〃A　rescue！〃　cried　Muscari；　springing　to　his　feet　and　waving　his　hat；　〃the　gendarmes　are　on　them！　　Now　for　freedom　and　a　blow　for　it！　　Now　to　be　rebels　against　robbers！　　Come；　don't　let　us　leave　everything　to　the　police；　that　is　so　dreadfully　modern。　　Fall　on　the　rear　of　these　ruffians。　　The　gendarmes　are　rescuing　us；　come；　friends；　let　us　rescue　the　gendarmes！〃
  And　throwing　his　hat　over　the　trees；　he　drew　his　cutlass　once　more　and　began　to　escalade　the　slope　up　to　the　road。　　Frank　Harrogate　jumped　up　and　ran　across　to　help　him；　revolver　in　hand；　but　was　astounded　to　hear　himself　imperatively　recalled　by　the　raucous　voice　of　his　father；　who　seemed　to　be　in　great　agitation。
  〃I　won't　have　it；〃　said　the　banker　in　a　choking　voice；　〃I　command　you　not　to　interfere。〃
  〃But；　father；〃　said　Frank　very　warmly；　〃an　Italian　gentleman　has　led　the　way。　　You　wouldn't　have　it　said　that　the　English　hung　back。〃
  〃It　is　useless；〃　said　the　older　man；　who　was　trembling　violently；　〃it　is　useless。　　We　must　submit　to　our　lot。〃
  Father　Brown　looked　at　the　banker；　then　he　put　his　hand　instinctively　as　if　on　his　heart；　but　really　on　the　little　bottle　of　poison；　and　a　great　light　came　into　his　face　like　the　light　of　the　revelation　of　death。
  Muscari　meanwhile；　without　waiting　for　support；　had　crested　the　bank　up　to　the　road；　and　struck　the　brigand　king　heavily　on　the　shoulder；　causing　him　to　stagger　and　swing　round。　　Montano　also　had　his　cutlass　unsheathed；　and　Muscari；　without　further　speech；　sent　a　slash　at　his　head　which　he　was　compelled　to　catch　and　parry。　　But　even　as　the　two　short　blades　crossed　and　clashed　the　King　of　Thieves　deliberately　dropped　his　point　and　laughed。
  〃What's　the　good；　old　man？〃　he　said　in　spirited　Italian　slang；　〃this　damned　farce　will　soon　be　over。〃
  〃What　do　you　mean；　you　shuffler？〃　panted　the　fire…eating　poet。　　〃Is　your　courage　a　sham　as　well　as　your　honesty？〃
  〃Everything　about　me　is　a　sham；〃　responded　the　ex…courier　in　complete　good　humour。　　〃I　am　an　actor；　and　if　I　ever　had　a　private　character；　I　have　forgotten　it。　　I　am　no　more　a　genuine　brigand　than　I　am　a　genuine　courier。　　I　am　only　a　bundle　of　masks；　and　you　can't　fight　a　duel　with　that。〃　　And　he　laughed　with　boyish　pleasure　and　fell　into　his　old　straddling　attitude；　with　his　back　to　the　skirmish　up　the　road。
  Darkness　was　deepening　under　the　mountain　walls；　and　it　was　not　easy　to　discern　much　of　the　progress　of　the　struggle；　save　that　tall　men　were　pushing　their　horses'　muzzles　through　a　clinging　crowd　of　brigands；　who　seemed　more　inclined　to　harass　and　hustle　the　invaders　than　to　kill　them。　　It　was　more　like　a　town　crowd　preventing　the　passage　of　the　police　than　anything　the　poet　had　ever　pictured　as　the　last　stand　of　doomed　and　outlawed　men　of　blood。　　Just　as　he　was　rolling　his　eyes　in　bewilderment　he　felt　a　touch　on　his　elbow；　and　found　the　odd　little　priest　standing　there　like　a　small　Noah　with　a　large　hat；　and　requesting　the　favour　of　a　word　or　two。
