Chapter 4 man in the tunnel

Two men appeared at both ends of a passage at the same time.The passage runs along the side of the Apollo Theater in London's Adelphi district.The setting sun on the street at this moment is still very dazzling, and the scattered peripheral light is milky white, giving people a sense of emptiness.Relatively speaking, the long and narrow passage seemed a bit dark, and the two sides could only vaguely see each other's silhouette.Although they could only see the dark silhouette on the opposite side, they could already tell who the other was, because their physical features were very prominent and they hated each other.

The covered passage leads to a steep street in Adelphi at one end, and exits at the other end on a terraced platform along the Thames overlooking the water in the setting sun.One side of the passage is a bare wall, and the building dependent on it was originally an old theater restaurant, which has been closed due to poor management.There are two doors on the other side, just at the two ends of the passage, but neither door is the back door of the theater as people usually refer to it, but a special, hidden theater back door, specially provided for the convenience of special actors.On this day, they are reserved for the entry and exit of star actors in Shakespeare's plays.Most famous actors like this kind of special entrance and exit, which is convenient for them to meet or avoid some friends.

The two men we are talking about belong to this category of friends.They all walked toward the upper door with deliberate confidence, which they all evidently knew existed and which they were sure would open for them.But the pace of the two was different, and the one from the far end of the passage walked faster, which made them arrive at the hidden back door almost at the same time.They greeted each other politely and waited at the door, but the one who walked faster seemed to be more impatient and didn't want to wait any longer, so he reached out to knock on the door. In this respect, as in any other respect, two men of diametrically opposite characteristics were equally accomplished.Individually, both were handsome, capable, and popular.As public figures, both are well-known celebrities.But whether it is their brilliant achievements or their dignified looks, they are so different that it is difficult to compare them.Anyone who knew Sir Wilson Seymour knew that he was an important man.In various inner circles involving politics and academia, he can always be seen everywhere.Brilliant as he was, he served on 20 mediocre committees covering everything from the reform of the Royal Academy to a research project on the implementation of gold and silver bimetallism in the British Empire.In the art world, he is even more a big man who can call the wind and rain.He is such a rare person, no one can tell whether he is a great nobleman engaged in art, or a great artist appreciated by the nobles.But if you talk to him for a few minutes, you realize that he completely affects every aspect of your life.

His appearance is also "outstanding", both traditional charm and unique charm.As far as fashion goes, the top hat he wears is impeccable, but certainly distinctive, perhaps a little higher to make him stand taller.He is tall and thin, with a slightly hunched back, but he does not give people the feeling of being weak.His hair was silver-gray, but not old; long, but effeminate; curly, but not noticeable.A well-groomed goatee made him look manly and handsome, like the ancient admiral in the portrait of Velázquez that hangs in his home.His gray gloves were darker in color and his silver-tipped cane was longer than those that gentlemen flapped and waved about in theaters and restaurants.

The other was not so tall, but by no means short, just as strong and handsome.He had curly hair, too, but it was blond, and cut short, revealing a hard skull; and, like Chaucer's miller, he had a head fit for knocking down any door.His military moustache and flat shoulders made him a soldier, but his particularly unflappable, penetrating blue eyes made him more of a sailor.He had a square face, a straight chin and shoulders, and even his jacket looked square.In popular cartoons of the time, Max Beerbohm once depicted him as Euclid's fourth axiom, "all right angles are equal."

He is also a public figure, but the path to success is different.You don't have to be in the elite to hear about Captain Cutler, whose tales of besieging Hong Kong and marching his way through China are widely circulated.Everywhere you go you hear people talking about him.Half the postcards have his portrait on them, and half the illustrated editions have maps of his operations and the battles he fought in.Half of concert hall or hurdy-gurdy performances use songs in his tribute as transitions.Although these were only fads, his reputation far surpassed Sir Wilson's, and he was more popular and sincerely loved by the public.In many British families, his reputation can even keep pace with Nelson.However, he enjoyed far less power in England than Sir Wilson.

