarilyassociatedwithice，"saidtheItalian。

"Italyisprimarilyassociatedwithices，"remarkedMr。HorneFisher。"Imeanwithicecreammen。

MostpeopleinthiscountryimaginethatItalyisentirelypopulatedwithicecreammenandorgangrinders。Therecertainlyarealotofthem;perhapsthey’reaninvadingarmyindisguise。"

"Howdoyouknowtheyarenotthesecretemissariesofourdiplomacy？"askedtheprince，withaslightlyscornfulsmile。"Anarmyoforgangrindersmightpickuphints，andtheirmonkeysmightpickupallsortofthings。"

"Theorgansareorganizedinfact，"saidtheflippantMr。Fisher。"Well，I’veknownitprettycoldbeforenowinItalyandeveninIndia，upontheHimalayanslopes。Theiceonourownlittleroundpondwillbequitecozybycomparison。"

JulietBraywasanattractiveladywithdarkhairandeyebrowsanddancingeyes，andtherewasagenialityandevengenerosityinherratherimperiousways。Inmostmattersshecouldcommandherbrother，thoughthatnobleman，likemanyothermenofvagueideas，wasnotwithoutatouchofthebullywhenhewasatbay。Shecouldcertainlycommandherguests，eventotheextentofdeckingoutthemostrespectableandreluctantofthemwithhermediaevalmasquerade。Anditreallyseemedasifshecouldcommandtheelementsalso，likeawitch。Fortheweathersteadilyhardenedandsharpened;thatnighttheiceofthelake，glimmeringinthemoonlight，waslikeamarblefloor，andtheyhadbeguntodanceandskateonitbeforeitwasdark。

Prior’sPark，or，moreproperly，thesurroundingdistrictofHolinwall，wasacountryseatthathadbecomeasuburb;havingoncehadonlyadependentvillageatitsdoors，itnowfoundoutsideallitsdoorsthesignalsoftheexpansionofLondon。Mr。Haddow，whowasengagedinhistoricalresearchesbothinthelibraryandthelocality，couldfindlittleassistanceinthelatter。Hehadalreadyrealized，fromthedocuments，thatPrior’sParkhadoriginallybeensomethinglikePrior’sFarm，namedaftersomelocalfigure，butthenewsocialconditionswereallagainsthistracingthestorybyitstraditions。Hadanyoftherealrusticsremained，hewouldprobablyhavefoundsomelingeringlegendofMr。Prior，howeverremotehemightbe。Butthenewnomadicpopulationofclerksandartisans，constantlyshiftingtheirhomesfromonesuburbtoanother，ortheirchildrenfromoneschooltoanother，couldhavenocorporatecontinuity。

Theyhadallthatforgetfulnessofhistorythatgoeseverywherewiththeextensionofeducation。

Nevertheless，whenhecameoutofthelibrarynextmorningandsawthewintrytreesstandingroundthefrozenpondlikeablackforest，hefelthemightwellhavebeenfarinthedepthsofthecountry。

Theoldwallrunningroundtheparkkeptthatinclosureitselfstillentirelyruralandromantic，andonecouldeasilyimaginethatthedepthsofthatdarkforestfadedawayindefinitelyintodistantvalesandhills。Thegrayandblackandsilverofthewintrywoodwereallthemoresevereorsomberasacontrasttothecoloredcarnivalgroupsthatalreadystoodonandaroundthefrozenpool。Forthehousepartyhadalreadyflungthemselvesimpatientlyintofancydress，andthelawyer，withhisneatblacksuitandredhair，wastheonlymodernfigureamongthem。

"Aren’tyougoingtodressup？"askedJuliet，indignantlyshakingathimahornedandtoweringblueheaddressofthefourteenthcenturywhichframedherfaceverybecomingly，fantasticasitwas。

"EverybodyherehastobeintheMiddleAges。EvenMr。Brainhasputonasortofbrowndressinggownandsayshe’samonk;andMr。Fishergotholdofsomeoldpotatosacksinthekitchenandsewedthemtogether;he’ssupposedtobeamonk，too。Astotheprince，he’sperfectlyglorious，ingreatcrimsonrobesasacardinal。Helooksasifhecouldpoisoneverybody。Yousimplymustbesomething。"

