布鲁斯-帕廷顿计划-the bruce-partington plans-第5章

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〃Yes；　I　think　he　was。　　I　know　that　so　far　as　those　three　keys　are
concerned　he　kept　them　on　the　same　ring。　　I　have　often　seen　them
there。〃

〃And　that　ring　went　with　him　to　London？〃

〃He　said　so。〃

〃And　your　key　never　left　your　possession？〃

〃Never。〃

〃Then　West；　if　he　is　the　culprit；　must　have　had　a　duplicate。　　And
yet　none　was　found　upon　his　body。　　One　other　point：　　if　a　clerk
in　this　office　desired　to　sell　the　plans；　would　it　not　be　simply
to　copy　the　plans　for　himself　than　to　take　the　originals；　as　was
actually　done？〃

〃It　would　take　considerable　technical　knowledge　to　copy　the　plans
in　an　effective　way。〃

〃But　I　suppose　either　Sir　James；　or　you；　or　West　has　that
technical　knowledge？〃

〃No　doubt　we　had；　but　I　beg　you　won't　try　to　drag　me　into　the
matter；　Mr。　Holmes。　　What　is　the　use　of　our　speculating　in　this
way　when　the　original　plans　were　actually　found　on　West？〃

〃Well；　it　is　certainly　singular　that　he　should　run　the　risk　of
taking　originals　if　he　could　safely　have　taken　copies；　which
would　have　equally　served　his　turn。〃

〃Singular；　no　doubt……and　yet　he　did　so。〃

〃Every　inquiry　in　this　case　reveals　something　inexplicable。　　Now
there　are　three　papers　still　missing。　　They　are；　as　I　understand；
the　vital　ones。〃

〃Yes；　that　is　so。〃

〃Do　you　mean　to　say　that　anyone　holding　these　three　papers；　and
without　the　seven　others；　could　construct　a　Bruce…Partington
submarine？〃

〃I　reported　to　that　effect　to　the　Admiralty。　　But　to…day　I　have
been　over　the　drawings　again；　and　I　am　not　so　sure　of　it。　　The
double　valves　with　the　automatic　self…adjusting　slots　are　drawn
in　one　of　the　papers　which　have　been　returned。　　Until　the
foreigners　had　invented　that　for　themselves　they　could　not　make
the　boat。　　Of　course　they　might　soon　get　over　the　difficulty。〃

〃But　the　three　missing　drawings　are　the　most　important？〃

〃Undoubtedly。〃

〃I　think；　with　your　permission；　I　will　now　take　a　stroll　round
the　premises。　　I　do　not　recall　any　other　question　which　I　desired
to　ask。〃

He　examined　the　lock　of　the　safe；　the　door　of　the　room；　and
finally　the　iron　shutters　of　the　window。　　It　was　only　when　we
were　on　the　lawn　outside　that　his　interest　was　strongly　excited。
There　was　a　laurel　bush　outside　the　window；　and　several　of　the
branches　bore　signs　of　having　been　twisted　or　snapped。　　He
examined　them　carefully　with　his　lens；　and　then　some　dim　and
vague　marks　upon　the　earth　beneath。　　Finally　he　asked　the　chief
clerk　to　close　the　iron　shutters；　and　he　pointed　out　to　me　that
they　hardly　met　in　the　centre；　and　that　it　would　be　possible　for
anyone　outside　to　see　what　was　going　on　within　the　room。

〃The　indications　are　ruined　by　three　days'　delay。　　They　may　mean
something　or　nothing。　　Well；　Watson；　I　do　not　think　that　Woolwich
can　help　us　further。　　It　is　a　small　crop　which　we　have　gathered。
Let　us　see　if　we　can　do　better　in　London。〃

Yet　we　added　one　more　sheaf　to　our　harvest　before　we　left
Woolwich　Station。　　The　clerk　in　the　ticket　office　was　able　to　say
with　confidence　that　he　saw　Cadogan　West……whom　he　knew　well　by
sight……upon　the　Monday　night；　and　that　he　went　to　London　by　the
8：15　to　London　Bridge。　　He　was　alone　and　took　a　single　third…
class　ticket。　　The　clerk　was　struck　at　the　time　by　his　excited
and　nervous　manner。　　So　shaky　was　he　that　he　could　hardly　pick　up
his　change；　and　the　clerk　had　helped　him　with　it。　　A　reference　to
the　timetable　showed　that　the　8：15　was　the　first　train　which　it
was　possible　for　West　to　take　after　he　had　left　the　lady　about
7：30。

〃Let　us　reconstruct；　Watson；〃　said　Holmes　after　half　an　hour　of
silence。　　〃I　am　not　aware　that　in　all　our　joint　researches　we
have　ever　had　a　case　which　was　more　difficult　to　get　at。　　Every
fresh　advance　which　we　make　only　reveals　a　fresh　ridge　beyond。
And　yet　we　have　surely　made　some　appreciable　progress。

