第6章

"Andyouhavenothingmoreimmediatethanyourtopographytooffer，"saidBrain，withasneer，"tohelpmeavengemyfriend？"

"Well，"saidFisher，"IshouldfindoutthetruthabouttheHoleintheWall。"

Thatnight，atthecloseofastormytwilightandunderastrongwestwindthatfollowedthebreakingofthefrost，LeonardCranewaswendinghiswayinawildrotatorywalkroundandroundthehigh，continuouswallthatinclosedthelittlewood。Hewasdrivenbyadesperateideaofsolvingforhimselftheriddlethathadcloudedhisreputationandalreadyeventhreatenedhisliberty。Thepoliceauthorities，nowinchargeoftheinquiry，hadnotarrestedhim，butheknewwellenoughthatifhetriedtomovefarafieldhewouldbeinstantlyarrested。HorneFisher’sfragmentaryhints，thoughhehadrefusedtoexpandthemasyet，hadstirredtheartistictemperamentofthearchitecttoasortofwildanalysis，andhewasresolvedtoreadthehieroglyphupsidedownandeverywayuntilitmadesense。Ifitwassomethingconnectedwithaholeinthewallhewouldfindtheholeinthewall;but，asamatteroffact，hewasunabletofindthefaintestcrackinthewall。Hisprofessionalknowledgetoldhimthatthemasonrywasallofoneworkmanshipandonedate，and，exceptfortheregularentrance，whichthrewnolightonthemystery，hefoundnothingsuggestinganysortofhidingplaceormeansofescape。

Walkinganarrowpathbetweenthewindingwallandthewildeastwardbendandsweepofthegrayandfeatherytrees，seeingshiftinggleamsofalostsunsetwinkingalmostlikelightningasthecloudsoftempestscuddedacrosstheskyandminglingwiththefirstfaintbluelightfromaslowlystrengthenedmoonbehindhim，hebegantofeelhisheadgoingroundashisheelsweregoingroundandroundtheblindrecurrentbarrier。Hehadthoughtsontheborderofthought;fanciesaboutafourthdimensionwhichwasitselfaholetohideanything，ofseeingeverythingfromanewangleoutofanewwindowinthesenses;orofsomemysticallightandtransparency，likethenewraysofchemistry，inwhichhecouldseeBulmer’sbody，horribleandglaring，floatinginaluridhalooverthewoodsandthewall。Hewashauntedalsowiththehint，whichsomehowseemedtobeequallyhorrifying，thatitallhadsomethingtodowithMr。Prior。ThereseemedeventobesomethingcreepyinthefactthathewasalwaysrespectfullyreferredtoasMr。Prior，andthatitwasinthedomesticlifeofthedeadfarmerthathehadbeenbiddentoseektheseedofthesedreadfulthings。Asamatteroffact，hehadfoundthatnolocalinquirieshadrevealedanythingatallaboutthePriorfamily。

Themoonlighthadbroadenedandbrightened，thewindhaddrivenoffthecloudsanditselfdiedfitfullyaway，whenhecameroundagaintotheartificiallakeinfrontofthehouse。Forsomereasonitlookedaveryartificiallake;indeed，thewholescenewaslikeaclassicallandscapewithatouchofWatteau;thePalladianfacadeofthehousepaleinthemoon，andthesamesilvertouchingtheverypaganandnakedmarblenymphinthemiddleofthepond。Rathertohissurprise，hefoundanotherfiguretherebesidethestatue，sittingalmostequallymotionless;andthesamesilverpenciltracedthewrinkledbrowandpatientfaceofHorneFisher，stilldressedasahermitandapparentlypracticingsomethingofthesolitudeofahermit。Nevertheless，helookedupatLeonardCraneandsmiled，almostasifhehadexpectedhim。

"Lookhere，"saidCrane，plantinghimselfinfrontofhim，"canyoutellmeanythingaboutthisbusiness？"

"Ishallsoonhavetotelleverybodyeverythingaboutit，"repliedFisher，"butI’venoobjectiontotellingyousomethingfirst。But，tobeginwith，willyoutellmesomething？WhatreallyhappenedwhenyoumetBulmerthismorning？Youdidthrowawayyoursword，butyoudidn’tkillhim。"

"Ididn’tkillhimbecauseIthrewawaymysword，"

saidtheother。"Ididitonpurpose——orI’mnotsurewhatmighthavehappened。"

Afterapausehewenton，quietly："ThelateLordBulmerwasaverybreezygentleman，extremelybreezy。Hewasverygenialwithhisinferiors，andwouldhavehislawyerandhisarchitectstayinginhishouseforallsortsofholidaysandamusements。Buttherewasanothersidetohim，whichtheyfoundoutwhentheytriedtobehisequals。WhenItoldhimthathissisterandIwereengaged，somethinghappenedwhichIsimplycan’tandwon’tdescribe。Itseemedtomelikesomemonstrousupheavalofmadness。ButI

supposethetruthispainfullysimple。Thereissuchathingasthecoarsenessofagentleman。Anditisthemosthorriblethinginhumanity。"

"Iknow，"saidFisher。"TheRenaissancenoblesoftheTudortimewerelikethat。"

"Itisoddthatyoushouldsaythat，"Cranewenton。

"Forwhileweweretalkingtherecameonmeacuriousfeelingthatwewererepeatingsomesceneofthepast，andthatIwasreallysomeoutlaw，foundinthewoodslikeRobinHood，andthathehadreallysteppedinallhisplumesandpurpleoutofthepictureframeoftheancestralportrait。Anyhow，hewasthemaninpossession，andheneitherfearedGodnorregardedman。Idefiedhim，ofcourse，andwalkedaway。ImightreallyhavekilledhimifIhadnotwalkedaway。"

"Yes，"saidFisher，nodding，"hisancestorwasinpossessionandhewasinpossession，andthisistheendofthestory。Itallfitsin。"

"Fitsinwithwhat？"criedhiscompanion，withsuddenimpatience。"Ican’tmakeheadortailofit。

Youtellmetolookforthesecretintheholeinthewall，butIcan’tfindanyholeinthewall。"

"Thereisn’tany，"saidFisher。"That’sthesecret。"

Afterreflectingamoment，headded："Unlessyoucallitaholeinthewalloftheworld。Lookhere;I’lltellyouifyoulike，butI’mafraiditinvolvesanintroduction。You’vegottounderstandoneofthetricksofthemodernmind，atendencythatmostpeopleobeywithoutnoticingit。Inthevillageorsuburboutsidethere’saninnwiththesignofSt。GeorgeandtheDragon。NowsupposeI

wentabouttellingeverybodythatthiswasonlyacorruptionofKingGeorgeandtheDragoon。Scoresofpeoplewouldbelieveit，withoutanyinquiry，fromavaguefeelingthatit’sprobablebecauseit’sprosaic。Itturnssomethingromanticandlegendaryintosomethingrecentandordinary。Andthatsomehowmakesitsoundrational，thoughitisunsupportedbyreason。OfcoursesomepeoplewouldhavethesensetorememberhavingseenSt。GeorgeinoldItalianpicturesandFrenchromances，butagoodmanywouldn’tthinkaboutitatall。Theywouldjustswallowtheskepticismbecauseitwasskepticism。Modernintelligencewon’tacceptanythingonauthority。Butitwillacceptanythingwithoutauthority。That’sexactlywhathashappenedhere。

