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 Moses has no
scientific theory。 Yet against this strong coalition I am ready to appear；
armed with nothing but an intuitionwhich is American for a guess。〃
〃Distinguished by Mr。 Gould's assistance；〃 said Pym； opening his
eyes suddenly。 〃I gather that though he and I are identical
in primary di…agnosis there is yet between us something that
cannot be called a disagreement； something which we may perhaps
call a〃 He put the points of thumb and forefinger together；
spreading the other fingers exquisitely in the air； and seemed
to be waiting for somebody else to tell him what to say。
〃Catchin' flies？〃 inquired the affable Moses。
〃A divergence；〃 said Dr。 Pym； with a refined sigh of relief； 〃a divergence。
Granted that the man in question is deranged； he would not necessarily
be all that science requires in a homicidal maniac〃
〃Has it occurred to you；〃 observed Moon； who was leaning on the gate again；
and did not turn round； 〃that if he were a homicidal maniac he might have
killed us all here while we were talking。〃
Something exploded silently in all their minds； like sealed
dynamite in some forgotten cellars。 They all remembered
for the first time for some hour or two that the monster
of whom they were talking was standing quietly among them。
They had left him in the garden like a garden statue； there might
have been a dolphin coiling round his legs； or a fountain
pouring out of his mouth； for all the notice they had taken
of Innocent Smith。 He stood with his crest of blonde； blown hair
thrust somewhat forward； his fresh…coloured； rather short…sighted
face looking patiently downwards at nothing in particular；
his huge shoulders humped； and his hands in his trousers pockets。
So far as they could guess he had not moved at all。
His green coat might have been cut out of the green turf
on which he stood。 In his shadow Pym had expounded and
Rosamund expostulated； Michael had ranted and Moses had ragged。
He had remained like a thing graven； the god of the garden。
A sparrow had perched on one of his heavy shoulders； and then；
after correcting its costume of feathers； had flown away。
〃Why；〃 cried Michael； with a shout of laughter； 〃the Court of Beacon
has openedand shut up again too。 You all know now I am right。
Your buried common sense has told you what my buried common sense has
told me。 Smith might have fired off a hundred cannons instead of a pistol；
and you would still know he was harmless as I know he is harmless。
Back we all go to the house and clear a room for discussion。
For the High Court of Beacon； which has already arrived at its decision；
is just about to begin its inquiry。〃
〃Just a goin' to begin！〃 cried little Mr。 Moses in an extraordinary
sort of disinterested excitement； like that of an animal during music
or a thunderstorm。 〃Follow on to the 'Igh Court of Eggs and Bacon；
'ave a kipper from the old firm！ 'Is Lordship complimented
Mr。 Gould on the 'igh professional delicacy 'e had shown；
and which was worthy of the best traditions of the Saloon Bar
and three of Scotch hot； miss！ Oh； chase me； girls！〃
The girls betraying no temptation to chase him； he went away in a
sort of waddling dance of pure excitement； and has made a circuit
of the garden before he reappeared； breathless but still beaming。
Moon had known his man when he realized that no people presented
to Moses Gould could be quite serious； even if they were
quite furious。 The glass doors stood open on the side nearest
to Mr。 Moses Gould； and as the feet of that festive idiot were
evidently turned in the same direction； everybody else went
that way with the unanimity of some uproarious procession。
Only Diana Duke retained enough rigidity to say the thing that had
been boiling at her fierce feminine lips for the last few hours。
Under the shadow of tragedy she had kept it back as unsympathetic。
〃In that case；〃 she said sharply； 〃these cabs can be sent away。〃
〃Well； Innocent must have his bag； you know；〃 said Mary with a smile。
〃I dare say the cabman would get it down for us。〃
〃I'll get the bag；〃 said Smith； speaking for the first time in hours；
his voice sounded remote and rude； like the voice of a statue。
Those who had so long danced and disputed round his immobility
were left breathless by his precipitance。 With a run and spring
he was out of the garden into the street； with a spring and
one quivering kick he was actually on the roof of the cab。
The cabman happened to be standing by the horse's head； having just
