it now changed to the airy incisiveness of a lawyer giving
good legal advice。
〃It isn't only your aunt who wants to keep this quiet if
she can；〃 he said； 〃we all want to keep it quiet if we can。
Look at the large factsthe big bones of the case。 I believe
those scientific gentlemen have made a highly scientific mistake。
I believe Smith is as blameless as a buttercup。 I admit
buttercups don't often let off loaded pistols in private houses；
I admit there is something demanding explanation。
But I am morally certain there's some blunder； or some joke；
or some allegory； or some accident behind all this。
Well； suppose I'm wrong。 We've disarmed him； we're five men
to hold him； he may as well go to a lock…up later on as now。
But suppose there's even a chance of my being right。
Is it anybody's interest here to wash this linen in public？
〃Come； I'll take each of you in order。 Once take Smith outside that gate；
and you take him into the front page of the evening papers。 I know；
I've written the front page myself。 Miss Duke； do you or your aunt want
a sort of notice stuck up over your boarding…house‘Doctors shot here。'
No； nodoctors are rubbish； as I said； but you don't want the rubbish
shot here。 Arthur； suppose I am right； or suppose I am wrong。
Smith has appeared as an old schoolfellow of yours。 Mark my words；
if he's proved guilty； the Organs of Public Opinion will say you
introduced him。 If he's proved innocent； they will say you helped
to collar him。 Rosamund； my dear； suppose I am right or wrong。
If he's proved guilty； they'll say you engaged your companion to him。
If he's proved innocent； they'll print that telegram。
I know the Organs； damn them。〃
He stopped an instant； for this rapid rationalism left him more
breathless than had either his theatrical or his real denunciation。
But he was plainly in earnest； as well as positive and lucid；
as was proved by his proceeding quickly the moment he had
found his breath。
〃It is just the same；〃 he cried； 〃with our medical friends。
You will say that Dr。 Warner has a grievance。 I agree。
But does he want specially to be snapshotted by all the
journalists ~prostratus in horto~？ It was no fault of his；
but the scene was not very dignified even for him。
He must have justice； but does he want to ask for justice；
not only on his knees； but on his hands and knees？
Does he want to enter the court of justice on all fours？
Doctors are not allowed to advertise； and I'm sure no
doctor wants to advertise himself as looking like that。
And even for our American guest the interest is the same。
Let us suppose that he has conclusive documents。
Let us assume that he has revelations really worth reading。
Well； in a legal inquiry （or a medical inquiry； for that matter）
ten to one he won't be allowed to read them。 He'll be tripped
up every two or three minutes with some tangle of old rules。
A man can't tell the truth in public nowadays。 But he can
still tell it in private； he can tell it inside that house。〃
〃It is quite true；〃 said Dr。 Cyrus Pym； who had listened throughout
the speech with a seriousness which only an American could have retained
through such a scene。 〃It is true that I have been per…ceptibly less
hampered in private inquiries。〃
〃Dr。 Pym！〃 cried Warner in a sort of sudden anger。
〃Dr。 Pym！ you aren't really going to admit〃
〃Smith may be mad；〃 went on the melancholy Moon in a monologue
that seemed as heavy as a hatchet； 〃but there was something
after all in what he said about Home Rule for every home。
Yes； there is something； when all's said and done； in the High Court
of Beacon。 It is really true that human beings might often get
some sort of domestic justice where just now they can only get
legal injusticeoh； I am a lawyer too； and I know that as well。
It is true that there's too much official and indirect power。
Often and often the thing a whole nation can't settle is just the thing
a family could settle。 Scores of young criminals have been fined
and sent to jail when they ought to have been thrashed and sent to bed。
Scores of men； I am sure； have had a lifetime at Hanwell when they
only wanted a week at Brighton。 There IS something in Smith's
notion of domestic self…government； and I propose that we put it
into practice。 You have the prisoner； you have the documents。
Come； we are a company of free； white； Christian people；
such as might be besieged in a town or cast up on a desert island。
Let us do this thing ourselves。 Let us go into that house there
and sit down and find out with our own eyes and ears whether this
