pothesis　about　it；　except　of　course　the　ignorant　peasantry；　who　said　the　peacock　trees　were　in　some　wild　way　poisonous。
  〃Well；　the　peacock　trees　were　poisonous。　　The　peacock　trees　did　produce　the　fever。　　I　verified　the　fact　in　the　plain　plodding　way　required；　comparing　all　the　degrees　and　details　of　a　vast　number　of　cases；　and　there　were　a　shocking　number　to　compare。　　At　the　end　of　it　I　had　discovered　the　thing　as　Harvey　discovered　the　circulation　of　the　blood。　Everybody　was　the　worse　for　being　near　the　things；　those　who　came　off　best　were　exactly　the　exceptions　that　proved　the　rule；　abnormally　healthy　and　energetic　people　like　the　Squire　and　his　daughter。　In　other　words；　the　peasants　were　right。　　But　if　I　put　it　that　way；　somebody　will　cry：　　'But　do　you　believe　it　was　supernatural　then？'　In　fact；　that's　what　you'll　all　say；　and　that's　exactly　what　I　complain　of。　　I　fancy　hundreds　of　men　have　been　left　dead　and　diseases　left　undiscovered；　by　this　suspicion　of　superstition；　this　stupid　fear　of　fear。　　Unless　you　see　daylight　through　the　forest　of　facts　from　the　first；　you　won't　venture　into　the　wood　at　all。　Unless　we　can　promise　you　beforehand　that　there　shall　be　what　you　call　a　natural　explanation；　to　save　your　precious　dignity　from　miracles；　you　won't　even　hear　the　beginning　of　the　plain　tale。　　Suppose　there　isn't　a　natural　explanation！　　Suppose　there　is；　and　we　never　find　it！　Suppose　I　haven't　a　notion　whether　there　is　or　not　I　What　the　devil　has　that　to　do　with　you；　or　with　me　in　dealing　with　the　facts　I　do　know？　My　own　instinct　is　to　think　there　is；　that　if　my　researches　could　be　followed　far　enough　it　would　be　found　that　some　horrible　parody　of　hay　fever；　some　effect　analogous　to　that　of　pollen；　would　explain　all　the　facts。　　I　have　never　found　the　explanation。　　What　I　have　found　are　the　facts。　　And　the　fact　is　that　those　trees　on　the　top　there　dealt　death　right　and　left；　as　certainly　as　if　they　had　been　giants；　standing　on　a　hill　and　knocking　men　down　in　crowds　with　a　club。　It　will　be　said　that　now　I　had　only　to　produce　my　proofs　and　have　the　nuisance　removed。　　Perhaps　I　might　have　convinced　the　scientific　world　finally；　when　more　and　more　processions　of　dead　men　had　passed　through　the　village　to　the　cemetery。　　But　I　had　not　got　to　convince　the　scientific　world；　but　the　Lord　of　the　Manor。　　The　Squire　will　pardon　my　saying　that　it　was　a　very　different　thing。　I　tried　it　once；　I　lost　my　temper；　and　said　things　I　do　not　defend；　and　I　left　the　Squire's　prejudices　rooted　anew；　like　the　trees。　I　was　confronted　with　one　colossal　coincidence　that　was　an　obstacle　to　all　my　aims。　　One　thing　made　all　my　science　sound　like　nonsense。　It　was　the　popular　legend。
  〃Squire；　if　there　were　a　legend　of　hay　fever；　you　would　not　believe　in　hay　fever。　　If　there　were　a　popular　story　about　pollen；　you　would　say　that　pollen　was　only　a　popular　story。　I　had　something　against　me　heavier　and　more　hopeless　than　the　hostility　of　the　learned；　I　had　the　support　of　the　ignorant。　My　truth　was　hopelessly　tangled　up　with　a　tale　that　the　educated　were　resolved　to　regard　as　entirely　a　lie。　I　never　tried　to　explain　again；　on　the　contrary；　I　apologized；　affected　a　conversion　to　the　common…sense　view；　and　watched　events。　And　all　the　time　the　lines　of　a　larger；　if　more　crooked　plan；　began　to　get　clearer　in　my　mind。　　I　knew　that　Miss　Vane；　whether　or　no　she　were　married　to　Mr。　Treherne；　as　I　afterward　found　she　was；　was　so　much　under　his　influence　that　the　first　day　of　her　inheritance　would　be　the　last　day　of　the　poisonous　trees。　But　she　could　not　inherit；　or　even　interfere；　till　the　Squire　died。　It　became　simply　self…evident；　to　a　rational　mind；　that　the　Squire　must　die。　　But　wishing　to　be　humane　as　well　as　rational；　I　desired　his　death　to　be　temporary。
  〃Doubtless　my　scheme　was　completed　by　a　chapter　of　accidents；　but　I　was　watching　for　such　accidents。　　Thus　I　had　a　foreshadowing　of　how　the　ax　would　figure　in　the　tale　when　it　was　first　flung　at　the　trees；　it　would　have　surprised　the　woodman　to　know　how　near　our　minds　were；　and　how　I　was　but　laying　a　more　elaborate　siege　to　the　towers　of　pestilence。　But　when　the　Squire　spontaneously　rushed　on　what　half　the　countryside　would　call　certain　death；　I　jumped　at　my　chance。　　I　followed　him；　and　told　him　all　that　he　has　told　you。　　I　don't　suppose　he'll　ever　forgive　me　now；　but　that　shan't　prevent　me　saying　that　I　admire　him　hugely　for　being　what　people　would　call　a　lunatic　and　what　is　really　a　sportsman。　It　takes　rather　a　grand　old　man　to　make　a　joke　in　the　grand　style。　He　came　down　so　quick　from　the　tree　he　had　climbed　that　he　had　no　time　to　pull　his　hat　off　the　bough　it　had　caught　in。
