\"ComradeGregory,\"hesaid,\"Isupposethismanisadelegate?\"
Gregory,takenbysurprise,lookeddownandmutteredthenameofSyme;butSymerepliedalmostpertly——
\"Iamgladtoseethatyourgateiswellenoughguardedtomakeithardforanyonetobeherewhowasnotadelegate。\"
Thebrowofthelittlemanwiththeblackbeardwas,however,stillcontractedwithsomethinglikesuspicion。
\"Whatbranchdoyourepresent?\"heaskedsharply。
\"Ishouldhardlycallitabranch,\"saidSyme,laughing;\"Ishouldcallitattheveryleastaroot。\"
\"Whatdoyoumean?\"
\"Thefactis,\"saidSymeserenely,\"thetruthisIamaSabbatarian。IhavebeenspeciallysentheretoseethatyoushowadueobservanceofSunday。\"
Thelittlemandroppedoneofhispapers,andaflickeroffearwentoverallthefacesofthegroup。EvidentlytheawfulPresident,whosenamewasSunday,didsometimessenddownsuchirregularambassadorstosuchbranchmeetings。
\"Well,comrade,\"saidthemanwiththepapersafterapause,\"I
supposewe’dbettergiveyouaseatinthemeeting?\"
\"Ifyouaskmyadviceasafriend,\"saidSymewithseverebenevolence,\"Ithinkyou’dbetter。\"
WhenGregoryheardthedangerousdialogueend,withasuddensafetyforhisrival,heroseabruptlyandpacedthefloorinpainfulthought。Hewas,indeed,inanagonyofdiplomacy。ItwasclearthatSyme’sinspiredimpudencewaslikelytobringhimoutofallmerelyaccidentaldilemmas。Littlewastobehopedfromthem。HecouldnothimselfbetraySyme,partlyfromhonour,butpartlyalsobecause,ifhebetrayedhimandforsomereasonfailedtodestroyhim,theSymewhoescapedwouldbeaSymefreedfromallobligationofsecrecy,aSymewhowouldsimplywalktothenearestpolicestation。Afterall,itwasonlyonenight’sdiscussion,andonlyonedetectivewhowouldknowofit。Hewouldletoutaslittleaspossibleoftheirplansthatnight,andthenletSymego,andchanceit。
Hestrodeacrosstothegroupofanarchists,whichwasalreadydistributingitselfalongthebenches。
\"Ithinkitistimewebegan,\"hesaid;\"thesteam—tugiswaitingontheriveralready。ImovethatComradeButtonstakesthechair。\"
Thisbeingapprovedbyashowofhands,thelittlemanwiththepapersslippedintothepresidentialseat。
\"Comrades,\"hebegan,assharpasapistol—shot,\"ourmeetingtonightisimportant,thoughitneednotbelong。ThisbranchhasalwayshadthehonourofelectingThursdaysfortheCentralEuropeanCouncil。WehaveelectedmanyandsplendidThursdays。Wealllamentthesaddeceaseoftheheroicworkerwhooccupiedthepostuntillastweek。Asyouknow,hisservicestothecausewereconsiderable。HeorganisedthegreatdynamitecoupofBrightonwhich,underhappiercircumstances,oughttohavekilledeverybodyonthepier。Asyoualsoknow,hisdeathwasasself—denyingashislife,forhediedthroughhisfaithinahygienicmixtureofchalkandwaterasasubstituteformilk,whichbeverageheregardedasbarbaric,andasinvolvingcrueltytothecow。
Cruelty,oranythingapproachingtocruelty,revoltedhimalways。
Butitisnottoacclaimhisvirtuesthatwearemet,butforahardertask。Itisdifficultproperlytopraisehisqualities,butitismoredifficulttoreplacethem。Uponyou,comrades,itdevolvesthiseveningtochooseoutofthecompanypresentthemanwhoshallbeThursday。IfanycomradesuggestsanameIwillputittothevote。Ifnocomradesuggestsaname,Icanonlytellmyselfthatthatdeardynamiter,whoisgonefromus,hascarriedintotheunknowableabyssesthelastsecretofhisvirtueandhisinnocence。\"
Therewasastirofalmostinaudibleapplause,suchasissometimesheardinchurch。Thenalargeoldman,withalongandvenerablewhitebeard,perhapstheonlyrealworking—manpresent,roselumberinglyandsaid——
\"ImovethatComradeGregorybeelectedThursday,\"andsatlumberinglydownagain。
\"Doesanyonesecond?\"askedthechairman。
Alittlemanwithavelvetcoatandpointedbeardseconded。
\"BeforeIputthemattertothevote,\"saidthechairman,\"IwillcallonComradeGregorytomakeastatement。\"
Gregoryroseamidagreatrumbleofapplause。Hisfacewasdeadlypale,sothatbycontrasthisqueerredhairlookedalmostscarlet。
Buthewassmilingandaltogetheratease。Hehadmadeuphismind,andhesawhisbestpolicyquiteplaininfrontofhimlikeawhiteroad。Hisbestchancewastomakeasoftenedandambiguousspeech,suchaswouldleaveonthedetective’smindtheimpressionthattheanarchistbrotherhoodwasaverymildaffairafterall。Hebelievedinhisownliterarypower,hiscapacityforsuggestingfineshadesandpickingperfectwords。Hethoughtthatwithcarehecouldsucceed,inspiteofallthepeoplearoundhim,inconveyinganimpressionoftheinstitution,subtlyanddelicatelyfalse。Symehadoncethoughtthatanarchists,underalltheirbravado,wereonlyplayingthefool。Couldhenotnow,inthehourofperil,makeSymethinksoagain?
