e　harlequin　leapt　upon　him　and　hit　him　over　the　helmet；　the　pianist　playing　〃Where　did　you　get　that　hat？〃　he　faced　about　in　admirably　simulated　astonishment；　and　then　the　leaping　harlequin　hit　him　again　（the　pianist　suggesting　a　few　bars　of　〃Then　we　had　another　one〃）。　　Then　the　harlequin　rushed　right　into　the　arms　of　the　policeman　and　fell　on　top　of　him；　amid　a　roar　of　applause。　　Then　it　was　that　the　strange　actor　gave　that　celebrated　imitation　of　a　dead　man；　of　which　the　fame　still　lingers　round　Putney。　　It　was　almost　impossible　to　believe　that　a　living　person　could　appear　so　limp。　　　　　The　athletic　harlequin　swung　him　about　like　a　sack　or　twisted　or　tossed　him　like　an　Indian　club；　all　the　time　to　the　most　maddeningly　ludicrous　tunes　from　the　piano。　　When　the　harlequin　heaved　the　comic　constable　heavily　off　the　floor　the　clown　played　〃I　arise　from　dreams　of　thee。〃　　When　he　shuffled　him　across　his　back；　〃With　my　bundle　on　my　shoulder；〃　and　when　the　harlequin　finally　let　fall　the　policeman　with　a　most　convincing　thud；　the　lunatic　at　the　instrument　struck　into　a　jingling　measure　with　some　words　which　are　still　believed　to　have　been；　〃I　sent　a　letter　to　my　love　and　on　the　way　I　dropped　it。〃　　　　　At　about　this　limit　of　mental　anarchy　Father　Brown's　view　was　obscured　altogether；　for　the　City　magnate　in　front　of　him　rose　to　his　full　height　and　thrust　his　hands　savagely　into　all　his　pockets。　Then　he　sat　down　nervously；　still　fumbling；　and　then　stood　up　again。　　For　an　instant　it　seemed　seriously　likely　that　he　would　stride　across　the　footlights；　then　he　turned　a　glare　at　the　clown　playing　the　piano；　and　then　he　burst　in　silence　out　of　the　room。　　　　　The　priest　had　only　watched　for　a　few　more　minutes　the　absurd　but　not　inelegant　dance　of　the　amateur　harlequin　over　his　splendidly　unconscious　foe。　　With　real　though　rude　art；　the　harlequin　danced　slowly　backwards　out　of　the　door　into　the　garden；　which　was　full　of　moonlight　and　stillness。　　The　vamped　dress　of　silver　paper　and　paste；　which　had　been　too　glaring　in　the　footlights；　looked　more　and　more　magical　and　silvery　as　it　danced　away　under　a　brilliant　moon。　　The　audience　was　closing　in　with　a　cataract　of　applause；　when　Brown　felt　his　arm　abruptly　touched；　and　he　was　asked　in　a　whisper　to　come　into　the　colonel's　study。　　　　　He　followed　his　summoner　with　increasing　doubt；　which　was　not　dispelled　by　a　solemn　comicality　in　the　scene　of　the　study。　　There　sat　Colonel　Adams；　still　unaffectedly　dressed　as　a　pantaloon；　with　the　knobbed　whalebone　nodding　above　his　brow；　but　with　his　poor　old　eyes　sad　enough　to　have　sobered　a　Saturnalia。　　Sir　Leopold　Fischer　was　leaning　against　the　mantelpiece　and　heaving　with　all　the　importance　of　panic。　　　　　〃This　is　a　very　painful　matter；　Father　Brown；〃　said　Adams。　〃The　truth　is；　those　diamonds　we　all　saw　this　afternoon　seem　to　have　vanished　from　my　friend's　tail…coat　pocket。　　And　as　you〃　　　　　〃As　I；〃　supplemented　Father　Brown；　with　a　broad　grin；　〃was　sitting　just　behind　him〃　　　　　〃Nothing　of　the　sort　shall　be　suggested；〃　said　Colonel　Adams；　with　a　firm　look　at　Fischer；　which　rather　implied　that　some　such　thing　had　been　suggested。　　