  〃Signor　Muscari；〃　said　the　cleric；　〃in　this　queer　crisis　personalities　may　be　pardoned。　　I　may　tell　you　without　offence　of　a　way　in　which　you　will　do　more　good　than　by　helping　the　gendarmes；　who　are　bound　to　break　through　in　any　case。　　You　will　permit　me　the　impertinent　intimacy；　but　do　you　care　about　that　girl？　　Care　enough　to　marry　her　and　make　her　a　good　husband；　I　mean？〃
  〃Yes；〃　said　the　poet　quite　simply。
  〃Does　she　care　about　you？〃
  〃I　think　so；〃　was　the　equally　grave　reply。
  〃Then　go　over　there　and　offer　yourself；〃　said　the　priest：　　〃offer　her　everything　you　can；　offer　her　heaven　and　earth　if　you've　got　them。　　The　time　is　short。〃
  〃Why？〃　asked　the　astonished　man　of　letters。
  〃Because；〃　said　Father　Brown；　〃her　Doom　is　coming　up　the　road。〃
  〃Nothing　is　coming　up　the　road；〃　argued　Muscari；　〃except　the　rescue。〃
  〃Well；　you　go　over　there；〃　said　his　adviser；　〃and　be　ready　to　rescue　her　from　the　rescue。〃
  Almost　as　he　spoke　the　hedges　were　broken　all　along　the　ridge　by　a　rush　of　the　escaping　brigands。　　They　dived　into　bushes　and　thick　grass　like　defeated　men　pursued；　and　the　great　cocked　hats　of　the　mounted　gendarmerie　were　seen　passing　along　above　the　broken　hedge。　　Another　order　was　given；　there　was　a　noise　of　dismounting；　and　a　tall　officer　with　cocked　hat；　a　grey　imperial；　and　a　paper　in　his　hand　appeared　in　the　gap　that　was　the　gate　of　the　Paradise　of　Thieves。　There　was　a　momentary　silence；　broken　in　an　extraordinary　way　by　the　banker；　who　cried　out　in　a　hoarse　and　strangled　voice：　〃Robbed！　　I've　been　robbed！〃
  〃Why；　that　was　hours　ago；〃　cried　his　son　in　astonishment：　〃when　you　were　robbed　of　two　thousand　pounds。〃
  〃Not　of　two　thousand　pounds；〃　said　the　financier；　with　an　abrupt　and　terrible　composure；　〃only　of　a　small　bottle。〃
  The　policeman　with　the　grey　imperial　was　striding　across　the　green　hollow。　　Encountering　the　King　of　the　Thieves　in　his　path；　he　clapped　him　on　the　shoulder　with　something　between　a　caress　and　a　buffet　and　gave　him　a　push　that　sent　him　staggering　away。　　〃You'll　get　into　trouble；　too；〃　he　said；　〃if　you　play　these　tricks。〃
  Again　to　Muscari's　artistic　eye　it　seemed　scarcely　like　the　capture　of　a　great　outlaw　at　bay。　　Passing　on；　the　policeman　halted　before　the　Harrogate　group　and　said：　　〃Samuel　Harrogate；　I　arrest　you　in　the　name　of　the　law　for　embezzlement　of　the　funds　of　the　Hull　and　Huddersfield　Bank。〃
  The　great　banker　nodded　with　an　odd　air　of　business　assent；　seemed　to　reflect　a　moment；　and　before　they　could　interpose　took　a　half　turn　and　a　step　that　brought　him　to　the　edge　of　the　outer　mountain　wall。　　Then；　flinging　up　his　hands；　he　leapt　exactly　as　he　leapt　out　of　the　coach。　　But　this　time　he　did　not　fall　into　a　little　meadow　just　beneath；　he　fell　a　thousand　feet　below；　to　become　a　wreck　of　bones　in　the　valley。