\"Comrades,\"beganGregory,inalowbutpenetratingvoice,\"itisnotnecessaryformetotellyouwhatismypolicy,foritisyourpolicyalso。Ourbeliefhasbeenslandered,ithasbeendisfigured,ithasbeenutterlyconfusedandconcealed,butithasneverbeenaltered。Thosewhotalkaboutanarchismanditsdangersgoeverywhereandanywheretogettheirinformation,excepttous,excepttothefountainhead。Theylearnaboutanarchistsfromsixpennynovels;theylearnaboutanarchistsfromtradesmen’snewspapers;theylearnaboutanarchistsfromAllySloper’sHalf—HolidayandtheSportingTimes。Theyneverlearnaboutanarchistsfromanarchists。WehavenochanceofdenyingthemountainousslanderswhichareheapeduponourheadsfromoneendofEuropetoanother。Themanwhohasalwaysheardthatwearewalkingplagueshasneverheardourreply。Iknowthathewillnothearittonight,thoughmypassionweretorendtheroof。Foritisdeep,deepundertheearththatthepersecutedarepermittedtoassemble,astheChristiansassembledintheCatacombs。Butif,bysomeincredibleaccident,therewereheretonightamanwhoallhislifehadthusimmenselymisunderstoodus,Iwouldputthisquestiontohim:’WhenthoseChristiansmetinthoseCatacombs,whatsortofmoralreputationhadtheyinthestreetsabove?WhattalesweretoldoftheiratrocitiesbyoneeducatedRomantoanother?Suppose’
(Iwouldsaytohim),’supposethatweareonlyrepeatingthatstillmysteriousparadoxofhistory。SupposeweseemasshockingastheChristiansbecausewearereallyasharmlessastheChristians。
SupposeweseemasmadastheChristiansbecausewearereallyasmeek。\"’
Theapplausethathadgreetedtheopeningsentenceshadbeengraduallygrowingfainter,andatthelastworditstoppedsuddenly。Intheabruptsilence,themanwiththevelvetjacketsaid,inahigh,squeakyvoice——
\"I’mnotmeek!\"
\"ComradeWitherspoontellsus,\"resumedGregory,\"thatheisnotmeek。Ah,howlittleheknowshimself!Hiswordsare,indeed,extravagant;hisappearanceisferocious,andeven(toanordinarytaste)unattractive。Butonlytheeyeofafriendshipasdeepanddelicateasminecanperceivethedeepfoundationofsolidmeeknesswhichliesatthebaseofhim,toodeepevenforhimselftosee。I
repeat,wearethetrueearlyChristians,onlythatwecometoolate。Wearesimple,astheyreveresimple——lookatComradeWitherspoon。Wearemodest,astheyweremodest——lookatme。Wearemerciful——\"
\"No,no!\"calledoutMr。Witherspoonwiththevelvetjacket。
\"Isaywearemerciful,\"repeatedGregoryfuriously,\"astheearlyChristiansweremerciful。Yetthisdidnotpreventtheirbeingaccusedofeatinghumanflesh。Wedonoteathumanflesh——\"
\"Shame!\"criedWitherspoon。\"Whynot?\"
\"ComradeWitherspoon,\"saidGregory,withafeverishgaiety,\"isanxioustoknowwhynobodyeatshim(laughter)。Inoursociety,atanyrate,whichloveshimsincerely,whichisfoundeduponlove——\"
\"No,no!\"saidWitherspoon,\"downwithlove。\"
\"Whichisfoundeduponlove,\"repeatedGregory,grindinghisteeth,\"therewillbenodifficultyabouttheaimswhichweshallpursueasabody,orwhichIshouldpursuewereIchosenastherepresentativeofthatbody。Superblycarelessoftheslandersthatrepresentusasassassinsandenemiesofhumansociety,weshallpursuewithmoralcourageandquietintellectualpressure,thepermanentidealsofbrotherhoodandsimplicity。\"
Gregoryresumedhisseatandpassedhishandacrosshisforehead。
Thesilencewassuddenandawkward,butthechairmanroselikeanautomaton,andsaidinacolourlessvoice——
\"DoesanyoneopposetheelectionofComradeGregory?\"
Theassemblyseemedvagueandsub—consciouslydisappointed,andComradeWitherspoonmovedrestlesslyonhisseatandmutteredinhisthickbeard。Bythesheerrushofroutine,however,themotionwouldhavebeenputandcarried。Butasthechairmanwasopeninghismouthtoputit,Symesprangtohisfeetandsaidinasmallandquietvoice——
\"Yes,Mr。Chairman,Ioppose。\"
Themosteffectivefactinoratoryisanunexpectedchangeinthevoice。Mr。GabrielSymeevidentlyunderstoodoratory。Havingsaidthesefirstformalwordsinamoderatedtoneandwithabriefsimplicity,hemadehisnextwordringandvolleyinthevaultasifoneofthegunshadgoneoff。
\"Comrades!\"hecried,inavoicethatmadeeverymanjumpoutofhisboots,\"havewecomehereforthis?Doweliveundergroundlikeratsinordertolistentotalklikethis?ThisistalkwemightlistentowhileeatingbunsataSundaySchooltreat。DowelinethesewallswithweaponsandbarthatdoorwithdeathlestanyoneshouldcomeandhearComradeGregorysayingtous,’Begood,andyouwillbehappy,’’Honestyisthebestpolicy,’and’Virtueisitsownreward’?TherewasnotawordinComradeGregory’saddresstowhichacuratecouldnothavelistenedwithpleasure(hear,hear)。ButIamnotacurate(loudcheers),andIdidnotlistentoitwithpleasure(renewedcheers)。Themanwhoisfittedtomakeagoodcurateisnotfittedtomakearesolute,forcible,andefficientThursday(hear,hear)。\"
\"ComradeGregoryhastoldus,inonlytooapologeticatone,thatwearenottheenemiesofsociety。ButIsaythatwearetheenemiesofsociety,andsomuchtheworseforsociety。Wearetheenemiesofsociety,forsocietyistheenemyofhumanity,itsoldestanditsmostpitilessenemy(hear,hear)。ComradeGregoryhastoldus(apologeticallyagain)thatwearenotmurderers。ThereIagree。Wearenotmurderers,weareexecutioners(cheers)。\"
