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第61章 花园血案之谜 6（第1页）

第61章花园血案之谜（6）

"Ah，"saidheyesfixedontheEnglishpriestwhowasingslowlyupthepath。

"Isatrifle，Isuppose，"saidthedoctor，"butIthinkanoddosawhowtheheadhadbeenslashed，IsupposedtheassassinhadstruckmorethaoionIfoundmanycutsacrossthetruion;inotherwords，theywerestruckaftertheheadwasoff。DidBrayehisfoesofiendishlythathesthisbodyinthemoonlight?"

"Horrible!"saidO'Brien，andshuddered。

&lepriest，Brown，hadarrivedwhiletheyweretalking，andhadwaited，withcharacteristiess，tilltheyhadfihenhesaida>

"Isay，I'msorrytoi。ButIwassehe;

";repeatedSimon，ahimratherpainfullythroughhisglasses。

"Yes，I'msorry，"saidFatherBrownmildly。"There'sbeenanothermurder，youknow。"

Bothmesprarog。

"And，what&#erstill，"uedthepriest，withhisdulleyeontherhododendrons，"it'sthesamedisgustingsort;it'sanotherbeheadihesedheadactuallybleedingintotheriver，afewyardsalongBrayne'sroadtoParis;sotheysupposethathe—"

"GreatHeaven!"criedO'Brien。"IsBrayneamonomaniac?"

"ThereareAmeridettas，"saidthepriestimpassively。The;Theywantyoutoetothelibrarya;

andantO'Brieherstowardsthei，feelingdecidedlysick。Asasoldier，heloathedallthissecretiveage;whereweretheseextravagantamputationsgoingtostop?Firstoneheadwashackedoff，aher;inthiscase（hetoldhimselfbitterly）itwaswoheadswerebetterthanone。AshecrossedthestudyhealmoststaggeredatashoValentin'stablelaythecolouredpictureofyetathirdbleedinghead;anditwastheheadofValentinhimself。AseitwasonlyaNationalistpaper，calledTheGuillotine，whicheveryweekshowedospolitientswithrollingeyesandwrithiafterexe;forValentinwasananti-eO'BrienwasanIrishman，withakindofchastityeveninhissins;andhisgainstthatgreatbrutalityoftheiwhigsonlytoFraParisasawhrotesquesohicchurchestothegrosscaritheneers。HerememberedthegigaheRevolutiohewholeeuglyenergy，fromthesanguigoin'stableuptowhere，aboveamountaioyles，thegreatdevilgrinsonNotreDame。

Thelibrarywaslong，low，anddark;whatlightefromunderlowblindsandhadstillsomee。ValentinaIvaiheupperendofalong，slightly-slopingdesk，onwhichlaythemortalremains，lookingenormousi。Thebigblackfigureandyellowfaanfoundinthegardenessentiallyuhesedhead，whichhadbeenfishedfromamongtheriverreedsthatm，laystreaminganddrippi;Valentin'smeillseekiherestofthissedcorpse，osedtobeafloat。FatherBrown，whodidoshareO'Brien'sseheleast，wentuptothesedheadahhisbliwaslittlemorethanamopofwetwhitehair，frihsilverfireintheredandlevelmht;theface，whichseemedofanugly，empurpledandperhapsaltype，hadbeenmuchbatteredagaioossedier。

"G，andantO'Brien，"saidValentin，withquietcordiality。"YouhaveheardofBrayne'slastexperimentinbutchery，Isuppose?"

FatherBrownwasstillbeheheadwithwhitehair，andhesaid，withoutlookingup:

"IsupposeitisquitethatBrayoffthishead，too。"

"Well，itseemso;saidValentin，withhishandsinhispockets。"Killediheother。Foundwithinafewyardsoftheother。Ahesameeknowhecarriedaway。"

"Yes，yes;Iknow，"repliedFatherBrownsubmissively。"Yet，youknow，IdoubtwhetherBraynecouldhavecutoffthishead。"

"Whynot?"inquiredDr。Simon，witharationalstare。

"Well，doctor，"saidthepriest，lookingupblinking，"cutoffhisownhead?Idon'tknow。"

O'Brieaninsaneuniversegabouthisears;butthedforwardwithimpetuouspractidpushedbackthewet>

"Oh，there'snodoubtit'sBray;saidthepriestquietly。"Hehadexactlythattheleftear。"

&ive，whohadbeehepriestwithsteadyandglitteringeyes，openedhischedmouthandsaidsharply:"Youseemtoknowalotabouthim，FatherBrown。"

"Ido，"saidthelittlemansimply。"I'vebeenaboutwithhimforsomeweeks。Hewasthinkingofjoiningourchurch。"

&arofthefanatigiin'seyes;hestrodetoriestwithds。"And，perhaps，"hecried，withablasti;perhapshewasalsothinkingofleavingallhismooyourchurch。"

"Perhapshewas，"saidBrownstolidly;"itispossible。"

"Inthatcase，"criedValentin，withadreadfulsmile，"youmayindeedkdealabouthim。Abouthislifeandabouthis。。。"

andantO'Brienlaidahain'sarm。"Dropthatslanderousrubbish，Valentin，"hesaid，"ortheremaybemoreswordsyet。"