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蓝宝石十字架 The Blue Cross（第1页）

蓝宝石十字架TheBlueCross

G。K。切斯特顿G。K。

G。K。切斯特顿（G。K。，1874-1936），英国作家。出生于伦敦一个小资产阶级家庭。在校期间，喜欢写诗，并获得弥尔顿奖金。1900年，切斯特顿的第一部诗集《野骑士》出版，诗意清新隽永，其中以《飞的旅舍》（1914）的祝酒歌最为著名。另外侦探小说集《布朗神父的纯朴》（1911）、《布朗神父的智慧》（1914）、《布朗神父的秘密》（1927）、《布朗神父的丑行》（1935）等，也深受读者欢迎。

&hesilverribbaeringribboheboattouchedHarwidletlooseaswarmoffolklikeflies，amongwhomthemafollowwasbynomeansspiorwishedtobe。Therewasnothihim，exceptaslighttrastbetweentheholidaygaietyofhisdtheofficialgravityofhisface。Hiscludedaslight，palegreyjacket，awhitewaistdasilverstrawhatwithagrey-blueribbon。Hisleanfacewasdarkbytrast，andendedinacurtblackbeardthatlookedSpanishaedahanruff。Hewassmokingacigarettewiththeseriousnessofaherewasnothingabouthimtoithatthegreyjacketcoveredaloadedrevolver，thatthewhitewaistcoatcoveredapolicecard，orthatthestrawhateofthemostpowerfulisihiswasValeheheadoftheParispolidthemostfamousioroftheworld;andhewasBrusselstoLondohegreatestarrestofthetury。

FlambeauwasihepoliceofthreetrieshadtrackedthegreatalatlastfromGhenttoBrussels，fromBrusselstotheHookofHolland;anditwasjecturedthathewouldtakesomeadvaheunfamiliarityandoftheEucharistigress，thentakingpladon。Probablyhewouldtravelassomeminorclerkorsecretaryectedwithit;but，ofcourse，ValentinotbeobodycouldbeaboutFlambeau。

Itismanyyearshisesuddenlyceasedkeepingtheworldinaturmoil;andwheheysaidafterthedeathofRoland，therewasagreatquietupoidays（Imean，ofcourse，hisworst），FlambeauwasafigureasstatuesqueaionalastheKaiser。Almthedailypaperahehadescapedtheeextraordinaryditanother。HewasaGasofgiganticstatureandb;atalesweretoldofhisoutburstsofathletichumour;howheturhejugeofinstruupsidedownandstoodhimooclearhismind”；howherandowntheRuedeRivoliolidereacharm。

Itisduetohimtosaythathisfantasticphysigthloyedinsuchbloodlessthoughundignifiedses;hisrealcrimeswerechieflythoseofingeniousandwholesalerobbery。Buteachofhistheftswasalmostanewsin，andwouldmakeastorybyitself。ItwashewhreatTyroleanDairypanyinLondon，withnodairies，nooilk，butwithsomethousandsubscribers。Theseheservedbythesimpleoperationofmovilemilksoutsidepeople’sdoorstothedoorsofhisowners。

Itwasheanunatableandclosedehayoungladywhosewhwasiheextraordinarytrickhismessagesinfinitesimallysmallupontheslidesofamicroscope。

Asweepingsimpliarkedmanyofhisexperiments。Itissaidthatheoedallthenumbersihedeadofodivertooatrap。Itisquitethatheiablepillar-box，whichheputupatquietsuburbsontheceersdroppingpostalordersintoit。

Lastly，hewasklingacrobat;despitehishugefigure，hecouldleaplikeagrasshopperahetree-topslikeamohegreatValeouttofindFlambeau，erfectlyawarethathisadventureswouldnotendwhenhehadfoundhim。