The door was opened for them by an elderly servant, or "make-up artist."He described it as haggard and frail, and he was dressed in shabby black clothes, which formed a strong contrast with the glamorous dressing room of the female star, which was extremely disproportionate.Multiple mirrors are installed at different angles in the dressing room, as if you are inside a giant diamond, with countless inwardly refracting facets in front of you.There were also a few extravagant decorations in the room—a few bouquets of flowers, a few colorful cushions, and costumes thrown aside. These things filled the entire space under the multiple reflections of the mirror, and when the servant slowly When a mirror is moved out or pushed to the wall, the scene in the mirror will jump and reflect infinitely overlapping images, just like the crazy scene in the story.

Facing the sloppy make-up artist, they both called out his name Parkinson in unison and asked to see Miss Aurora Romey.Parkinson said she was in another room, but he could make an announcement.A trace of melancholy floated between the eyebrows of the two visitors, because the room belonged to the male star who played Miss Romey, and she was the kind of person who not only wanted to be admired, but also to be envied.However, after about half a minute, a door inside the dressing room opened and she walked in.As always, she puts on stardom, even in private.At this moment, the silence in the room was also regarded by her as thunderous cheers, and she deserved this kind of treatment.The actress wore an eerie silk dress in shades of peacock green and peacock blue, with blue and green metallics that delighted children and estheticians alike.Her thick reddish-brown hair framed a face that fascinated all men, especially young boys and middle-aged men.Together with the great American actor Isidore Bruno, she performed "A Midsummer Night's Dream" in a poetic and dreamlike way, highlighting the two artistic images of Oberon and Titania, in other words In other words, Bruno and herself.In the fairyland-like setting on the stage, graceful and mysterious dances, green costumes like shiny beetle wings, all of which perfectly express the elusive personality of the fairy queen Titania.But in the real world, which is still broad daylight, when a man sees her, he is only attracted by her face.

She greeted the two men with a smile. This smile was as bright as the morning star and confusing. It had made many men shy away from her, and they all kept a certain safe distance from her.She accepted the flowers from Cutler, which bloomed as fervently and as costly as the victories he had won.Later, she accepted a different gift from Sir Wilson, which was nonchalantly offered.Sir Wilson's upbringing had given him a reserved demeanor, yet he had always acted supernaturally, disdainful of the cliché of presenting flowers.He explained that he had picked out a trinket that looked very novel, a Mycenaean dagger that might have been worn by people in the days of Theseus and Hippolyta.Like any weapon of heroism, the dagger was copper, but oddly sharp enough to stab anyone.Sir Wilson also said that he likes its blade-shaped blade very much, which is exquisite like an ancient Greek vase.If Miss Romey had an eye, or any use in the play, he hoped she would—

At this moment, the door inside was pushed open suddenly, and a tall man broke in, whose physical features were so different from Seymour who was speaking, even surpassing the difference between Captain Cutler and Seymour .This person is Isidore Bruno, about 6.6 feet tall, with a big arm and a round waist, muscular, not commensurate with his actor status.He is dressed in the rich golden-brown leopard skin costume of Oberon, the character in the play, like a savage god.He stood leaning on a hunting spear, which looked like a light silver wand when wielded on the stage, but in this small and crowded room, it looked particularly harsh and cold.His pair of bright black eyes rolled eagerly, showing high cheekbones and neat white teeth on his handsome bronze face, which made people guess that maybe his ancestors were from the plantations in the southern United States nigger.

