&erapause，hesaid，"e，willyougivemethatcross?"
"No，"saidtheother，andthemonosyllablehadanoddsound。
Flambeausuddenlyflungoffallhispontifisiorobberleanedbahisseatalong。
"No，"hecried，"youwon'tgiveittome，youproudprelate。Youwon'tgiveittome，youlittlecelibatesimpleton。ShallItellyouwhyyouwon'tgiveittome?BecauseI'vegotitalreadyinmyoocket。"
Thesmallmaurseemedtobeadazedfathedusk，andsaid，withthetimideagernessof"ThePrivateSecretary":
"Are-areyousure?"
Flambeauyelledwithdelight。"Really，yoodasathree-actfarce，"hecried。"Yes，youturnip，Iamquitesure。Ihadtheseomakeaduplicatehtparow，myfriend，you'vegottheduplidI'vegotthejewels。Anolddodge，FatherBrown-averyolddodge。"
"Yes，"saidFatherBroassedhishandthroughhishairwiththesamestrangevaguenessofma;Yes，I'veheardofitbefore。"
Theeleahelittlerusticpriestwithasortofsudde。
"Youhaveheardofit?"heasked。"Wherehaveyouheardofit?"
"Well，Imustn'ttellyouhisname，ofcourse，"saidthelittlemansimply。"Hee，youknorosperouslyforabouttweirelyonduplipaperpardso，yousee，wheosuspectyou，Ithoughtofthispoorchap'swayofdoingitato;
"Begame?"repeatedtheoutlawwithiensity。"DidyoureallyhavethegumptiomejustbecauseIbroughtyouuptothisbarepartoftheheath?"
"No，no，"saidBrownology。"Yousee，Isuspectedyouwhemet。It'sthatlittlebulgeupthesleevewhereyoupeoplehavethespikedbracelet。"
"HowinTartarus，"criedFlambeau，"didyoueverhearofthespikedbracelet?"
"Oh，one'slittlefloow!"saidFatherBrhiseyebrowsratherblankly。"WhenIwasaHartlepool，therewerethreeofthemwithspikedbracelets。So，asIsuspethefirst，don'tyousee，Imadesurethatthecrossshouldgosafe，anyhow。I'mafraidIwatchedyou，youknow。SoatlastIsaar，don'tyousee，Igedthemba。Atherightonebehind。"
"Leftitbehind?"repeatedFlambeau，aimetherewasaeinhisvoicebesidehistriumph。
"Well，itwaslikethis，"saidthelittlepriest，speakingiedway。"Iwentbacktothatsweet-shopandaskedifI'dleftapardgavethemaparticularaddressifitturnedup。Well，IknewIhadn't;butayagainIdid。So，insteadaftermewiththatvaluableparcel，theyhavesentitflyingtoafriemihehersadly，"Ilearntthat，too，fromapoorfelloool。Heusedtodoitwithharailwaystations，buthe'sinamonasterynow。Oh，ooknow，youknow，"headded，rubbinghisheadagainwiththesamesortofdesperateapology。"We'thelpbeis，peopleeahesethings。"
Flambeautorethebroarceloutofhisiaiherewasnothingbutpaperandsticksofleadi。Hesprangtohisfeetwithagigaure，a;Idon'tbelieveyou。Idon'tbelieveabumpkinlikeyoua。Ibelieveyou'vestillgotthestuffonyou，andifyoudon'tgiveitup-why，we'reallalone，andI'lltakeitbyforce!"
"No，"saidFatherBrownsimply，andstoodupalso，"youwon'ttakeitbyforce。First，becauseIreallyhaven'tstillgotit。And，sed，becauseweare;
Flambeaustoppedinhisstridefor>
"Behindthattree，"saidFatherBrown，pointing，"aretwpolidthegreatestdetectivealive。Howdidtheyehere，doyouask?Why，Ibroughtthem，ofcourse!HowdidIdoit?Why，I'lltellyouifyoulike!Lordblessyou，wehavetokysugsthealclasses!Well，Iwasn'tsureyouwereathief，anditwouldomakeasdalagainstoneofoury。SoIjusttestedyoutoseeifanythingwouldmakeyoushowyourself。Amangenerallymakesasmallseifhefindssaltinhiscoffee;ifhedoesn't，hehassomereasquiet。Igedthesaltandsugar，a。Amangenerallyobjectsifhisbillisthreetimesm。Ifhepaysit，hehassomemueredyourbill，andyoupaidit。"
TheworldseemedwaitingforFlambeautoleaplikeatiger。Buthewasheldbackasbyaspell;hewasstuheutmostcuriosity。
"Well，"wentonFatherBrown，withlumberinglucidity，"asyouwouldn'tleaveanytracksforthepoliebodyhadto。Ateveryplatto，Itookethingthatwouldgetustalkedaboutfortherestoftheday。Ididn'tdomuchharm-asplashediltapples，abrokenwindow;butIsavedthecross，asthecrosswillalwaysbesaved。ItisatWestminsterbynow。Iratherwonderyoudidn'tstopitwiththeDonkey'sWhistle。"
"Withwhat?"askedFlambeau。
"I'mgladyou've，"saidthepriest，maki'safoulthing。I'msureyoodamanforaWhistler。I'thavetereditevesmyself;I'mnhi;
"Whatohareyoutalkingabout?"askedtheother。
"Well，Ididthinkyou'dks，"saidFatherBrorised。"Oh，you'thavegyet!"
"Howinblazesdoyouknowallthesehorrors?"criedFlambeau。
Theshadowofasmilecrossedtheround，simplefaceofhisclerient。
"Oh，bybeiesimpleton，Isuppose，"hesaid。"hasitruckyouthatamaonothingbuthearmen'srealsinsisobewhollyunawareofhuma，asamatteroffaotherpartofmytrade，too，mademesureyouweren'tapriest。"
"What?"askedthethief，almostgaping。
"Youattackedreason，"saidFatherBrown。"It'sbadtheology。"
Aurocollecthisproperty，thethreepoliutrees。FlambeauwasanartistandasportsmaeppedbadsweptValebow。
"Donotbowtome，monami，"saidValentinwithsilveress。"Letusbothbowtoourmaster。"
AoodaninstantuhelittleEssexpriestbliforhisumbrella。