"Iwillbesomethinglaterintheday，"hereplied。

"AtpresentIamnothingbutanantiquaryandanattorney。Ihavetoseeyourbrotherpresently，aboutsomelegalbusinessandalsosomelocalinvestigationsheaskedmetomake。ImustlookalittlelikeastewardwhenIgiveanaccountofmystewardship。"

"Oh，butmybrotherhasdressedup！"criedthegirl。"Verymuchso。Noend，ifImaysayso。Whyhe’sbearingdownonyounowinallhisglory。"

Thenoblelordwasindeedmarchingtowardtheminamagnificentsixteenth—centurycostumeofpurpleandgold，withagold—hiltedswordandaplumedcap，andmannerstomatch。Indeed，therewassomethingmorethanhisusualexpansivenessofbodilyactioninhisappearanceatthatmoment。Italmostseemed，sotospeak，thattheplumesonhishathadgonetohishead。Heflappedhisgreat，gold—linedcloaklikethewingsofafairykinginapantomime;heevendrewhisswordwithaflourishandwaveditaboutashedidhiswalkingstick。Inthelightofaftereventsthereseemedtobesomethingmonstrousandominousaboutthatexuberance，somethingofthespiritthatiscalledfey。Atthetimeitmerelycrossedafewpeople’smindsthathemightpossiblybedrunk。

AshestrodetowardhissisterthefirstfigurehepassedwasthatofLeonardCrane，cladinLincolngreen，withthehornandbaldrickandswordappropriatetoRobinHood;forhewasstandingnearesttothelady，where，indeed，hemighthavebeenfoundduringadisproportionatepartofthetime。

Hehaddisplayedoneofhisburiedtalentsinthematterofskating，andnowthattheskatingwasoverseemeddisposedtoprolongthepartnership。TheboisterousBulmerplayfullymadeapassathimwithhisdrawnsword，goingforwardwiththelungeintheproperfencingfashion，andmakingasomewhattoofamiliarShakespeareanquotationaboutarodentandaVenetiancoin。

ProbablyinCranealsotherewasasubduedexcitementjustthen;anyhow，inoneflashhehaddrawnhisownswordandparried;andthensuddenly，tothesurpriseofeveryone，Bulmer’sweaponseemedtospringoutofhishandintotheairandrolledawayontheringingice。

"Well，Inever！"saidthelady，asifwithjustifiableindignation。"Younevertoldmeyoucouldfence，too。"

Bulmerputuphisswordwithanairratherbewilderedthanannoyed，whichincreasedtheimpressionofsomethingirresponsibleinhismoodatthemoment;thenheturnedratherabruptlytohislawyer，saying：

"Wecansettleupabouttheestateafterdinner;

I’vemissednearlyalltheskatingasitis，andIdoubtiftheicewillholdtillto—morrownight。IthinkIshallgetupearlyandhaveaspinbymyself。"

"Youwon’tbedisturbedwithmycompany，"saidHorneFisher，inhiswearyfashion。"IfIhavetobeginthedaywithice，intheAmericanfashion，I

preferitinsmallerquantities。ButnoearlyhoursformeinDecember。Theearlybirdcatchesthecold。"

"Oh，Isha’n’tdieofcatchingacold，"answeredBulmer，andlaughed。

Aconsiderablegroupoftheskatingpartyhadconsistedoftheguestsstayingatthehouse，andtheresthadtailedoffintwosandthreessometimebeforemostoftheguestsbegantoretireforthenight。Neighbors，alwaysinvitedtoPrior’sParkonsuchoccasions，wentbacktotheirownhousesinmotorsoronfoot;thelegalandarcheoologicalgentlemanhadreturnedtotheInnsofCourtbyalatetrain，togetapapercalledforduringhisconsultationwithhisclient;andmostoftheotherguestsweredriftingandlingeringatvariousstagesontheirwayuptobed。HorneFisher，asiftodeprivehimselfofanyexcuseforhisrefusalofearlyrising，hadbeenthefirsttoretiretohisroom;but，sleepyashelooked，hecouldnotsleep。Hehadpickedupfromatablethebookofantiquariantopography，inwhichHaddowhadfoundhisfirsthintsabouttheoriginofthelocalname，and，beingamanwithaquietandquaintcapacityforbeinginterestedinanything，hebegantoreaditsteadily，makingnotesnowandthenofdetailsonwhichhispreviousreadinglefthimwithacertaindoubtabouthispresentconclusions。Hisroomwastheonenearesttothelakeinthecenterofthewoods，andwasthereforethequietest，andnoneofthelastechoesoftheevening’sfestivitycouldreachhim。HehadfollowedcarefullytheargumentwhichestablishedthederivationfromMr。Prior’sfarmandtheholeinthewall，anddisposedofanyfashionablefancyaboutmonksandmagicwells，whenhebegantobeconsciousofanoiseaudibleinthefrozensilenceofthenight。Itwasnotaparticularlyloudnoise，butitseemedtoconsistofaseriesofthudsorheavyblows，suchasmightbestruckonawoodendoorbyamanseekingtoenter。Theywerefollowedbysomethinglikeafaintcreakorcrack，asiftheobstaclehadeitherbeenopenedorhadgivenway。

