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第25章 蓝宝石十字架5（第2页）

&erapause，hesaid，"e，willyougivemethatcross?"

"No，"saidtheother，andthemonosyllablehadanoddsound。

Flambeausuddenlyflungoffallhispontifisiorobberleanedbahisseatalong。

"No，"hecried，"youwon'tgiveittome，youproudprelate。Youwon'tgiveittome，youlittlecelibatesimpleton。ShallItellyouwhyyouwon'tgiveittome?BecauseI'vegotitalreadyinmyoocket。"

Thesmallmaurseemedtobeadazedfathedusk，andsaid，withthetimideagernessof"ThePrivateSecretary":

"Are-areyousure?"

Flambeauyelledwithdelight。"Really，yoodasathree-actfarce，"hecried。"Yes，youturnip，Iamquitesure。Ihadtheseomakeaduplicatehtparow，myfriend，you'vegottheduplidI'vegotthejewels。Anolddodge，FatherBrown-averyolddodge。"

"Yes，"saidFatherBroassedhishandthroughhishairwiththesamestrangevaguenessofma;Yes，I'veheardofitbefore。"

Theeleahelittlerusticpriestwithasortofsudde。

"Youhaveheardofit?"heasked。"Wherehaveyouheardofit?"

"Well，Imustn'ttellyouhisname，ofcourse，"saidthelittlemansimply。"Hee，youknorosperouslyforabouttweirelyonduplipaperpardso，yousee，wheosuspectyou，Ithoughtofthispoorchap'swayofdoingitato;

"Begame?"repeatedtheoutlawwithiensity。"DidyoureallyhavethegumptiomejustbecauseIbroughtyouuptothisbarepartoftheheath?"

"No，no，"saidBrownology。"Yousee，Isuspectedyouwhemet。It'sthatlittlebulgeupthesleevewhereyoupeoplehavethespikedbracelet。"

"HowinTartarus，"criedFlambeau，"didyoueverhearofthespikedbracelet?"

"Oh，one'slittlefloow!"saidFatherBrhiseyebrowsratherblankly。"WhenIwasaHartlepool，therewerethreeofthemwithspikedbracelets。So，asIsuspethefirst，don'tyousee，Imadesurethatthecrossshouldgosafe，anyhow。I'mafraidIwatchedyou，youknow。SoatlastIsaar，don'tyousee，Igedthemba。Atherightonebehind。"

"Leftitbehind?"repeatedFlambeau，aimetherewasaeinhisvoicebesidehistriumph。

"Well，itwaslikethis，"saidthelittlepriest，speakingiedway。"Iwentbacktothatsweet-shopandaskedifI'dleftapardgavethemaparticularaddressifitturnedup。Well，IknewIhadn't;butayagainIdid。So，insteadaftermewiththatvaluableparcel，theyhavesentitflyingtoafriemihehersadly，"Ilearntthat，too，fromapoorfelloool。Heusedtodoitwithharailwaystations，buthe'sinamonasterynow。Oh，ooknow，youknow，"headded，rubbinghisheadagainwiththesamesortofdesperateapology。"We'thelpbeis，peopleeahesethings。"

Flambeautorethebroarceloutofhisiaiherewasnothingbutpaperandsticksofleadi。Hesprangtohisfeetwithagigaure，a;Idon'tbelieveyou。Idon'tbelieveabumpkinlikeyoua。Ibelieveyou'vestillgotthestuffonyou，andifyoudon'tgiveitup-why，we'reallalone，andI'lltakeitbyforce!"

"No，"saidFatherBrownsimply，andstoodupalso，"youwon'ttakeitbyforce。First，becauseIreallyhaven'tstillgotit。And，sed，becauseweare;

Flambeaustoppedinhisstridefor>

"Behindthattree，"saidFatherBrown，pointing，"aretwpolidthegreatestdetectivealive。Howdidtheyehere，doyouask?Why，Ibroughtthem，ofcourse!HowdidIdoit?Why，I'lltellyouifyoulike!Lordblessyou，wehavetokysugsthealclasses!Well，Iwasn'tsureyouwereathief，anditwouldomakeasdalagainstoneofoury。SoIjusttestedyoutoseeifanythingwouldmakeyoushowyourself。Amangenerallymakesasmallseifhefindssaltinhiscoffee;ifhedoesn't，hehassomereasquiet。Igedthesaltandsugar，a。Amangenerallyobjectsifhisbillisthreetimesm。Ifhepaysit，hehassomemueredyourbill，andyoupaidit。"

TheworldseemedwaitingforFlambeautoleaplikeatiger。Buthewasheldbackasbyaspell;hewasstuheutmostcuriosity。

"Well，"wentonFatherBrown，withlumberinglucidity，"asyouwouldn'tleaveanytracksforthepoliebodyhadto。Ateveryplatto，Itookethingthatwouldgetustalkedaboutfortherestoftheday。Ididn'tdomuchharm-asplashediltapples，abrokenwindow;butIsavedthecross，asthecrosswillalwaysbesaved。ItisatWestminsterbynow。Iratherwonderyoudidn'tstopitwiththeDonkey'sWhistle。"

"Withwhat?"askedFlambeau。

"I'mgladyou've，"saidthepriest，maki'safoulthing。I'msureyoodamanforaWhistler。I'thavetereditevesmyself;I'mnhi;

"Whatohareyoutalkingabout?"askedtheother。

"Well，Ididthinkyou'dks，"saidFatherBrorised。"Oh，you'thavegyet!"

"Howinblazesdoyouknowallthesehorrors?"criedFlambeau。

Theshadowofasmilecrossedtheround，simplefaceofhisclerient。

"Oh，bybeiesimpleton，Isuppose，"hesaid。"hasitruckyouthatamaonothingbuthearmen'srealsinsisobewhollyunawareofhuma，asamatteroffaotherpartofmytrade，too，mademesureyouweren'tapriest。"

"What?"askedthethief，almostgaping。

"Youattackedreason，"saidFatherBrown。"It'sbadtheology。"

Aurocollecthisproperty，thethreepoliutrees。FlambeauwasanartistandasportsmaeppedbadsweptValebow。

"Donotbowtome，monami，"saidValentinwithsilveress。"Letusbothbowtoourmaster。"

AoodaninstantuhelittleEssexpriestbliforhisumbrella。