"WhensomecriticorotherchosetosaythatPrior’sParkwasnotapriory，butwasnamedaftersomequitemodernmannamedPrior，nobodyreallytestedthetheoryatall。ItneveroccurredtoanybodyrepeatingthestorytoaskifthereWASanyMr。Prior，ifanybodyhadeverseenhimorheardofhim。Asamatteroffact，itwasapriory，andsharedthefateofmostpriories——thatis，theTudorgentlemanwiththeplumessimplystoleitbybruteforceandturneditintohisownprivatehouse;hedidworsethings，asyoushallhear。Butthepointhereisthatthisishowthetrickworks，andthetrickworksinthesamewayintheotherpartofthetale。ThenameofthisdistrictisprintedHolinwallinallthebestmapsproducedbythescholars;andtheyalludelightly，notwithoutasmile，tothefactthatitwaspronouncedHoliwellbythemostignorantandold—fashionedofthepoor。Butitisspelledwrongandpronouncedright。"

"Doyoumeantosay，"askedCrane，quickly，"thattherereallywasawell？"

"Thereisawell，"saidFisher，"andthetruthliesatthebottomofit。"

Ashespokehestretchedouthishandandpointedtowardthesheetofwaterinfrontofhim。

"Thewellisunderthatwatersomewhere，"

hesaid，"andthisisnotthefirsttragedyconnectedwithit。Thefounderofthishousedidsomethingwhichhisfellowruffiansveryseldomdid;somethingthathadtobehushedupevenintheanarchyofthepillageofthemonasteries。

Thewellwasconnectedwiththemiraclesofsomesaint，andthelastpriorthatguardeditwassomethinglikeasainthimself;certainlyhewassomethingverylikeamartyr。Hedefiedthenewowneranddaredhimtopollutetheplace，tillthenoble，inafury，stabbedhimandflunghisbodyintothewell，whither，afterfourhundredyears，ithasbeenfollowedbyanheiroftheusurper，cladinthesamepurpleandwalkingtheworldwiththesamepride。"

"Buthowdidithappen，"demandedCrane，"thatforthefirsttimeBulmerfellinatthatparticularspot？"

"Becausetheicewasonlyloosenedatthatparticularspot，bytheonlymanwhoknewit，"

answeredHorneFisher。"Itwascrackeddeliberately，withthekitchenchopper，atthatspecialplace;andI

myselfheardthehammeringanddidnotunderstandit。Theplacehadbeencoveredwithanartificiallake，ifonlybecausethewholetruthhadtobecoveredwithanartificiallegend。Butdon’tyouseethatitisexactlywhatthosepagannobleswouldhavedone，todesecrateitwithasortofheathengoddess，astheRomanEmperorbuiltatempletoVenusontheHolySepulchre。Butthetruthcouldstillbetracedout，byanyscholarlymandeterminedtotraceit。Andthismanwasdeterminedtotraceit。"

"Whatman？"askedtheother，withashadowoftheanswerinhismind。

"Theonlymanwhohasanalibi，"repliedFisher。

"JamesHaddow，theantiquarianlawyer，leftthenightbeforethefatality，butheleftthatblackstarofdeathontheice。Heleftabruptly，havingpreviouslyproposedtostay;probably，Ithink，afteranuglyscenewithBulmer，attheirlegalinterview。Asyouknowyourself，Bulmercouldmakeamanfeelprettymurderous，andIratherfancythelawyerhadhimselfirregularitiestoconfess，andwasindangerofexposurebyhisclient。Butit’smyreadingofhumannaturethatamanwillcheatinhistrade，butnotinhishobby。Haddowmayhavebeenadishonestlawyer，buthecouldn’thelpbeinganhonestantiquary。WhenhegotonthetrackofthetruthabouttheHolyWellhehadtofollowitup;hewasnottobebamboozledwithnewspaperanecdotesaboutMr。Priorandaholeinthewall;hefoundouteverything，eventotheexactlocationofthewell，andhewasrewarded，ifbeingasuccessfulassassincanberegardedasareward。"

"Andhowdidyougetonthetrackofallthishiddenhistory？"askedtheyoungarchitect。

AcloudcameacrossthebrowofHorneFisher。"I

knewonlytoomuchaboutitalready，"hesaid，"and，afterall，it’sshamefulformetobespeakinglightlyofpoorBulmer，whohaspaidhispenalty;buttherestofushaven’t。IdaresayeverycigarIsmokeandeveryliqueurIdrinkcomesdirectlyorindirectlyfromtheharryingoftheholyplacesandthepersecutionofthepoor。Afterall，itneedsverylittlepokingaboutinthepasttofindthatholeinthewall，thatgreatbreachinthedefensesofEnglishhistory。Itliesjustunderthesurfaceofathinsheetofshaminformationandinstruction，justastheblackandblood—stainedwellliesjustunderthatfloorofshallowwaterandflatweeds。Oh，theiceisthin，butitbears;itisstrongenoughtosupportuswhenwedressupasmonksanddanceonit，inmockeryofthedear，quaintoldMiddleAges。TheytoldmeImustputonfancydress;soIdidputonfancydress，accordingtomyowntasteandfancy。I

putontheonlycostumeIthinkfitforamanwhohasinheritedthepositionofagentleman，andyethasnotentirelylostthefeelingsofone。"

Inanswertoalookofinquiry，herosewithasweepinganddownwardgesture。

"Sackcloth，"hesaid;"andIwouldweartheashesaswelliftheywouldstayonmybaldhead。"

VII。THETEMPLEOFSILENCE

HaroldMarchandthefewwhocultivatedthefriendshipofHorneFisher，especiallyiftheysawsomethingofhiminhisownsocialsetting，wereconsciousofacertainsolitudeinhisverysociability。

Theyseemedtobealwaysmeetinghisrelationsandnevermeetinghisfamily。Perhapsitwouldbetruertosaythattheysawmuchofhisfamilyandnothingofhishome。HiscousinsandconnectionsramifiedlikealabyrinthalloverthegoverningclassofGreatBritain，andheseemedtobeongood，oratleastongood—

humored，termswithmostofthem。ForHorneFisherwasremarkableforacuriousimpersonalinformationandinteresttouchingallsortsoftopics，sothatonecouldsometimesfancythathisculture，likehiscolorless，fairmustacheandpale，droopingfeatures，hadtheneutralnatureofachameleon。Anyhow，hecouldalwaysgetonwithviceroysandCabinetMinistersandallthegreatmenresponsibleforgreatdepartments，andtalktoeachofthemonhisownsubject，onthebranchofstudywithwhichhewasmostseriouslyconcerned。ThushecouldconversewiththeMinisterforWaraboutsilkworms，withtheMinisterofEducationaboutdetectivestories，withtheMinisterofLaboraboutLimogesenamel，andwiththeMinisterofMissionsandMoralProgress（ifthatbehiscorrecttitle）

aboutthepantomimeboysofthelastfourdecades。

Andasthefirstwashisfirstcousin，thesecondhissecondcousin，thethirdhisbrother—in—law，andthefourthhisunclebymarriage，thisconversationalversatilitycertainlyservedinonesensetocreateahappyfamily。ButMarchneverseemedtogetaglimpseofthatdomesticinteriortowhichmenofthemiddleclassesareaccustomedintheirfriendships，andwhichisindeedthefoundationoffriendshipandloveandeverythingelseinanysaneandstablesociety。HewonderedwhetherHorneFisherwasbothanorphanandanonlychild。

