第61章花园血案之谜（6）
"Ah，"saidheyesfixedontheEnglishpriestwhowasingslowlyupthepath。
"Isatrifle，Isuppose，"saidthedoctor，"butIthinkanoddosawhowtheheadhadbeenslashed，IsupposedtheassassinhadstruckmorethaoionIfoundmanycutsacrossthetruion;inotherwords，theywerestruckaftertheheadwasoff。DidBrayehisfoesofiendishlythathesthisbodyinthemoonlight?"
"Horrible!"saidO'Brien，andshuddered。
&lepriest，Brown，hadarrivedwhiletheyweretalking，andhadwaited，withcharacteristiess，tilltheyhadfihenhesaida>
"Isay，I'msorrytoi。ButIwassehe;
";repeatedSimon，ahimratherpainfullythroughhisglasses。
"Yes，I'msorry，"saidFatherBrownmildly。"There'sbeenanothermurder，youknow。"
Bothmesprarog。
"And，what&#erstill，"uedthepriest，withhisdulleyeontherhododendrons，"it'sthesamedisgustingsort;it'sanotherbeheadihesedheadactuallybleedingintotheriver，afewyardsalongBrayne'sroadtoParis;sotheysupposethathe—"
"GreatHeaven!"criedO'Brien。"IsBrayneamonomaniac?"
"ThereareAmeridettas，"saidthepriestimpassively。The;Theywantyoutoetothelibrarya;
andantO'Brieherstowardsthei，feelingdecidedlysick。Asasoldier，heloathedallthissecretiveage;whereweretheseextravagantamputationsgoingtostop?Firstoneheadwashackedoff，aher;inthiscase（hetoldhimselfbitterly）itwaswoheadswerebetterthanone。AshecrossedthestudyhealmoststaggeredatashoValentin'stablelaythecolouredpictureofyetathirdbleedinghead;anditwastheheadofValentinhimself。AseitwasonlyaNationalistpaper，calledTheGuillotine，whicheveryweekshowedospolitientswithrollingeyesandwrithiafterexe;forValentinwasananti-eO'BrienwasanIrishman，withakindofchastityeveninhissins;andhisgainstthatgreatbrutalityoftheiwhigsonlytoFraParisasawhrotesquesohicchurchestothegrosscaritheneers。HerememberedthegigaheRevolutiohewholeeuglyenergy，fromthesanguigoin'stableuptowhere，aboveamountaioyles，thegreatdevilgrinsonNotreDame。
Thelibrarywaslong，low，anddark;whatlightefromunderlowblindsandhadstillsomee。ValentinaIvaiheupperendofalong，slightly-slopingdesk，onwhichlaythemortalremains，lookingenormousi。Thebigblackfigureandyellowfaanfoundinthegardenessentiallyuhesedhead，whichhadbeenfishedfromamongtheriverreedsthatm，laystreaminganddrippi;Valentin'smeillseekiherestofthissedcorpse，osedtobeafloat。FatherBrown，whodidoshareO'Brien'sseheleast，wentuptothesedheadahhisbliwaslittlemorethanamopofwetwhitehair，frihsilverfireintheredandlevelmht;theface，whichseemedofanugly，empurpledandperhapsaltype，hadbeenmuchbatteredagaioossedier。
"G，andantO'Brien，"saidValentin，withquietcordiality。"YouhaveheardofBrayne'slastexperimentinbutchery，Isuppose?"
FatherBrownwasstillbeheheadwithwhitehair，andhesaid，withoutlookingup:
"IsupposeitisquitethatBrayoffthishead，too。"
"Well，itseemso;saidValentin，withhishandsinhispockets。"Killediheother。Foundwithinafewyardsoftheother。Ahesameeknowhecarriedaway。"
"Yes，yes;Iknow，"repliedFatherBrownsubmissively。"Yet，youknow，IdoubtwhetherBraynecouldhavecutoffthishead。"
"Whynot?"inquiredDr。Simon，witharationalstare。
"Well，doctor，"saidthepriest，lookingupblinking，"cutoffhisownhead?Idon'tknow。"
O'Brieaninsaneuniversegabouthisears;butthedforwardwithimpetuouspractidpushedbackthewet>
"Oh，there'snodoubtit'sBray;saidthepriestquietly。"Hehadexactlythattheleftear。"
&ive，whohadbeehepriestwithsteadyandglitteringeyes，openedhischedmouthandsaidsharply:"Youseemtoknowalotabouthim，FatherBrown。"
"Ido，"saidthelittlemansimply。"I'vebeenaboutwithhimforsomeweeks。Hewasthinkingofjoiningourchurch。"
&arofthefanatigiin'seyes;hestrodetoriestwithds。"And，perhaps，"hecried，withablasti;perhapshewasalsothinkingofleavingallhismooyourchurch。"
"Perhapshewas，"saidBrownstolidly;"itispossible。"
"Inthatcase，"criedValentin，withadreadfulsmile，"youmayindeedkdealabouthim。Abouthislifeandabouthis。。。"
andantO'Brienlaidahain'sarm。"Dropthatslanderousrubbish，Valentin，"hesaid，"ortheremaybemoreswordsyet。"