花園血案之謎 The Secret Garden (第2/15頁)

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Hewasahugefellow,asfatashewastall,cladincomleteeveningblack,withoutsomuchreliefasawatch-chainoraring.HishairwaswhiteandwellbrushedbacklikeaGermans；hisfacewasred,ferceandcherubic,withonedarktuftunderthelowerlithatthrewuthatotherwiseinfantilevisagewithaneffecttheatricalandevenMehistohelean.Notlong,however,didthatsalonmerelystareatthecelebratedAmerican；hislatenesshadalreadybecomeadomesticroblem,andhewassentwithallseedintothedining-roomwithLadyGallowayonhisarm.

ExcetononeointtheGallowaysweregenialandcasualenough.SolongasLadyMargaretdidnottakethearmofthatadventurerOBrien,herfatherwasquitesatisfied；andshehadnotdoneso,shehaddecorouslygoneinwithDr.Simon.Nevertheless,oldLordGallowaywasrestlessandalmostrude.

Hewasdilomaticenoughduringdinner,butwhen,overthecigars,threeoftheyoungermen-Simonthedoctor,BrowntheriestandthedetrimentalO‘Brien，（theexileinaforeignuniform）-allmeltedawaytomixwiththeladiesorsmokeintheconservatory,thentheEnglishdilomatistgrewveryundilomaticindeed.HewasstungeverysixtysecondswiththethoughtthatthescamO’BrienmightbesignallingtoMargaretsomehow；hedidnotattemttoimaginehow.HewasleftoverthecoffeewithBrayne,thehoaryYankeewhobelievedinallreligions,andValentin,thegrizzledFrenchmanwhobelievedinnone.Theycouldarguewitheachother,butneithercouldaealtohim.Afteratimethis“rogressive”logomachyhadreachedacrisisoftedium；LordGallowaygotualsoandsoughtthedrawing-room.Helosthiswayinlongassagesforsomesixoreightminutes：tillheheardthehigh-itched,didacticvoiceofthedoctor,andthenthedullvoiceoftheriest,followedbygenerallaughter.Theyalso,hethoughtwithacurse,wererobablyarguingabout“scienceandreligion.”Buttheinstantheoenedthesalondoorhesawonlyonething-hesawwhatwasnotthere.HesawthatCommandantOBrienwasabsent,andthatLadyMargaretwasabsenttoo.

Risingimatientlyfromthedrawing-room,ashehadfromthedining-room,hestamedalongtheassageoncemore.HisnotionofrotectinghisdaughterfromtheIrish-Algerianer-do-weelhadbecomesomethingcentralandevenmadinhismind.Ashewenttowardsthebackofthehouse,wherewasValentin‘sstudy,hewassurrisedtomeethisdaughter,whoswetastwithawhite,scornfulface,whichwasasecondenigma.IfshehadbeenwithO’Brien,wherewasO‘Brien！IfshehadnotbeenwithO’Brien,wherehadshebeen?Withasortofsenileandassionatesusicionhegroedhiswaytothedarkbackartsofthemansion,andeventuallyfoundaservants‘entrancethatoenedontothegarden.Themoonwithherscimitarhadnowrieduandrolledawayallthestorm-wrack.Theargentlightlituallfourcornersofthegarden.Atallfgureinbluewasstridingacrossthelawntowardsthestudydoor；aglintofmoonlitsilveronhisfacingsickedhimoutasCommandantO’Brien.

HevanishedthroughtheFrenchwindowsintothehouse,leavingLordGallowayinanindescribabletemer,atoncevirulentandvague.Theblue-and-silvergarden,likeasceneinatheatre,seemedtotaunthimwithallthattyrannictendernessagainstwhichhisworldlyauthoritywasatwar.ThelengthandgraceoftheIrishmansstrideenragedhimasifhewerearivalinsteadofafather；themoonlightmaddenedhim.Hewastraedasifbymagicintoagardenoftroubadours,aWatteaufairyland；and,willingtoshakeoffsuchamorousimbecilitiesbyseech,hesteedbrisklyafterhisenemy.Ashedidsohetriedoversometreeorstoneinthegrass；lookeddownatitfrstwithirritationandthenasecondtimewithcuriosity.Thenextinstantthemoonandthetallolarslookedatanunusualsight-anelderlyEnglishdilomatistrunninghardandcryingorbellowingasheran.

Hishoarseshoutsbroughtaalefacetothestudydoor,thebeamingglassesandworriedbrowofDr.Simon,whoheardthenoblemansfrstclearwords.LordGallowaywascrying：“Acorseinthegrass-ablood-stainedcorse.”OBrienatlasthadgoneutterlyoutofhismind.

“WemusttellValentinatonce，”saidthedoctor,whentheotherhadbrokenlydescribedallthathehaddaredtoexamine.“Itisfortunatethatheishere”；andevenashesokethegreatdetectiveenteredthestudy,attractedbythecry.Itwasalmostamusingtonotehistyicaltransformation；hehadcomewiththecommonconcernofahostandagentleman,fearingthatsomeguestorservantwasill.Whenhewastoldthegoryfact,heturnedwithallhisgravityinstantlybrightandbusinesslike；forthis,howeverabrutandawful,washisbusiness.

“Strange,gentlemen，”hesaidastheyhurriedoutintothegarden，“thatIshouldhavehuntedmysteriesallovertheearth,andnowonecomesandsettlesinmyownback-yard.Butwhereisthelace?”Theycrossedthelawnlesseasily,asaslightmisthadbeguntorisefromtheriver；butundertheguidanceoftheshakenGallowaytheyfoundthebodysunkenindeegrass-thebodyofaverytallandbroad-shoulderedman.Helayfacedownwards,sotheycouldonlyseethathisbigshoulderswerecladinblackcloth,andthathisbigheadwasbald,excetforawisortwoofbrownhairthatclungtohisskulllikewetseaweed.Ascarletserentofbloodcrawledfromunderhisfallenface.

“Atleast，”saidSimon,withadeeandsingularintonation，“heisnoneofourarty.”

“Examinehim,doctor，”criedValentinrathersharly.“Hemaynotbedead.”