〃I　only　ask　you　to　give　me　the　assistance　that　any　gentleman　might　give。〃　　　　　〃Which　is　turning　out　his　pockets；〃　said　Father　Brown；　and　proceeded　to　do　so；　displaying　seven　and　sixpence；　a　return　ticket；　a　small　silver　crucifix；　a　small　breviary；　and　a　stick　of　chocolate。　　　　　The　colonel　looked　at　him　long；　and　then　said；　〃Do　you　know；　I　should　like　to　see　the　inside　of　your　head　more　than　the　inside　of　your　pockets。　　My　daughter　is　one　of　your　people；　I　know；　well；　she　has　lately〃　and　he　stopped。　　　　　〃She　has　lately；〃　cried　out　old　Fischer；　〃opened　her　father's　house　to　a　cut…throat　Socialist；　who　says　openly　he　would　steal　anything　from　a　richer　man。　　This　is　the　end　of　it。　　Here　is　the　richer　manand　none　the　richer。〃　　　　　〃If　you　want　the　inside　of　my　head　you　can　have　it；〃　said　Brown　rather　wearily。　　〃What　it's　worth　you　can　say　afterwards。　But　the　first　thing　I　find　in　that　disused　pocket　is　this：　that　men　who　mean　to　steal　diamonds　don't　talk　Socialism。　　They　are　more　likely；〃　he　added　demurely；　〃to　denounce　it。〃　　　　　Both　the　others　shifted　sharply　and　the　priest　went　on：　　　　　〃You　see；　we　know　these　people；　more　or　less。　　That　Socialist　would　no　more　steal　a　diamond　than　a　Pyramid。　　We　ought　to　look　at　once　to　the　one　man　we　don't　know。　　The　fellow　acting　the　policeman　Florian。　　Where　is　he　exactly　at　this　minute；　I　wonder。〃　　　　　The　pantaloon　sprang　erect　and　strode　out　of　the　room。　　An　interlude　ensued；　during　which　the　millionaire　stared　at　the　priest；　and　the　priest　at　his　breviary；　then　the　pantaloon　returned　and　said；　with　staccato　gravity；　〃The　policeman　is　still　lying　on　the　stage。　　The　curtain　has　gone　up　and　down　six　times；　he　is　still　lying　there。〃　　　　　Father　Brown　dropped　his　book　and　stood　staring　with　a　look　of　blank　mental　ruin。　　Very　slowly　a　light　began　to　creep　in　his　grey　eyes；　and　then　he　made　the　scarcely　obvious　answer。　　　　　〃Please　forgive　me；　colonel；　but　when　did　your　wife　die？〃　　　　　〃Wife！〃　replied　the　staring　soldier；　〃she　died　this　year　two　months。　　Her　brother　James　arrived　just　a　week　too　late　to　see　her。〃　　　　　The　little　priest　bounded　like　a　rabbit　shot。　　〃Come　on！〃　he　cried　in　quite　unusual　excitement。　　〃Come　on！　　We've　got　to　go　and　look　at　that　policeman！〃　　　　　They　rushed　on　to　the　now　curtained　stage；　breaking　rudely　past　the　columbine　and　clown　（who　seemed　whispering　quite　contentedly）；　and　Father　Brown　bent　over　the　prostrate　comic　policeman。　　　　　〃Chloroform；〃　he　said　as　he　rose；　〃I　only　guessed　it　just　now。〃　　　　　There　was　a　startled　stillness；　and　then　the　colonel　said　slowly；　〃Please　say　seriously　what　all　this　means。〃　　　　　Father　Brown　suddenly　shouted　with　laughter；　then　stopped；　and　only　struggled　with　it　for　instants　during　the　rest　of　his　speech。　〃Gentlemen；〃　he　gasped；　〃there's　not　much　time　to　talk。　　I　must　run　after　the　criminal。　　But　this　great　French　actor　who　played　the　policemanthis　clever　corpse　the　harlequin　waltzed　with　and　dandled　and　threw　abouthe　was〃　　His　voice　again　failed　him；　and　he　turned　his　back　to　run。　　　　　〃He　was？〃　called　Fischer　inquiringly。　　　　　