Itwas，therefore，withsomethinglikeastartthathefoundthatFisherhadabrother，muchmoreprosperousandpowerfulthanhimself，thoughhardly，Marchthought，soentertaining。SirHenryHarlandFisher，withhalfthealphabetafterhisname，wassomethingattheForeignOfficefarmoretremendousthantheForeignSecretary。Apparently，itraninthefamily，afterall;foritseemedtherewasanotherbrother，AshtonFisher，inIndia，rathermoretremendousthantheViceroy。SirHenryFisherwasaheavier，buthandsomereditionofhisbrother，withabrowequallybald，butmuchmoresmooth。Hewasverycourteous，butashadepatronizing，notonlytoMarch，buteven，asMarchfancied，toHorneFisheraswell。Thelattergentleman，whohadmanyintuitionsaboutthehalf—formedthoughtsofothers，glancedatthetopichimselfastheycameawayfromthegreathouseinBerkeleySquare。

"Why，don’tyouknow，"heobservedquietly，"thatIamthefoolofthefamily？"

"Itmustbeacleverfamily，"saidHaroldMarch，withasmile。

"Verygracefullyexpressed，"repliedFisher;"thatisthebestofhavingaliterarytraining。Well，perhapsitisanexaggerationtosayIamthefoolofthefamily。It’senoughtosayIamthefailureofthefamily。"

"Itseemsqueertomethatyoushouldfailespecially，"remarkedthejournalist。"Astheysayintheexaminations，whatdidyoufailin？"

"Politics，"repliedhisfriend。"IstoodforParliamentwhenIwasquiteayoungmanandgotinbyanenormousmajority，withloudcheersandchairingroundthetown。Sincethen，ofcourse，I’vebeenratherunderacloud。"

"I’mafraidIdon’tquiteunderstandthe’ofcourse，’"answeredMarch，laughing。

"Thatpartofitisn’tworthunderstanding，"saidFisher。"Butasamatteroffact，oldchap，theotherpartofitwasratheroddandinteresting。

Quiteadetectivestoryinitsway，aswellasthefirstlessonIhadinwhatmodernpoliticsaremadeof。Ifyoulike，I’lltellyouallaboutit。"Andthefollowing，recastinalessallusiveandconversationalmanner，isthestorythathetold。

NobodyprivilegedoflateyearstomeetSirHenryHarlandFisherwouldbelievethathehadeverbeencalledHarry。But，indeed，hehadbeenboyishenoughwhenaboy，andthatserenitywhichshoneonhimthroughlife，andwhichnowtooktheformofgravity，hadoncetakentheformofgayety。Hisfriendswouldhavesaidthathewasallthemoreripeinhismaturityforhavingbeenyounginhisyouth。Hisenemieswouldhavesaidthathewasstilllightminded，butnolongerlighthearted。Butinanycase，thewholeofthestoryHorneFisherhadtotellaroseoutoftheaccidentwhichhadmadeyoungHarryFisherprivatesecretarytoLordSaltoun。HencehislaterconnectionwiththeForeignOffice，whichhad，indeed，cometohimasasortoflegacyfromhislordshipwhenthatgreatmanwasthepowerbehindthethrone。ThisisnottheplacetosaymuchaboutSaltoun，littleaswasknownofhimandmuchastherewasworthknowing。

Englandhashadatleastthreeorfoursuchsecretstatesmen。Anaristocraticpolityproduceseverynowandthenanaristocratwhoisalsoanaccident，amanofintellectualindependenceandinsight，aNapoleonborninthepurple。Hisvastworkwasmostlyinvisible，andverylittlecouldbegotoutofhiminprivatelifeexceptacrustyandrathercynicalsenseofhumor。

ButitwascertainlytheaccidentofhispresenceatafamilydinneroftheFishers，andtheunexpectedopinionheexpressed，whichturnedwhatmighthavebeenadinner—tablejokeintoasortofsmallsensationalnovel。

SaveforLordSaltoun，itwasafamilypartyofFishers，fortheonlyotherdistinguishedstrangerhadjustdepartedafterdinner，leavingtheresttotheircoffeeandcigars。Thishadbeenafigureofsomeinterest——ayoungCambridgemannamedEricHugheswhowastherisinghopeofthepartyofReform，towhichtheFisherfamily，alongwiththeirfriendSaltoun，hadlongbeenatleastformallyattached。ThepersonalityofHugheswassubstantiallysummedupinthefactthathetalkedeloquentlyandearnestlythroughthewholedinner，butleftimmediatelyaftertobeintimeforanappointment。Allhisactionshadsomethingatonceambitiousandconscientious;hedranknowine，butwasslightlyintoxicatedwithwords。Andhisfaceandphraseswereonthefrontpageofallthenewspapersjustthen，becausehewascontestingthesafeseatofSirFrancisVernerinthegreatby—electioninthewest。Everybodywastalkingaboutthepowerfulspeechagainstsquirarchywhichhehadjustdelivered;evenintheFishercircleeverybodytalkedaboutitexceptHorneFisherhimselfwhosatinacorner，loweringoverthefire。

"Wejollywellhavetothankhimforputtingsomenewlifeintotheoldparty，"AshtonFisherwassaying。"Thiscampaignagainsttheoldsquiresjusthitsthedegreeofdemocracythereisinthiscounty。

Thisactforextendingcountycouncilcontrolispracticallyhisbill;soyoumaysayhe’sinthegovernmentevenbeforehe’sintheHouse。"

"One’seasierthantheother，"saidHarry，carelessly。"Ibetthesquire’sabiggerpotthanthecountycouncilinthatcounty。Vernerisprettywellrooted;alltheseruralplacesarewhatyoucallreactionary。Damningaristocratswon’talterit。"

"Hedamnsthemratherwell，"observedAshton。

"WeneverhadabettermeetingthantheoneinBarkington，whichgenerallygoesConstitutional。Andwhenhesaid，’SirFrancismayboastofblueblood;

letusshowwehaveredblood，’andwentontotalkaboutmanhoodandliberty，theroomsimplyroseathim。"

"Speaksverywell，"saidLordSaltoun，gruffly，makinghisonlycontributiontotheconversationsofar。

