ng　to　somebody；　　　　　　　that　I　shall　not　have　to　be　alone　with　it　if　I　marry　and　have　　　　　　　　　　　children。　　What　is　the　matter　with　me？　。。。　Madness　。。。　or　can　one　　　　　　　have　remorse；　just　as　if　one　were　in　Byron's　poems！　　I　cannot　　　　　　　　　　　write　any　more。　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　James　Erskine　Harris。　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　Father　Brown　carefully　folded　up　the　letter；　and　put　it　in　his　breast　pocket　just　as　there　came　a　loud　peal　at　the　gate　bell；　and　the　wet　waterproofs　of　several　policemen　gleamed　in　the　road　outside。
  The　Sins　of　Prince　Saradine
  When　Flambeau　took　his　month's　holiday　from　his　office　in　Westminster　he　took　it　in　a　small　sailing…boat；　so　small　that　it　passed　much　of　its　time　as　a　rowing…boat。　　He　took　it；　moreover；　in　little　rivers　in　the　Eastern　counties；　rivers　so　small　that　the　boat　looked　like　a　magic　boat；　sailing　on　land　through　meadows　and　cornfields。　　The　vessel　was　just　comfortable　for　two　people；　there　was　room　only　for　necessities；　and　Flambeau　had　stocked　it　with　such　things　as　his　special　philosophy　considered　necessary。　　They　reduced　themselves；　apparently；　to　four　essentials：　tins　of　salmon；　if　he　should　want　to　eat；　loaded　revolvers；　if　he　should　want　to　fight；　a　bottle　of　brandy；　presumably　in　case　he　should　faint；　and　a　priest；　presumably　in　case　he　should　die。　　With　this　light　luggage　he　crawled　down　the　little　Norfolk　rivers；　intending　to　reach　the　Broads　at　last；　but　meanwhile　delighting　in　the　overhanging　gardens　and　meadows；　the　mirrored　mansions　or　villages；　lingering　to　fish　in　the　pools　and　corners；　and　in　some　sense　hugging　the　shore。　　　　　Like　a　true　philosopher；　Flambeau　had　no　aim　in　his　holiday；　but；　like　a　true　philosopher；　he　had　an　excuse。　　He　had　a　sort　of　half　purpose；　which　he　took　just　so　seriously　that　its　success　would　crown　the　holiday；　but　just　so　lightly　that　its　failure　would　not　spoil　it。　　Years　ago；　when　he　had　been　a　king　of　thieves　and　the　most　famous　figure　in　Paris；　he　had　often　received　wild　communications　of　approval；　denunciation；　or　even　love；　but　one　had；　somehow；　stuck　in　his　memory。　　It　consisted　simply　of　a　visiting…card；　in　an　envelope　with　an　English　postmark。　　On　the　back　of　the　card　was　written　in　French　and　in　green　ink：　〃If　you　ever　retire　and　become　respectable；　come　and　see　me。　　I　want　to　meet　you；　for　I　have　met　all　the　other　great　men　of　my　time。　　That　trick　of　yours　of　getting　one　detective　to　arrest　the　other　was　the　most　splendid　scene　in　French　history。〃　　On　the　front　of　the　card　was　engraved　in　the　formal　fashion；　〃Prince　Saradine；　Reed　House；　Reed　Island；　Norfolk。〃　　　　　He　had　not　troubled　much　about　the　prince　then；　beyond　ascertaining　that　he　had　been　a　brilliant　and　fashionable　figure　in　southern　Italy。　　In　his　youth；　it　was　said；　he　had　eloped　with　a　married　woman　of　high　rank；　the　escapade　was　scarcely　startling　in　his　social　world；　but　it　had　clung　to　men's　minds　because　of　an　additional　tragedy：　the　alleged　suicide　of　the　insulted　husband；　who　appeared　to　have　flung　himself　over　a　precipice　in　Sicily。　