Buthowwashetofindhim?OValentin’sideaswerestillitlement。

TherewasohingwhichFlambeau，withallhisdexterityofdisguise，otdthatwashissi。IfValentin’squickeyehadcaughtatallapple-woman，atallgrenadier，oreveallduchess，hemighthavearrestedthemo。ButallalonghistraintherewasnobodythatcouldbeadisguisedFlambeau，aacatcouldbedisguisedagiraffe。Aboutthepeopleohehadalreadysatisfiedhimself;andthepeoplepickedupatHarwithejourhemselveswithtytosix。Therewasashortrailwayofficialtravellinguptotheterminus，threefairlyshardewostationsafterwards，owidowladygoingupfromasmallEssextown，aRomanCathoingupfromasmallEssexvillage。Whehelastcase，Valeupandalmostlaughed。ThelittlepriestwassomuchtheessehoseEasternflats;hehadafadanddullasaNorfolkdumpling;hehadeyesasemptyastheNorthSea;hehadseveralbroarcels，whichhewasquiteincapableofg。TheEucharistigresshaddoubtlesssuckedoutoftheirloationmanysuchcreatures，blindandhelpless，likemolesdisiintitheseverestyleofFrandcouldhavenoloveforpriests。Buthecouldhavepityforthem，andthisohaveprovokedpityinanybody。Hehadalarge，shabbyumbrella，whitlyfellonthefloor。Hedidokherightendofhisretur。Heexplaihamoon-calfsimplicitytoeverybodyinthecarriagethathehadtobecareful，becausehehadsomethingmadeofrealsilver“withbluestones”inoneofhisbroarcels。HisquaintblehsaintlysimplitinuouslyamusedtheFrentillthepriestarrived（somehow）atTottenhamardcamebabrella。Whehelast，Valehegoodowarnhimnottotakecareofthesilverbytellingeverybodyaboutit。Buttowhomeverhetalked，Valehiseyeopenforsomeoneelse;helookedoutsteadilyforanyone，rialeorfemale，elluptosixfeet;forFlambeauwasfourinchesaboveit。

&edatLiverpoolStreet，however，quitetiouslysecurethathehadhealsofar。HetheoSdYardtularizehispositieforhelpineed;hethenlitateafstrollisofLondon。AshewaswalkisandsquaresbeyondVictoria，hepausedsuddenlyandstood。Itwasaquaisquare，verytypidon，fullofaillall，flathousesrouonceprosperousanduhesquareofshrubberyirelookedasdesertedasagreenPacificislet。Ohefoursideswasmuchhighertha，likeadais;andthelihissidewasbrokenbyoneofLondon’sadmirableats——arestaurantthatlookedasifithadstrayedfromSoho。Itwasanunreasonablyattractiveobject，lantsinpotsandlong，stripedblindsoflemonyellowaoodspeciallyhighabovethestreet，andintheusualpatchworkwayofLondon，aflightofstepsfromthestreetrahefrontdooralmostasafire-escapemightrunuptoafirst-floorwioodandsmokedinfrontoftheyellow-whiteblindsahemlong。

&ihingaboutmiraclesisthattheyhappen。Afewheaveheriaringshapeoforeedoesstandupinthelandscapeofadoubtfuljouraeshapeofaerrogatiohthesethihifewdays。NelsoheinstantofvidamannamedWilliamsdoesquiteatallymurderamannamedWilliamson;itsouofinfantishort，thereisinlifeaofelfincewhichifpeontheprosaicmayperpetuallymiss。AsithasbeenwellexpressedintheparadoxofPoe，“wisdomshouldretheunforeseen。”

AristideValentinwasunfathomablyFrendtheFrentelligeelligencespedsolely。Hewasnot“athinkihatisabrainlessphraseofmodernfatalismandmaterialism。Amalyisamaebecauseitotthihinkingman，andaplainmaime。Allhiswonderfulsuccesses，thatlookedlikeg，hadbeengainedbyploddinglogic，bydohought。TheFreheworldnanyparadox，theyelectrifyitbygoutatruism。Theycarryatruismsofar-asintheFreiolybecauseValeoodreasohelimitsofreason。Onlyamanwhoknowsnothingofmotorstalkswithoutpetrol;onlyamanwhoknowsnothialkswith，uprinciples。Herehehadnfirstprinciples。FlambeauhadbeeHarwidifhewasinLondonatall，hemightbeanythingfromatalltramponWimbledonontoatalltoast-masterattheHotelMetropole。Insuakedstateofinhadaviewahodofhisown。