ThenthealmostequallysilentHorneFishersuddenlyspoke，without，takinghisbroodingeyesoffthefire。

"WhatIcan’tunderstand，"hesaid，"iswhynobodyiseverslangedfortherealreason。"

"Hullo！"remarkedHarry，humorously，"youbeginningtotakenotice？"

"Well，takeVerner，"continuedHorneFisher。"IfwewanttoattackVerner，whynotattackhim？Whycomplimenthimonbeingaromanticreactionaryaristocrat？WhoisVerner？Wheredoeshecomefrom？Hisnamesoundsold，butIneverheardofitbefore，asthemansaidoftheCrucifixion。Whytalkabouthisblueblood？Hisbloodmaybegambogeyellowwithgreenspots，forallanybodyknows。Allweknowisthattheoldsquire，Hawker，somehowranthroughhismoney（andhissecondwife’s，I

suppose，forshewasrichenough），andsoldtheestatetoamannamedVerner。Whatdidhemakehismoneyin？Oil？Armycontracts？"

"Idon’tknow，"saidSaltoun，lookingathimthoughtfully。

"FirstthingIeverknewyoudidn’tknow，"criedtheexuberantHarry。

"Andthere’smore，besides，"wentonHorneFisher，whoseemedtohavesuddenlyfoundhistongue。"Ifwewantcountrypeopletovoteforus，whydon’twegetsomebodywithsomenotionaboutthecountry？Wedon’ttalktopeopleinThreadneedleStreetaboutnothingbutturnipsandpigsties。WhydowetalktopeopleinSomersetaboutnothingbutslumsandsocialism？Whydon’twegivethesquire’slandtothesquire’stenants，insteadofdragginginthecountycouncil？"

"Threeacresandacow，"criedHarry，emittingwhattheParliamentaryreportscallanironicalcheer。

"Yes，"repliedhisbrother，stubbornly。"Don’tyouthinkagriculturallaborerswouldratherhavethreeacresandacowthanthreeacresofprintedformsandacommittee？Whydoesn’tsomebodystartayeomanpartyinpolitics，appealingtotheoldtraditionsofthesmalllandowner？Andwhydon’ttheyattackmenlikeVernerforwhattheyare，whichissomethingaboutasoldandtraditionalasanAmericanoiltrust？"

"You’dbetterleadtheyeomanpartyyourself，"

laughedHarry。"Don’tyouthinkitwouldbeajoke，LordSaltoun，toseemybrotherandhismerrymen，withtheirbowsandbills，marchingdowntoSomersetallinLincolngreeninsteadofLincolnandBennethats？"

"No，"answeredOldSaltoun，"Idon’tthinkitwouldbeajoke。Ithinkitwouldbeanexceedinglyseriousandsensibleidea。"

"Well，I’mjiggered！"criedHarryFisher，staringathim。"Isaidjustnowitwasthefirstfactyoudidn’tknow，andIshouldsaythisisthefirstjokeyoudidn’tsee。"

"I’veseenagoodmanythingsinmytime，"saidtheoldman，inhisrathersourfashion。"I’vetoldagoodmanyliesinmytime，too，andperhapsI’vegotrathersickofthem。Butthereareliesandlies，forallthat。

Gentlemenusedtoliejustasschoolboyslie，becausetheyhungtogetherandpartlytohelponeanotherout。

ButI’mdamnedifIcanseewhyweshouldlieforthesecosmopolitancadswhoonlyhelpthemselves。

They’renotbackingusupanymore;they’resimplycrowdingusout。IfamanlikeyourbrotherlikestogointoParliamentasayeomanoragentlemanoraJacobiteoranAncientBriton，Ishouldsayitwouldbeajollygoodthing。"

IntheratherstartledsilencethatfollowedHorneFishersprangtohisfeetandallhisdrearymannerdroppedoffhim。

"I’mreadytodoitto—morrow，"hecried。"I

supposenoneofyoufellowswouldbackmeup。"

ThenHarryFishershowedthefinersideofhisimpetuosity。Hemadeasuddenmovementasiftoshakehands。

"You’reasport，"hesaid，"andI’llbackyouup，ifnobodyelsewill。Butwecanallbackyouup，can’twe？IseewhatLordSaltounmeans，and，ofcourse，he’sright。He’salwaysright。"

"SoIwillgodowntoSomerset，"saidHorneFisher。

"Yes，itisonthewaytoWestminster，"saidLordSaltoun，withasmile。

AndsoithappenedthatHorneFisherarrivedsomedayslateratthelittlestationofaratherremotemarkettowninthewest，accompaniedbyalightsuitcaseandalivelybrother。Itmustnotbesupposed，however，thatthebrother’scheerfultoneconsistedentirelyofchaff。Hesupportedthenewcandidatewithhopeaswellashilarity;andatthebackofhisboisterouspartnershiptherewasanincreasingsympathyandencouragement。HarryFisherhadalwayshadanaffectionforhismorequietandeccentricbrother，andwasnowcomingmoreandmoretohavearespectforhim。Asthecampaignproceededtherespectincreasedtoardentadmiration。ForHarrywasstillyoung，andcouldfeelthesortofenthusiasmforhiscaptaininelectioneeringthataschoolboycanfeelforhiscaptainincricket。

Norwastheadmirationundeserved。Asthenewthree—corneredcontestdevelopeditbecameapparenttoothersbesideshisdevotedkinsmanthattherewasmoreinHorneFisherthanhadevermettheeye。Itwasclearthathisoutbreakbythefamilyfiresidehadbeenbuttheculminationofalongcourseofbroodingandstudyingonthequestion。Thetalentheretainedthroughlifeforstudyinghissubject，andevensomebodyselse’ssubject，hadlongbeenconcentratedonthisideaofchampioninganewpeasantryagainstanewplutocracy。Hespoketoacrowdwitheloquenceandrepliedtoanindividualwithhumor，twopoliticalartsthatseemedtocometohimnaturally。HecertainlyknewmuchmoreaboutruralproblemsthaneitherHughes，theReformcandidate，orVerner，theConstitutionalcandidate。

Andheprobedthoseproblemswithahumancuriosity，andwentbelowthesurfaceinawaythatneitherofthemdreamedofdoing。Hesoonbecamethevoiceofpopularfeelingsthatareneverfoundinthepopularpress。Newanglesofcriticism，argumentsthathadneverbeforebeenutteredbyaneducatedvoice，testsandcomparisonsthathadbeenmadeonlyindialectbymendrinkinginthelittlelocalpublichouses，craftshalfforgottenthathadcomedownbysignofhandandtonguefromremoteageswhentheirfatherswerefreeallthiscreatedacuriousanddoubleexcitement。Itstartledthewellinformedbybeinganewandfantasticideatheyhadneverencountered。Itstartledtheignorantbybeinganoldandfamiliarideatheyneverthoughttohaveseenrevived。Mensawthingsinanewlight，andknewnotevenwhetheritwasthesunsetorthedawn。

