the trees of pride-第16章

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hat　fools　you　were。　But　Doctor　Brown　here　followed　me　into　the　wood；　and　we　had　a　little　talk　which　rather　changed　my　plans。　　He　told　me　that　a　disappearance　for　a　few　hours　like　that　would　never　knock　the　nonsense　on　the　head；　most　people　would　never　even　hear　of　it；　and　those　who　did　would　say　that　one　night　proved　nothing。　He　showed　me　a　much　better　way；　which　had　been　tried　in　several　cases　where　bogus　miracles　had　been　shown　up。　The　thing　to　do　was　to　get　the　thing　really　believed　everywhere　as　a　miracle；　and　then　shown　up　everywhere　as　a　sham　miracle。　I　can't　put　all　the　arguments　as　well　as　he　did；　but　that　was　the　notion；　I　think。〃

The　doctor　nodded；　gazing　silently　at　the　sand；　and　the　Squire　resumed　with　undiminished　relish。

〃We　agreed　that　I　should　drop　through　the　hole　into　the　cave；　and　make　my　way　through　the　tunnels；　where　I　often　used　to　play　as　a　boy；　to　the　railway　station　a　few　miles　from　here；　and　there　take　a　train　for　London。　　It　was　necessary　for　the　joke；　of　course；　that　I　should　disappear　without　being　traced；　so　I　made　my　way　to　a　port；　and　put　in　a　very　pleasant　month　or　two　round　my　old　haunts　in　Cyprus　and　the　Mediterranean。　　There's　no　more　to　say　of　that　part　of　the　business；　except　that　I　arranged　to　be　back　by　a　particular　time；　and　here　I　am。　But　I've　heard　enough　of　what's　gone　on　round　here　to　be　satisfied　that　I've　done　the　trick。　　Everybody　in　Cornwall　and　most　people　in　South　England　have　heard　of　the　Vanishing　Squire；　and　thousands　of　noodles　have　been　nodding　their　heads　over　crystals　and　tarot　cards　at　this　marvelous　proof　of　an　unseen　world。　I　reckon　the　Reappearing　Squire　will　scatter　their　cards　and　smash　their　crystals；　so　that　such　rubbish　won't　appear　again　in　the　twentieth　century。　　I'll　make　the　peacock　trees　the　laughing　stock　of　all　Europe　and　America。〃

〃Well；〃　said　the　lawyer；　who　was　the　first　to　rearrange　his　wits；　〃I'm　sure　we're　all　only　too　delighted　to　see　you　again；　Squire；　and　I　quite　understand　your　explanation　and　your　own　very　natural　motives　in　the　matter。　　But　I'm　afraid　I　haven't　got　the　hang　of　everything　yet。　　Granted　that　you　wanted　to　vanish；　was　it　necessary　to　put　bogus　bones　in　the　cave；　so　as　nearly　to　put　a　halter　round　the　neck　of　Doctor　Brown？　　And　who　put　it　there？　The　statement　would　appear　perfectly　maniacal；　but　so　far　as　I　can　make　head　or　tail　out　of　anything；　Doctor　Brown　seems　to　have　put　it　there　himself。〃

The　doctor　lifted　his　head　for　the　first　time。

〃Yes；　I　put　the　bones　there；〃　he　said。　　〃I　believe　I　am　the　first　son　of　Adam　who　ever　manufactured　all　the　evidence　of　a　murder　charge　against　himself。〃

It　was　the　Squire's　turn　to　look　astonished。　　The　old　gentleman　looked　rather　wildly　from　one　to　the　other。

〃Bones！　　Murder　charge！〃　he　ejaculated。　　〃What　the　devil　is　all　this？　Whose　bones？〃

〃Your　bones；　in　a　manner　of　speaking；〃　delicately　conceded　the　doctor。　〃I　had　to　make　sure　you　had　really　died；　and　not　disappeared　by　magic。〃

The　Squire　in　his　turn　seemed　more　hopelessly　puzzled　than　the　whole　crowd　of　his　friends　had　been　over　his　own　escapade。　　〃Why　not？〃　he　demanded。　〃I　thought　it　was　the　whole　point　to　make　it　look　like　magic。　Why　did　you　want　me　to　die　so　much？〃

Doctor　Brown　had　lifted　his　head；　and　he　now　very　slowly　lifted　his　hand。　He　pointed　with　outstretched　arm　at　the　headland　overhanging　the　foreshore；　just　above　the　entrance　to　the　cave。　　It　was　the　exact　part　of　the　beach　where　Paynter　had　first　landed；　on　that　spring　morning　when　he　had　looked　up　in　his　first　fresh　wonder　at　the　peacock　trees。　But　the　trees　were　gone。

The　fact　itself　was　no　surprise　to　them；　the　clearance　had　naturally　been　one　of　the　first　of　the　sweeping　changes　of　the　Treherne　regime。　But　though　they　knew　it　well；　they　had　wholly　forgotten　it；　and　its　significance　returned　on　them　suddenly　like　a　sign　in　heaven。

〃That　is　the　reason；〃　said　the　doctor。　　〃I　have　worked　for　that　for　fourteen　years。〃