"Aurora," he began, his thick voice has impressed countless audiences. "Can you--" As soon as he opened his mouth, he stopped hesitantly, because at this time a sixth person suddenly appeared at the door of this room. The appearance of this person was in great contrast with this situation, which almost made people feel a little ridiculous.He was a medium-sized man, dressed in the black priestly uniform of the Roman Catholic Church, and looked (especially with Bruno and Aurora) like a wooden Noah walking out of the ark.However, he didn't seem to realize that he was out of place, and he said dullly and politely: "I think Miss Romey asked me to come." Those who are interested may notice that it is this kind of sudden visit without the slightest emotion that actually arouses the hidden emotions even more intensely.The detachment of a professional ascetic undoubtedly made others suddenly realize that they turned out to be a group of rivals in love surrounding that woman. It was as warm as a stove.The presence of someone who doesn't care about her makes Miss Romey feel the other people's admiration for her more strongly, and there is a danger in the way everyone adores her: male actors display explicit desire , like a savage and a spoiled child; the soldier displayed a pure selfishness swayed by will rather than reason; Sir Wilson, like an aging hedonist, found a new hobby, concentration Not only that, but poor Parkinson had known her before she became famous, ran around like a shadow, and was also attached to her like a loyal dog. Those who are interested will notice something even more strange.The Noah of Black Wood (who was not entirely shrewd) noticed this and couldn't help laughing to himself.Obviously, even though the great Aurora cares a lot about the admiration of the opposite sex, she just wants to get rid of these admirers at the moment, so that she can be alone with someone who doesn't appreciate herself—at least in a completely different way.In order to achieve her goal, she used tough but soft diplomacy, and the little priest not only appreciated this method, but even enjoyed it.Maybe Aurora Romey was only smart about one thing, and that was that she knew the other half of people—the psychology of men.The priest watched her strike one by one quickly and precisely, forcing them to retreat without offending anyone, as if Napoleon had commanded a campaign.The big actor Bruno is very childish, and if he is pissed off, he will slam the door and leave in a fit of anger.The British military officer Cutler is slow-witted and a man of action. He may be indifferent to all kinds of hints, but he will obey the orders of the lady without hesitation.As for old Seymour, she had to think of another trick, which she could only save for the last.The only way to persuade him to go was to ask him privately, in the name of an old friend, to let him know why he should be avoided.When Miss Romey achieved three goals in one fell swoop, the priest admired her deeply. She came to Captain Cutler and said to him tenderly: "I cherish these flowers you gave me very much, because they must be your favorite. But do you know? There is no favorite among them." The flowers are not perfect yet. Please go to the flower shop on the corner of the street to buy some lilies of the valley to go with it, it would be great." After saying these words, her first goal was achieved immediately, and Bruno, who was full of anger, walked away.At that time, Bruno had proudly handed over to poor Parkinson the spear that he regarded as a scepter, and then he used a cushioned chair as his throne. When he was about to sit on it, he saw Aurora openly The scene of flattering his love rival stung his sensitive nerves, and the two milky white eyeballs burned with slave-like rebelliousness and rebellious anger.His brown hands clenched into giant fists, and in a split second he burst through the door and disappeared into his own room behind.At the same time, Miss Rome's goal of dismissing British officers is not as easy as imagined.It is true that Cutler stood up straight as if at a command, and went towards the door without