Practicalgrievancesweretheretomakethemovementformidable。AsFisherwenttoandfroamongthecottagesandcountryinns，itwasborneinonhimwithoutdifficultythatSirFrancisVernerwasaverybadlandlord。Norwasthestoryofhisacquisitionofthelandanymoreancientanddignifiedthanhehadsupposed;thestorywaswellknowninthecountyandinmostrespectswasobviousenough。Hawker，theoldsquire，hadbeenaloose，unsatisfactorysortofperson，hadbeenonbadtermswithhisfirstwife（whodied，assomesaid，ofneglect），andhadthenmarriedaflashySouthAmericanJewesswithafortune。Buthemusthaveworkedhiswaythroughthisfortunealsowithmarvelousrapidity，forhehadbeencompelledtoselltheestatetoVernerandhadgonetoliveinSouthAmerica，possiblyonhiswife’sestates。ButFishernoticedthatthelaxityoftheoldsquirewasfarlesshatedthantheefficiencyofthenewsquire。Verner’shistoryseemedtobefullofsmartbargainsandfinancialfluttersthatleftotherpeopleshortofmoneyandtemper。ButthoughheheardagreatdealaboutVerner，therewasonethingthatcontinuallyeludedhim;somethingthatnobodyknew，thatevenSaltounhadnotknown。HecouldnotfindouthowVernerhadoriginallymadehismoney。

"Hemusthavekeptitspeciallydark，"saidHorneFishertohimself。"Itmustbesomethinghe’sreallyashamedof。Hangitall！whatISamanashamedofnowadays？"

Andasheponderedonthepossibilitiestheygrewdarkerandmoredistortedinhismind;hethoughtvaguelyofthingsremoteandrepulsive，strangeformsofslaveryorsorcery，andthenofuglythingsyetmoreunnaturalbutnearerhome。ThefigureofVernerseemedtobeblackenedandtransfiguredinhisimagination，andtostandagainstvariedbackgroundsandstrangeskies。

Ashestrodeupavillagestreet，broodingthus，hiseyesencounteredacompletecontrastinthefaceofhisotherrival，theReformcandidate。EricHughes，withhisblownblondhairandeagerundergraduateface，wasjustgettingintohismotorcarandsayingafewfinalwordstohisagent，asturdy，grizzledmannamedGryce。EricHugheswavedhishandinafriendlyfashion;butGryceeyedhimwithsomehostility。EricHugheswasayoungmanwithgenuinepoliticalenthusiasms，，butheknewthatpoliticalopponentsarepeoplewithwhomonemayhavetodineanyday。ButMr。GrycewasagrimlittlelocalRadical，achampionofthechapel，andoneofthosehappypeoplewhoseworkisalsotheirhobby。Heturnedhisbackasthemotorcardroveaway，andwalkedbrisklyupthesunlithighstreetofthelittletown，whistling，withpoliticalpapersstickingoutofhispocket。

Fisherlookedpensivelyaftertheresolutefigureforamoment，andthen，asifbyanimpulse，begantofollowit。Throughthebusymarketplace，amidthebasketsandbarrowsofmarketday，underthepaintedwoodensignoftheGreenDragon，upadarksideentry，underanarch，andthroughatangleofcrookedcobbledstreetsthetwothreadedtheirway，thesquare，struttingfigureinfrontandthelean，loungingfigurebehindhim，likehisshadowinthesunshine。Atlengththeycametoabrownbrickhousewithabrassplate，onwhichwasMr。Gryce’sname，andthatindividualturnedandbeheldhispursuerwithastare。

"CouldIhaveawordwithyou，sir？"askedHorneFisher，politely。Theagentstaredstillmore，butassentedcivilly，andledtheotherintoanofficelitteredwithleafletsandhungallroundwithhighlycoloredposterswhichlinkedthenameofHugheswithallthehigherinterestsofhumanity。

"Mr。HorneFisher，Ibelieve，"saidMr。Gryce。

"Muchhonoredbythecall，ofcourse。Can’tpretendtocongratulateyouonenteringthecontest，I’mafraid;youwon’texpectthat。Herewe’vebeenkeepingtheoldflagflyingforfreedomandreform，andyoucomeinandbreakthebattleline。"

ForMr。ElijahGryceaboundedinmilitarymetaphorsandindenunciationsofmilitarism。Hewasasquare—jawed，blunt—featuredmanwithapugnaciouscockoftheeyebrow。Hehadbeenpickledinthepoliticsofthatcountrysidefromboyhood，hekneweverybody’ssecrets，andelectioneeringwastheromanceofhislife。

"IsupposeyouthinkI’mdevouredwithambition，"

saidHorneFisher，inhisratherlistlessvoice，"aimingatadictatorshipandallthat。Well，IthinkIcanclearmyselfofthechargeofmereselfishambition。Ionlywantcertainthingsdone。Idon’twanttodothem。I

veryseldomwanttodoanything。AndI’vecomeheretosaythatI’mquitewillingtoretirefromthecontestifyoucanconvincemethatwereallywanttodothesamething。"

TheagentoftheReformpartylookedathimwithanoddandslightlypuzzledexpression，andbeforehecouldreply，Fisherwentoninthesameleveltones：

"You’dhardlybelieveit，butIkeepaconscienceconcealedaboutme;andIamindoubtaboutseveralthings。Forinstance，webothwanttoturnVerneroutofParliament，butwhatweaponarewetouse？I’veheardalotofgossipagainsthim，butisitrighttoactonmeregossip？JustasIwanttobefairtoyou，soI

wanttobefairtohim。IfsomeofthethingsI’veheardaretrueheoughttobeturnedoutofParliamentandeveryotherclubinLondon。ButI

don’twanttoturnhimoutofParliamentiftheyaren’ttrue。"

AtthispointthelightofbattlesprangintoMr。

Gryce’seyesandhebecamevoluble，nottosayviolent。He，atanyrate，hadnodoubtthatthestoriesweretrue;hecouldtestify，tohisownknowledge，thattheyweretrue。Vernerwasnotonlyahardlandlord，butameanlandlord，arobberaswellasarackrenter;anygentlemanwouldbejustifiedinhoundinghimout。HehadcheatedoldWilkinsoutofhisfreeholdbyatrickfitforapickpocket;hehaddrivenoldMotherBiddletotheworkhouse;hehadstretchedthelawagainstLongAdam，thepoacher，tillallthemagistrateswereashamedofhim。

"Soifyou’llserveundertheoldbanner，"

concludedMr。Gryce，moregenially，"andturnoutaswindlingtyrantlikethat，I’msureyou’llneverregretit。"

"Andifthatisthetruth，"saidHorneFisher，"areyougoingtotellit？"

"Whatdoyoumean？Tellthetruth？"demandedGryce。

"Imeanyouaregoingtotellthetruthasyouhavejusttoldit，"repliedFisher。"YouaregoingtoplacardthistownwiththewickednessdonetooldWilkins。

