I called out to the enormous person going on in front； but he answered
obscurely that it was a short cut。
〃I was just repeating my very natural doubt to my clerical companion
when I was brought up against a short ladder； apparently leading
to a higher level of road。 My thoughtless companion ran up it so
quickly that I could not do otherwise than follow as best I could。
The path on which I then planted my feet was quite unprecedentedly narrow。
I had never had to walk along a thoroughfare so exiguous。
Along one side of it grew what； in the dark and density of air；
I first took to be some short； strong thicket of shrubs。 Then I saw
that they were not short shrubs； they were the tops of tall trees。
I； an English gentleman and clergyman of the Church of EnglandI was
walking along the top of a garden wall like a tom cat。
〃I am glad to say that I stopped within my first five steps；
and let loose my just reprobation； balancing myself as best I
could all the time。
〃‘It's a right…of…way；〃' declared my indefensible informant。
‘It's closed to traffic once in a hundred years。'
〃‘Mr。 Percy； Mr。 Percy！' I called out； ‘you are not going
on with this blackguard？'
〃‘Why； I think so；' answered my unhappy colleague flippantly。
‘I think you and I are bigger blackguards than he is；
whatever he is。'
〃‘I am a burglar；' explained the big creature quite calmly。
‘I am a member of the Fabian Society。 I take back the wealth stolen
by the capitalist； not by sweeping civil war and revolution； but by reform
fitted to the special occasionhere a little and there a little。
Do you see that fifth house along the terrace with the flat roof？
I'm permeating that one to…night。'
〃‘Whether this is a crime or a joke；' I cried； ‘I desire to be quit of it。'
〃‘The ladder is just behind you；' answered the creature
with horrible courtesy； ‘and； before you go； do let me give
you my card。'
〃If I had had the presence of mind to show any proper spirit I
should have flung it away； though any adequate gesture of the kind
would have gravely affected my equilibrium upon the wall。
As it was； in the wildness of the moment； I put it in my
waistcoat pocket； and； picking my way back by wall and ladder；
landed in the respectable streets once more。 Not before； however；
I had seen with my own eyes the two awful and lamentable facts
that the burglar was climbing up a slanting roof towards
the chimneys； and that Raymond Percy （a priest of God and；
what was worse； a gentleman） was crawling up after him。
I have never seen either of them since that day。
〃In consequence of this soul…searching experience I severed
my connection with the wild set。 I am far from saying that
every member of the Christian Social Union must necessarily
be a burglar。 I have no right to bring any such charge。
But it gave me a hint of what courses may lead to in many cases；
and I saw them no more。
〃I have only to add that the photograph you enclose； taken by a
Mr。 Inglewood； is undoubtedly that of the burglar in question。
When I got home that night I looked at his card； and he was inscribed
there under the name of Innocent Smith。Yours faithfully；
〃John Clement Hawkins。〃
Moon merely went through the form of glancing at the paper。 He knew that
the prosecutors could not have invented so heavy a document； that Moses Gould
（for one） could no more write like a canon than he could read like one。
After handing it back he rose to open the defence on the burglary charge。
〃We wish；〃 said Michael； 〃to give all reasonable facilities to
the prosecution； especially as it will save the time of the whole court。
The latter object I shall once again pursue by passing over all
those points of theory which are so dear to Dr。 Pym。 I know how they
are made。 Perjury is a variety of aphasia； leading a man to say
one thing instead of another。 Forgery is a kind of writer's cramp；
forcing a man to write his uncle's name instead of his own。
Piracy on the high seas is probably a form of sea…sickness。 But it is
unnecessary for us to inquire into the causes of a fact which we deny。
Innocent Smith never did commit burglary at all。
〃I should like to claim the power permitted by our previous arrangement；
and ask the prosecution two or three questions。〃
Dr。 Cyrus Pym closed his eyes to indicate a courteous assent。
〃In the first place；〃 continued Moon； 〃have you the date of Canon Hawkins's
last glimpse of Smith and Percy climbing up the walls and roofs？〃
〃Ho； yus！〃 called out Gould smartly。 〃November thirteen； eighteen ninety…one。〃