Heopenedhisownbedroomdoorandlistened，butasheheardtalkandlaughteralloverthelowerfloors，hehadnoreasontofearthatasummonswouldbeneglectedorthehouseleftwithoutprotection。Hewenttohisopenwindow，lookingoutoverthefrozenpondandthemoonlitstatueinthemiddleoftheircircleofdarklingwoods，andlistenedagain。Butsilencehadreturnedtothatsilentplace，and，afterstraininghisearsforaconsiderabletime，hecouldhearnothingbutthesolitaryhootofadistantdepartingtrain。Thenheremindedhimselfhowmanynamelessnoisescanbeheardbythewakefulduringthemostordinarynight，andshrugginghisshoulders，wentwearilytobed。

Heawokesuddenlyandsatupinbedwithhisearsfilled，aswiththunder，withthethrobbingechoesofarendingcry。Heremainedrigidforamoment，andthensprangoutofbed，throwingontheloosegownofsackinghehadwornallday。Hewentfirsttothewindow，whichwasopen，butcoveredwithathickcurtain，sothathisroomwasstillcompletelydark;butwhenhetossedthecurtainasideandputhisheadout，hesawthatagrayandsilverdaybreakhadalreadyappearedbehindtheblackwoodsthatsurroundedthelittlelake，andthatwasallthathedidsee。Thoughthesoundhadcertainlycomeinthroughtheopenwindowfromthisdirection，thewholescenewasstillandemptyunderthemorninglightasunderthemoonlight。

Thenthelong，ratherlackadaisicalhandhehadlaidonawindowsillgrippedittighter，asiftomasteratremor，andhispeeringblueeyesgrewbleakwithfear。Itmayseemthathisemotionwasexaggeratedandneedless，consideringtheeffortofcommonsensebywhichhehadconqueredhisnervousnessaboutthenoiseonthepreviousnight。Butthathadbeenaverydifferentsortofnoise。Itmighthavebeenmadebyhalfahundredthings，fromthechoppingofwoodtothebreakingofbottles。Therewasonlyonethinginnaturefromwhichcouldcomethesoundthatechoedthroughthedarkhouseatdaybreak。Itwastheawfularticulatevoiceofman;anditwassomethingworse，forheknewwhatman。

Heknewalsothatithadbeenashoutforhelp。Itseemedtohimthathehadheardtheveryword;buttheword，shortasitwas，hadbeenswallowedup，asifthemanhadbeenstifledorsnatchedawayevenashespoke。Onlythemockingreverberationsofitremainedeveninhismemory，buthehadnodoubtoftheoriginalvoice。Hehadnodoubtthatthegreatbull’svoiceofFrancisBray，BaronBulmer，hadbeenheardforthelasttimebetweenthedarknessandtheliftingdawn。

Howlonghestoodthereheneverknew，buthewasstartledintolifebythefirstlivingthingthathesawstirringinthathalf—frozenlandscape。Alongthepathbesidethelake，andimmediatelyunderhiswindow，afigurewaswalkingslowlyandsoftly，butwithgreatcomposure——astatelyfigureinrobesofasplendidscarlet;itwastheItalianprince，stillinhiscardinal’scostume。Mostofthecompanyhadindeedlivedintheircostumesforthelastdayortwo，andFisherhimselfhadassumedhisfrockofsackingasaconvenientdressinggown;butthereseemed，nevertheless，somethingunusuallyfinishedandformal，inthewayofanearlybird，aboutthismagnificentredcockatoo。Itwasasiftheearlybirdhadbeenupallnight。

"Whatisthematter？"hecalled，sharply，leaningoutofthewindow，andtheItalianturneduphisgreatyellowfacelikeamaskofbrass。