Insuchcasesheretheunforeseen。Insuchcases，whenheotfollowthetrainofthereasonable，hedcarefullyfollowedthetrainoftheunreasoeadofgoiplaks，polis，rendezvous-hesystematittplaockedateveryemptyhouse，turneddowneverycul-de-satupeverylahrubbish，wentroundeverytthatledhimuselesslyoutoftheway。Hedefehiscrazycoursequitelogically。Hesaidthatifonehadacluethisay;butifonehadallitwasthebest，becausetherewasjusttheyodditythatcaughttheeyehtbethesamethathadcaughttheeyeofthepursued。Somewhereamanmustbegin，andithadbetterbejustwhereanhtstop。Somethingaboutthatflightofstepsuptotheshop，somethingaboutthequietudeandquaiherestaurahedetective’srareromantidmadehimresolvetostrikeatraupthesteps，andsittingdownatatablebythewindow，askedforacupofblackcoffee。

Itwashalf-waythroughthem，abreakfasted;theslightlitterofotherbreakfastsstoodaboutooremindhimofhishunger;andaddingapoachedeggtohisorder，heproceededmusinglytoshakesomewhitesugarintohiscoffee，thinkiimeaboutFlambeau。HerememberedhowFlambeauhadescebyapairofnailscissors，andoncebyahouseonfire;oncebyhavingtopayforaer，aihatelescopeataetthatmightdestroytheworld。Hethoughthisdetectivebrainasgoodastheal’s，whichwastrue。Buthefullyrealisedthedisadvahealisthecreativeartist;thedetelythecritic，”hesaidwithasoursmile，andliftedhiscoffeecuptohislipssloutitdownveryquickly。Hehadputsaltinit。

Helookedatthevesselfromwhichthesilverypowderhade;itwaslyasugar-basin;asunmistakablymeantfarasae-bne。Hewoheyshouldkeepsaltioseeiftherewereahodoxvessels。Yes;thereweretwosalt-cellarsquitefull。Perhapsthereethee-cellars。Hetastedit;itwassugar。Thenhelookedrouaurantwitharefreshedairofioseeiftherewerearacesofthatsingularartistictastewhichputsthesugari-dthesaltinthesugar-basiforanoddsplashofsomedarkfluidoheeredwalls，theeared，cheerfulandordihebellforthe>

&officialhurriedup，fuzzy-hairedablear-eyedatthatearlyhour，thedetective（ithoutaionofthesimplerformsofhumour）askedhimtotastethesugaratothehighreputatioheresultwasthatthewaiteryawnedsuddenlyandwokeup。

“Doyouplaythisdelicatejokeonyourerseverym?”iin。“Doesgthesaltandsugarneverpallonyouasajest?”

&er，whenthisironygrewclearer，stammeringlyassuredhimthattheestablishmeainlynosution;itmustbeamostistake。Hepickedupthesugar-basina;hepickedupthesalt-dlookedatthat，hisfaoreandmorebewildered。Atlastheabruptlyexcusedhimself，andhurryingaway，returnedihtheproprietor。Theproprietoralsoexamihesugar-basihesalt-cellar;theproprietoralsolookedbewildered。

&hewaiterseemedtogrowinartiwitharushofwords。

“Ithieredeagerly，“Ithinkitisthosetwy-men。”

“Whattwymen?”

&wymen，”saidthewaiter，“thatthrewsoupatthe>

&theeatedValentin，feelihismustbesomesingularItaliaaphor。

“Yes，yes，”saidtheatteedly，ahedarksplashoepaper;“threwitoverthereonthe>

&inlookedhisqueryattheproprietor，whocametohisrescuewithfullerreports。

“Yes，sir，”hesaid，“it’squitetrue，thoughIdon’tsupposeithasanythingtodowiththesugarandsalt。Twymenddranksouphereveryearly，assooersweretakendowhveryquiet，respectablepeople;ohebillaheother，whoseemedaslowercoachaltogether，wassomeminuteslhisthihewentatlast。Obeforehesteppedihedeliberatelypickeduphiscup，whichhehadoied，ahesoupslaponthewall。Iwasinthebayself，andsowasthewaiter;soIlyrushoutiofindthelashedandtheshopempty。Itdon’tdoanyparticulardamage，butitwasdeddItriedtocatiheyweretoofaroffthough;IoheywentroutoCarstairsStreet。”