  The　anger　of　the　Italian　policeman；　which　he　expressed　volubly　to　Father　Brown；　was　largely　mixed　with　admiration。　　〃It　was　like　him　to　escape　us　at　last；〃　he　said。　　〃He　was　a　great　brigand　if　you　like。　　This　last　trick　of　his　I　believe　to　be　absolutely　unprecedented。　　He　fled　with　the　company's　money　to　Italy；　and　actually　got　himself　captured　by　sham　brigands　in　his　own　pay；　so　as　to　explain　both　the　disappearance　of　the　money　and　the　disappearance　of　himself。　　That　demand　for　ransom　was　really　taken　seriously　by　most　of　the　police。　　But　for　years　he's　been　doing　things　as　good　as　that；　quite　as　good　as　that。　　He　will　be　a　serious　loss　to　his　family。〃
  Muscari　was　leading　away　the　unhappy　daughter；　who　held　hard　to　him；　as　she　did　for　many　a　year　after。　　But　even　in　that　tragic　wreck　he　could　not　help　having　a　smile　and　a　hand　of　half…mocking　friendship　for　the　indefensible　Ezza　Montano。　　〃And　where　are　you　going　next？〃　he　asked　him　over　his　shoulder。
  〃Birmingham；〃　answered　the　actor；　puffing　a　cigarette。　　〃Didn't　I　tell　you　I　was　a　Futurist？　　I　really　do　believe　in　those　things　if　I　believe　in　anything。　　Change；　bustle　and　new　things　every　morning。　　I　am　going　to　Manchester；　Liverpool；　Leeds；　Hull；　Huddersfield；　Glasgow；　Chicagoin　short；　to　enlightened；　energetic；　civilized　society！〃
  〃In　short；〃　said　Muscari；　〃to　the　real　Paradise　of　Thieves。〃
  THREE
  The　Duel　of　Dr　Hirsch
  M。　MAURICE　BRUN　and　M。　Armand　Armagnac　were　crossing　the　sunlit　Champs　Elysee　with　a　kind　of　vivacious　respectability。　　They　were　both　short；　brisk　and　bold。　　They　both　had　black　beards　that　did　not　seem　to　belong　to　their　faces；　after　the　strange　French　fashion　which　makes　real　hair　look　like　artificial。　　M。　Brun　had　a　dark　wedge　of　beard　apparently　affixed　under　his　lower　lip。　　M。　Armagnac；　by　way　of　a　change；　had　two　beards；　one　sticking　out　from　each　corner　of　his　emphatic　chin。　　They　were　both　young。　　They　were　both　atheists；　with　a　depressing　fixity　of　outlook　but　great　mobility　of　exposition。　　They　were　both　pupils　of　the　great　Dr　Hirsch；　scientist；　publicist　and　moralist。
  M。　Brun　had　become　prominent　by　his　proposal　that　the　common　expression　〃Adieu〃　should　be　obliterated　from　all　the　French　classics；　and　a　slight　fine　imposed　for　its　use　in　private　life。　　〃Then；〃　he　said；　〃the　very　name　of　your　imagined　God　will　have　echoed　for　the　last　time　in　the　ear　of　man。〃　　M。　Armagnac　specialized　rather　in　a　resistance　to　militarism；　and　wished　the　chorus　of　the　Marseillaise　altered　from　〃Aux　armes；　citoyens〃　to　〃Aux　greves；　citoyens〃。　　But　his　antimilitarism　was　of　a　peculiar　and　Gallic　sort。　　An　eminent　and　very　wealthy　English　Quaker；　who　had　come　to　see　him　to　arrange　for　the　disarmament　of　the　whole　planet；　was　rather　distressed　by　Armagnac's　proposal　that　（by　way　of　beginning）　the　soldiers　should　shoot　their　officers。
  And　indeed　it　was　in　this　regard　that　the　two　men　differed　most　from　their　leader　and　father　in　philosophy。　　Dr　Hirsch；　though　born　in　France　and　covered　with　the　most　triumphant　favours　of　French　education；　was　temperamentally　of　another　typemild；　dreamy；　humane；　and；　despite　his　sceptical　system；　not　devoid　of　transcendentalism。　　He　was；　in　short；　more　like　a　German　than　a　Frenchman；　and　much　as　they