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蓝宝石十字架 The Blue Cross02（第1页）

蓝宝石十字架TheBlueCross02

&inbehiearinghisfingernailswithsilentfury。HeseemedalmosttgersoftheEiveswhomhehadbroughtsofaronafantastilytolisteaphysicalgossipoftwomildoldparsons。InhisimpatieheequallyelaborateahetalldwheenedagainitwasagainFatherBroasspeaking:

“Reasonaheremotestandtheloar。Lookatthosestars。Don’ttheylookasiftheyweresinglediamondsandsapphires?Well，youeanymadbyyouplease。Thisofadamantwithleavesofbrilliants。Thinkthemoonisabluemoon，asiinesapphire。Butdon’tfancythatallthatfrantiywouldmakethesmallestdifferehereasonandjustiduplainsofopal，undercliffscutoutofpearl，youwouldstillfindahoushaltnotsteal。’”

&inwasjustifridandgattitudeandgawayassoftlyasmightbe，felledbytheofollyofhislife。Butsomethingintheverysileallpriestmadehimstopuerspoke。Whenatlasthedidspeak，hesaidsimply，hisheadbowedandhishandsonhisknees:

&hinkthatothersrisehigherthahemysteryofheavenisunfathomable，andIforoneyhead。”

&hbrowyetbentandwithoutgbythefaishadehisattitudeorvoice，headded:

“Justhasapphirecrossofyours，willyou?We’reallalonehere，andIcouldpullyoutopieceslikeastrawdoll。”

&erlyunalteredvoidattitudeaddedastrahatshogeofspeech。Buttheguarderofthereliedtoturhesmallestsepass。Heseemedstilltohaveasomewhatfoolishfaedtothestars。Perhapshehadood。Or，perhaps，hehaduoodandsatrigidwithterror。

&hetallpriest，inthesamelowvoithesamestillposture，“yes，IamFlambeau。”

&erapause，hesaid:“e，willyougivemethatcross?”

“No，”saidtheother，andthemonosyllablehadanoddsound。

Flambeausuddenlyflungoffallhispontifisiorobberleanedbahisseatalong。

“No，”hecried，“youwome，youproudprelate。Youwome，youlittlecelibatesimpleton。ShallItellyouwhyyouwome?BecauseI’vegotitalreadyinmyoocket。”

Thesmallmaurseemedtobeadazedfathedusk，andsaid，withthetimideagerhePrivateSecretary”：

“Are-areyousure?”

Flambeauyelledwithdelight。“Really，yoodasathree-actfarce，”hecried。“Yes，youturnip，Iamquitesure。Ihadtheseomakeaduplicatehtparow，myfrieheduplidI’vegotthejewels。Anolddodge，FatherBrown-averyolddodge。”

“Yes，”saidFatherBroassedhishandthroughhishairwiththesamestrangevaguenessofmanner。“Yes，I’veheardofitbefore。”

Theeleahelittlerusticpriestwithasortofsudde。

“Youhaveheardofit?”heasked。“Wherehaveyouheardofit?”

“Well，Imustn’ttellyouhisname，ofcourse，”saidthelittlemansimply。“Hee，youknorosperouslyforabouttweirelyonduplipaperpardso，yousee，wheosuspectyou，Ithoughtofthispoorchap’swayofdoingitatonce。”

&osuspectme?”repeatedtheoutlawwithiensity。“DidyoureallyhavethegumptiomejustbecauseIbroughtyouuptothisbarepartoftheheath?”

“No，no，”saidBrownology。“Yousee，Isuspectedyouwhemet。It’sthatlittlebulgeupthesleevewhereyoupeoplehavethespikedbracelet。”

“HowinTartarus，”criedFlambeau，“didyoueverhearofthespikedbracelet?”

“Oh，olefloow!”saidFatherBrhiseyebrowsratherblankly。“WhenIwasaHartlepool，therewerethreeofthemwithspikedbracelets。So，asIsuspethefirst，don’tyousee，Imadesurethatthecrossshouldgosafe，anyhow。I’mafraidIwatchedyou，youknow。SoatlastIsaar，don’tyousee，Igedthemba。Atherightonebehind。”

&behiedFlambeau，aimetherewasaeinhisvoicebesidehistriumph。

&waslikethis，”saidthelittlepriest，speakingiedway。“Iwentbacktothatsweet-shopandaskedifI’dleftapardgavethemaparticularaddressifitturnedup。Well，IknewIhadn’t;butayagainIdid。So，insteadaftermewiththatvaluableparcel，theyhavesentitflyingtoafriemihehersadly:“Ilearntthat，too，fromapoorfelloool。Heusedtodoitwithharailwaystations，buthe’sinamonasterynow。Oh，ooknow，youknow，”headded，rubbinghisheadagainwiththesamesortofdesperateapology。“beis，peopleeahesethings。”

Flambeautorethebroarceloutofhisiaiherewasnothingbutpaperandsticksofleadi。Hesprangtohisfeetwithagigaure，andcried:“Idon’tbelieveyou。Idon’tbelieveabumpkinlikeyoua。Ibelieveyou’vestillgotthestuffonyou，andifyoudoup——why，we’reallalone，andI’lltakeitbyforce!”

“No，”saidFatherBrownsimply，andstoodupalso，“youwobyforce。First，becauseIreallyhaven’tstillgotit。And，sed，becausewearenotalone。”

Flambeaustoppedinhisstridefor>

&tree，”saidFatherBrown，poirohegreatestdetectivealive。Howdidtheyehere，doyouask?Why，Ibroughtthem，ofcourse!HowdidIdoit?Why，I’lltellyouifyoulike!Lordblessyou，wehavetokysugsthealclasses!Well，Iwasn’tsureyouwereathief，anditwouldomakeasdalagainstoneofoury。SoIjusttestedyoutoseeifanythingwouldmakeyoushowyourself。Amangenerallymakesasmallseifhefindssaltinhiscoffee;ifhedoesn’t，hehassomereasquiet。Igedthesaltandsugar，a。Amangenerallyobjectsifhisbillisthreetimesm。Ifhepaysit，hehassomemueredyourbill，andyoupaidit。”

TheworldseemedwaitingforFlambeautoleaplikeatiger。Buthewasheldbackasbyaspell;hewasstuheutmostcuriosity。

&onFatherBrown，withlumberinglucidity，“asyouwouldracksforthepoliebodyhadto。Ateveryplatto，Itookethingthatwouldgetustalkedaboutfortherestoftheday。Ididn’tdomuchharm——asplashediltapples，abrokenwindow;butIsavedthecross，asthecrosswillalwaysbesaved。ItisatWestminsterbynow。Iratherwonderyoudidn’tstopitwiththeDole。”

“Withthewhat?”askedFlambeau。

“I’mgladyou’ve，”saidthepriest，maki’safoulthing。I’msureyoodamanforaWhistler。I’thavetereditevesmyself;I’mnhinthelegs。”

“Whatohareyoutalkingabout?”askedtheother。

“Well，Ididthinkyou’dks，”saidFatherBrorised。“Oh，you’thavegyet!”

“Howinblazesdoyouknowallthesehorrors?”criedFlambeau。