EversinceSymehadrisenGregoryhadsatstaringathim,hisfaceidioticwithastonishment。Nowinthepausehislipsofclayparted,andhesaid,withanautomaticandlifelessdistinctness——
\"Youdamnablehypocrite!\"
Symelookedstraightintothosefrightfuleyeswithhisownpaleblueones,andsaidwithdignity——
\"ComradeGregoryaccusesmeofhypocrisy。HeknowsaswellasIdothatIamkeepingallmyengagementsanddoingnothingbutmyduty。
Idonotmincewords。Idonotpretendto。IsaythatComradeGregoryisunfittobeThursdayforallhisamiablequalities。HeisunfittobeThursdaybecauseofhisamiablequalities。WedonotwanttheSupremeCouncilofAnarchyinfectedwithamaudlinmercy(hear,hear)。Thisisnotimeforceremonialpoliteness,neitherisitatimeforceremonialmodesty。IsetmyselfagainstComradeGregoryasIwouldsetmyselfagainstalltheGovernmentsofEurope,becausetheanarchistwhohasgivenhimselftoanarchyhasforgottenmodestyasmuchashehasforgottenpride(cheers)。Iamnotamanatall。Iamacause(renewedcheers)。IsetmyselfagainstComradeGregoryasimpersonallyandascalmlyasIshouldchooseonepistolratherthananotheroutofthatrackuponthewall;andIsaythatratherthanhaveGregoryandhismilk—and—watermethodsontheSupremeCouncil,Iwouldoffermyselfforelection——\"
Hissentencewasdrownedinadeafeningcataractofapplause。Thefaces,thathadgrownfiercerandfiercerwithapprovalashistiradegrewmoreandmoreuncompromising,werenowdistortedwithgrinsofanticipationorclovenwithdelightedcries。AtthemomentwhenheannouncedhimselfasreadytostandforthepostofThursday,aroarofexcitementandassentbrokeforth,andbecameuncontrollable,andatthesamemomentGregorysprangtohisfeet,withfoamuponhismouth,andshoutedagainsttheshouting。
\"Stop,youblastedmadmen!\"hecried,atthetopofavoicethattorehisthroat。\"Stop,you——\"
ButlouderthanGregory’sshoutingandlouderthantheroaroftheroomcamethevoiceofSyme,stillspeakinginapealofpitilessthunder——
\"IdonotgototheCounciltorebutthatslanderthatcallsusmurderers;Igotoearnit(loudandprolongedcheering)。Tothepriestwhosaysthesemenaretheenemiesofreligion,tothejudgewhosaysthesemenaretheenemiesoflaw,tothefatparliamentarianwhosaysthesemenaretheenemiesoforderandpublicdecency,toalltheseIwillreply,’Youarefalsekings,butyouaretrueprophets。Iamcometodestroyyou,andtofulfilyourprophecies。’\"
Theheavyclamourgraduallydiedaway,butbeforeithadceasedWitherspoonhadjumpedtohisfeet,hishairandbeardallonend,andhadsaid——
\"Imove,asanamendment,thatComradeSymebeappointedtothepost。\"
\"Stopallthis,Itellyou!\"criedGregory,withfranticfaceandhands。\"Stopit,itisall——\"
Thevoiceofthechairmanclovehisspeechwithacoldaccent。
\"Doesanyonesecondthisamendment?\"hesaid。Atall,tiredman,withmelancholyeyesandanAmericanchinbeard,wasobservedonthebackbenchtobeslowlyrisingtohisfeet。Gregoryhadbeenscreamingforsometimepast;nowtherewasachangeinhisaccent,moreshockingthananyscream。\"Iendallthis!\"hesaid,inavoiceasheavyasstone。
\"Thismancannotbeelected。Heisa——\"
\"Yes,\"saidSyme,quitemotionless,\"whatishe?\"Gregory’smouthworkedtwicewithoutsound;thenslowlythebloodbegantocrawlbackintohisdeadface。\"Heisamanquiteinexperiencedinourwork,\"hesaid,andsatdownabruptly。
Beforehehaddoneso,thelong,leanmanwiththeAmericanbeardwasagainuponhisfeet,andwasrepeatinginahighAmericanmonotone——
\"IbegtosecondtheelectionofComradeSyme。\"
\"Theamendmentwill,asusual,beputfirst,\"saidMr。Buttons,thechairman,withmechanicalrapidity。
\"ThequestionisthatComradeSyme——\"
Gregoryhadagainsprungtohisfeet,pantingandpassionate。
\"Comrades,\"hecriedout,\"Iamnotamadman。\"
\"Oh,oh!\"saidMr。Witherspoon。
\"Iamnotamadman,\"reiteratedGregory,withafrightfulsinceritywhichforamomentstaggeredtheroom,\"butIgiveyouacounselwhichyoucancallmadifyoulike。No,Iwillnotcallitacounsel,forIcangiveyounoreasonforit。Iwillcallitacommand。Callitamadcommand,butactuponit。Strike,buthearme!Killme,butobeyme!Donotelectthisman。\"Truthissoterrible,eveninfetters,thatforamomentSyme’sslenderandinsanevictoryswayedlikeareed。ButyoucouldnothaveguesseditfromSyme’sbleakblueeyes。Hemerelybegan——
\"ComradeGregorycommands——\"
Thenthespellwassnapped,andoneanarchistcalledouttoGregory——
\"Whoareyou?YouarenotSunday\";andanotheranarchistaddedinaheaviervoice,\"AndyouarenotThursday。\"
\"Comrades,\"criedGregory,inavoicelikethatofamartyrwhoinanecstacyofpainhaspassedbeyondpain,\"itisnothingtomewhetheryoudetestmeasatyrantordetestmeasaslave。Ifyouwillnottakemycommand,acceptmydegradation。Ikneeltoyou。I
throwmyselfatyourfeet。Iimploreyou。Donotelectthisman。\"
\"ComradeGregory,\"saidthechairmanafterapainfulpause,\"thisisreallynotquitedignified。\"
Forthefirsttimeintheproceedingstherewasforafewsecondsarealsilence。ThenGregoryfellbackinhisseat,apalewreckofaman,andthechairmanrepeated,likeapieceofclock—worksuddenlystartedagain——
\"ThequestionisthatComradeSymebeelectedtothepostofThursdayontheGeneralCouncil。\"
