the trees of pride-第6部分

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　delicately　anyhow；　but；　after　all；　there's　a　very　necessary　business　side　to　it。　　What　are　we　going　to　do　about　poor　Vane's　affairs；　apart　from　himself？　I　suppose　you　know；〃　he　added；　in　a　low　voice　to　the　lawyer；　〃whether　he　made　a　will？〃

〃He　left　everything　to　his　daughter　unconditionally；〃　replied　Ashe。　　〃But　nothing　can　be　done　with　it。　　There's　no　proof　whatever　that　he's　dead。〃　　〃No　legal　proof？〃　remarked　Paynter　dryly。　A　wrinkle　of　irritation　had　appeared　in　the　big　bald　brow　of　Doctor　Brown；　and　he　made　an　impatient　movement。

〃Of　course　he's　dead；〃　he　said。　　〃What's　the　sense　of　all　this　legal　fuss？　　We　were　watching　this　side　of　the　wood；　weren't　we？　A　man　couldn't　have　flown　off　those　high　cliffs　over　the　sea；　he　could　only　have　fallen　off。　　What　else　can　he　be　but　dead？〃

〃I　speak　as　a　lawyer；〃　returned　Ashe；　raising　his　eyebrows。　〃We　can't　presume　his　death；　or　have　an　inquest　or　anything　till　we　find　the　poor　fellow's　body；　or　some　remains　that　may　reasonably　be　presumed　to　be　his　body。〃

〃I　see；〃　observed　Paynter　quietly。　　〃You　speak　as　a　lawyer；　but　I　don't　think　it's　very　hard　to　guess　what　you　think　as　a　man。〃

〃I　own　I'd　rather　be　a　man　than　a　lawyer；〃　said　the　doctor；　rather　roughly。　　〃I'd　no　notion　the　law　was　such　an　ass。　What's　the　good　of　keeping　the　poor　girl　out　of　her　property；　and　the　estate　all　going　to　pieces？　　Well；　I　must　be　off；　or　my　patients　will　be　going　to　pieces　too。〃

And　with　a　curt　salutation　he　pursued　his　path　down　to　the　village。

〃That　man　does　his　duty；　if　anybody　does；〃　remarked　Paynter。　　〃We　must　pardon　hisshall　I　say　manners　or　manner？〃

〃Oh；　I　bear　him　no　malice；〃　replied　Ashe　good…humoredly；　〃But　I'm　glad　he's　gone；　becausewell；　because　I　don't　want　him　to　know　how　jolly　right　he　is。〃　　And　he　leaned　back　in　his　chair　and　stared　up　at　the　roof　of　green　leaves。

〃You　are　sure；〃　said　Paynter；　looking　at　the　table；　〃that　Squire　Vane　is　dead？〃

〃More　than　that；〃　said　Ashe；　still　staring　at　the　leaves。　〃I'm　sure　of　how　he　died。〃

〃Ah！〃　said　the　American；　with　an　intake　of　breath；　and　they　remained　for　a　moment；　one　gazing　at　the　tree　and　the　other　at　the　table。

〃Sure　is　perhaps　too　strong　a　word；〃　continued　Ashe。　　〃But　my　conviction　will　want　some　shaking。　　I　don't　envy　the　counsel　for　the　defense。〃

〃The　counsel　for　the　defense；〃　repeated　Paynter；　and　looked　up　quickly　at　his　companion。　　He　was　struck　again　by　the　man's　Napoleon'ic　chin　and　jaw；　as　he　had　been　when　they　first　talked　of　the　legend　of　St。　Securis。

〃Then；〃　he　began；　〃you　don't　think　the　trees〃

〃The　trees　be　damned！〃　snorted　the　lawyer。　　〃The　tree　had　two　legs　on　that　evening。　　What　our　friend　the　poet；〃　he　added；　with　a　sneer；　〃would　call　a　walking　tree。　　Apropos　of　our　friend　the　poet；　you　seemed　surprised　that　night　to　find　he　was　not　walking　poetically　by　the　sea　all　the　time；　and　I　fear　I　affected　to　share　your　ignorance。　I　was　not　so　sure　then　as　I　am　now。〃

〃Sure　of　what？〃　demanded　the　other。

〃To　begin　with；〃　said　Ashe；　〃I'm　sure　our　friend　the　poet　followed　Vane　into　the　wood　that　night；　for　I　saw　him　coming　out　again。〃

Paynter　leaned　forward；　suddenly　pale　with　excitement；　and　struck　the　wooden　table　so　that　it　rattled。