They　no　longer　looked　at　the　bare　promontory　on　which　the　feathery　trees　had　once　been　so　familiar　a　sight；　for　they　had　something　else　to　look　at。　　Anyone　seeing　the　Squire　now　would　have　shifted　his　opinion　about　where　to　find　the　lunatic　in　that　crowd。　It　was　plain　in　a　flash　that　the　change　had　fallen　on　him　like　a　thunderbolt；　that　he；　at　least；　had　never　had　the　wildest　notion　that　the　tale　of　the　Vanishing　Squire　had　been　but　a　prelude　to　that　of　the　vanishing　trees。　　The　next　half　hour　was　full　of　his　ravings　and　expostulations；　which　gradually　died　away　into　demands　for　explanation　and　incoherent　questions　repeated　again　and　again。　He　had　practically　to　be　overruled　at　last；　in　spite　of　the　respect　in　which　he　was　held；　before　anything　like　a　space　and　silence　were　made　in　which　the　doctor　could　tell　his　own　story。　It　was　perhaps　a　singular　story；　of　which　he　alone　had　ever　had　the　knowledge；　and　though　its　narration　was　not　uninterrupted；　it　may　be　set　forth　consecutively　in　his　own　words。

〃First；　I　wish　it　clearly　understood　that　I　believe　in　nothing。　I　do　not　even　give　the　nothing　I　believe　a　name；　or　I　should　be　an　atheist。　　I　have　never　had　inside　my　head　so　much　as　a　hint　of　heaven　and　hell。　　I　think　it　most　likely　we　are　worms　in　the　mud；　but　I　happen　to　be　sorry　for　the　other　worms　under　the　wheel。　And　I　happen　myself　to　be　a　sort　of　worm　that　turns　when　he　can。　If　I　care　nothing　for　piety；　I　care　less　for　poetry。　　I'm　not　like　Ashe　here；　who　is　crammed　with　criminology；　but　has　all　sorts　of　other　culture　as　well。　　I　know　nothing　about　culture；　except　bacteria　culture。　I　sometimes　fancy　Mr。　Ashe　is　as　much　an　art　critic　as　Mr。　Paynter；　only　he　looks　for　his　heroes；　or　villains；　in　real　life。　But　I　am　a　very　practical　man；　and　my　stepping　stones　have　been　simply　scientific　facts。　　In　this　village　I　found　a　facta　fever。　I　could　not　classify　it；　it　seemed　peculiar　to　this　corner　of　the　coast；　it　had　singular　reactions　of　delirium　and　mental　breakdown。　I　studied　it　exactly　as　I　should　a　queer　case　in　the　hospital；　and　corresponded　and　compared　notes　with　other　men　of　science。　But　nobody　had　even　a　working　hypothesis　about　it；　except　of　course　the　ignorant　peasantry；　who　said　the　peacock　trees　were　in　some　wild　way　poisonous。

〃Well；　the　peacock　trees　were　poisonous。　　The　peacock　trees　did　produce　the　fever。　　I　verified　the　fact　in　the　plain　plodding　way　required；　comparing　all　the　degrees　and　details　of　a　vast　number　of　cases；　and　there　were　a　shocking　number　to　compare。　　At　the　end　of　it　I　had　discovered　the　thing　as　Harvey　discovered　the　circulation　of　the　blood。　Everybody　was　the　worse　for　being　near　the　things；　those　who　came　off　best　were　exactly　the　exceptions　that　proved　the　rule；　abnormally　healthy　and　energetic　people　like　the　Squire　and　his　daughter。　In　other　words；　the　peasants　were　right。　　But　if　I　put　it　that　way；　somebody　will　cry：　　'But　do　you　believe　it　was　supernatural　then？'　In　fact；　that's　what　you'll　all　say；　and　that's　exactly　what　I　complain　of。　　I　fancy　hundreds　of　men　have　been　left　dead　and　diseases　left　undiscovered；　by　this　suspicion　of　superstition；　this　stupid　fear　of　fear。　　Unless　you　see　daylight　through　the　forest　of　facts　from　the　first；　you　won't　venture　into　the　wood　at　all。　Unless　we　can　promise　you　beforehand　that　there　shall　be　what　you　call　a　natural　explanation；　to　save　your　precious　dignity　from　miracles；　you　won't　even　hear　the　beginning　of　the　plain　tale。　　Suppose　there　isn't　a　natural　explanation！　　Suppose　there　is；　and　we　never　find　it！　Suppose　I　haven't　a　notion　whether　there　is　or　not　I　What　the　devil　has　that　to　do　with　you；　or　with　me　in　dealing　with　the　facts　I　do　know？　My　own　instinct　is　to　think　there　is；　that　if　my　researches　could　be　followed　far　enough　it　would　be　found　that　some　horrible　parody　of　hay　fever；　some　effect　analogous　to　that　of　pollen；　would　explain　all　the　facts。　　I　have　never　found　the　explanation。　　What　I　have　found　are　the　facts。　　And　the　fact　is　that　those　trees　on　the　top　there　dealt　death　right　and　left；　as　certainly　as　if　they　had　been　giants；　standing　on　a　hill　and　knocking　men　down　in　crowds　with　a　club。　It　will　be　said　that　now　I　had　only　to　produce　my　proofs　and　have　the　nuisance　removed。　　Perhaps　I　might　have　convinced　the　scientif