Theroarroselikethesea,thehandsroselikeaforest,andthreeminutesafterwardsMr。GabrielSyme,oftheSecretPoliceService,waselectedtothepostofThursdayontheGeneralCounciloftheAnarchistsofEurope。
Everyoneintheroomseemedtofeelthetugwaitingontheriver,thesword—stickandtherevolver,waitingonthetable。Theinstanttheelectionwasendedandirrevocable,andSymehadreceivedthepaperprovinghiselection,theyallsprangtotheirfeet,andthefierygroupsmovedandmixedintheroom。Symefoundhimself,somehoworother,facetofacewithGregory,whostillregardedhimwithastareofstunnedhatred。Theyweresilentformanyminutes。
\"Youareadevil!\"saidGregoryatlast。
\"Andyouareagentleman,\"saidSymewithgravity。
\"Itwasyouthatentrappedme,\"beganGregory,shakingfromheadtofoot,\"entrappedmeinto——\"
\"Talksense,\"saidSymeshortly。\"Intowhatsortofdevils’
parliamenthaveyouentrappedme,ifitcomestothat?YoumademeswearbeforeImadeyou。Perhapswearebothdoingwhatwethinkright。Butwhatwethinkrightissodamneddifferentthattherecanbenothingbetweenusinthewayofconcession。Thereisnothingpossiblebetweenusbuthonouranddeath,\"andhepulledthegreatcloakabouthisshouldersandpickeduptheflaskfromthetable。
\"Theboatisquiteready,\"saidMr。Buttons,bustlingup。\"Begoodenoughtostepthisway。\"
Withagesturethatrevealedtheshop—walker,heledSymedownashort,iron—boundpassage,thestillagonisedGregoryfollowingfeverishlyattheirheels。Attheendofthepassagewasadoor,whichButtonsopenedsharply,showingasuddenblueandsilverpictureofthemoonlitriver,thatlookedlikeasceneinatheatre。Closetotheopeninglayadark,dwarfishsteam—launch,likeababydragonwithoneredeye。
Almostintheactofsteppingonboard,GabrielSymeturnedtothegapingGregory。
\"Youhavekeptyourword,\"hesaidgently,withhisfaceinshadow。
\"Youareamanofhonour,andIthankyou。Youhavekeptitevendowntoasmallparticular。Therewasonespecialthingyoupromisedmeatthebeginningoftheaffair,andwhichyouhavecertainlygivenmebytheendofit。\"
\"Whatdoyoumean?\"criedthechaoticGregory。\"WhatdidIpromiseyou?\"
\"Averyentertainingevening,\"saidSyme,andhemadeamilitarysalutewiththesword—stickasthesteamboatslidaway。
CHAPTERIV
THETALEOFADETECTIVE
GABRIELSYMEwasnotmerelyadetectivewhopretendedtobeapoet;
hewasreallyapoetwhohadbecomeadetective。Norwashishatredofanarchyhypocritical。Hewasoneofthosewhoaredrivenearlyinlifeintotooconservativeanattitudebythebewilderingfollyofmostrevolutionists。Hehadnotattaineditbyanytametradition。Hisrespectabilitywasspontaneousandsudden,arebellionagainstrebellion。Hecameofafamilyofcranks,inwhichalltheoldestpeoplehadallthenewestnotions。Oneofhisunclesalwayswalkedaboutwithoutahat,andanotherhadmadeanunsuccessfulattempttowalkaboutwithahatandnothingelse。Hisfathercultivatedartandself—realisation;hismotherwentinforsimplicityandhygiene。Hencethechild,duringhistendereryears,waswhollyunacquaintedwithanydrinkbetweentheextremesofabsinthandcocoa,ofbothofwhichhehadahealthydislike。ThemorehismotherpreachedamorethanPuritanabstinencethemoredidhisfatherexpandintoamorethanpaganlatitude;andbythetimetheformerhadcometoenforcingvegetarianism,thelatterhadprettywellreachedthepointofdefendingcannibalism。
Beingsurroundedwitheveryconceivablekindofrevoltfrominfancy,Gabrielhadtorevoltintosomething,soherevoltedintotheonlythingleft——sanity。Buttherewasjustenoughinhimofthebloodofthesefanaticstomakeevenhisprotestforcommonsensealittletoofiercetobesensible。Hishatredofmodernlawlessnesshadbeencrownedalsobyanaccident。Ithappenedthathewaswalkinginasidestreetattheinstantofadynamiteoutrage。Hehadbeenblindanddeafforamoment,andthenseen,thesmokeclearing,thebrokenwindowsandthebleedingfaces。
Afterthathewentaboutasusual——quiet,courteous,rathergentle;
buttherewasaspotonhismindthatwasnotsane。Hedidnotregardanarchists,asmostofusdo,asahandfulofmorbidmen,combiningignorancewithintellectualism。Heregardedthemasahugeandpitilessperil,likeaChineseinvasion。
Hepouredperpetuallyintonewspapersandtheirwaste—paperbasketsatorrentoftales,versesandviolentarticles,warningmenofthisdelugeofbarbaricdenial。Butheseemedtobegettingnonearerhisenemy,and,whatwasworse,noneareraliving。AshepacedtheThamesembankment,bitterlybitingacheapcigarandbroodingontheadvanceofAnarchy,therewasnoanarchistwithabombinhispocketsosavageorsosolitaryashe。Indeed,healwaysfeltthatGovernmentstoodaloneanddesperate,withitsbacktothewall。Hewastooquixotictohavecaredforitotherwise。
HewalkedontheEmbankmentonceunderadarkredsunset。Theredriverreflectedtheredsky,andtheybothreflectedhisanger。Thesky,indeed,wassoswarthy,andthelightontheriverrelativelysolurid,thatthewateralmostseemedoffiercerflamethanthesunsetitmirrored。Itlookedlikeastreamofliteralfirewindingunderthevastcavernsofasubterraneancountry。