thing is true or not； whether this Smith is a man or a monster。
If we can't do a little thing like that； what right have we to put
crosses on ballot papers？〃
Inglewood and Pym exchanged a glance； and Warner； who was no fool；
saw in that glance that Moon was gaining ground。 The motives that led
Arthur to think of surrender were indeed very different from those
which affected Dr。 Cyrus Pym。 All Arthur's instincts were on the side
of privacy and polite settlement； he was very English and would often
endure wrongs rather than right them by scenes and serious rhetoric。
To play at once the buffoon and the knight…errant； like his Irish friend；
would have been absolute torture to him； but even the semi…official
part he had played that afternoon was very painful。 He was not likely
to be reluctant if any one could convince him that his duty was to let
sleeping dogs lie。
On the other hand； Cyrus Pym belonged to a country in which things are
possible that seem crazy to the English。 Regulations and authorities exactly
like one of Innocent's pranks or one of Michael's satires really exist；
propped by placid policemen and imposed on bustling business men。
Pym knew whole States which are vast and yet secret and fanciful；
each is as big as a nation yet as private as a lost village； and as
unexpected as an apple…pie bed。 States where no man may have a cigarette；
States where any man may have ten wives； very strict prohibition States；
very lax divorce Statesall these large local vagaries had prepared
Cyrus Pym's mind for small local vagaries in a smaller country。
Infinitely more remote from England than any Russian or Italian；
utterly incapable of even conceiving what English conventions are；
he could not see the social impossibility of the Court of Beacon。 It is
firmly believed by those who shared the experiment； that to the very
end Pym believed in that phantasmal court and supposed it to be
some Britannic institution。
Towards the synod thus somewhat at a standstill there approached
through the growing haze and gloaming a short dark figure with a walk
apparently founded on the imperfect repression of a negro breakdown。
Something at once in the familiarity and the incongruity of this
being moved Michael to even heartier outbursts of a healthy
and humane flippancy。
〃Why； here's little Nosey Gould；〃 he exclaimed。 〃Isn't the mere
sight of him enough to banish all your morbid reflections？〃
〃Really；〃 replied Dr。 Warner；〃 I really fail to see how Mr。 Gould
affects the question； and I once more demand〃
〃Hello！ what's the funeral； gents？〃 inquired the newcomer with the air
of an uproarious umpire。 〃Doctor demandin' something？ Always the way
at a boarding…house； you know。 Always lots of demand。 No supply。〃
As delicately and impartially as he could； Michael restated his position；
and indicated generally that Smith had been guilty of certain dangerous
and dubious acts； and that there had even arisen an allegation that
he was insane。
〃Well； of course he is；〃 said Moses Gould equably； 〃it don't
need old 'Olmes to see that。 The 'awk…like face of 'Olmes；〃
he added with abstract relish； 〃showed a shide of disappointment；
the sleuth…like Gould 'avin' got there before 'im。〃
〃If he is mad；〃 began Inglewood。
〃Well；〃 said Moses； 〃when a cove gets out on the tile the first night
there's generally a tile loose。〃
〃You never objected before；〃 said Diana Duke rather stiffly；
〃and you're generally pretty free with your complaints。〃
〃I don't compline of him；〃 said Moses magnanimously； 〃the poor chap's
'armless enough； you might tie 'im up in the garden her and 'e'd make
noises at the burglars。〃
〃Moses；〃 said Moon with solemn fervour； 〃you are the incarnation
of Common Sense。 You think Mr。 Innocent is mad。 Let me introduce you
to the incarnation of Scientific Theory。 He also thinks Mr。 Innocent
is mad。Doctor； this is my friend Mr。 Gould。Moses； this is the celebrated
Dr。 Pym。〃 The celebrated Dr。 Cyrus Pym closed his eyes and bowed。
He also murmured his national war…cry in a low voice； which sounded
like 〃Pleased to meet you。〃
〃Now you two people；〃 said Michael cheerfully； 〃who both think our poor
friend mad； shall jolly well go into that house over there and prove him mad。
What could be more powerful than the combination of Scientific Theory
with Common Sense？ United you stand； divided you fall。 I will not be
so uncivil as to suggest that Dr。 Pym has no common sense； I confine myself
to recording the chronological accident that he has not shown us any so far。
I take the freedom of an old friend in staking my shirt that Mo