布鲁斯-帕廷顿计划-the bruce-partington plans-第8章

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He　said　that　three　of　them　were　essential；　and　that　he　must　keep　them。　　'You　cannot　keep　them；'　said　I。　
　'There　will　be　a　dreadful　row　at　Woolwich　if　they　are　not　returned。'　
　'I　must　keep　them；'　said　he；　'for　they　are　so　technical　that　it　is　impossible　in　the　time　to　make　copies。'
'Then　they　must　all　go　back　together　to…night；'　said　I。　　He　thought　for　a　little；　and　then　he　cried　out　that　he　had　it。
'Three　I　will　keep；'　said　he。　　'The　others　we　will　stuff　into　the　pocket　of　this　young　man。　　When　he　is　found　the　whole　business　will　assuredly　be　put　to　his　account。'　　I　could　see　no　other　way　out　of　it；　so　we　did　as　he　suggested。　　We　waited　half　an　hour　at　the　window　before　a　train　stopped。　　It　was　so　thick　that　nothing　could　be　seen；　and　we　had　no　difficulty　in　lowering　West's　body　on　to　the　train。　　That　was　the　end　of　the　matter　so　far　as　I　was　concerned。〃

〃And　your　brother？〃

〃He　said　nothing；　but　he　had　caught　me　once　with　his　keys；　and　I　think　that　he　suspected。　　I　read　in　his　eyes　that　he　suspected。　As　you　know；　he　never　held　up　his　head　again。〃

There　was　silence　in　the　room。　　It　was　broken　by　Mycroft　Holmes。

〃Can　you　not　make　reparation？　　It　would　ease　your　conscience；　and　possibly　your　punishment。〃

〃What　reparation　can　I　make？〃

〃Where　is　Oberstein　with　the　papers？〃

〃I　do　not　know。〃

〃Did　he　give　you　no　address？〃

〃He　said　that　letters　to　the　Hotel　du　Louvre；　Paris；　would　eventually　reach　him。〃

〃Then　reparation　is　still　within　your　power；〃　said　Sherlock　Holmes。

〃I　will　do　anything　I　can。　　I　owe　this　fellow　no　particular　good…will。　　He　has　been　my　ruin　and　my　downfall。〃

〃Here　are　paper　and　pen。　　Sit　at　this　desk　and　write　to　my　dictation。　　Direct　the　envelope　to　the　address　given。　　That　is　right。　　Now　the　letter：

〃Dear　Sir：

〃With　regard　to　our　transaction；　you　will　no　doubt　have　observed　by　now　that　one　essential　detail　is　missing。　　
I　have　a　tracing　which　will　make　it　plete。　　
This　has　involved　me　in　extra　trouble；　however；　and　I　must　ask　you　for　a　further　advance　of　five　hundred　pounds。　
　I　will　not　trust　it　to　the　post；　nor　will　I　take　anything　but　gold　or　notes。　　
I　would　e　to　you　abroad；　but　it　would　excite　remark　if　I　left　the　country　at　present。
Therefore　I　shall　expect　to　meet　you　in　the　smoking…room　of　the　Charing　Cross　Hotel　at　noon　on　Saturday。　　Remember　that　only　English　notes；　or　gold；　will　be　taken。

〃That　will　do　very　well。　　I　shall　be　very　much　surprised　if　it　does　not　fetch　our　man。〃

And　it　did！　　It　is　a　matter　of　history……that　secret　history　of　a　nation　which　is　often　so　much　more　intimate　and　interesting　than　its　public　chronicles……that　Oberstein；　eager　to　plete　the　coup　of　his　lifetime；　came　to　the　lure　and　was　safely　engulfed　for　fifteen　years　in　a　British　prison。　　
In　his　trunk　were　found　the　invaluable　Bruce…Partington　plans；　which　he　had　put　up　for　auction　in　all　the　naval　centres　of　Europe。

Colonel　Walter　died　in　prison　towards　the　end　of　the　second　year　of　his　sentence。　　
As　to　Holmes；　he　returned　refreshed　to　his　monograph　upon　the　Polyphonic　Motets　of　Lassus；　which　has　since　been　printed　for　private　circulation；　and　is　said　by　experts　to　be　the　last　word　upon　the　subject。　　

Some　weeks　afterwards　I　learned　incidentally　that　my　friend　spent　a　day　at　Windsor；whence　be　returned　with　a　remarkably　fine　emerald　tie…pin。　　
When　I　asked　him　if　he　had　bought　it；　he　answered　that　it　was　a　present　from　a　certain　gracious　lady　in　whose　interests　he　had　once　been　fortunate　enough　to　carry　out　a　small　mission。　　
He　said　no　more；　but　I　fancy　that　I　could　guess　at　that　lady's　august　name；　and　I　have　little　doubt　that　the　emerald　pin　will　forever　recall　to　my　friend's　memory　the　adventure　of　the　Bruce…Partington　plans。





End　of　Project　Gutenberg　Etext　Adventure　of　the　Bruce…Partington　Plans
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