YouaregoingtofillthenewspaperswiththeinfamousstoryofMrs。Biddle。YouaregoingtodenounceVernerfromapublicplatform，naminghimforwhathedidandnamingthepoacherhediditto。

Andyou’regoingtofindoutbywhattradethismanmadethemoneywithwhichheboughttheestate;

andwhenyouknowthetruth，asIsaidbefore，ofcourseyouaregoingtotellit。UponthosetermsI

comeundertheoldflag，asyoucallit，andhauldownmylittlepennon。"

Theagentwaseyinghimwithacuriousexpression，surlybutnotentirelyunsympathetic。

"Well，"hesaid，slowly，"youhavetodothesethingsinaregularway，youknow，orpeopledon’tunderstand。

I’vehadalotofexperience，andI’mafraidwhatyousaywouldn’tdo。Peopleunderstandslangingsquiresinageneralway，butthosepersonalitiesaren’tconsideredfairplay。Lookslikehittingbelowthebelt。"

"OldWilkinshasn’tgotabelt，Isuppose，"repliedHorneFisher。"Vernercanhithimanyhow，andnobodymustsayaword。It’sevidentlyveryimportanttohaveabelt。Butapparentlyyouhavetoberatherhighupinsocietytohaveone。Possibly，"headded，thoughtfully——"possiblytheexplanationofthephrase’abeltedearl，’themeaningofwhichhasalwaysescapedme。"

"Imeanthosepersonalitieswon’tdo，"returnedGryce，frowningatthetable。

"AndMotherBiddleandLongAdam，thepoacher，arenotpersonalities，"saidFisher，"andsupposewemustn’taskhowVernermadeallthemoneythatenabledhimtobecome——apersonality。"

Grycewasstilllookingathimunderloweringbrows，butthesingularlightinhiseyeshadbrightened。Atlasthesaid，inanotherandmuchquietervoice：

"Lookhere，sir。Ilikeyou，ifyoudon’tmindmysayingso。IthinkyouarereallyonthesideofthepeopleandI’msureyou’reabraveman。Alotbraverthanyouknow，perhaps。Wedaren’ttouchwhatyouproposewithabargepole;andsofarfromwantingyouintheoldparty，we’dratheryouranyourownriskbyyourself。ButbecauseIlikeyouandrespectyourpluck，I’lldoyouagoodturnbeforewepart。I

don’twantyoutowastetimebarkingupthewrongtree。Youtalkabouthowthenewsquiregotthemoneytobuy，andtheruinoftheoldsquire，andalltherestofit。Well，I’llgiveyouahintaboutthat，ahintaboutsomethingpreciousfewpeopleknow。"

"Iamverygrateful，"saidFisher，gravely。"Whatisit？"

"It’sintwowords，"saidtheother。"Thenewsquirewasquitepoorwhenhebought。Theoldsquirewasquiterichwhenhesold。"

HorneFisherlookedathimthoughtfullyasheturnedawayabruptlyandbusiedhimselfwiththepapersonhisdesk。ThenFisherutteredashortphraseofthanksandfarewell，andwentoutintothestreet，stillverythoughtful。

Hisreflectionseemedtoendinresolution，and，fallingintoamorerapidstride，hepassedoutofthelittletownalongaroadleadingtowardthegateofthegreatpark，thecountryseatofSirFrancisVerner。Aglitterofsunlightmadetheearlywintermorelikealateautumn，andthedarkwoodsweretouchedhereandtherewithredandgoldenleaves，likethelastraysofalostsunset。Fromahigherpartoftheroadhehadseenthelong，classicalfacadeofthegreathousewithitsmanywindows，almostimmediatelybeneathhim，butwhentheroadrandownunderthewalloftheestate，toppedwithtoweringtreesbehind，herealizedthatitwashalfamileroundtothelodgegates，Afterwalkingforafewminutesalongthelane，however，hecametoaplacewherethewallhadcrackedandwasinprocessofrepair。Asitwas，therewasagreatgapinthegraymasonrythatlookedatfirstasblackasacavernandonlyshowedatasecondglancethetwilightofthetwinklingtrees。Therewassomethingfascinatingaboutthatunexpectedgate，liketheopeningofafairytale。

HorneFisherhadinhimsomethingofthearistocrat，whichisveryneartotheanarchist。Itwascharacteristicofhimthatheturnedintothisdarkandirregularentryascasuallyasintohisownfrontdoor，merelythinkingthatitwouldbeashortcuttothehouse。Hemadehiswaythroughthedimwoodforsomedistanceandwithsomedifficulty，untiltherebegantoshinethroughthetreesalevellight，inlinesofsilver，whichhedidnotatfirstunderstand。Thenextmomenthehadcomeoutintothedaylightatthetopofasteepbank，atthebottomofwhichapathranroundtherimofalargeornamentallake。Thesheetofwaterwhichhehadseenshimmeringthroughthetreeswasofconsiderableextent，butwaswalledinoneverysidewithwoodswhichwerenotonlydark，butdecidedlydismal。Atoneendofthepathwasaclassicalstatueofsomenamelessnymph，andattheotherenditwasflankedbytwoclassicalurns;

butthemarblewasweather—stainedandstreakedwithgreenandgray。Ahundredothersigns，smallerbutmoresignificant，toldhimthathehadcomeonsomeoutlyingcornerofthegroundsneglectedandseldomvisited。Inthemiddleofthelakewaswhatappearedtobeanisland，andontheislandwhatappearedtobemeantforaclassicaltemple，notopenlikeatempleofthewinds，butwithablankwallbetweenitsDoricpillars。Wemaysayitonlyseemedlikeanisland，becauseasecondglancerevealedalowcausewayofflatstonesrunninguptoitfromtheshoreandturningitintoapeninsula。Andcertainlyitonlyseemedlikeatemple，fornobodyknewbetterthanHorneFisherthatnogodhadeverdweltinthatshrine。

"That’swhatmakesallthisclassicallandscapegardeningsodesolate，"hesaidtohimself。"MoredesolatethanStonehengeorthePyramids。Wedon’tbelieveinEgyptianmythology，buttheEgyptiansdid;andIsupposeeventheDruidsbelievedinDruidism。Buttheeighteenth—centurygentlemanwhobuiltthesetemplesdidn’tbelieveinVenusorMercuryanymorethanwedo;that’swhythereflectionofthosepalepillarsinthelakeistrulyonlytheshadowofashade。TheyweremenoftheageofReason;

they，whofilledtheirgardenswiththesestonenymphs，hadlesshopethananymeninallhistoryofreallymeetinganymphintheforest。"

Hismonologuestoppedaruptlywithasharpnoiselikeathundercrackthatrolledindrearyechoesroundthedismalmere。Heknewatoncewhatitwas——somebodyhadfiredoffagun。Butastothemeaningofithewasmomentarilystaggered，andstrangethoughtsthrongedintohismind。Thenextmomenthelaughed;forhesawlyingalittlewayalongthepathbelowhimthedeadbirdthattheshothadbroughtdown。

