第56部分(第2/7 页)

fraid。　I　don't　think　she'd　seen　me　in　tears　more　than　half　a　dozen　times　before　in　the　entire　course　of　our　marriage。　I　have　never　been；　in　the　ordinary　course　of　things；　a　crying　man。　〃Paul；　what　is　it？〃

〃I　know　everything　there　is　to　know；〃　I　said　through　my　tears。　〃I　know　too　goddam　much；　if　you　want　to　know　the　truth。　I'm　supposed　to　electrocute　John　Coffey　in　less　than　a　week's　time；　but　it　was　William　Wharton　who　killed　the　Detterick　girls。　It　was　Wild　Bill。〃

5。

The　next　day；　the　same　bunch　of　screws　who　had　eaten　lunch　in　my　kitchen　after　the　botched　Delacroix　execution　ate　lunch　there　again。　This　time　there　was　a　fifth　at　our　council　of　war：　my　wife。　It　was　Jan　who　convinced　me　to　tell　the　others；　my　first　impulse　had　been　not　to。　Wasn't　it　bad　enough；　I　asked　her；　that　we　knew？

〃You're　not　thinking　clear　about　it；〃　she'd　answered。　〃Probably　because　you're　still　upset。　They　already　know　the　worst　thing；　that　John's　on　the　spot　for　a　crime　he　didn't　mit。　If　anything；　this　makes　it　a　little　better。〃

I　wasn't　so　sure；　but　I　deferred　to　her　judgement。　I　expected　an　uproar　when　I　told　Brutal；　Dean；　and　Harry　what　I　knew　（I　couldn't　prove　it；　but　I　knew；　all　right）；　but　at　first　there　was　only　thoughtful　silence。　Then；　taking　another　of　Janice's　biscuits　and　beginning　to　put　an　outrageous　amount　of　butter　on　it；　Dean　said：　〃Did　John　see　him；　do　you　think？　Did　he　see　Wharton　drop　the　girls；　maybe　even　rape　them？〃

〃I　think　if　he'd　seen　that；　he　would　have　tried　to　stop　it；〃　I　said。　〃As　for　seeing　Wharton；　maybe　as　he　ran　off；　I　suppose　he　might　have。　If　he　did；　he　forgot　it　later。〃

〃Sure；〃　Dean　said。　〃He's　special；　but　that　doesn't　make　him　bright。　He　only　found　out　it　was　Wharton　when　Wharton　reached　through　the　bars　of