〃Have you；〃 continued Moon； 〃identified the houses in Hoxton up
which they climbed？〃
〃Must have been Ladysmith Terrace out of the highroad；〃
answered Gould with the same clockwork readiness。
〃Well；〃 said Michael； cocking an eyebrow at him； 〃was there any burglary
in that terrace that night？ Surely you could find that out。〃
〃There may well have been；〃 said the doctor primly； after a pause；
〃an unsuccessful one that led to no legalities。〃
〃Another question；〃 proceeded Michael。 〃Canon Hawkins； in his
blood…and…thunder boyish way； left off at the exciting moment。
Why don't you produce the evidence of the other clergyman；
who actually followed the burglar and presumably was present
at the crime？〃
Dr。 Pym rose and planted the points of his fingers on the table；
as he did when he was specially confident of the clearness
of his reply。
〃We have entirely failed；〃 he said； 〃to track the other clergyman；
who seems to have melted into the ether after Canon Hawkins had
seen him as…cending the gutters and the leads。 I am fully aware
that this may strike many as sing'lar； yet； upon reflection；
I think it will appear pretty natural to a bright thinker。
This Mr。 Raymond Percy is admittedly； by the canon's evidence；
a minister of eccentric ways。 His con…nection with England's proudest
and fairest does not seemingly prevent a taste for the society
of the real low…down。 On the other hand； the prisoner Smith is；
by general agreement； a man of irr'sistible fascination。
I entertain no doubt that Smith led the Revered Percy into the crime
and forced him to hide his head in the real crim'nal class。
That would fully account for his non…appearance； and the failure
of all attempts to trace him。〃
〃It is impossible； then； to trace him？〃 asked Moon。
〃Impossible；〃 repeated the specialist； shutting his eyes。
〃You are sure it's impossible？〃
〃Oh dry up； Michael；〃 cried Gould； irritably。 〃We'd 'have
found 'im if we could； for you bet 'e saw the burglary。
Look for your own 'ead in the dustbin。 You'll find that
after a bit；〃 and his voice died away in grumbling。
〃Arthur；〃 directed Michael Moon； sitting down； 〃kindly read
Mr。 Raymond Percy's letter to the court。〃
〃Wishing； as Mr。 Moon has said； to shorten the proceedings as much
as possible；〃 began Inglewood； 〃I will not read the first part
of the letter sent to us。 It is only fair to the prosecution
to admit the account given by the second clergyman fully ratifies；
as far as the facts are concerned； that given by the first clergyman。
We concede； then； the canon's story so far as it goes。 This must
necessarily be valuable to the prosecutor and also convenient to the court。
I begin Mr。 Percy's letter； then； at the point when all three men
were standing on the garden wall：
〃As I watched Hawkins wavering on the wall； I made up my own mind
not to waver。 A cloud of wrath was on my brain； like the cloud
of copper fog on the houses and gardens round。 My decision was
violent and simple； yet the thoughts that led up to it were so
complicated and contradictory that I could not retrace them now。
I knew Hawkins was a kind； innocent gentleman； and I would have
given ten pounds for the pleasure of kicking him down the road。
That God should allow good people to be as bestially stupid as that
rose against me like a towering blasphemy。
〃At Oxford； I fear； I had the artistic temperament rather badly；
and artists love to be limited。 I liked the church as a pretty pattern；
discipline was mere decoration。 I delighted in mere divisions of time；
I liked eating fish on Friday。 But then I like fish； and the fast
was made for men who like meat。 Then I came to Hoxton and found men
who had fasted for five hundred years； men who had to gnaw fish because
they could not get meatand fish…bones when they could not get fish。
As too many British officers treat the army as a review； so I had treated
the Church Militant as if it were the Church Pageant。 Hoxton cures that。
Then I realized that for eighteen hundred years the Church Militant
had not been a pageant； but a riotand a suppressed riot。
There； still living patiently in Hoxton； were the people to whom
the tremendous promises had been made。 In the face of that I had
to become a revolutionary if I was to continue to be religious。
In Hoxton one cannot be a conservative without being also an atheist
and a pessimist。 Nobody but the devil could want to conserve Hoxton。
〃On the top of all this comes Hawkins。 If he had cursed all the Hoxton men；
excommunicated them； and told them they were going to hell； I should
have rather admired him。