his hat on; but Seymour was lounging on a mirror, showing off his grace, which made him feel guilty. He muttered, so Captain Cutler, who was about to go out, couldn't help but stop and look back, like a bulldog at a loss. "I've got to tell the fool how to go," whispered Aurora to Seymour, and ran to the door, urging the captain on. Seymour still maintained his graceful posture and seemed to be listening casually.Hearing Aurora's last loud confession to the captain, he turned around suddenly, smiled and ran to the other side of the passage, that is, the side facing the steps on the bank of the Thames, he was relieved .But then Seymour frowned again and became worried.He knew that, judging from his situation, there were many opponents.He remembered that there was a door at the other end of the passage for Bruno to enter and leave his room.Still maintaining his demeanor, he said some pleasantries to Father Brown about the restoration of the Byzantine architecture of Westminster Abbey, and then he naturally walked out the door and walked towards the exit at the upper end of the aisle.At this moment, only Father Brown and Parkinson were left in the room, and neither of them was the kind of person who had nothing to say.Parkinson paced the room, pulling the mirrors out and pushing them back.In his hand he still held Oberon's shining spear, which made his black coat and trousers seem black and dirty.Every time he pulls out a mirror, another black shadow of Father Brown will be reflected on it, making this absurd mirror room full of the figure of Father Brown, presenting various forms, such as an angel hanging in the air with his head upside down, An acrobat doing somersaults or a rude person with his or her back turned to others. Father Brown seemed to turn a blind eye to these images, and he just idly followed Parkinson walking around with his eyes until he walked towards Bruno's room with that ridiculous spear.Then, as usual, he relaxed and immersed himself in abstract thinking: calculating the angle of the mirror, the angle of the reflected image, the angle of the mirror embedded in the wall... Suddenly, he heard a suppressed call. He jumped up all at once, and stood there dumbfounded, listening carefully.At the same moment Sir Wilson rushed in, pale. "Who's that guy in the passage?" he yelled. "Where is my dagger?" Before Father Brown had turned his back, Sir Wilson had begun rummaging about the room for his dagger.But he couldn't find the dagger or anything like that, and at that moment there was a rush of running outside the door, and Cutler's square face appeared in the doorway.He was still clutching a handful of lily-of-the-valleys absurdly in his hand. "What's the matter?" he cried. "What's that thing over there? Is it your trick?" "My trick!" Seymour, with a pale face, spit out a few words through his teeth, and took a big step towards Cutler. At the moment when their swords were on the verge of breaking out, Father Brown walked out of the door and stood on a high place looking towards the passage. He was attracted by something and walked quickly.The two men stopped arguing and went after the priest.Cutler ran and yelled, "What are you doing? Who are you?" "My name is Brown," said Father Brown sadly, stooping to examine, then straightening up. "Miss Romey sent someone to call me over, and I came right away. It's a pity that it's still too late." The three of them looked there at the same time, and at least one of them would be heartbroken in that afternoon's sunset.The setting sun seemed to carve a golden path into the passage, and spread over Aurora Rome, who lay face up in her shimmering chartreuse gown.Her clothes seemed to have been torn during a fight, and her right shoulder was exposed, but the wound oozing blood was on her left shoulder.The brass dagger was lying about a step away from the pool of blood, shining brightly. The few people were silent for a long time. They could hear the laughter of the flower girls on Charing Cross Road in the distance, and the shrill whistle of someone hailing a taxi.Then I don't know whether it was out of control or acting for