Symewasshabbyinthosedays。Heworeanold—fashionedblackchimney—pothat;hewaswrappedinayetmoreold—fashionedcloak,blackandragged;andthecombinationgavehimthelookoftheearlyvillainsinDickensandBulwerLytton。Alsohisyellowbeardandhairweremoreunkemptandleoninethanwhentheyappearedlongafterwards,cutandpointed,onthelawnsofSaffronPark。Along,lean,blackcigar,boughtinSohofortwopence,stoodoutfrombetweenhistightenedteeth,andaltogetherhelookedaverysatisfactoryspecimenoftheanarchistsuponwhomhehadvowedaholywar。PerhapsthiswaswhyapolicemanontheEmbankmentspoketohim,andsaid\"Goodevening。\"
Syme,atacrisisofhismorbidfearsforhumanity,seemedstungbythemerestolidityoftheautomaticofficial,amerebulkofblueinthetwilight。
\"Agoodeveningisit?\"hesaidsharply。\"Youfellowswouldcalltheendoftheworldagoodevening。Lookatthatbloodyredsunandthatbloodyriver!Itellyouthatifthatwereliterallyhumanblood,spiltandshining,youwouldstillbestandinghereassolidasever,lookingoutforsomepoorharmlesstrampwhomyoucouldmoveon。Youpolicemenarecrueltothepoor,butIcouldforgiveyouevenyourcrueltyifitwerenotforyourcalm。\"
\"Ifwearecalm,\"repliedthepoliceman,\"itisthecalmoforganisedresistance。\"
\"Eh?\"saidSyme,staring。
\"Thesoldiermustbecalminthethickofthebattle,\"pursuedthepoliceman。\"Thecomposureofanarmyistheangerofanation。\"
\"GoodGod,theBoardSchools!\"saidSyme。\"Isthisundenominationaleducation?\"
\"No,\"saidthepolicemansadly,\"Ineverhadanyofthoseadvantages。TheBoardSchoolscameaftermytime。WhateducationIhadwasveryroughandold—fashioned,Iamafraid。\"
\"Wheredidyouhaveit?\"askedSyme,wondering。
\"Oh,atHarrow,\"saidthepolicemanTheclasssympathieswhich,falseastheyare,arethetruestthingsinsomanymen,brokeoutofSymebeforehecouldcontrolthem。
\"But,goodLord,man,\"hesaid,\"yououghtn’ttobeapoliceman!\"
Thepolicemansighedandshookhishead。
\"Iknow,\"hesaidsolemnly,\"IknowIamnotworthy。\"
\"Butwhydidyoujointhepolice?\"askedSymewithrudecuriosity。
\"Formuchthesamereasonthatyouabusedthepolice,\"repliedtheother。\"Ifoundthattherewasaspecialopeningintheserviceforthosewhosefearsforhumanitywereconcernedratherwiththeaberrationsofthescientificintellectthanwiththenormalandexcusable,thoughexcessive,outbreaksofthehumanwill。ItrustImakemyselfclear。\"
\"Ifyoumeanthatyoumakeyouropinionclear,\"saidSyme,\"I
supposeyoudo。Butasformakingyourselfclear,itisthelastthingyoudo。HowcomesamanlikeyoutobetalkingphilosophyinabluehelmetontheThamesembankment?
\"Youhaveevidentlynotheardofthelatestdevelopmentinourpolicesystem,\"repliedtheother。\"Iamnotsurprisedatit。Wearekeepingitratherdarkfromtheeducatedclass,becausethatclasscontainsmostofourenemies。Butyouseemtobeexactlyintherightframeofmind。Ithinkyoumightalmostjoinus。\"
\"Joinyouinwhat?\"askedSyme。
\"Iwilltellyou,\"saidthepolicemanslowly。\"Thisisthesituation:Theheadofoneofourdepartments,oneofthemostcelebrateddetectivesinEurope,haslongbeenofopinionthatapurelyintellectualconspiracywouldsoonthreatentheveryexistenceofcivilisation。HeiscertainthatthescientificandartisticworldsaresilentlyboundinacrusadeagainsttheFamilyandtheState。Hehas,therefore,formedaspecialcorpsofpolicemen,policemenwhoarealsophilosophers。Itistheirbusinesstowatchthebeginningsofthisconspiracy,notmerelyinacriminalbutinacontroversialsense。Iamademocratmyself,andIamfullyawareofthevalueoftheordinarymaninmattersofordinaryvalourorvirtue。Butitwouldobviouslybeundesirabletoemploythecommonpolicemaninaninvestigationwhichisalsoaheresyhunt。\"
Syme’seyeswerebrightwithasympatheticcuriosity。
\"Whatdoyoudo,then?\"hesaid。
\"Theworkofthephilosophicalpoliceman,\"repliedthemaninblue,\"isatoncebolderandmoresubtlethanthatoftheordinarydetective。Theordinarydetectivegoestopot—housestoarrestthieves;wegotoartistictea—partiestodetectpessimists。Theordinarydetectivediscoversfromaledgeroradiarythatacrimehasbeencommitted。Wediscoverfromabookofsonnetsthatacrimewillbecommitted。Wehavetotracetheoriginofthosedreadfulthoughtsthatdrivemenonatlasttointellectualfanaticismandintellectualcrime。WewereonlyjustintimetopreventtheassassinationatHartlepool,andthatwasentirelyduetothefactthatourMr。Wilks(asmartyoungfellow)thoroughlyunderstoodatriolet。\"
\"Doyoumean,\"askedSyme,\"thatthereisreallyasmuchconnectionbetweencrimeandthemodernintellectasallthat?\"
\"Youarenotsufficientlydemocratic,\"answeredthepoliceman,\"butyouwererightwhenyousaidjustnowthatourordinarytreatmentofthepoorcriminalwasaprettybrutalbusiness。ItellyouIamsometimessickofmytradewhenIseehowperpetuallyitmeansmerelyawarupontheignorantandthedesperate。Butthisnewmovementofoursisaverydifferentaffair。WedenythesnobbishEnglishassumptionthattheuneducatedarethedangerouscriminals。
WeremembertheRomanEmperors。WerememberthegreatpoisoningprincesoftheRenaissance。Wesaythatthedangerouscriminalistheeducatedcriminal。Wesaythatthemostdangerouscriminalnowistheentirelylawlessmodernphilosopher。Comparedtohim,burglarsandbigamistsareessentiallymoralmen;myheartgoesouttothem。Theyaccepttheessentialidealofman;theymerelyseekitwrongly。Thievesrespectproperty。Theymerelywishthepropertytobecometheirpropertythattheymaymoreperfectlyrespectit。
