第56章花园血案之谜（1）
&Garden
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。
AristideValeheParisPolice，waslateforhisdinner，andsomeofhisguestsbegantoarrivebeforehim。Thesewere，however，reassuredbyhistialservant，Ivan，theoldmanwithasdafacealmostasgreyashismoustaches，whoalwayssatatatableirancehall—ahallhungoin'shouseedcelebratedasitsmaster。Itwasanoldhouse，withhighoplarsalmtheSeiheoddity—ahepolicevalueofitsarchitecturewasthis：thattherewasnoultimateexitatallexceptthroughthisfrontdoor，whichwasguardedbyIvanandthearmardenwaslargeae，andthereweremasfromthehouseintothegarden。Buttherewasfromthegardenintotheworldoutside；allrounditranatall，smooth，uhspecialspikesatthetop；nobadgarden，perhaps，foramainwhomsomehundredalshadsworntokill。
AsIvaheguests，theirhosthadtelephohewasdetaies。Hewas，intruth，makiarraexedsuchuglythings；andthoughthesedutieswererootedlyrepulsivetohim，healerformedthemwithpre。Ruthlessiofals，hewasverymildabouttheirpu。SincehehadbeensupremeoverFrendlargelyoverEuropean—policialmethods，hisgreatinfluencehadbeenhonourablyusedforthemitigatioehepurifiofprisons。Hewasohumanitariahiheonlythingwrongwiththemisthattheymakemercolderthanjustice。
&inarrivedhewasalreadydressedinblackdtheredrosette—afigure，hisdarkbeardalreadystreakedwithgrey。Hewentstraightthroughhishousetohisstudy，whiedonthegrouhegardendoorofiten，andafterhehadcarefullylockedhisboxinitsofficialplace，hestoodforafewsedsattheoutuponthegarden。Asharpmoonwasfightingwiththeflyingragsandtattersofastorm，aihawistfulnessunusualinsutifiaturesashis。Perhapssutifiatureshavesomepsychicprevisioremendousproblemoftheirlives。Fromanysuood，atleast，hequicklyrecovered，forheke，andthathisguestshadalreadybeguntoarrive。
Aglahisdrawing-roomwhewasenoughtomakethathispriwasanyrate。Hesawalltheotherpillarsofthelittleparty；hesawLalloway，theEnglishAmbassador—aanwitharussetfaapple，wearingtheblueribboer。HesawLadyGalloway，slimandthreadlike，withsilverhairaiveandsuperior。Hesawherdaughter，LadyMargaretGraham，apaleaygirlwithanelfishfadcopper-colouredhair。HesawtheDuontSt。Michel，bladopulent，awodaughters，bladopulentalso。HesawDr。Simon，atypitist，ointedbrownbeard，andaforeheadbarredwiththoseparallelwrinklesenaltyofsuperess，sihroughtlyelevatingtheeyebrows。HesawFatherBrown，ofCobhole，inEssex，whomhehadretlymetinEngland。
Hesaswithmoreihanaallmaninuniform，whohadbowedtotheGallowayswithayaent，andwhonowadvaopayhisrespectstohishost。ThiswasandantO'Brien，oftheFrenLegion。Hewasaslimyetsomewhatswaggeringfigure，-shaven，dark-haired，andblue-eyed，auralinafamimentofvictoriousfailuresandsuccessfulsuicides，hehadanairatongandmelancholy。Hewasbybirthaleman，andinboyhoodhadknowntheGalloeciallyMargaretGraham。Hehadlefthistryaftersomecrashofdebts，andnowexpressedhispletefreedomfromBritishetiquettebyswingingaboutinuniform，sabreandspurs。WheheAmbassador'sfamily，LordandLadyGallowaybentstiffly，andLadyMargaretlookeda