others, Captain Cutler suddenly took a step forward and grabbed Sir Wilson by the throat. Seymour watched him calmly, neither retaliated nor frightened. "You don't have to kill me," he said coldly, "I'll kill myself." The captain hesitated for a moment, then let go.Seymour was still cold, and said frankly: "Even if I don't have the courage to end my life with a dagger, I will drink too much and die within a month." "Wine isn't enough for me," Cutler replied. "I'll give blood for blood before I die. Not your blood—but I think I know whose." Before the others had time to understand what he meant, he had grabbed the dagger and ran towards the door downhill from the passage.Just when the captain found Bruno to confront him, the old Parkinson stumbled out the door and saw the corpse lying in the passage.He walked over tremblingly, his cheeks twitched, looked at her weakly, then returned tremblingly to the dressing room, and sat down on the chair with thick cushions.Father Brown ran to him at once, not paying attention to Cutler and the big actor, who were fisting and fighting for the dagger.Seymour was still sober, standing at the exit of the passage and whistling to call the police. The police came and pulled away the two who were wrestling like apes.After routine questioning, the police arrested Isidore Bruno on murder charges brought by a furious Cutler.Thinking of the fact that today's great national hero has captured the gangster with his own hands, the police have to pay attention to this case. You must know that they also have the professional sensitivity of journalists.They dared not neglect Cutler, and pointed out solemnly that he had a slight scratch on his hand.Just when Cutler was leaning against the tilted table and chair, Bruno took the opportunity to grab the dagger in his hand and pinned his arm so that he could not move.That's when the scratches were made.The wound was shallow, but the somewhat savage prisoner smiled and stared at Cutler's bleeding wrist until he was led out of the room. "Like a cannibal, huh?" an officer whispered to Cutler. Cutler didn't disagree at the time, but after a while, a sentence popped up: "We have to take care of...the dead..." He mumbled, and no one could hear what he said next. "Two dead men," came the priest's voice from afar in the room. "The poor man was dead when I ran up to him." He stood there, looking down at old Parkinson.Parkinson sat curled up in a black ball on the beautiful chair.In this way he expressed his condolences to the dead woman, and no words are worth a thousand words. Cutler was the first to break the silence, and he seemed moved by the unadorned tenderness.He said hoarsely, "Wish I was him. I remember, wherever she went, he took care of her, tried more than—anyone. She was his air. When the air disappeared, he died." .” "We're all dead," said Seymour, looking across the road, in a strange voice. They said goodbye to Father Brown at the corner of the road, and apologized for any rudeness they might have shown.They both looked sad, but at the same time there was something mysterious about them. The little priest's mind is full of various thoughts, but they often pass by in a flash and are difficult to grasp, just like in a rabbit farm, there are many rabbits in front of him, but he can't catch any of them.Suddenly, a flash of inspiration came to his mind, and a new idea appeared: none of their sorrows were faked, and it was hard to say whether they were innocent. "We'd better all go," said Seymour heavily. "We've all done what we can." "If I say that you have done as much harm as you can," Father Brown asked calmly, "do you understand what I mean?" Both men shuddered as if they knew they were guilty, and Cutler demanded sharply, "Who hurt?" "Injured yourselves," replied the priest. "If it wasn't for the sake of fairness and justice to warn you, I don't really need to trouble you any more. If the actor is finally acquitted, what you have done is almost sent to the gallows. They will definitely summon me, and I will Just be honest and tell them that after I heard a scream, you both rushed into the room like