  〃At　first　I　found　I　had　made　a　miscalculation。　　I　thought　his　disappearance　would　be　taken　as　his　death；　at　least　after　a　little　time；　but　Ashe　told　me　there　could　be　no　formalities　without　a　corpse。　I　fear　I　was　a　little　annoyed；　but　I　soon　set　myself　to　the　duty　of　manufacturing　a　corpse。　　It's　not　hard　for　a　doctor　to　get　a　skeleton；　indeed；　I　had　one；　but　Mr。　Paynter's　energy　was　a　day　too　early　for　me；　and　I　only　got　the　bones　into　the　well　when　he　had　already　found　it。　His　story　gave　me　another　chance；　however；　I　noted　where　the　hole　was　in　the　hat；　and　made　a　precisely　corresponding　hole　in　the　skull。　The　reason　for　creating　the　other　clews　may　not　be　so　obvious。　　It　may　not　yet　be　altogether　apparent　to　you　that　I　am　not　a　fiend　in　human　orm。　I　could　not　substantiate　a　murder　without　at　least　suggesting　a　murderer；　and　I　was　resolved　that　if　the　crime　happened　to　be　traced　to　anybody；　it　should　be　to　me。　　So　I'm　not　surprised　you　were　puzzled　about　the　purpose　of　the　rag　round　the　ax；　because　it　had　no　purpose；　except　to　incriminate　the　man　who　put　it　there。　　The　chase　had　to　end　with　me；　and　when　it　was　closing　in　at　last　the　joke　of　it　was　too　much　for　me；　and　I　fear　I　took　liberties　with　the　gentleman's　easel　and　beard。　I　was　the　only　person　who　could　risk　it；　being　the　only　person　who　could　at　the　last　moment　produce　the　Squire　and　prove　there　had　been　no　crime　at　all。　　That；　gentlemen；　is　the　true　story　of　the　peacock　trees；　and　that　bare　crag　up　there；　where　the　wind　is　whistling　as　it　would　over　a　wilderness；　is　a　waste　place　I　have　labored　to　make；　as　many　men　have　labored　to　make　a　cathedral。
  〃I　don't　think　there　is　any　more　to　say；　and　yet　something　moves　in　my　blood　and　I　will　try　to　say　it。　　Could　you　not　have　trusted　a　little　these　peasants　whom　you　already　trust　so　much？　　These　men　are　men；　and　they　meant　something；　even　their　fathers　were　not　wholly　fools。　If　your　gardener　told　you　of　the　trees　you　called　him　a　madman；　but　he　did　not　plan　and　plant　your　garden　like　a　madman。　You　would　not　trust　your　woodman　about　these　trees；　yet　you　trusted　him　with　all　the　others。　　Have　you　ever　thought　what　all　the　work　of　the　world　would　be　like　if　the　poor　were　so　senseless　as　you　think　them？　　But　no；　you　stuck　to　your　rational　principle。　And　your　rational　principle　was　that　a　thing　must　be　false　because　thousands　of　men　had　found　it　true；　that　BECAUSE　many　human　eyes　had　seen　something　it　could　not　be　there。〃
  He　looked　across　at　Ashe　with　a　sort　of　challenge；　but　though　the　sea　wind　ruffled　the　old　lawyer's　red　mane；　his　Napoleonic　mask　was　unruffled；　it　even　had　a　sort　of　beauty　from　its　new　benignity。
  〃I　am　too　happy　just　now　in　thinking　how　wrong　I　have　been；〃　he　answered；　〃to　quarrel　with　you；　doctor；　about　our　theories。　And　yet；　in　justice　to　the　Squire　as　well　as　myself；　I　should　demur　to　your　sweeping　inference。　　I　respect　these　peasants；　I　respect　your　regard　for　them；　but　their　stories　are　a　different　matter。　I　think　I　would　do　anything　for　them　but　believe　them。　Truth　and　fancy；　after　all；　are　mixed　in　them；　when　in　the　more　instructed　they　are　separate；　and　I　doubt　if　you　have　considered　what　would　be　involved　in　taking　their　word　for　anything。　Half　the　ghosts　of　those　who　died　of　fever　may　be　walking　by　now；　and　kind　as　these　people　are；　I　believe　they　might　still　burn　a　witch。　　No；　doctor；　I　admit　these　people　have　been　badly　used；　I　admit　they　are　in　many　ways　our　betters；　but　I　still　could　not　accept　anything　in　their　evidence。〃
  The　doctor　bowed　gravely　and　respectfully　enough；　and　then；　for　the　last　time　that　day；　they　saw　his　rather　sinister　smile。
  〃Quite　so；〃　he　said。　　〃But　you　would　have　hanged　me　on　their　evidence。〃
  And；　turning　his　back　on　them；　as　if　automatically；　he　set　his　face　toward　the　village；　where　for　so　many　years　he　had　gone　his　round。
  End