Butphilosophersdislikepropertyasproperty;theywishtodestroytheveryideaofpersonalpossession。Bigamistsrespectmarriage,ortheywouldnotgothroughthehighlyceremonialandevenritualisticformalityofbigamy。Butphilosophersdespisemarriageasmarriage。Murderersrespecthumanlife;theymerelywishtoattainagreaterfulnessofhumanlifeinthemselvesbythesacrificeofwhatseemstothemtobelesserlives。Butphilosophershatelifeitself,theirownasmuchasotherpeople’s。\"
Symestruckhishandstogether。
\"Howtruethatis,\"hecried。\"Ihavefeltitfrommyboyhood,butnevercouldstatetheverbalantithesis。Thecommoncriminalisabadman,butatleastheis,asitwere,aconditionalgoodman。
Hesaysthatifonlyacertainobstacleberemoved——sayawealthyuncle——heisthenpreparedtoaccepttheuniverseandtopraiseGod。Heisareformer,butnotananarchist。Hewishestocleansetheedifice,butnottodestroyit。Buttheevilphilosopherisnottryingtoalterthings,buttoannihilatethem。Yes,themodernworldhasretainedallthosepartsofpoliceworkwhicharereallyoppressiveandignominious,theharryingofthepoor,thespyingupontheunfortunate。Ithasgivenupitsmoredignifiedwork,thepunishmentofpowerfultraitorstheintheStateandpowerfulheresiarchsintheChurch。Themodernssaywemustnotpunishheretics。Myonlydoubtiswhetherwehavearighttopunishanybodyelse。\"
\"Butthisisabsurd!\"criedthepoliceman,claspinghishandswithanexcitementuncommoninpersonsofhisfigureandcostume,\"butitisintolerable!Idon’tknowwhatyou’redoing,butyou’rewastingyourlife。Youmust,youshall,joinourspecialarmyagainstanarchy。Theirarmiesareonourfrontiers。Theirboltisreadytofall。Amomentmore,andyoumaylosethegloryofworkingwithus,perhapsthegloryofdyingwiththelastheroesoftheworld。\"
\"Itisachancenottobemissed,certainly,\"assentedSyme,\"butstillIdonotquiteunderstand。Iknowaswellasanybodythatthemodernworldisfulloflawlesslittlemenandmadlittlemovements。But,beastlyastheyare,theygenerallyhavetheonemeritofdisagreeingwitheachother。Howcanyoutalkoftheirleadingonearmyorhurlingonebolt。Whatisthisanarchy?\"
\"Donotconfuseit,\"repliedtheconstable,\"withthosechancedynamiteoutbreaksfromRussiaorfromIreland,whicharereallytheoutbreaksofoppressed,ifmistaken,men。Thisisavastphilosophicmovement,consistingofanouterandaninnerring。
Youmightevencalltheouterringthelaityandtheinnerringthepriesthood。Iprefertocalltheouterringtheinnocentsection,theinnerringthesupremelyguiltysection。Theouterring——themainmassoftheirsupporters——aremerelyanarchists;
thatis,menwhobelievethatrulesandformulashavedestroyedhumanhappiness。Theybelievethatalltheevilresultsofhumancrimearetheresultsofthesystemthathascalleditcrime。Theydonotbelievethatthecrimecreatesthepunishment。Theybelievethatthepunishmenthascreatedthecrime。Theybelievethatifamanseducedsevenwomenhewouldnaturallywalkawayasblamelessastheflowersofspring。Theybelievethatifamanpickedapockethewouldnaturallyfeelexquisitelygood。TheseIcalltheinnocentsection。\"
\"Oh!\"saidSyme。
\"Naturally,therefore,thesepeopletalkabout’ahappytimecoming’;’theparadiseofthefuture’;’mankindfreedfromthebondageofviceandthebondageofvirtue,’andsoon。Andsoalsothemenoftheinnercirclespeak——thesacredpriesthood。Theyalsospeaktoapplaudingcrowdsofthehappinessofthefuture,andofmankindfreedatlast。Butintheirmouths\"——andthepolicemanloweredhisvoice——\"intheirmouthsthesehappyphraseshaveahorriblemeaning。Theyareundernoillusions;theyaretoointellectualtothinkthatmanuponthisearthcaneverbequitefreeoforiginalsinandthestruggle。Andtheymeandeath。Whentheysaythatmankindshallbefreeatlast,theymeanthatmankindshallcommitsuicide。Whentheytalkofaparadisewithoutrightorwrong,theymeanthegrave。
Theyhavebuttwoobjects,todestroyfirsthumanityandthenthemselves。Thatiswhytheythrowbombsinsteadoffiringpistols。
Theinnocentrankandfilearedisappointedbecausethebombhasnotkilledtheking;butthehigh—priesthoodarehappybecauseithaskilledsomebody。\"
\"HowcanIjoinyou?\"askedSyme,withasortofpassion。
\"Iknowforafactthatthereisavacancyatthemoment,\"saidthepoliceman,\"asIhavethehonourtobesomewhatintheconfidenceofthechiefofwhomIhavespoken。Youshouldreallycomeandseehim。Orrather,Ishouldnotsayseehim,nobodyeverseeshim;butyoucantalktohimifyoulike。\"
\"Telephone?\"inquiredSyme,withinterest。
\"No,\"saidthepolicemanplacidly,\"hehasafancyforalwayssittinginapitch—darkroom。Hesaysitmakeshisthoughtsbrighter。Docomealong。\"
Somewhatdazedandconsiderablyexcited,Symeallowedhimselftobeledtoaside—doorinthelongrowofbuildingsofScotlandYard。
Almostbeforeheknewwhathewasdoing,hehadbeenpassedthroughthehandsofaboutfourintermediateofficials,andwassuddenlyshownintoaroom,theabruptblacknessofwhichstartledhimlikeablazeoflight。Itwasnottheordinarydarkness,inwhichformscanbefaintlytraced;itwaslikegoingsuddenlystone—blind。
