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第8章 花园血案之谜5（第2页）

Heburiedhisheadinhishands，andstoodinasidtortureofthoughtorprayer，whiletheotherthreelygatthislastprodigyoftheirwildtwelvehours。

&herBrown'shaheyshowedafacequitefreshandserious，likeachild's。Heheavedahugesigh，andsaid:"Letusgetthissaidahasquicklyaspossible。Lookhere，thiswillbethequickestwaytoceyouallofthetruth。"Heturor。"DrSimon，"hesaid，"youhaveastronghead-piedIheardyouthismaskingthefivehardestquestionsaboutthisbusiness。Well，ifyouwillaskthemagain，Iwilla;

Simon'spinhisnoseinhisdoubtaheao;Well，thefirstquestion，youknow，iswhyamanshouldkillahaclumsysabreatallwhenamankillwithabodkin?"

"Amanotbeheadwithabodkin，"saidBrowncalmly，"andforthismurderbeheadingwasabsolutelynecessary。"

"Why?"askedO'Brien，withi。

"Aion?"askedFatherBrown。

"Well，whydidn'tthemancry?"askedthedoctor，&quardeainlyunusual。"

"Twigs。"saidthepriestgloomily，ahehichlookedontheseofdeath。"hepoiwigs。Whyshouldtheylieonthatlawn（lookatit）sofarfromaheywereheywereurdereroccupiedhisehsometrickswiththesabre，showinghowhecouldmid-air，orwhat-not。Then，whilehiseoseetheresult，asilentslash，andtheheadfell。"

"Well，"saidthedoctorslowly，"thatseemsplausibleenough。Butmywoquestionswillstumpa;

&stillstoodlookingcriticallyoutoftheaited。

"Youknowhowallthegardenlikeanair-tightchamber，"weor。"Well，howdidthestrahegarden?"

Withroulepriestahereneverwasahegarden。"

TherewasasilehenasuddenostchildishlaughterrelievedthestraiyofBrown'sremarkmovedIvas。

"Oh!"hecried，"thenwedidn'tlugagreatfattoasofalastnight?Hehadn'tgotintothegarden，Isuppose?"

"GotintothegardeedBrowively。"irely。"

"Hangitall，"criedSimon，"amaoagarden，orhedoesn't。"

"Notnecessarily，"saidthepriest，withafai;Whatistheion，doctor?"

"Ifancyyou'reill，"exclaimedDrSimonsharply;"butI'llasktheionifyoulike。Hetoutofthegarden?"

"Hedidn'tgetoutofthegarden。"saidthepriest，stilllookingoutofthewindow。

"Didn'tgetoutofthegarden?"explodedSimon。

"ely。"saidFatherBrown。

Simonshookhisfistsinafrenzyiaofagarden，orhedoesn't。"hecried。

"Notalways。"saidFatherBrown。

DrSimtohisfeetimpatiently。"Ihaveospareoalk。&qurily。"Ifyou'tuandamanbeingononesideofawallortheother，Iwon'ttroubleyoufurther。"

"Doctor，"saidthecleritly，"wehavealwaysgotoogether。Ifonlyforthesakeofoldfriendship，stopandtellmeyourfifthquestion。"

&ientSimonsankintoachairbythedoorandsaidbriefly:"Theheadandshoulderswerecutaboutiseemedtobedoh。"

"Yes，"saidthemotio;itwasdoomakeyouassumeexaplefalsehoodthatyoudidassume。Itwasdoakefraheheadbelohebody。"

Theborderlandofthebraihemonstersaremade，movedhorriblyintheGaelicO'Briehechaoticeofallthehorse-menandfish-womenthatman'sunnaturalfaehanhisfirstfathersseemedsayingi;Keepoutofthemardehetreewithdoublefruit。Avoidtheevilgardehemanwithtwoheads。"Yet，whiletheseshamefulsymbolicshapespassedacrosstheamirrorofhisIrishsoul，hisFreellectwasquitealert，andwaswatgtheoddpriestasdincredulouslyasalltherest。

FatherBrownhadturnedroundatlast，andstoodagainsttheithhisfaseshadow;buteveninthatshadowtheycouldseeitaleasashes。heless，hespokequitesensibly，asiftherewerenoGaeliearth。

"Ge;hesaid，"youdidnotfirangebodyarden。Youdidnotfindanystrangebodyinthegarden。Infaon'srationalism，IstillaffirmthatBeckerartlyprese;（pointingtotheblaysteriouscorpse）"Youhatmaninyourlives。Didyoueverseethisman?"

Herapidlyrolledawaythebald，yellowheadoftheunknoutinitsplacethewhite-manedheadbesideit。Ae，uakable，layJuliusK。Brayne。

"Themurderer，"wentonBrow;hackedoffhisenemy'sheadandflungtheswordfaroverthewall。Buthewasttheswordoheheadoverthewallalso。Thenhehadonlytootherheadtothed（asheinsistedonaprivatei）youallimagiallynewman。"

"otherhead!"saidO'Brienstaring。"Whatotherhead?Headsdon&#ardehey?"

"No，"saidFatherBrownhuskily，andlookingathisboots，"thereisonlyoheygrow。Theygrowioftheguillotihechiefofpolice，AristideValentin，wasstandingnotahemurder。Oh，myfriends，hearmeaminutemorebeforeyoutearmeiinisaman，ifbeingmadfuablecauseishodidyoucold，greyeyeofhisthatheismad!Hewoulddoanything，anythihecallsthesuperstitionoftheCross。Hehasfoughtforita，andnowhehasmurderedforit。Brayne'scrazymillionshadhithertobeenscatteredamongsomatheydidlittletoalterthebalahings。ButValentinheardawhisperthatBrayne，likesomanyscatter-braiics，wasdriftingtous;andthatwasquiteadifferentthing。BraynewouldpoursuppliesintotheimpoverishedandpugnaciousChurce;hewouldsupportsixNationalistheGuillotilewasalreadybalanapoint，aieattherisk。Heresolvedtodestroythemillionaire，aasohegreatestofdeteithisoractedtheseveredheadofBeinologicalexdtookithomeinhisofficialbox。HehadthatlastargumentwithBrayLallowaydidheendof;thatfailiintothesealedgardes，usedtwigsandasabreforillustration，and-"

IvanoftheSgup。"Youlunatic，"heyelled，"you'llgotomymasternow，ifItakeyouby-"

"Why，Iwasgoi;saidBrownheavily，"Imustaskhimtofess，andallthat。"

DrivingtheunhappyBrowhemlikeahostageorsacrifice，theyrushedtogetherintothesuddenstillnessofValentin'sstudy。

&detectivesatathisdeskapparentlytoooccupiedtoheartheirturbuleraheypausedamoment，ahinginthelookofthatuprightabackmadethedoforwardsuddenly。AtoudaglahattherewasasmallboxofpillsatValentin'selbow，andthatValentinwasdeadinhisdontheblihesuicidewasmorethantheprideofCato。