The　prince　then　lived　in　Vienna　for　a　time；　but　his　more　recent　years　seemed　to　have　been　passed　in　perpetual　and　restless　travel。　But　when　Flambeau；　like　the　prince　himself；　had　left　European　celebrity　and　settled　in　England；　it　occurred　to　him　that　he　might　pay　a　surprise　visit　to　this　eminent　exile　in　the　Norfolk　Broads。　Whether　he　should　find　the　place　he　had　no　idea；　and；　indeed；　it　was　sufficiently　small　and　forgotten。　　But；　as　things　fell　out；　he　found　it　much　sooner　than　he　expected。　　　　　They　had　moored　their　boat　one　night　under　a　bank　veiled　in　high　grasses　and　short　pollarded　trees。　　Sleep；　after　heavy　sculling；　had　come　to　them　early；　and　by　a　corresponding　accident　they　awoke　before　it　was　light。　　To　speak　more　strictly；　they　awoke　before　it　was　daylight；　for　a　large　lemon　moon　was　only　just　setting　in　the　forest　of　high　grass　above　their　heads；　and　the　sky　was　of　a　vivid　violet…blue；　nocturnal　but　bright。　　Both　men　had　simultaneously　a　reminiscence　of　childhood；　of　the　elfin　and　adventurous　time　when　tall　weeds　close　over　us　like　woods。　Standing　up　thus　against　the　large　low　moon；　the　daisies　really　seemed　to　be　giant　daisies；　the　dandelions　to　be　giant　dandelions。　Somehow　it　reminded　them　of　the　dado　of　a　nursery　wall…paper。　　The　drop　of　the　river…bed　sufficed　to　sink　them　under　the　roots　of　all　shrubs　and　flowers　and　make　them　gaze　upwards　at　the　grass。　　〃By　Jove！〃　said　Flambeau；　〃it's　like　being　in　fairyland。〃　　　　　Father　Brown　sat　bolt　upright　in　the　boat　and　crossed　himself。　His　movement　was　so　abrupt　that　his　friend　asked　him；　with　a　mild　stare；　what　was　the　matter。　　　　　〃The　people　who　wrote　the　mediaeval　ballads；〃　answered　the　priest；　〃knew　more　about　fairies　than　you　do。　　It　isn't　only　nice　things　that　happen　in　fairyland。〃　　　　　〃Oh；　bosh！〃　said　Flambeau。　　〃Only　nice　things　could　happen　under　such　an　innocent　moon。　　I　am　for　pushing　on　now　and　seeing　what　does　really　come。　　We　may　die　and　rot　before　we　ever　see　again　such　a　moon　or　such　a　mood。〃　　　　　〃All　right；〃　said　Father　Brown。　　〃I　never　said　it　was　always　wrong　to　enter　fairyland。　　I　only　said　it　was　always　dangerous。〃　　　　　They　pushed　slowly　up　the　brightening　river；　the　glowing　violet　of　the　sky　and　the　pale　gold　of　the　moon　grew　fainter　and　fainter；　amd　faded　into　that　vast　colourless　cosmos　that　precedes　the　colours　of　the　dawn。　　When　the　first　faint　stripes　of　red　and　gold　and　grey　split　the　horizon　from　end　to　end　they　were　broken　by　the　black　bulk　of　a　town　or　village　which　sat　on　the　river　just　ahead　of　them。　　It　was　already　an　easy　twilight；　in　which　all　things　were　visible；　when　they　came　under　the　hanging　roofs　and　bridges　of　this　riverside　hamlet。　　The　houses；　with　their　long；　low；　stooping　roofs；　seemed　to　come　down　to　drink　at　the　river；　like　huge　grey　and　red　cattle。　　The　broadening　and　whitening　dawn　had　already　turned　to　working　daylight　before　they　saw　any　living　creature　on　the　wharves　and　bridges　of　that　silent　town。　Eventually　they　saw　a　very　placid　and　prosperous　man　in　his　shirt　sleeves；　with　a　face　as　round　as　the　recently　sunken　moon；　and　rays　of　red　whisker　around　the　low　arc　of　it；　who　was　leaning　on　a　post　above　the　sluggish　tide。　　By　an　impulse　not　to　be　analysed；　Flambeau　rose　to　his　full　height　in　the　swaying　boat　and　shouted　at　the　man　to　ask　if　he　knew　Reed　Island　or　Reed　House。　　The　prosperous　man's　smile　grew　slightly　more　expansive；　and　he　simply　pointed　up　the　river　towards　the　next　bend　of　it。　　Flambeau　went　ahead　without　further　speech。　　　　　The　boat　took　many　such　grassy　corners　and　followed　many　such　reedy　and　silent　reaches　of　river；　but　before　the　search　had　become　monotonous　they　had　swung　round　a　specially　sharp　angle　and　come　into　the　silence　of　a　sort　of　pool　or　lake；　the　sight　of　which　instinctively　arrested　them。　　For　in　the　middle　of　this　wider　piece　of　water；　fringed　on　every　side　with　rushes；　lay　a　long；　low　islet；　along　which　ran　a　long；　low　house　or　bungalow　built　of　bamboo　or　some　kind　of　tough　tropic　cane。　　The　upstanding　rods　of　bamboo　which　made　the　walls　were　pale　yellow；　the　sloping　rods　that　made　the　roof　were　of　darker　red　or　brown；　otherwise　the　long　house　was　a　thing　of　repetition　and　monotony。　　The　early　morning　breeze　rustled　the　reeds　round　the　island　and　sang　in　the　strange　ribbed　house　as　in　a　giant　pan…pipe。　　　　　〃By　George！〃　cried　Flambeau；　〃here　is　the　place；　after　all！　Here　is　Reed　Island；　if　ever　there　was　one。　　Here　is　Reed　House；　if　it　is　anywhere。　　I　believe　that　fat　man　with　whiskers　was　a　fairy。〃　　　　　〃Perhaps；〃　remarked　Father　Brown　impartially。　　〃If　he　was；　he　was　a　bad　fairy。〃　　　　　But　even　as　he　spoke　the　impetuous　Flambeau　had　run　his　boat　ashore　in　the　rattling　reeds；　and　they　stood　in　the　long；　quaint　islet　beside　the　odd　and　silent　house。　　　　　The　house　stood　with　its　back；　as　it　were；　to　the　river　and　the　only　landing…stage；　the　main　entrance　was　on　the　other　side；　and　looked　down　the　long　island　garden。　　The　visitors　approached　it；　therefore；　by　a　small　path　running　round　nearly　three　sides　of　the　house；　close　under　the　low　eaves。　　Through　three　different　windows　on　three　different　sides　they　looked　in　on　the　same　long；　well…lit　room；　panelled　in　light　wood；　with　a　large　number　of　looking…glasses；　and　laid　out　as　for　an　elegant　lunch。　　The　front　door；　when　they　came　round　to　it　at　last；　was　flanked　by　two　turquoise…blue　flower　pots。　　It　was　opened　by　a　butler　of　the　drearier　typelong；　lean；　grey　and　listlesswho　murmured　that　Prince　Saradine　was　from　home　at　present；　but　was　expected　hourly；　the　house　being　kept　ready　for　him　and　his　guests。　　The　exhibition　of　the　card　with　the　scrawl　of　green　ink　awoke　a　flicker　of　life　in　the　parchment　face　of　the　depressed　retainer；　and　it　was　with　a　certain　shaky　courtesy　that　he　suggested　that　the　strangers　should　remain。　　〃His　Highness　may　be　here　any　minute；〃　he　said；　〃and　would　be　distressed　to　have　just　missed　any　gentleman　he　had　invited。　　We　have　orders　always　to　keep　a　little　cold　lunch　for　him　and　his　friends；　and　I　am　sure　he　would　wish　it　to　be　offered。〃　　　　　Moved　with　curiosity　to　this