Thelibrarywaslong, low, anddark; , slightly-slopingdesk, onwhichlaythemortalremains, , whichhadbeenfishedfromamongtheriverreedsthatmorning, laystreaminganddrippingbesideit; Valentin' smenwerestillseekingtorecovertherestofthissecondcorpse, , whodidnotseemtoshareO' Brien' ssensibilitiesintheleast, , fringedwithsilverfireintheredandlevelmorninglight; theface, whichseemedofanugly, empurpledandperhapscriminaltype, hadbeenmuchbatteredagainsttreesorstonesasittossedinthewater.
"Goodmorning, CommandantO' Brien, " saidValentin, withquietcordiality."YouhaveheardofBrayne' slastexperimentinbutchery, Isuppose? "
FatherBrownwasstillbendingovertheheadwithwhitehair, andhesaid, withoutlookingup:
"IsupposeitisquitecertainthatBraynecutoffthishead, too."
"Well, itseemscommonsense, " saidValentin, withhishandsinhispockets."."
"Yes, yes; Iknow, " repliedFatherBrownsubmissively."Yet, youknow, IdoubtwhetherBraynecouldhavecutoffthishead."
"Whynot? " , witharationalstare.
"Well, doctor, " saidthepriest, lookingupblinking, "canamancutoffhisownhead? Idon' tknow."
O' Brienfeltaninsaneuniversecrashingabouthisears; butthedoctorsprangforwardwithimpetuouspracticalityandpushedbackthewetwhitehair.
"Oh, there' snodoubtit' sBrayne, " saidthepriestquietly."Hehadexactlythatchipintheleftear."
Thedetective, whohadbeenregardingthepriestwithsteadyandglitteringeyes, openedhisclenchedmouthandsaidsharply: "Youseemtoknowalotabouthim, FatherBrown."
"Ido, " saidthelittlemansimply."I' ."
ThestarofthefanaticsprangintoValentin' seyes; hestrodetowardsthepriestwithclenchedhands."And, perhaps, " hecried, withablastingsneer, "perhapshewasalsothinkingofleavingallhismoneytoyourchurch."
"Perhapshewas, " saidBrownstolidly; "itispossible."
"Inthatcase, " criedValentin, withadreadfulsmile, "..."
CommandantO' BrienlaidahandonValentin' sarm."Dropthatslanderousrubbish, Valentin, " hesaid, "ortheremaybemoreswordsyet."