removed its emptied nose…bag。 Smith seemed for an instant to be
rolling about on the cab's back in the embraces of his Gladstone bag。
The next instant； however； he had rolled； as if by a royal luck；
into the high seat behind； and with a shriek of piercing and
appalling suddenness had sent the horse flying and scampering
down the street。
His evanescence was so violent and swift； that this time it
was all the other people who were turned into garden statues。
Mr。 Moses Gould； however； being ill…adapted both physically and morally
for the purposes of permanent sculpture； came to life some time before
the rest； and； turning to Moon； remarked； like a man starting chattily
with a stranger on an omnibus； 〃Tile loose； eh？ Cab loose anyhow。〃
There followed a fatal silence； and then Dr。 Warner said； with a sneer
like a club of stone；
〃This is what comes of the Court of Beacon； Mr。 Moon。 You have let
loose a maniac on the whole metropolis。〃
Beacon House stood； as has been said； at the end of a long crescent
of continuous houses。 The little garden that shut it in ran out into
a sharp point like a green cape pushed out into the sea of two streets。
Smith and his cab shot up one side of the triangle； and certainly
most of those standing inside of it never expected to see him again。
At the apex； however； he turned the horse sharply round and drove with equal
violence up the other side of the garden； visible to all those in the group。
With a common impulse the little crowd ran across the lawn as if to stop him；
but they soon had reason to duck and recoil。 Even as he vanished up
street for the second time； he let the big yellow bag fly from his hand；
so that it fell in the centre of the garden； scattering the company
like a bomb； and nearly damaging Dr。 Warner's hat for the third time。
Long before they had collected themselves； the cab had shot away with a
shriek that went into a whisper。
〃Well；〃 said Michael Moon； with a queer note in his voice；
〃you may as well all go inside anyhow。 We've got two relics
of Mr。 Smith at least； his fiancee and his trunk。〃
〃Why do you want us to go inside？〃 asked Arthur Inglewood；
in whose red brow and rough brown hair botheration seemed
to have reached its limit。
〃I want the rest to go in；〃 said Michael in a clear voice；
〃because I want the whole of this garden in which to talk to you。〃
There was an atmosphere of irrational doubt； it was really getting colder；
and a night wind had begun to wave the one or two trees in the twilight。
Dr。 Warner； however； spoke in a voice devoid of indecision。
〃I refuse to listen to any such proposal；〃 he said； 〃you have lost
this ruffian； and I must find him。〃
〃I don't ask you to listen to any proposal；〃 answered Moon quietly；
〃I only ask you to listen。〃
He made a silencing movement with his hand； and immediately
the whistling noise that had been lost in the dark streets on one side
of the house could be heard from quite a new quarter on the other side。
Through the night…maze of streets the noise increased with incredible
rapidity； and the next moment the flying hoofs and flashing wheels had
swept up to the blue…railed gate at which they had originally stood。
Mr。 Smith got down from his perch with an air of absent…mindedness；
and coming back into the garden stood in the same elephantine
attitude as before。
〃Get inside！ get inside！〃 cried Moon hilariously； with the air
of one shooing a company of cats。 〃Come； come； be quick about it！
Didn't I tell you I wanted to talk to Inglewood？〃
How they were all really driven into the house again it would
have been difficult afterwards to say。 They had reached the point
of being exhausted with incongruities； as people at a farce
are ill with laughing； and the brisk growth of the storm among
the trees seemed like a final gesture of things in general。
Inglewood lingered behind them； saying with a certain amicable
exasperation； 〃I say； do you really want to speak to me？〃
〃I do；〃 said Michael； 〃very much。〃
Nigh had come as it generally does； quicker than the twilight had seemed
to promise。 While the human eye still felt the sky as light gray； a very
large and lustrous moon appearing abruptly above a bulk of roofs and trees；
proved by contrast that the sky was already a very dark gray indeed。
A drift of barren leaves across the lawn； a drift of riven clouds across
the sky； seemed to be lifted on the same strong and yet laborious wind。
〃Arthur；〃 said Michael； 〃I began with an intuition； but now I am sure。
You and I are going to defend this friend of