"Wehadbetterdiscussitdownstairs，"saidPrinceBorodino。

Fisherrandownstairs，andencounteredthegreat，red—robedfigureenteringthedoorwayandblockingtheentrancewithhisbulk。

"Didyouhearthatcry？"demandedFisher。

"IheardanoiseandIcameout，"answeredthediplomatist，andhisfacewastoodarkintheshadowforitsexpressiontoberead。

"ItwasBulmer’svoice，"insistedFisher。"I’llswearitwasBulmer’svoice。"

"Didyouknowhimwell？"askedtheother。

Thequestionseemedirrelevant，thoughitwasnotillogical，andFishercouldonlyanswerina，randomfashionthatheknewLordBulmeronlyslightly。

"Nobodyseemstohaveknownhimwell，"continuedtheItalian，inleveltones。"NobodyexceptthatmanBrain。BrainisratherolderthanBulmer，butIfancytheysharedagoodmanysecrets。"

Fishermovedabruptly，asifwakingfromamomentarytrance，andsaid，inanewandmorevigorousvoice，"Butlookhere，hadn’twebettergetoutsideandseeifanythinghashappened。"

"Theiceseemstobethawing，"saidtheother，almostwithindifference。

Whentheyemergedfromthehouse，darkstainsandstarsinthegrayfieldoficedidindeedindicatethatthefrostwasbreakingup，astheirhosthadprophesiedthedaybefore，andtheverymemoryofyesterdaybroughtbackthemysteryofto—day。

"Heknewtherewouldbeathaw，"observedtheprince。"Hewentoutskatingquiteearlyonpurpose。

Didhecalloutbecausehelandedinthewater，doyouthink？"

Fisherlookedpuzzled。"Bulmerwasthelastmantobellowlikethatbecausehegothisbootswet。Andthat’sallhecoulddohere;thewaterwouldhardlycomeuptothecalfofamanofhissize。Youcanseetheflatweedsonthefloorofthelake，asifitwerethroughathinpaneofglass。No，ifBulmerhadonlybrokentheicehewouldn’thavesaidmuchatthemoment，thoughpossiblyagooddealafterward。Weshouldhavefoundhimstampinganddamningupanddownthispath，andcallingforcleanboots。"

"Letushopeweshallfindhimashappilyemployed，"remarkedthediplomatist。"Inthatcasethevoicemusthavecomeoutofthewood。"

"I’llswearitdidn’tcomeoutofthehouse，"saidFisher;andthetwodisappearedtogetherintothetwilightofwintrytrees。

Theplantationstooddarkagainstthefierycolorsofsunrise，ablackfringehavingthatfeatheryappearancewhichmakestreeswhentheyarebaretheveryreverseofrugged。Hoursandhoursafterward，whenthesamedense，butdelicate，marginwasdarkagainstthegreenishcolorsoppositethesunset，thesearchthusbegunatsunrisehadnotcometoanend。Bysuccessivestages，andtoslowlygatheringgroupsofthecompany，itbecameapparentthatthemostextraordinaryofallgapshadappearedintheparty;theguestscouldfindnotraceoftheirhostanywhere。Theservantsreportedthathisbedhadbeensleptinandhisskatesandhisfancycostumeweregone，asifhehadrisenearlyforthepurposehehadhimselfavowed。Butfromthetopofthehousetothebottom，fromthewallsroundtheparktothepondinthecenter，therewasnotraceofLordBulmer，deadoralive。HorneFisherrealizedthatachillingpremonitionhadalreadypreventedhimfromexpectingtofindthemanalive。Buthisbaldbrowwaswrinkledoveranentirelynewandunnaturalproblem，innotfindingthemanatall。

HeconsideredthepossibilityofBulmerhavinggoneoffofhisownaccord，forsomereason;butafterfullyweighingithefinallydismissedit。Itwasinconsistentwiththeunmistakablevoiceheardatdaybreak，andwithmanyotherpracticalobstacles。

Therewasonlyonegatewayintheancientandloftywallroundthesmallpark;thelodgekeeperkeptitlockedtilllateinthemorning，andthelodgekeeperhadseennoonepass。Fisherwasfairlysurethathehadbeforehimamathematicalprobleminaninclosedspace。Hisinstincthadbeenfromthefirstsoattunedtothetragedythatitwouldhavebeenalmostarelieftohimtofindthecorpse。Hewouldhavebeengrieved，butnothorrified，tocomeonthenobleman’sbodydanglingfromoneofhisowntreesasfromagibbet，orfloatinginhisownpoollikeapallidweed。Whathorrifiedhimwastofindnothing。