\"Areyouthenewrecruit?\"askedaheavyvoice。
Andinsomestrangeway,thoughtherewasnottheshadowofashapeinthegloom,Symeknewtwothings:first,thatitcamefromamanofmassivestature;andsecond,thatthemanhadhisbacktohim。
\"Areyouthenewrecruit?\"saidtheinvisiblechief,whoseemedtohaveheardallaboutit。\"Allright。Youareengaged。\"
Syme,quitesweptoffhisfeet,madeafeeblefightagainstthisirrevocablephrase。
\"Ireallyhavenoexperience,\"hebegan。
\"Noonehasanyexperience,\"saidtheother,\"oftheBattleofArmageddon。\"
\"ButIamreallyunfit——\"
\"Youarewilling,thatisenough,\"saidtheunknown。
\"Well,really,\"saidSyme,\"Idon’tknowanyprofessionofwhichmerewillingnessisthefinaltest。\"
\"Ido,\"saidtheother——\"martyrs。Iamcondemningyoutodeath。
Goodday。\"
ThusitwasthatwhenGabrielSymecameoutagainintothecrimsonlightofevening,inhisshabbyblackhatandshabby,lawlesscloak,hecameoutamemberoftheNewDetectiveCorpsforthefrustrationofthegreatconspiracy。Actingundertheadviceofhisfriendthepoliceman(whowasprofessionallyinclinedtoneatness),hetrimmedhishairandbeard,boughtagoodhat,cladhimselfinanexquisitesummersuitoflightblue—grey,withapaleyellowflowerinthebutton—hole,and,inshort,becamethatelegantandratherinsupportablepersonwhomGregoryhadfirstencounteredinthelittlegardenofSaffronPark。Beforehefinallyleftthepolicepremiseshisfriendprovidedhimwithasmallbluecard,onwhichwaswritten,\"TheLastCrusade,\"andanumber,thesignofhisofficialauthority。Heputthiscarefullyinhisupperwaistcoatpocket,litacigarette,andwentforthtotrackandfighttheenemyinallthedrawing—roomsofLondon。Wherehisadventureultimatelyledhimwehavealreadyseen。Atabouthalf—pastoneonaFebruarynighthefoundhimselfsteaminginasmalltugupthesilentThames,armedwithswordstickandrevolver,thedulyelectedThursdayoftheCentralCouncilofAnarchists。
WhenSymesteppedoutontothesteam—tughehadasingularsensationofsteppingoutintosomethingentirelynew;notmerelyintothelandscapeofanewland,butevenintothelandscapeofanewplanet。Thiswasmainlyduetotheinsaneyetsoliddecisionofthatevening,thoughpartlyalsotoanentirechangeintheweatherandtheskysinceheenteredthelittletavernsometwohoursbefore。Everytraceofthepassionateplumageofthecloudysunsethadbeensweptaway,andanakedmoonstoodinanakedsky。Themoonwassostrongandfullthat(byaparadoxoftentobenoticed)
itseemedlikeaweakersun。Itgave,notthesenseofbrightmoonshine,butratherofadeaddaylight。
Overthewholelandscapelayaluminousandunnaturaldiscoloration,asofthatdisastroustwilightwhichMiltonspokeofasshedbythesunineclipse;sothatSymefelleasilyintohisfirstthought,thathewasactuallyonsomeotherandemptierplanet,whichcircledroundsomesadderstar。Butthemorehefeltthisglitteringdesolationinthemoonlitland,themorehisownchivalricfollyglowedinthenightlikeagreatfire。Eventhecommonthingshecarriedwithhim——thefoodandthebrandyandtheloadedpistol——tookonexactlythatconcreteandmaterialpoetrywhichachildfeelswhenhetakesagunuponajourneyorabunwithhimtobed。Thesword—stickandthebrandy—flask,thoughinthemselvesonlythetoolsofmorbidconspirators,becametheexpressionsofhisownmorehealthyromance。Thesword—stickbecamealmosttheswordofchivalry,andthebrandythewineofthestirrup—cup。Foreventhemostdehumanisedmodernfantasiesdependonsomeolderandsimplerfigure;theadventuresmaybemad,buttheadventurermustbesane。ThedragonwithoutSt。
Georgewouldnotevenbegrotesque。Sothisinhumanlandscapewasonlyimaginativebythepresenceofamanreallyhuman。ToSyme’sexaggerativemindthebright,bleakhousesandterracesbytheThameslookedasemptyasthemountainsofthemoon。Buteventhemoonisonlypoeticalbecausethereisamaninthemoon。
Thetugwasworkedbytwomen,andwithmuchtoilwentcomparativelyslowly。TheclearmoonthathadlitupChiswickhadgonedownbythetimethattheypassedBattersea,andwhentheycameundertheenormousbulkofWestminsterdayhadalreadybeguntobreak。Itbrokelikethesplittingofgreatbarsoflead,showingbarsofsilver;andthesehadbrightenedlikewhitefirewhenthetug,changingitsonwardcourse,turnedinwardtoalargelandingstageratherbeyondCharingCross。
ThegreatstonesoftheEmbankmentseemedequallydarkandgiganticasSymelookedupatthem。Theywerebigandblackagainstthehugewhitedawn。TheymadehimfeelthathewaslandingonthecolossalstepsofsomeEgyptianpalace;and,indeed,thethingsuitedhismood,forhewas,inhisownmind,mountingtoattackthesolidthronesofhorribleandheathenkings。Heleaptoutoftheboatontooneslimystep,andstood,adarkandslenderfigure,amidtheenormousmasonry。Thetwomeninthetugputheroffagainandturnedupstream。Theyhadneverspokenaword。
CHAPTERV
THEFEASTOFFEAR
ATfirstthelargestonestairseemedtoSymeasdesertedasapyramid;butbeforehereachedthetophehadrealisedthattherewasamanleaningovertheparapetoftheEmbankmentandlookingoutacrosstheriver。Asafigurehewasquiteconventional,cladinasilkhatandfrock—coatofthemoreformaltypeoffashion;
