very distant object。
〃Mary； Mary；〃 cried Rosamund； almost breaking down； 〃I'm so sorry about it；
but the thing can't be at all。 Wewe have found out all about Mr。 Smith。〃
〃All？〃 repeated Mary； with a low and curious intonation；
〃why； that must be awfully exciting。〃
There was no noise for an instant and no motion except that
the silent Michael Moon； leaning on the gate； lifted his head；
as it might be to listen。 Then Rosamund remaining speechless；
Dr。 Pym came to her rescue in a definite way。
〃To begin with；〃 he said； 〃this man Smith is constantly attempting murder。
The Warden of Brakespeare College〃
〃I know；〃 said Mary； with a vague but radiant smile。
〃Innocent told me。〃
〃I can't say what he told you；〃 replied Pym quickly； 〃but I'm very much
afraid it wasn't true。 The plain truth is that the man's stained
with every known human crime。 I assure you I have all the documents。
I have evidence of his committing burglary； signed by a most eminent
English curate。 I have〃
〃Oh； but there were two curates；〃 cried Mary； with a certain gentle eagerness；
〃that was what made it so much funnier。〃
The darkened glass doors of the house opened once more；
and Inglewood appeared for an instant； making a sort of signal。
The American doctor bowed； the English doctor did not；
but they both set out stolidly towards the house。
No one else moved； not even Michael hanging on the gate；
but the back of his head and shoulders had still an indescribable
indication that he was listening to every word。
〃But don't you understand； Mary；〃 cried Rosamund in despair； 〃don't you
know that awful things have happened even before our very eyes。
I should have thought you would have heard the revolver shots upstairs。〃
〃Yes； I heard the shots；〃 said Mary almost brightly； 〃but I was busy packing
just then。 And Innocent had told me he was going to shoot at Dr。 Warner；
so it wasn't worth while to come down。〃
〃Oh； I don't understand what you mean；〃 cried Rosamund Hunt；
stamping； 〃but you must and shall understand what I mean。
I don't care how cruelly I put it； if only I can save you。
I mean that your Innocent Smith is the most awfully wicked
man in the world。 He has sent bullets at lots of other men
and gone off in cabs with lots of other women。 And he seems
to have killed the women too； for nobody can find them。〃
〃He is really rather naughty sometimes；〃 said Mary Gray；
laughing softly as she buttoned her old gray gloves。
〃Oh； this is really mesmerism； or something；〃 said Rosamund；
and burst into tears。
At the same moment the two black…clad doctors appeared out
of the house with their great green…clad captive between them。
He made no resistance； but was still laughing in a groggy
and half…witted style。 Arthur Inglewood followed in the rear；
a dark and red study in the last shades of distress and shame。
In this black； funereal； and painfully realistic style the exit
from Beacon House was made by a man whose entrance a day before
had been effected by the happy leaping of a wall and the hilarious
climbing of a tree。 No one moved of the groups in the garden
except Mary Gray； who stepped forward quite naturally；
calling out； 〃Are you ready； Innocent？ Our cab's been waiting
such a long time。〃
〃Ladies and gentlemen；〃 said Dr。 Warner firmly； 〃I must insist on asking
this lady to stand aside。 We shall have trouble enough as it is；
with the three of us in a cab。〃
〃But it IS our cab；〃 persisted Mary。 〃Why； there's Innocent's yellow
bag on the top of it。〃
〃Stand aside；〃 repeated Warner roughly。 〃And you； Mr。 Moon；
please be so obliging as to move a moment。 Come； come！ the sooner
this ugly business is over the betterand how can we open the gate
if you will keep leaning on it？〃
Michael Moon looked at his long lean forefinger； and seemed
to consider and reconsider this argument。 〃Yes； he said at last；
〃but how can I lean on this gate if you keep on opening it？〃
〃Oh； get out of the way！〃 cried Warner； almost good…humouredly。
〃You can lean on the gate any time。〃
〃No；〃 said Moon reflectively。 〃Seldom the time and the place
and the blue gate altogether； and it all depends whether you
come of an old country family。 My ancestors leaned on gates
before any one had discovered how to open them。〃
〃Michael！〃 cried Arthur Inglewood in a kind of agony； 〃are you going to get
out of the way？〃
〃Why； no； I think not；〃 said Michael； after some meditation；
and swung himself slowly round； so that he confronted the company；
while still； in a lounging attitude； occupying the path。