Hesoonbecomeconsciousthathewasnotaloneeveninhismostindividualandisolatedexperiments。

Heoftenfoundafigurefollowinghimlikehisshadow，insilentandalmostsecretclearingsintheplantationoroutlyingnooksandcornersoftheoldwall。Thedark—mustachedmouthwasasmuteasthedeepeyesweremobile，dartingincessantlyhitherandthither，butitwasclearthatBrainoftheIndianpolicehadtakenupthetraillikeanoldhunterafteratiger。

Seeingthathewastheonlypersonalfriendofthevanishedman，thisseemednaturalenough，andFisherresolvedtodealfranklywithhim。

"Thissilenceisratherasocialstrain，"hesaid。

"MayIbreaktheicebytalkingabouttheweather？——which，bytheway，hasalreadybrokentheice。Iknowthatbreakingtheicemightbearathermelancholymetaphorinthiscase。"

"Idon’tthinkso，"repliedBrain，shortly。"Idon’tfancytheicehadmuchtodowithit。Idon’tseehowitcould。"

"Whatwouldyouproposedoing？"askedFisher。

"Well，we’vesentfortheauthorities，ofcourse，butIhopetofindsomethingoutbeforetheycome，"

repliedtheAnglo—Indian。"Ican’tsayIhavemuchhopefrompolicemethodsinthiscountry。Toomuchredtape，habeascorpusandthatsortofthing。Whatwewantistoseethatnobodybolts;thenearestwecouldgettoitwouldbetocollectthecompanyandcountthem，sotospeak。Nobody’sleftlately，exceptthatlawyerwhowaspokingaboutforantiquities。"

"Oh，he’soutofit;heleftlastnight，"answeredtheother。"EighthoursafterBulmer’schauffeursawhislawyeroffbythetrainIheardBulmer’sownvoiceasplainasIhearyoursnow。"

"Isupposeyoudon’tbelieveinspirits？"saidthemanfromIndia。Afterapauseheadded："There’ssomebodyelseIshouldliketofind，beforewegoafterafellowwithanalibiintheInnerTemple。

What’sbecomeofthatfellowingreen——thearchitectdressedupasaforester？Ihaven’tseemhimabout。"

Mr。Brainmanagedtosecurehisassemblyofallthedistractedcompanybeforethearrivalofthepolice。Butwhenhefirstbegantocomentoncemoreontheyoungarchitect’sdelayinputtinginanappearance，hefoundhimselfinthepresenceofaminormystery，andapsychologicaldevelopmentofanentirelyunexpectedkind。

JulietBrayhadconfrontedthecatastropheofherbrother’sdisappearancewithasomberstoicisminwhichtherewas，perhaps，moreparalysisthanpain;

butwhentheotherquestioncametothesurfaceshewasbothagitatedandangry。

"Wedon’twanttojumptoanyconclusionsaboutanybody，"Brainwassayinginhisstaccatostyle。"ButweshouldliketoknowalittlemoreaboutMr。Crane。

Nobodyseemstoknowmuchabouthim，orwherehecomesfrom。AnditseemsasortofcoincidencethatyesterdayheactuallycrossedswordswithpoorBulmer，andcouldhavestuckhim，too，sinceheshowedhimselfthebetterswordsman。Ofcourse，thatmaybeanaccidentandcouldn’tpossiblybecalledacaseagainstanybody;butthenwehaven’tthemeanstomakearealcaseagainstanybody。Tillthepolicecomeweareonlyapackofveryamateursleuthhounds。"

"AndIthinkyou’reapackofsnobs，"saidJuliet。

"BecauseMr。Craneisageniuswho’smadehisownway，youtrytosuggesthe’samurdererwithoutdaringtosayso。Becauseheworeatoyswordandhappenedtoknowhowtouseit，youwantustobelieveheuseditlikeabloodthirstymaniacfornoreasonintheworld。Andbecausehecouldhavehitmybrotheranddidn’t，youdeducethathedid。That’sthesortofwayyouargue。Andasforhishavingdisappeared，you’rewronginthatasyouareineverythingelse，forherehecomes。"