Atthesamemoment，however，hesawsomethingelse，whichinterestedhimmore。Aringofdensetreesranroundthebackoftheislandtemple，framingthefacadeofitindarkfoliage，andhecouldhaveswornhesawastirasofsomethingmovingamongtheleaves。Thenextmomenthissuspicionwasconfirmed，foraratherraggedfigurecamefromundertheshadowofthetempleandbegantomovealongthecausewaythatledtothebank。EvenatthatdistancethefigurewasconspicuousbyitsgreatheightandFishercouldseethatthemancarriedagununderhisarm。TherecamebackintohismemoryatoncethenameLongAdam，thepoacher。

Witharapidsenseofstrategyhesometimesshowed，Fishersprangfromthebankandracedroundthelaketotheheadofthelittlepierofstones。

Ifonceamanreachedthemainlandhecouldeasilyvanishintothewoods。ButwhenFisherbegantoadvancealongthestonestowardtheisland，themanwascorneredinablindalleyandcouldonlybacktowardthetemple。Puttinghisbroadshouldersagainstit，hestoodasifatbay;hewasacomparativelyyoungman，withfinelinesinhisleanfaceandfigureandamopofraggedredhair。Thelookinhiseyesmightwellhavebeendisquietingtoanyoneleftalonewithhimonanislandinthemiddleofalake。

"Goodmorning，"saidHorneFisher，pleasantly。"I

thoughtatfirstyouwereamurderer。Butitseemsunlikely，somehow，thatthepartridgerushedbetweenusanddiedforloveofme，liketheheroinesintheromances;soIsupposeyouareapoacher。"

"Isupposeyouwouldcallmeapoacher，"

answeredtheman;andhisvoicewassomethingofasurprisecomingfromsuchascarecrow;ithadthathardfastidiousnesstobefoundinthosewhohavemadeafightfortheirownrefinementamongroughsurroundings。"IconsiderIhaveaperfectrighttoshootgameinthisplace。ButIamwellawarethatpeopleofyoursorttakemeforathief，andIsupposeyouwilltrytolandmeinjail。"

"Therearepreliminarydifficulties，"repliedFisher。

"Tobeginwith，themistakeisflattering，butIamnotagamekeeper。StilllessamIthreegamekeepers，whowouldbe，Iimagine，aboutyourfightingweight。

ButIconfessIhaveanotherreasonfornotwantingtojailyou。"

"Andwhatisthat？"askedtheother。

"OnlythatIquiteagreewithyou，"answeredFisher。"Idon’texactlysayyouhavearighttopoach，butInevercouldseethatitwasaswrongasbeingathief。Itseemstomeagainstthewholenormalnotionofpropertythatamanshouldownsomethingbecauseitfliesacrosshisgarden。Hemightaswellownthewind，orthinkhecouldwritehisnameonamorningcloud。Besides，ifwewantpoorpeopletorespectpropertywemustgivethemsomepropertytorespect。Yououghttohavelandofyourown;andI’mgoingtogiveyousomeifIcan。"

"Goingtogivemesomeland！"repeatedLongAdam。

"Iapologizeforaddressingyouasifyouwereapublicmeeting，"saidFisher，"butIamanentirelynewkindofpublicmanwhosaysthesamethinginpublicandinprivate。I’vesaidthistoahundredhugemeetingsthroughoutthecountry，andIsayittoyouonthisqueerlittleislandinthisdismalpond。Iwouldcutupabigestatelikethisintosmallestatesforeverybody，evenforpoachers。IwoulddoinEnglandastheydidinIreland——buythebigmenout，ifpossible;getthemout，anyhow。Amanlikeyououghttohavealittleplaceofhisown。Idon’tsayyoucouldkeeppheasants，butyoumightkeepchickens。"

Themanstiffenedsuddenlyandheseemedatoncetoblanchandflameatthepromiseasifitwereathreat。

"Chickens！"herepeated，withapassionofcontempt。

"Whydoyouobject？"askedtheplacidcandidate。

"Becausekeepinghensisratheramildamusementforapoacher？Whataboutpoachingeggs？"

"BecauseIamnotapoacher，"criedAdam，inarendingvoicethatrangroundthehollowshrinesandurnsliketheechoesofhisgun。"Becausethepartridgelyingdeadoverthereismypartridge。

Becausethelandyouarestandingonismyland。

Becausemyownlandwasonlytakenfrommebyacrime，andaworsecrimethanpoaching。Thishasbeenasingleestateforhundredsandhundredsofyears，andifyouoranymeddlesomemountebankcomeshereandtalksofcuttingituplikeacake，ifI

everhearawordmoreofyouandyourlevelinglies——"

"Youseemtobearatherturbulentpublic，"

observedHorneFisher，"butdogoon。WhatwillhappenifItrytodividethisestatedecentlyamongdecentpeople？"

Thepoacherhadrecoveredagrimcomposureashereplied。"Therewillbenopartridgetorushinbetween。"

Withthatheturnedhisback，evidentlyresolvedtosaynomore，andwalkedpastthetempletotheextremeendoftheislet，wherehestoodstaringintothewater。Fisherfollowedhim，but，whenhisrepeatedquestionsevokednoanswer，turnedbacktowardtheshore。Indoingsohetookasecondandcloserlookattheartificialtemple，andnotedsomecuriousthingsaboutit。Mostofthesetheatricalthingswereasthinastheatricalscenery，andheexpectedtheclassicshrinetobeashallowthing，amereshellormask。Buttherewassomesubstantialbulkofitbehind，buriedinthetrees，whichhadagray，labyrinthianlook，likeserpentsofstone，andliftedaloadofleafytowerstothesky。ButwhatarrestedFisher’seyewasthatinthisbulkofgray—whitestonebehindtherewasasingledoorwithgreat，rustyboltsoutside;thebolts，however，werenotshotacrosssoastosecureit。Thenhewalkedroundthesmallbuilding，andfoundnootheropeningexceptonesmallgratinglikeaventilator，highupinthewall。Heretracedhisstepsthoughtfullyalongthecausewaytothebanksofthelake，andsatdownonthestonestepsbetweenthetwosculpturedfuneralurns。Thenhelitacigaretteandsmokeditinruminantmanner;eventuallyhetookoutanotebookandwrotedownvariousphrases，numberingandrenumberingthemtilltheystoodinthefollowingorder："（1）SquireHawkerdislikedhisfirstwife。（2）

Hemarriedhissecondwifeforhermoney。（3）LongAdamsaystheestateisreallyhis。（4）LongAdamhangsroundtheislandtemple，whichlookslikeaprison。（5）SquireHawkerwasnotpoorwhenhegaveuptheestate。（6）Vernerwaspoorwhenhegottheestate。"

Hegazedatthesenoteswithagravitywhichgraduallyturnedtoahardsmile，threwawayhiscigarette，andresumedhissearchforashortcuttothegreathouse。Hesoonpickedupthepathwhich，windingamongclippedhedgesandflowerbeds，broughthiminfrontofitslongPalladianfacade。Ithadtheusualappearanceofbeing，notaprivatehouse，butasortofpublicbuildingsentintoexileintheprovinces。