〃The　effect　of　our　inquiries　at　Woolwich　has　in　the　main　been
against　young　Cadogan　West；　but　the　indications　at　the　window
would　lend　themselves　to　a　more　favourable　hypothesis。　　Let　us
suppose；　for　example；　that　he　had　been　approached　by　some　foreign
agent。　　It　might　have　been　done　under　such　pledges　as　would　have
prevented　him　from　speaking　of　it；　and　yet　would　have　affected
his　thoughts　in　the　direction　indicated　by　his　remarks　to　his
fiancee。　　Very　good。　　We　will　now　suppose　that　as　he　went　to　the
theatre　with　the　young　lady　he　suddenly；　in　the　fog；　caught　a
glimpse　of　this　same　agent　going　in　the　direction　of　the　office。
He　was　an　impetuous　man；　quick　in　his　decisions。　　Everything　gave
way　to　his　duty。　　He　followed　the　man；　reached　the　window；　saw
the　abstraction　of　the　documents；　and　pursued　the　thief。　　In　this
way　we　get　over　the　objection　that　no　one　would　take　originals
when　he　could　make　copies。　　This　outsider　had　to　take　originals。
So　far　it　holds　together。〃

〃What　is　the　next　step？〃

〃Then　we　e　into　difficulties。　　One　would　imagine　that　under
such　circumstances　the　first　act　of　young　Cadogan　West　would　be
to　seize　the　villain　and　raise　the　alarm。　　Why　did　he　not　do　so？
Could　it　have　been　an　official　superior　who　took　the　papers？
That　would　explain　West's　conduct。　　Or　could　the　chief　have　given
West　the　slip　in　the　fog；　and　West　started　at　once　to　London　to
head　him　off　from　his　own　rooms；　presuming　that　he　knew　where　the
rooms　were？　　The　call　must　have　been　very　pressing；　since　he　left
his　girl　standing　in　the　fog　and　made　no　effort　to　municate
with　her。　　Our　scent　runs　cold　here；　and　there　is　a　vast　gap
between　either　hypothesis　and　the　laying　of　West's　body；　with
seven　papers　in　his　pocket；　on　the　roof　of　a　Metropolitan　train。
My　instinct　now　is　to　work　form　the　other　end。　　If　Mycroft　has
given　us　the　list　of　addresses　we　may　be　able　to　pick　our　man　and
follow　two　tracks　instead　of　one。〃

Surely　enough；　a　note　awaited　us　at　Baker　Street。　　A　government
messenger　had　brought　it　post…haste。　　Holmes　glanced　at　it　and
threw　it　over　to　me。

There　are　numerous　small　fry；　but　few　who　would　handle　so　big　an
affair。　　The　only　men　worth　considering　are　Adolph　Mayer；　of　13
Great　George　Street；　Westminster；　Louis　La　Rothiere；　of　Campden
Mansions；　Notting　Hill；　and　Hugo　Oberstein；　13　Caulfield　Gardens；
Kensington。　　The　latter　was　known　to　be　in　town　on　Monday　and　is
now　reported　as　having　left。　　Glad　to　hear　you　have　seen　some
light。　　The　Cabi　awaits　your　final　report　with　the　utmost
anxiety。　　Urgent　representations　have　arrived　from　the　very
highest　quarter。　　The　whole　force　of　the　State　is　at　your　back　if
you　should　need　it。

Mycroft。

〃I'm　afraid；〃　said　Holmes；　smiling；　〃that　all　the　queen's　horses
and　all　the　queen's　men　cannot　avail　in　this　matter。〃　　He　had
spread　out　his　big　map　of　London　and　leaned　eagerly　over　it。
〃Well；　well；〃　said　he　presently　with　an　exclamation　of
satisfaction；　〃things　are　turning　a　little　in　our　direction　at
last。　　Why；　Watson；　I　do　honestly　believe　that　we　are　going　to
pull　it　off；　after　all。〃　　He　slapped　me　on　the　shoulder　with　a
sudden　burst　of　hilarity。　　〃I　am　going　out　now。　　It　is　only　a
reconnaissance。　　I　will　do　nothing　serious　without　my　trusted
rade　and　biographer　at　my　elbow。　　Do　you　stay　here；　and　the
odds　are　that　you　will　see　me　again　in　an　hour　or　two。　　If　time
hangs　heavy　get　foolscap　and　a　pen；　and　begin　your　narrative　of
how　we　saved　the　State。〃

I　felt　some　reflection　of　his　elation　in　my　own　mind；　for　I　knew
well　that　he　would　not　depart　so　far　from　his　usual　austerity　of
demeanour　unless　there　was　good　cause　for　exultation。　　All　the
long　November　evening　I　waited；　filled　with　impatience　for　his
return。　　At　last；　shortly　after　nine　o'clock；　there　arrived　a
messenger　with　a　note：

Am　dining　at　Goldini's　Restaurant；　Gloucester　Road；　Kensington。
Please　e　at　once　and　join　me　there。　　Bring　with　you　a　jemmy；　a
dark　lantern；　a　chisel；　and　a　revolver。

S。H。

It　ent　for　a　respectable　citizen　to　carry
through　the　dim；　fog…draped　streets。　　I　stowed　them　all
discreetly　away　in　my　overcoat　and　drove　straight　to　the　address
given。　　There　sat　my　friend　at　a　little　round　table　near　the　door
of　the　garish　Italian　restaurant。

〃Have　you　had　something　to　eat？　　Then　join　me　in　a　coffee　and
curacao。　　Try　on