crazy and started arguing about the dagger. As long as my testimony is accepted, you are both suspected of murder. You So he wounded himself; Captain Cutler wounded himself with the dagger." "Hurt yourself!" Captain Cutler said disdainfully. "Just a little scratch?" "But there is blood, after all," replied the priest, nodding his head. "We know there's blood on the brass dagger now, so we'll never know if it was bloody before that." After a silence, Seymour emphasized in exactly his usual tone: "But I saw a man in the passage." "I know you saw someone," replied Father Brown impassively, "and Captain Cutler. It seems unlikely." Before the two could think it over clearly, let alone answer, Father Brown said goodbye politely, and walked away with his clumsy old umbrella. As far as modern journalism is concerned, the news about criminal cases is the most important and most honest.If it is true that murder was more news than politics in the 20th century, there is good reason for this, since murder is indeed a more serious issue.But even so, it is still difficult to explain the extensive and detailed coverage of the "Bruno case" or the "Passage Mystery" in the London and local press.During weeks of euphoria, the media reported exactly what happened; and the reports of cross-examinations and cross-examinations, though unbearably lengthy and even unbearably complicated, were at least truthful.Of course, the real reason why this case has attracted widespread and lasting attention is that the identities of the persons involved are very special.The victim is a female celebrity; the defendant is a male celebrity; and the person who caught the defendant on the spot is the most beloved soldier in today's patriotic trend.All these circumstances make it impossible for the press to report the case honestly and accurately.Other aspects of this curious case can, in fact, be gleaned from the various accounts of Bruno's trial. Presiding over the trial was Judge Monkhouse, one of those judges who are laughed at for their witty humor, but generally speaking, they are more serious than those who appear to be serious, because their frivolity is really due to their concern for Professional rigor is impatient and needs to be adjusted in a relaxed and lively way.On the contrary, those judges who always have a straight face are actually very flippant in nature, because they need the appearance of majesty to maintain their strong vanity.Since all parties involved in the case are heavyweights, the barristers are well equipped.The prosecution is Sir Walter Cowdray, a hulking but influential barrister, who understands the psychology of crowds, knows how to show himself to win people's confidence, and knows when to use hyperbole. Tricks to counter opponents.Defending the accused was Mr. Patrick Butler, Crown Counsel, whose image could easily have been mistaken for a libertine by those who did not know the Irish character, or who had not been cross-examined by him.There was no disagreement in the testimonies involving the medical appraisal. The doctors summoned by Seymour and the famous surgeon who later examined the body agreed that Aurora had been stabbed to death by some kind of sharp weapon, possibly a knife or dagger; A murder weapon with a short blade.The wound was over the heart and she died at the scene.She had not been dead for more than 20 minutes when doctors arrived at the scene.Therefore, she had been dead for less than three minutes when Father Brown found her. What followed was the testimony of police detectives, mainly concerning whether there were traces of a struggle, and the only evidence of a struggle was that the clothes were torn on the shoulders, but this did not seem to line up with the direction of the fatal blow.These details were only presented to the court without further explanation, after which the first important witness was called out. Sir Wilson gave evidence as much as he did anything else, not only brilliantly, but impeccably.Although his popularity is much higher than that of the judges, in front of the judges who represent fairness and justice, he has a humble attitude