〃Hullo！〃 he called out suddenly； 〃what are you doing to Mr。 Smith？〃
〃Taking him away；〃 answered Warner shortly； 〃to be examined。〃
〃Matriculation？〃 asked Moon brightly。
〃By a magistrate；〃 said the other curtly。
〃And what other magistrate；〃 cried Michael； raising his voice；
〃dares to try what befell on this free soil； save only the ancient
and independent Dukes of Beacon？ What other court dares to try
one of our company； save only the High Court of Beacon？ Have you
forgotten that only this afternoon we flew the flag of independence
and severed ourselves from all the nations of the earth？〃
〃Michael；〃 cried Rosamund； wringing her hands； 〃how can you stand
there talking nonsense？ Why； you saw the dreadful thing yourself。
You were there when he went mad。 It was you that helped the doctor
up when he fell over the flower…pot。〃
〃And the High Court of Beacon；〃 replied Moon with hauteur；
〃has special powers in all cases concerning lunatics；
flower…pots； and doctors who fall down in gardens。
It's in our very first charter from Edward I： ‘Si medicus
quisquam in horto prostratus'〃
〃Out of the way！〃 cried Warner with sudden fury； 〃or we will force
you out of it。〃
〃What！〃 cried Michael Moon； with a cry of hilarious fierceness。
〃Shall I die in defence of this sacred pale？ Will you paint
these blue railings red with my gore？〃 and he laid hold of one
of the blue spikes behind him。 As Inglewood had noticed earlier
in the evening； the railing was loose and crooked at this place；
and the painted iron staff and spearhead came away in Michael's
hand as he shook it。
〃See！〃 he cried； brandishing this broken javelin in the air；
〃the very lances round Beacon Tower leap from their places to defend it。
Ah； in such a place and hour it is a fine thing to die alone！〃
And in a voice like a drum he rolled the noble lines of Ronsard
〃Ou pour l'honneur de Dieu； ou pour le droit de mon prince； Navre；
poitrine ouverte； au bord de mon province。〃
〃Sakes alive！〃 said the American gentleman； almost in an awed tone。
Then he added； 〃Are there two maniacs here？〃
〃No； there are five；〃 thundered Moon。 〃Smith and I are the only
sane people left。〃
〃Michael！〃 cried Rosamund； 〃Michael； what does it mean？〃
〃It means bosh！〃 roared Michael； and slung his painted spear
hurtling to the other end of the garden。 〃It means that doctors
are bosh； and criminology is bosh； and Americans are bosh
much more bosh than our Court of Beacon。 It means； you fatheads；
that Innocent Smith is no more mad or bad than the bird
on that tree。〃
〃But； my dear Moon；〃 began Inglewood in his modest manner； 〃these gentlemen〃
〃On the word of two doctors；〃 exploded Moon again；
without listening to anybody else； 〃shut up in a private hell
on the word of two doctors！ And such doctors！ Oh； my hat！
Look at 'em！do just look at 'em！ Would you read a book；
or buy a dog； or go to a hotel on the advice of twenty such？
My people came from Ireland； and were Catholics。 What would
you say if I called a man wicked on the word of two priests？〃
〃But it isn't only their word； Michael；〃 reasoned Rosamund；
〃they've got evidence too。〃
〃Have you looked at it？〃 asked Moon。
〃No；〃 said Rosamund； with a sort of faint surprise； 〃these gentlemen
are in charge of it。〃
〃And of everything else； it seems to me；〃 said Michael。 〃Why； you
haven't even had the decency to consult Mrs。 Duke。〃
〃Oh； that's no use；〃 said Diana in an undertone to Rosamund； 〃Auntie can't
say ‘Bo！' to a goose。〃
〃I am glad to hear it；〃 answered Michael； 〃for with such a flock of geese
to say it to； the horrid expletive might be constantly on her lips。
For my part； I simply refuse to let things be done in this light
and airy style。 I appeal to Mrs。 Dukeit's her house。〃
〃Mrs。 Duke？〃 repeated Inglewood doubtfully。
〃Yes； Mrs。 Duke；〃 said Michael firmly； 〃commonly called the Iron Duke。〃
〃If you ask Auntie；〃 said Diana quietly； 〃she'll only be for doing nothing
at all。 Her only idea is to hush things up or to let things slide。
That just suits her。〃
〃Yes；〃 replied Michael Moon； 〃and； as it happens； it just suits
all of us。 You are impatient with your elders； Miss Duke；
but when you are as old yourself you will know what Napoleon knew
that half one's letters answer themselves if you can only refrain
from the fleshly appetite of answering them。〃
He was still lounging in the same absurd attitude； with his elbow
on the grate； but his voice had altered abruptly for the third time；
just as it had changed from the mock heroic to the humanly indignant；
it now changed to the airy incisiveness of a lawyer giving
good