And，indeed，thegreenfigureofthefictitiousRobinHoodslowlydetacheditselffromthegraybackgroundofthetrees，andcametowardthemasshespoke。

Heapproachedthegroupslowly，butwithcomposure;buthewasdecidedlypale，andtheeyesofBrainandFisherhadalreadytakeninonedetailofthegreen—cladfiguremoreclearlythanalltherest。

Thehornstillswungfromhisbaldrick，buttheswordwasgone。

Rathertothesurpriseofthecompany，Braindidnotfollowupthequestionthussuggested;but，whileretaininganairofleadingtheinquiry，hadalsoanappearanceofchangingthesubject。

"Nowwe’reallassembled，"heobserved，quietly，"thereisaquestionIwanttoasktobeginwith。DidanybodyhereactuallyseeLordBulmerthismorning？"

LeonardCraneturnedhispalefaceroundthecircleoffacestillhecametoJuliet’s;thenhecompressedhislipsalittleandsaid：

"Yes，Isawhim。"

"Washealiveandwell？"askedBrain，quickly。

"Howwashedressed？"

"Heappearedexceedinglywell，"repliedCrane，withacuriousintonation。"Hewasdressedashewasyesterday，inthatpurplecostumecopiedfromtheportraitofhisancestorinthesixteenthcentury。Hehadhisskatesinhishand。"

"Andhisswordathisside，Isuppose，"addedthequestioner。"Whereisyourownsword，Mr。Crane？"

"Ithrewitaway。"

Inthesingularsilencethatensued，thetrainofthoughtinmanymindsbecameinvoluntarilyaseriesofcoloredpictures。

Theyhadgrownusedtotheirfancifulgarmentslookingmoregayandgorgeousagainstthedarkgrayandstreakysilveroftheforest，sothatthemovingfiguresglowedlikestained—glasssaintswalking。Theeffecthadbeenmorefittingbecausesomanyofthemhadidlyparodiedpontificalormonasticdress。Butthemostarrestingattitudethatremainedintheirmemorieshadbeenanythingbutmerelymonastic;

thatofthemomentwhenthefigureinbrightgreenandtheotherinvividviolethadforamomentmadeasilvercrossoftheircrossingswords。Evenwhenitwasajestithadbeensomethingofadrama;anditwasastrangeandsinisterthoughtthatinthegraydaybreakthesamefiguresinthesameposturemighthavebeenrepeatedasatragedy。

"Didyouquarrelwithhim？"askedBrain，suddenly。

"Yes，"repliedtheimmovablemaningreen。"Orhequarreledwithme。"

"Whydidhequarrelwithyou？"askedtheinvestigator;andLeonardCranemadenoreply。

HorneFisher，curiouslyenough，hadonlygivenhalfhisattentiontothiscrucialcross—examination。Hisheavy—liddedeyeshadlanguidlyfollowedthefigureofPrinceBorodino，whoatthisstagehadstrolledawaytowardthefringeofthewood;and，afterapause，asofmeditation，haddisappearedintothedarknessofthetrees。

HewasrecalledfromhisirrelevancebythevoiceofJulietBray，whichrangoutwithanaltogethernewnoteofdecision：

"Ifthatisthedifficulty，ithadbestbeclearedup。

IamengagedtoMr。Crane，andwhenwetoldmybrotherhedidnotapproveofit;thatisall。"

NeitherBrainnorFisherexhibitedanysurprise，buttheformeradded，quietly：

"Except，Isuppose，thatheandyourbrotherwentoffintothewoodtodiscussit，whereMr。Cranemislaidhissword，nottomentionhiscompanion。"

"AndmayIask，"inquiredCrane，withacertainflickerofmockerypassingoverhispallidfeatures，"whatIamsupposedtohavedonewitheitherofthem？LetusadoptthecheerfulthesisthatI

amamurderer;ithasyettobeshownthatIamamagician。IfIranyourunfortunatefriendthroughthebody，whatdidIdowiththebody？DidIhaveitcarriedawaybysevenflyingdragons，orwasitmerelyatriflingmatterofturningitintoamilk—whitehind？"

"Itisnooccasionforsneering，"saidtheAnglo—Indianjudge，withabruptauthority。"Itdoesn’tmakeitlookbetterforyouthatyoucanjokeabouttheloss。"