〃Mr。　Ashe；　you're　wrong；〃　he　cried。　　〃You're　a　wonderful　man　and　you're　wrong。　　You've　probably　got　tons　of　true　convincing　evidence；　and　you're　wrong。　　I　know　this　poet；　I　know　him　as　a　poet；　and　that's　just　what　you　don't。　I　know　you　think　he　gave　you　crooked　answers；　and　seemed　to　be　all　smiles　and　black　looks　at　once；　but　you　don't　understand　the　type。　I　know　now　why　you　don't　understand　the　Irish。　　Sometimes　you　think　it's　soft；　and　sometimes　sly；　and　sometimes　murderous；　and　sometimes　uncivilized；　and　all　the　time　it's　only　civilized；　quivering　with　the　sensitive　irony　of　understanding　all　that　you　don't　understand。〃

〃Well；〃　said　Ashe　shortly；　〃we'll　see　who's　right。〃

〃We　will；〃　cried　Cyprian；　and　rose　suddenly　from　the　table。　All　the　drooping　of　the　aesthete　had　dropped　from　him；　his　Yankee　accent　rose　high；　like　a　horn　of　defiance；　and　there　was　nothing　about　him　but　the　New　World。

〃I　guess　I　will　look　into　this　myself；〃　he　said；　stretching　his　long　limbs　like　an　athlete。　　〃I　search　that　little　wood　of　yours　to…morrow。　It's　a　bit　late；　or　I'd　do　it　now。〃

〃The　wood　has　been　searched；〃　said　the　lawyer；　rising　also。

〃Yes；〃　drawled　the　American。　　〃It's　been　searched　by　servants；　policemen；　local　policeman；　and　quite　a　lot　of　people；　and　do　you　know　I　have　a　notion　that　nobody　round　here　is　likely　to　have　searched　it　at　all。〃

〃And　what　are　you　going　to　do　with　it？〃　asked　Ashe。

〃What　I　bet　they　haven't　done；〃　replied　Cyprian。　　〃I'm　going　to　climb　a　tree。〃

And　with　a　quaint　air　of　renewed　cheerfulness　he　took　himself　away　at　a　rapid　walk　to　his　inn。

He　appeared　at　daybreak　next　morning　outside　the　Vane　Arms　with　all　the　air　of　one　setting　out　on　his　travels　in　distant　lands。　He　had　a　field　glass　slung　over　his　shoulder；　and　a　very　large　sheath　knife　buckled　by　a　belt　round　his　waist；　and　carried　with　the　cool　bravado　of　the　bowie　knife　of　a　cowboy。　But　in　spite　of　this　backwoodsman's　simplicity；　or　perhaps　rather　because　of　it；　he　eyed　with　rising　relish　the　picturesque　plan　and　sky　line　of　the　antiquated　village；　and　especially　the　wooden　square　of　the　old　inn　sign　that　hung　over　his　head；　a　shield；　of　which　the　charges　seemed　to　him　a　mere　medley　of　blue　dolphins；　gold　crosses；　and　scarlet　birds。　　The　colors　and　cubic　corners　of　that　painted　board　pleased　him　like　a　play　or　a　puppet　show。　He　stood　staring　and　straddling　for　some　moments　on　the　cobbles　of　the　little　market　place；　then　he　gave　a　short　laugh　and　began　to　mount　the　steep　streets　toward　the　high　park　and　garden　beyond。　From　the　high　lawn；　above　the　tree　and　table；　he　could　see　on　one　side　the　land　stretch　away　past　the　house　into　a　great　rolling　plain；　which　under　the　clear　edges　of　the　dawn　seemed　dotted　with　picturesque　details。　　The　woods　here　and　there　on　the　plain　looked　like　green　hedgehogs；　as　grotesque　as　the　incongruous　beasts　found　unaccountably　walking　in　the　blank　spaces　of　mediaeval　maps。　The　land；　cut　up　into　colored　fields；　recalled　the　heraldry　of　the　signboard；　this　also　was　at　once　ancient　and　gay。　On　the　other　side　the　ground　to　seaward　swept　down　and　then　up　again　to　the　famous　or　infamous　wood；　the　square　of　strange　trees　lay　silently　tilted　on　the　slope；　also　suggesting；　if　not　a　map；　or　least　a　bird's…eye　view。　　Only　the　triple　centerpiece　of　the　peacock　trees　rose　clear　of　the　sky　line；　and　these　stood　up　in　tranquil　sunlight　as　things　almost　classical；　a　triangular　temple　of　the　winds。　　They　seemed　pagan　in　a　newer　and　more　placid　sense；　and　he　felt　a　newer　and　more　boyish　curiosity　and　courage　for　the　consulting　of　the　oracle。　In　all　his　wanderings　he　had　never　walked　so　lightly；　for　the　connoisseur　of　sensations　had　found　something　to　do　at　last；　he　was　fighting　for　a　friend。

