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Dr Mulborough suddenly straightened his broad shoulders and sat up. ‘Of course you’re right again,’ he said. ‘But we haven’t come to the scandal yet. Well, the scandal is that she is a widow.’
‘Oh,’ said Father Brown; and his face changed and he said something soft and unclear, that might almost have been ‘My God!’
‘First of all,’ said the doctor, ‘they found out one thing about Mrs Maltravers. She is an actress.’
‘I thought so,’ said Father Brown. ‘Never mind why[20]. I had another thought about her, that would seem even more unimportant.’
‘Well, at that moment it was scandal enough that she was an actress. The dear old priest of course is heartbroken, to think that his white hairs should be brought to the grave by an actress and adventuress. The spinsters cry altogether. The Admiral says he has sometimes been to a theatre in town; but refuses that such things were among us. Well, of course I’ve no particular protest of that kind. This actress is certainly a lady, if a bit of a Dark Lady, in the style of the So
‘Yes,’ said Father Brown, ‘and why were you sent down?’
The doctor answered with a sort of sigh:
‘Mrs Maltravers is not only a widow, but she is the widow of Mr Maltravers.’
‘It sounds like a shockingnews, as you put it,’ said the priest seriously.
‘And Mr Maltravers,’ continued his medical friend, ‘was the man who was probably murdered in this very village[23]a year or two ago; supposed to have been hit on the head by one of the simple villagers.’
‘I remember you told me,’ said Father Brown. ‘The doctor, or some doctor, said he had probably died of being hit on the head with a club.’
Dr Mulborough was silent for a moment frowning, and then said sharply:
‘Dog doesn’t eat dog, and doctors don’t bite doctors, not even when they are mad doctors. I wouldn’t cast any reflection on the previous doctor in Potter’s Pond, if I could avoid it[24]; but I know you are really safe for secrets[25]. And, speaking in confidence[26], my predecessor at Potter’s Pond was a great fool; a drunken old idiot and absolutely incompetent. I was asked, originally by the Chief Constable of the County (for I’ve lived a long time in the county, though only lately in the village), to look into the whole case; the evidence and papers of the investigation and so on. And there simply isn’t any question about it[27]. Maltravers may have been hit on the head; he was a traveling actor passing through the place; and Potter’s Pond probably thinks it is all in the natural order that such people should be hit on the head. But whoever hit him on the head did not kill him[28]; it is simply impossible for such injury to do more than knock him out for a few hours. But lately I have managed to turn up some other facts concerning the matter; and the result of it is pretty dark.’
He sat looking at the landscape as it fell past the window, and then said more sharply:‘I am coming down here, and asking your help, because there’s going to be an exhumation. They think that he has been poisoned.’
‘And here we are at the station,’ said Father Brown happily. ‘I suppose your idea is that poisoning the poor man would be among the household tasks of his wife.’
‘Well, there never seems to have been anyone else here[29] who had any co
Father Brown had heard the story. But he knew that he never knew a story until he knew the characters in the story[30]. He spent the next two or three days visitingthe main actors of the drama. His first interview with the strange widow was short but bright. He brought away from it at least two facts; one that Mrs Maltravers sometimes talked in a way which the Victorian village would call sarcastic; and, second, that unlike few actresses, she happened to belong to his own church[31].
He was right not to figure out from this alone that she was i
The priest’s poetical son himself, asked during vast village scandal on a bench outside the Blue Lion, gave an impression of low mood. Hurrel Horner, a son of the Rev.[33] Samuel Horner, was a strong young man in a light grey suit with a touch of something extravagant in a light green tie, in other casesmainly notable for his brown hair and a permanent grimace on his face. But Father Brown had a way with him in getting people to explain at length why they didn’t want to say anything. About the general gossiping in the village, the young man began to curse freely. He even added a little gossip of his own. He told with anger about some past relationship between the Puritan Miss Carstairs-Carew and Mr Carver the lawyer. He even accused that legal character of having attempted to force himself[34]to befriend with Mrs Maltravers. But when he came to speak of his own father, whether out of good ma
‘Well, there it is. He holds to the opinion that she is anadventuress; a sort of barmaid with golden hair. I tell him she’s not; you’ve met her yourself, and you know she’s not. But he won’t even meet her. He won’t even see her in the street or look at her out of a window. An actress would make his house and even his holy presence dirty. If he is called a Puritan he says he’s proud to be a Puritan.’
‘Your father,’ said Father Brown, ‘is supposed to have his views respected, whatever they are; they are not views I understand very well myself[35]. But I agree he is not supposed to say anything about a lady he has never seen and then refuse even to look at her, to see if he is right. That is illogical.’
20
Never mind why – Неважно, почему
21
in the style of the So
22
And I, who am the only person who ever had any sympathy with these people, am sent down to be the messenger of doom – И я, единственный, кто всегда сочувствовал этим людям, ниспослан, как глашатай рока.
23
in this very village – в этом самом селе
24
I wouldn’t cast any reflection on the previous doctor in Potter’s Pond, if I could avoid it – я бы не стал бросать тень на предыдущего доктора Поттерс Понда, если бы мог избежать этого
25
you are really safe for secrets – вам можно доверять секреты
26
speaking in confidence – говоря по секрету
27
And there simply isn’t any question about it – Здесь не в чем сомневаться
28
But whoever hit him on the head did not kill him – Кто бы ни ударил его по голове, он не убил его
29
there never seems to have been anyone else here – кажется, тут никогда не было кого-либо ещё
30
But he knew that he never knew a story until he knew the characters in the story – Но он знал, что никогда не понял бы всю историю, если бы не познакомился с ее персонажами
31
she happened to belong to his own church – оказалось, что она принадлежит к его (католической) церкви
32
whatever they might be – какими бы они ни были
33
Rev. – преподобный (reverend)
34
He even accused that legal character of having attempted to force himself – Он даже обвинил этого юриста в том, что тот и сам пытался
35
they are not views I understand very well myself – это не те взгляды, которые я сам хорошо понимаю