〃A　real　policeman；〃　said　Father　Brown；　and　ran　away　into　the　dark。　　　　　There　were　hollows　and　bowers　at　the　extreme　end　of　that　leafy　garden；　in　which　the　laurels　and　other　immortal　shrubs　showed　against　sapphire　sky　and　silver　moon；　even　in　that　midwinter；　warm　colours　as　of　the　south。　　The　green　gaiety　of　the　waving　laurels；　the　rich　purple　indigo　of　the　night；　the　moon　like　a　monstrous　crystal；　make　an　almost　irresponsible　romantic　picture；　and　among　the　top　branches　of　the　garden　trees　a　strange　figure　is　climbing；　who　looks　not　so　much　romantic　as　impossible。　　He　sparkles　from　head　to　heel；　as　if　clad　in　ten　million　moons；　the　real　moon　catches　him　at　every　movement　and　sets　a　new　inch　of　him　on　fire。　But　he　swings；　flashing　and　successful；　from　the　short　tree　in　this　garden　to　the　tall；　rambling　tree　in　the　other；　and　only　stops　there　because　a　shade　has　slid　under　the　smaller　tree　and　has　unmistakably　called　up　to　him。　　　　　〃Well；　Flambeau；〃　says　the　voice；　〃you　really　look　like　a　Flying　Star；　but　that　always　means　a　Falling　Star　at　last。〃　　　　　The　silver；　sparkling　figure　above　seems　to　lean　forward　in　the　laurels　and；　confident　of　escape；　listens　to　the　little　figure　below。　　　　　　　〃You　never　did　anything　better；　Flambeau。　　It　was　clever　to　come　from　Canada　（with　a　Paris　ticket；　I　suppose）　just　a　week　after　Mrs。　Adams　died；　when　no　one　was　in　a　mood　to　ask　questions。　　It　was　cleverer　to　have　marked　down　the　Flying　Stars　and　the　very　day　of　Fischer's　coming。　　But　there's　no　cleverness；　but　mere　genius；　in　what　followed。　　Stealing　the　stones；　I　suppose；　was　nothing　to　you。　　You　could　have　done　it　by　sleight　of　hand　in　a　hundred　other　ways　besides　that　pretence　of　putting　a　paper　donkey's　tail　to　Fischer's　coat。　　But　in　the　rest　you　eclipsed　yourself。〃　　　　　The　silvery　figure　among　the　green　leaves　seems　to　linger　as　if　hypnotised；　though　his　escape　is　easy　behind　him；　he　is　staring　at　the　man　below。　　　　　〃Oh；　yes；〃　says　the　man　below；　〃I　know　all　about　it。　　I　know　you　not　only　forced　the　pantomime；　but　put　it　to　a　double　use。　　You　were　going　to　steal　the　stones　quietly；　news　came　by　an　accomplice　that　you　were　already　suspected；　and　a　capable　police　officer　was　coming　to　rout　you　up　that　very　night。　　A　common　thief　would　have　been　thankful　for　the　warning　and　fled；　but　you　are　a　poet。　　You　already　had　the　clever　notion　of　hiding　the　jewels　in　a　blaze　of　false　stage　jewellery。　　Now；　you　saw　that　if　the　dress　were　a　harlequin's　the　appearance　of　a　policeman　would　be　quite　in　keeping。　　The　worthy　officer　started　from　Putney　police　station　to　find　you；　and　walked　into　the　queerest　trap　ever　set　in　this　world。　When　the　front　door　opened　he　walked　straight　on　to　the　stage　of　a　Christmas　pantomime；　where　he　could　be　kicked；　clubbed；　stunned　and　drugged　by　the　dancing　harlequin；　amid　roars　of　laughter　from　all　the　most　respectable　people　in　Putney。　　Oh；　you　will　never　do　anything　better。　　And　now；　by　the　way；　you　might　give　me　back　those　diamonds。〃　　　　　The　green　branch　on　which　the　glittering　figure　swung；　rustled　as　if　in　astonishment；　but　the　voice