and does not show the slightest show of being in the limelight.Although everyone looked at him no differently than he did the Prime Minister or the Archbishop of Canterbury, they couldn't find any pride in his being a great man, except that he was just a regular man with an accent.Also, he was extraordinarily clear-headed, as he was at various committee meetings.He stated the situation one by one: went to the theater to visit Miss Rome; met Captain Cutler there; the defendant came and stayed with them for a short time, and then returned to his own dressing room; Brown's Roman Catholic priest came to see Miss Romey.Still later, when Miss Romey came out of the theatre, towards the entrance of the aisle, when Captain Cutler was going to buy her flowers, she went out and told Captain Cutler how to go; he himself remained in the room, chatting with the priest. .Then, he clearly heard the deceased send the captain away, turned around with a smile and ran towards the other end of the passage, which was the end where the defendant's dressing room was located.At that time, he was a little curious about his friend's hasty behavior, so he went out of the dressing room to the upper end of the passage, and looked towards the defendant's door.When asked if he saw something in the passage, Sir Wilson replied that yes, he saw something in the passage.Then, he stopped talking, bowed his head, and although he still maintained his usual demeanor, his face became paler.Sir Walter waited in silence for a long time, and then he couldn't tell whether he was sympathetic or trying to create tension. He lowered his voice and asked, "Did you see clearly?" No matter how unstable Sir Wilson's mood was, his mind still remained clear. He said: "The outline is very clear, but the details cannot be seen clearly or at all. The passage is very long, no matter who stands in the middle with the backlight, Everyone on the other end could see only a dark shadow." The witness dropped his eyes again and added, "I noticed this when Captain Cutler first walked into the corridor." Again the courtroom fell silent , the judge leaned forward and made some notes. "Oh," said Sir Walter patiently, "what does that outline look like? Like, say, the figure of the victim?" "Not at all," said Seymour quietly. "So what does it look like to you?" "It looks to me," replied the witness, "like a tall man." Everyone in the courtroom was glued to their pens, or umbrella handles, or books, or boots, or whatever happened to be in sight.They seemed to be trying to avoid looking directly at the prisoners in the dock, but they could feel the huge figure of the defendant.In people's eyes, Bruno is already very tall, but once you look away from him, the image of him in the imagination continues to expand and grow taller. Sir Walter sat back in his seat with a serious face, smoothed his black silk robe, and stroked his silver beard.Sir Wilson was about to leave the witness box after providing a few more details that could be corroborated by many witnesses, when Mr. Butler, the defense lawyer, jumped up and stopped him. "I'm just taking a moment of your time," said Mr. Butler, a vulgar-looking man with red eyebrows and a half-asleep look. "Please tell your honor, how do you know it is a man?" A faint smile seemed to flicker across Seymour's face. "I'm afraid it has something to do with the trousers," he said. "When I saw the light between the two long legs, I finally decided it was a man." Butler's sleepy eyes suddenly widened, as if he had made a major discovery. "Finally!" he repeated slowly. "So you thought it was a woman at first?" For the first time Seymour seemed uneasy. "You can't say that," he said, "but if your honor asks me to give my impressions, of course I will. It's not quite a woman in some places, but it's not quite a man either. The curves of the figure are different, and It just looks like it has long hair." "Thank you," said Mr. Butler, Crown Counsel, and sat down abruptly, as if he had got his wish. Captain Cutler was far less composed and eloquent than Sir Wilson, but his account of the initial situation did not differ from Seymour's account.He narrated how Bruno went back to his dressing room, how he was sent off to buy lilies of the valley, what he saw when he returned to the passage, and his suspicions about Seymour and his fight with Bruno.As for the shadow he and Seymour had seen, he could describe no more details.When asked about the silhouette of the shadow, he says he doesn't know the art, and can't quite make it out—clearly mocking Seymour.When asked if he was a man or a woman, he said it looked more like a beast - clearly pointing the finger at the accused.It seemed that the captain was really disturbed by grief and anger, and Cowdray quickly ended the cross-examination. The facts were so obvious that there was no point in chasing him to prove it. The cross-examination by the defense lawyer is also very simple.Still, he seems to be taking a long time (as he always does). "You used a very unusual word," he said, looking sleepily at Cutler. "Why do you say that shadow is more like a beast than a man or a woman?" Cutler looked unusually agitated. "Maybe I shouldn't say it," he said, "but the beast had chimpanzee-like shoulders and bristles on its head—" Butler chimed in impatiently. "Never mind whether his hair looks like pig hair or not," he said, "I'm only asking if you look like a woman's hair?" "A woman's?" cried the captain. "My God, it's impossible!" "But the witness just now said it was a woman's long hair," the defense lawyer asked furiously. "Does that figure look curvy or feminine like the witness just suggested? No? No feminine curves? If I understand correctly, according to you, the figure appears strong and looks square. Founder right?" "He's probably hunched over," Cutler said hoarsely, and rather weakly. "Arguably, he probably didn't," Butler said, sitting down abruptly again. The third witness Sir Walter called was the little Catholic priest.Compared with the other witnesses, he was indeed very short, standing almost invisible in the witness box, like a child being cross-examined.But unfortunately, Sir Walter had preconceived (mainly influenced by his family's religion) that Father Brown would side with the defendant, who was evil, a foreigner, and even part black.Therefore, whenever the proud priest wanted to explain something, he would interrupt him unceremoniously, forcing him to answer "yes" or "no", just telling the facts without any explanation.When Father Brown stated succinctly who he thought the persons in the passage were, Sir Walter told him that he did not wish to hear his theories. "Everyone saw a dark figure in the passage. You said you saw it too. So, what shape is that shadow?" 布朗神父好像受到责难似地眨眨眼，但他早已深知服从这个词的字面含义，便说道：“从形状上说，那个影子又矮又粗，但它脑袋两侧或者头顶上伸出两个黑色带尖的东西，向上卷曲着，就像两只角，而且——” “啊，长角的魔鬼，毫无疑问，”考德雷大叫着，语气中不无讥讽，得意洋洋地坐下。“一定是魔鬼来吃清教徒啦。” “不，”神父不动声色地说：“我知道是谁。” 法庭中人们的心一下子收紧了，他们感受到了某种荒谬但又那么真切的骇人情境。他们已将被告席上的那个人抛到了脑后，一心想着通道里的那个身影。而那个身影，有三个人见过，有三个才华横溢、受人尊敬的人描述过，它就像变幻莫测的噩梦：一个人说那是个女人，另一个人称那是头野兽，第三个人则说那是魔鬼…… 法官锐利的目光直视着布朗神父。“你是一位极不寻常的证人，”他说：“但你给我的感觉是你想说出真相。好吧，你在通道里看见的人到底是谁？” “是我自己。”布朗神父回答道。 法庭上一片寂静，但皇家大律师巴特勒腾地站了起来，很冷静地问：“可否请法官大人允许我盘问证人？”紧接着他向布朗神父抛出了一个显然不相干的问题：“你知道这把匕首；你是否知道专家们说案犯用的是刀身较短的凶器？” “刀身是很短，”布朗神父严肃地点头表示同意，“但刀柄很长。” 难道神父居然真的亲手用一把长刀柄（这似乎让这场谋杀变得更加可怕了）短刀身的匕首杀了人！就在这个念头仍然萦绕在听众心头的时候，神父继续解释说： “我是说匕首并不是唯一有短刀身的东西。长矛的矛头也很短，握住长矛矛头的底端，就像握着一把匕首，尤其是剧院里的那种花哨长矛；也就是可怜的老帕金森用来杀死他妻子的那支长矛。她已派人去叫我来解决他们的家庭纠纷——但我晚到了一步，愿天主宽恕我！但他也因悔罪而死，他无法容忍自己做的事。” 法庭中人们普遍的印象是，那位滔滔不绝的小个子神父在证人席上真的发疯了。但法官仍旧饶有兴味地望着他；而辩护律师则不为所动继续盘问。 “如果帕金森是用那支道具长矛做的案，”巴特勒说，“那他肯定是从4码开外刺过去的。你怎样解释那些搏斗的痕迹，比如衣服从肩膀处撕开了？”他已自然而然地把他的证人转换成了鉴证专家，但现在人们已无暇他顾了。 “这位可怜的女士，”神父解释说，“刮在恰好从她身后伸出的一块玻璃板上，撕破了衣服。她挣扎着要脱身，可就在她这么做的时候，帕金森从被告的化妆间出来，用长矛朝她刺去。” “一块玻璃板？”辩护律师好奇地重复道。 “其实是另外一边的镜子，”布朗神父解释道。“我在化妆间里就注意到了，有些镜子是可以滑到通道里边去的。” 法庭内再次陷入一片异乎寻常的死寂，而这一次法官开口打破了沉默。“这么说，你的意思是，当你朝通道那边张望时，你看到的那个人其实是镜子中的自己？” “是的，法官大人，这正是我要说的，”布朗回答道，“但他们问我影子的形状，我们教士的帽子上有折角，就像动物的角一样，所以我——” 法官探身向前，一双老眼异常明亮，以一种异常的语调问道：“你是说，当威尔逊爵士看见那个不管你叫他什么，反正是显出曲线、似乎长着像女人的头发、穿着男人裤子的那个人时，其实他看到的是他自己？” “正是，法官大人，”布朗神父回答道。 “你是说当卡特勒上尉看见那个双肩高耸、长着像猪鬃一样头发的黑猩猩时，他看见的其实是他自己？” “是的，法官大人。” 法官舒适地向后靠在椅子上，那样子让人很难分辨他是在讥笑还是赞赏。“你能说说，”他问道，“为什么你知道那是你自己在镜子中的影子，而另外两位杰出人士却不知道呢？” 布朗神父更加痛苦地眨着眼睛，结结巴巴地说：“说真的，法官大人，我也不知道，或许我不经常照镜子才会这样吧。”