Hefirstfoundhimselfinthepresenceofthebutler，whoreallylookedmucholderthanthebuilding，forthearchitecturewasdatedasGeorgian;

buttheman’sface，underahighlyunnaturalbrownwig，waswrinkledwithwhatmighthavebeencenturies。Onlyhisprominenteyeswerealiveandalert，asifwithprotest。Fisherglancedathim，andthenstoppedandsaid：

"Excuseme。Weren’tyouwiththelatesquire，Mr。

Hawker？"

’Yes，sir，saidtheman，gravely。"Usherismyname。WhatcanI

doforyou？"

"OnlytakemeintoSirFrancisVerner，"repliedthevisitor。

SirFrancisVernerwassittinginaneasychairbesideasmalltableinalargeroomhungwithtapestries。Onthetablewereasmallflaskandglass，withthegreenglimmerofaliqueurandacupofblackcoffee。Hewascladinaquietgraysuitwithamoderatelyharmoniouspurpletie;

butFishersawsomethingabouttheturnofhisfairmustacheandthelieofhisflathair——itsuddenlyrevealedthathisnamewasFranzWerner。

"YouareMr。HorneFisher，"hesaid。"Won’tyousitdown？"

"No，thankyou，"repliedFisher。"Ifearthisisnotafriendlyoccasion，andIshallremainstanding。

PossiblyyouknowthatIamalreadystanding——

standingforParliament，infact——"

"Iamawarewearepoliticalopponents，"repliedVerner，raisinghiseyebrows。"ButIthinkitwouldbebetterifwefoughtinasportingspirit;inaspiritofEnglishfairplay。"

"Muchbetter，"assentedFisher。"ItwouldbemuchbetterifyouwereEnglishandverymuchbetterifyouhadeverplayedfair。ButwhatI’vecometosaycanbesaidveryshortly。

Idon’tquiteknowhowwestandwiththelawaboutthatoldHawkerstory，butmychiefobjectistopreventEnglandbeingentirelyruledbypeoplelikeyou。Sowhateverthelawwouldsay，Iwillsaynomoreifyouwillretirefromtheelectionatonce。"

"Youareevidentlyalunatic，"saidVerner。

"Mypsychologymaybealittleabnormal，"repliedHorneFisher，inaratherhazymanner。"Iamsubjecttodreams，especiallyday—dreams。Sometimeswhatishappeningtomegrowsvividinacuriousdoubleway，asifithadhappenedbefore。Haveyoueverhadthatmysticalfeelingthatthingshavehappenedbefore？"

"Ihopeyouareaharmlesslunatic，"saidVerner。

ButFisherwasstillstaringinanabsentfashionatthegoldengiganticfiguresandtraceriesofbrownandredinthetapestriesonthewalls;thenhelookedagainatVernerandresumed："Ihaveafeelingthatthisinterviewhashappenedbefore，hereinthistapestriedroom，andwearetwoghostsrevisitingahauntedchamber。ButitwasSquireHawkerwhosatwhereyousitanditwasyouwhostoodwhereI

stand。"Hepausedamomentandthenadded，withsimplicity，"IsupposeIamablackmailer，too。"

"Ifyouare，"saidSirFrancis，"Ipromiseyouyoushallgotojail。"Buthisfacehadashadeonitthatlookedlikethereflectionofthegreenwinegleamingonthetable。HorneFisherregardedhimsteadilyandanswered，quietlyenough：

"Blackmailersdonotalwaysgotojail。SometimestheygotoParliament。But，thoughParliamentisrottenenoughalready，youshallnotgothereifIcanhelpit。Iamnotsocriminalasyouwereinbargainingwithcrime。Youmadeasquiregiveuphiscountryseat。IonlyaskyoutogiveupyourParliamentaryseat。"

SirFrancisVernersprangtohisfeetandlookedaboutforoneofthebellropesoftheold—fashioned，curtainedroom。

"WhereisUsher？"hecried，withalividface。

"AndwhoisUsher？"saidFisher，softly。"I

wonderhowmuchUsherknowsofthetruth。"

Verner’shandfellfromthebellropeand，afterstandingforamomentwithrollingeyes，hestrodeabruptlyfromtheroom。Fisherwentbutbytheotherdoor，bywhichhehadentered，and，seeingnosignofUsher，lethimselfoutandbetookhimselfagaintowardthetown。

Thatnightheputanelectrictorchinhispocketandsetoutaloneinthedarknesstoaddthelastlinkstohisargument。Therewasmuchthathedidnotknowyet;buthethoughtheknewwherehecouldfindtheknowledge。Thenightcloseddarkandstormyandtheblackgapinthewalllookedblackerthanever;thewoodseemedtohavegrownthickeranddarkerinaday。Ifthedesertedlakewithitsblackwoodsandgrayurnsandimageslookeddesolateevenbydaylight，underthenightandthegrowingstormitseemedstillmorekkethepoolofAcheroninthelandoflostsouls。Ashesteppedcarefullyalongthejettystonesheseemedtobetravelingfartherandfartherintotheabyssofnight，andtohaveleftbehindhimthelastpointsfromwhichitwouldbepossibletosignaltothelandoftheliving。Thelakeseemedtohavegrownlargerthanasea，butaseaofblackandslimywatersthatsleptwithabominableserenity，asiftheyhadwashedouttheworld。Therewassomuchofthisnightmaresenseofextensionandexpansionthathewasstrangelysurprisedtocometohisdesertislandsosoon。Butheknewitforaplaceofinhumansilenceandsolitude;andhefeltasifhehadbeenwalkingforyears。

Nervinghimselftoamorenormalmood，hepausedunderoneofthedarkdragontreesthatbranchedoutabovehim，and，takingouthistorch，turnedinthedirectionofthedooratthebackofthetemple。Itwasunboltedasbefore，andthethoughtstirredfaintlyinhimthatitwasslightlyopen，thoughonlybyacrack。

Themorehethoughtofit，however，themorecertainhegrewthatthiswasbutoneofthecommonillusionsoflightcomingfromadifferentangle。Hestudiedinamorescientificspiritthedetailsofthedoor，withitsrustyboltsandhinges，whenhebecameconsciousofsomethingverynearhim——indeed，nearlyabovehishead。Somethingwasdanglingfromthetreethatwasnotabrokenbranch。Forsomesecondshestoodasstillasastone，andascold。Whathesawabovehimwerethelegsofamanhanging，presumablyadeadmanhanged。Butthenextmomentheknewbetter。

Themanwasliterallyaliveandkicking;andaninstantafterhehaddroppedtothegroundandturnedontheintruder。Simultaneouslythreeorfourothertreesseemedtocometolifeinthesamefashion。Fiveorsixotherfigureshadfallenontheirfeetfromtheseunnaturalnests。Itwasasiftheplacewereanislandofmonkeys。Butamomentaftertheyhadmadeastampedetowardhim，andwhentheylaidtheirhandsonhimheknewthattheyweremen。