He　was　brought　to　a　standstill　once；　however；　and　that　at　the　very　gateway　of　the　garden　of　the　trees　of　knowledge。　just　outside　the　black　entry　of　the　wood；　now　curtained　with　greener　and　larger　leafage；　he　came　on　a　solitary　figure。

It　was　Martin；　the　woodcutter；　wading　in　the　bracken　and　looking　about　him　in　rather　a　lost　fashion。　　The　man　seemed　to　be　talking　to　himself。

〃I　dropped　it　here；〃　he　was　saying。　　〃But　I'll　never　work　with　it　again　I　reckon。　　Doctor　wouldn't　let　me　pick　it　up；　when　I　wanted　to　pick　it　up；　and　now　they've　got　it；　like　they've　got　the　Squire。　　Wood　and　iron；　wood　and　iron；　but　eating　it's　nothing　to　them。〃

〃Come！〃　said　Paynter　kindly；　remembering　the　man's　domestic　trouble。　〃Miss　Vane　will　see　you　have　anything　you　want；　I　know。　　And　look　here；　don't　brood　on　all　those　stories　about　the　Squire。　　Is　there　the　slightest　trace　of　the　trees　having　anything　to　do　with　it？　Is　there　even　this　extra　branch　the　idiots　talked　about？〃

There　had　been　growing　on　Paynter　the　suspicion　that　the　man　before　him　was　not　perfectly　sane；　yet　he　was　much　more　startled　by　the　sudden　and　cold　sanity　that　looked　for。　　an　instant　out　of　the　woodman's　eyes；　as　he　answered　in　his　ordinary　manner。

〃Well；　sir；　did　you　count　the　branches　before？〃

Then　he　seemed　to　relapse；　and　Paynter　left　him　wandering　and　wavering　in　the　undergrowth；　and　entered　the　wood　like　one　across　whose　sunny　path　a　shadow　has　fallen　for　an　instant。

Diving　under　the　wood；　he　was　soon　threading　a　leafy　path　which；　even　under　that　summer　sun；　shone　only　with　an　emerald　twilight；　as　if　it　were　on　the　floor　of　the　sea。　　It　wound　about　more　shakily　than　he　had　supposed；　as　if　resolved　to　approach　the　central　trees　as　if　they　were　the　heart　of　the　maze　at　Hampton　Court。　　They　were　the　heart　of　the　maze　for　him；　anyhow；　he　sought　them　as　straight　as　a　crooked　road　would　carry　him；　and；　turning　a　final　corner；　he　beheld；　for　the　first　time；　the　foundations　of　those　towers　of　vegetation　he　had　as　yet　only　seen　from　above；　as　they　stood　waist…high　in　the　woodland。　He　found　the　suspicion　correct　which　supposed　the　tree　branched　from　one　great　root；　like　a　candelabrum；　the　fork；　though　stained　and　slimy　with　green　fungoids；　was　quite　near　the　ground；　and　offered　a　first　foothold。　He　put　his　foot　in　it；　and　without　a　flash　of　hesitation　went　aloft；　like　Jack　climbing　the　Bean　stalk。

Above　him　the　green　roof　of　leaves　and　boughs　seemed　sealed　like　a　firmament　of　foliage；　but；　by　bending　and　breaking　the　branches　to　right　and　left　he　slowly　forced　a　passage　upward；　and　had　at　last；　and　suddenly；　the　sensation　coming　out　on　the　top　of　the　world。　He　felt　as　if　he　had　never　been　in　the　open　air　before。　Sea　and　land　lay　in　a　circle　below　and　about　him；　as　he　sat　astride　a　branch　of　the　tall　tree；　he　was　almost　surprised　to　see　the　sun　still　comparatively　low　in　the　sky；　as　if　he　were　looking　over　a　land　of　eternal　sunrise。

〃Silent　upon　a　peak　in　Darien；〃　he　remarked；　in　a　needlessly　loud　and　cheerful　voice；　and　though　the　claim；　thus　expressed；　was　illogical；　it　was　not　inappropriate。　　He　did　feel　as　if　he　were　a　primitive　adventurer　just　come　to　the　New　World；　instead　of　a　modern　traveler　just　come　from　it。

〃I　wonder；〃　he　proceeded；　〃whether　I　am　really　the　first　that　ever　burst　into　thi