hehadaredflowerinhisbuttonhole。AsSymedrewnearertohimstepbystep,hedidnotevenmoveahair;andSymecouldcomecloseenoughtonoticeeveninthedim,palemorninglightthathisfacewaslong,paleandintellectual,andendedinasmalltriangulartuftofdarkbeardattheverypointofthechin,allelsebeingclean—shaven。Thisscrapofhairalmostseemedamereoversight;therestofthefacewasofthetypethatisbestshaven——clear—cut,ascetic,andinitswaynoble。Symedrewcloserandcloser,notingallthis,andstillthefiguredidnotstir。
AtfirstaninstincthadtoldSymethatthiswasthemanwhomhewasmeanttomeet。Then,seeingthatthemanmadenosign,hehadconcludedthathewasnot。Andnowagainhehadcomebacktoacertaintythatthemanhadsomethingtodowithhismadadventure。
Forthemanremainedmorestillthanwouldhavebeennaturalifastrangerhadcomesoclose。Hewasasmotionlessasawax—work,andgotonthenervessomewhatinthesameway。Symelookedagainandagainatthepale,dignifiedanddelicateface,andthefacestilllookedblanklyacrosstheriver。ThenhetookoutofhispocketthenotefromButtonsprovinghiselection,andputitbeforethatsadandbeautifulface。Thenthemansmiled,andhissmilewasashock,foritwasallononeside,goingupintherightcheekanddownintheleft。
Therewasnothing,rationallyspeaking,toscareanyoneaboutthis。Manypeoplehavethisnervoustrickofacrookedsmile,andinmanyitisevenattractive。ButinallSyme’scircumstances,withthedarkdawnandthedeadlyerrandandthelonelinessonthegreatdrippingstones,therewassomethingunnervinginit。
Therewasthesilentriverandthesilentman,amanofevenclassicface。Andtherewasthelastnightmaretouchthathissmilesuddenlywentwrong。
Thespasmofsmilewasinstantaneous,andtheman’sfacedroppedatonceintoitsharmoniousmelancholy。Hespokewithoutfurtherexplanationorinquiry,likeamanspeakingtoanoldcolleague。
\"IfwewalkuptowardsLeicesterSquare,\"hesaid,\"weshalljustbeintimeforbreakfast。Sundayalwaysinsistsonanearlybreakfast。Haveyouhadanysleep?\"
\"No,\"saidSyme。
\"NorhaveI,\"answeredthemaninanordinarytone。\"Ishalltrytogettobedafterbreakfast。\"
Hespokewithcasualcivility,butinanutterlydeadvoicethatcontradictedthefanaticismofhisface。Itseemedalmostasifallfriendlywordsweretohimlifelessconveniences,andthathisonlylifewashate。Afterapausethemanspokeagain。
\"Ofcourse,theSecretaryofthebranchtoldyoueverythingthatcanbetold。ButtheonethingthatcanneverbetoldisthelastnotionofthePresident,forhisnotionsgrowlikeatropicalforest。Soincaseyoudon’tknow,I’dbettertellyouthatheiscarryingouthisnotionofconcealingourselvesbynotconcealingourselvestothemostextraordinarylengthsjustnow。Originally,ofcourse,wemetinacellunderground,justasyourbranchdoes。
ThenSundaymadeustakeaprivateroomatanordinaryrestaurant。
Hesaidthatifyoudidn’tseemtobehidingnobodyhuntedyouout。
Well,heistheonlymanonearth,Iknow;butsometimesIreallythinkthathishugebrainisgoingalittlemadinitsoldage。Fornowweflauntourselvesbeforethepublic。Wehaveourbreakfastonabalcony——onabalcony,ifyouplease——overlookingLeicesterSquare。\"
\"Andwhatdothepeoplesay?\"askedSyme。
\"It’squitesimplewhattheysay,\"answeredhisguide。
\"Theysaywearealotofjollygentlemenwhopretendtheyareanarchists。\"
\"Itseemstomeaverycleveridea,\"saidSyme。
\"Clever!Godblastyourimpudence!Clever!\"criedouttheotherinasudden,shrillvoicewhichwasasstartlinganddiscordantashiscrookedsmile。\"Whenyou’veseenSundayforasplitsecondyou’llleaveoffcallinghimclever。\"
Withthistheyemergedoutofanarrowstreet,andsawtheearlysunlightfillingLeicesterSquare。Itwillneverbeknown,I
suppose,whythissquareitselfshouldlooksoalienandinsomewayssocontinental。Itwillneverbeknownwhetheritwastheforeignlookthatattractedtheforeignersortheforeignerswhogaveittheforeignlook。Butonthisparticularmorningtheeffectseemedsingularlybrightandclear。BetweentheopensquareandthesunlitleavesandthestatueandtheSaracenicoutlinesoftheAlhambra,itlookedthereplicaofsomeFrenchorevenSpanishpublicplace。AndthiseffectincreasedinSymethesensation,whichinmanyshapeshehadhadthroughthewholeadventure,theeeriesensationofhavingstrayedintoanewworld。Asafact,hehadboughtbadcigarsroundLeicesterSquareeversincehewasaboy。Butasheturnedthatcorner,andsawthetreesandtheMoorishcupolas,hecouldhaveswornthathewasturningintoanunknownPlacedesomethingorotherinsomeforeigntown。
Atonecornerofthesquarethereprojectedakindofangleofaprosperousbutquiethotel,thebulkofwhichbelongedtoastreetbehind。InthewalltherewasonelargeFrenchwindow,probablythewindowofalargecoffee—room;andoutsidethiswindow,almostliterallyoverhangingthesquare,wasaformidablybuttressedbalcony,bigenoughtocontainadining—table。Infact,itdidcontainadining—table,ormorestrictlyabreakfast—table;androundthebreakfast—table,glowinginthesunlightandevidenttothestreet,wereagroupofnoisyandtalkativemen,alldressedintheinsolenceoffashion,withwhitewaistcoatsandexpensivebutton—holes。Someoftheirjokescouldalmostbeheardacrossthesquare。ThenthegraveSecretarygavehisunnaturalsmile,andSymeknewthatthisboisterousbreakfastpartywasthesecretconclaveoftheEuropeanDynamiters。