Fisher’sdreamy，andevendreary，eyewasstillontheedgeofthewoodbehind，andhebecameconsciousofmassesofdarkred，likeastormysunsetcloud，glowingthroughthegraynetworkofthethintrees，andtheprinceinhiscardinal’srobesreemergedontothepathway。Brainhadhadhalfanotionthattheprincemighthavegonetolookforthelostrapier。Butwhenhereappearedhewascarryinginhishand，notasword，butanax。

Theincongruitybetweenthemasqueradeandthemysteryhadcreatedacuriouspsychologicalatmosphere。Atfirsttheyhadallfelthorriblyashamedatbeingcaughtinthefoolishdisguisesofafestival，byaneventthathadonlytoomuchthecharacterofafuneral。Manyofthemwouldhavealreadygonebackanddressedinclothesthatweremorefunerealoratleastmoreformal。Butsomehowatthemomentthisseemedlikeasecondmasquerade，moreartificialandfrivolousthanthefirst。Andastheyreconciledthemselvestotheirridiculoustrappings，acurioussensationhadcomeoversomeofthem，notablyoverthemoresensitive，likeCraneandFisherandJuliet，butinsomedegreeovereverybodyexceptthepracticalMr。Brain。Itwasalmostasiftheyweretheghostsoftheirownancestorshauntingthatdarkwoodanddismallake，andplayingsomeoldpartthattheyonlyhalfremembered。Themovementsofthosecoloredfiguresseemedtomeansomethingthathadbeensettledlongbefore，likeasilentheraldry。Acts，attitudes，externalobjects，wereacceptedasanallegoryevenwithoutthekey;andtheyknewwhenacrisishadcome，whentheydidnotknowwhatitwas。

Andsomehowtheyknewsubconsciouslythatthewholetalehadtakenanewandterribleturn，whentheysawtheprincestandinthegapofthegaunttrees，inhisrobesofangrycrimsonandwithhisloweringfaceofbronze，bearinginhishandanewshapeofdeath。Theycouldnothavenamedareason，butthetwoswordsseemedindeedtohavebecometoyswordsandthewholetaleofthembrokenandtossedawaylikeatoy。BorodinolookedliketheOldWorldheadsman，cladinterriblered，andcarryingtheaxfortheexecutionofthecriminal。AndthecriminalwasnotCrane。

Mr。BrainoftheIndianpolicewasglaringatthenewobject，anditwasamomentortwobeforehespoke，harshlyandalmosthoarsely。

"Whatareyoudoingwiththat？"heasked。"Seemstobeawoodman’schopper。"

"Anaturalassociationofideas，"observedHorneFisher。"Ifyoumeetacatinawoodyouthinkit’sawildcat，thoughitmayhavejuststrolledfromthedrawing—roomsofa。Asamatteroffact，Ihappentoknowthatisnotthewoodman’schopper。It’sthekitchenchopper，ormeatax，orsomethinglikethat，thatsomebodyhasthrownawayinthewood。IsawitinthekitchenmyselfwhenIwasgettingthepotatosackswithwhichIreconstructedamediaevalhermit。"

"Allthesame，itisnotwithoutinterest，"remarkedtheprince，holdingouttheinstrumenttoFisher，whotookitandexamineditcarefully。"Abutcher’scleaverthathasdonebutcher’swork。"

"Itwascertainlytheinstrumentofthecrime，"

assentedFisher，inalowvoice。

Brainwasstaringatthedullbluegleamoftheaxheadwithfierceandfascinatedeyes。"Idon’tunderstandyou，"hesaid。"Thereisno——therearenomarksonit。"

"Ithasshednoblood，"answeredFisher，"butforallthatithascommittedacrime。Thisisasnearasthecriminalcametothecrimewhenhecommittedit。"

"Whatdoyoumean？"

"Hewasnottherewhenhedidit，"explainedFisher。"It’sapoorsortofmurdererwhocan’tmurderpeoplewhenheisn’tthere。"

"Youseemtobetalkingmerelyforthesakeofmystification，"saidBrain。"Ifyouhaveanypracticaladvicetogiveyoumightaswellmakeitintelligible。"

"TheonlypracticaladviceIcansuggest，"saidFisher，thoughtfully，"isalittleresearchintolocaltopographyandnomenclature。TheysaythereusedtobeaMr。Prior，whohadafarminthisneighborhood。IthinksomedetailsaboutthedomesticlifeofthelateMr。Priorwouldthrowalightonthisterriblebusiness。"