the naval treaty-第2章

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


she　has　nursed　him　hand　and　foot　this　two　months　back。　Perhaps　we'd

better　go　in　at　once；　for　I　know　how　impatient　he　is。〃

　　The　chamber　into　which　we　were　shown　was　on　the　same　floor　as　the

drawing…room。　It　was　furnished　partly　as　a　sitting　and　partly　as　a

bedroom；　with　flowers　arranged　daintily　in　every　nook　and　corner。　A

young　man；　very　pale　and　worn　was　lying　upon　a　sofa　near　the　open

window；　through　which　came　the　rich　scent　of　the　garden　and　the

balmy　summer　air。　A　woman　was　sitting　beside　him；　who　rose　as　we

entered。

　　〃Shall　I　leave；　Percy？〃　she　asked。

　　He　clutched　her　hand　to　detain　her。　〃How　are　you；　Watson？'　said　he

cordially。　〃I　should　never　have　known　you　under　that　moustache；　and

I　daresay　you　would　not　be　prepared　to　swear　to　me。　This　I　presume

is　your　celebrated　friend；　Mr。　Sherlock　Holmes？〃

　　I　introduced　him　in　a　few　words；　and　we　both　sat　down。　The　stout

young　man　had　left　us；　but　his　sister　still　remained　with　her　hand

in　that　of　the　invalid。　She　was　a　smug…looking　woman；　a　little　short

and　thick　for　symmetry；　but　with　a　beautiful　olive　complexion；

large；　dark；　Italian　eyes；　and　a　wealth　of　deep　black　hair。　Her　rich

tints　made　the　white　face　of　her　companion　the　more　worn　and　haggard

by　the　contrast。

　　〃I　won't　waste　your　time；〃　said　he；　raising　himself　upon　the　sofa。

〃I'll　plunge　into　the　matter　without　further　preamble。　I　was　a　happy

and　successful　man；　Mr。　Holmes；　and　on　the　eve　of　being　married；

when　a　sudden　and　dreadful　misfortune　wrecked　all　my　prospects　in

life。

　　〃I　was；　as　Watson　may　have　told　you；　in　the　Foreign　Office；　and

through　the　influence　of　my　uncle；　Lord　Holdhurst；　I　rose　rapidly　to　a

responsible　position。　When　my　uncle　became　foreign　minister　in　this

administration　he　gave　me　several　missions　of　trust；　and　as　I　always

brought　them　to　a　successful　conclusion；　he　came　at　last　to　have　the

utmost　confidence　in　my　ability　and　tact。

　　〃Nearly　ten　weeks　ago…to　be　more　accurate；　on　the　twenty…third　of

May…he　called　me　into　his　private　room；　and；　after　complimenting　me　on

the　good　work　which　I　had　done；　he　informed　me　that　he　had　a　new

commission　of　trust　for　me　to　execute。

　　〃'This；'　said　he；　taking　a　gray　roll　of　paper　from　his　bureau；　'is

the　original　of　that　secret　treaty　between　England　and　Italy　of　which；

I　regret　to　say；　some　rumours　have　already　got　into　the　public

press。　It　is　of　enormous　importance　that　nothing　further　should　leak

out。　The　French　or　the　Russian　embassy　would　pay　an　immense　sum　to

learn　the　contents　of　these　papers。　They　should　not　leave　my　bureau

were　it　not　that　it　is　absolutely　necessary　to　have　them　copied。　You

have　a　desk　in　your　office？'

　　〃'Yes；　sir。'

　　〃'Then　take　the　treaty　and　lock　it　up　there。　I　shall　give　directions

that　you　may　remain　behind　when　the　others　go；　so　that　you　may　copy　it

at　your　leisure　without　fear　of　being　overlooked。　When　you　have

finished；　relock　both　the　original　and　the　draft　in　the　desk；　and　hand

them　over　to　me　personally　to…morrow　morning。'

　　〃'I　took　the　papers　and…'

　　〃Excuse　me　an　instant；〃　said　Holmes。　〃Were　you　alone　during　this

conversation？〃

　　〃Absolutely。〃

　　〃'In　a　large　room？〃

　　〃Thirty　feet　each　way。〃

　　〃In　the　centre？〃

　　〃Yes；　about　it。〃

　　〃And　speaking　low？〃

　　〃My　uncle's　voice　is　always　remarkably　low。　I　hardly　spoke　at　all。〃

　　〃Thank　you；〃　said　Holmes；　shutting　his　eyes；　〃pray　go　on。〃

　　〃I　did　exactly　what　he　indicated　and　waited　until　the　other　clerks

had　departed。　One　of　them　in　my　room；　Charles　Gorot；　had　some

arrears　of　work　to　make　up；　so　I　left　him　there　and　went　out　to

dine。　When　I　returned　he　was　gone。　I　was　anxious　to　hurry　my　work；　for

I　knew　that　Joseph…the　Mr。　Harrison　whom　you　saw　just　now…was　in　town；

and　that　he　would　travel　down　to　Woking　by　the　eleven…o'clock　train；

and　I　wanted　if　possible　to　catch　it。

　　〃When　I　came　to　examine　the　treaty　I　saw　at　once　that　it　was　of　such

importance　that　my　uncle　had　been　guilty　of　no　exaggeration　in　what　he

said。　Without　going　into　details；　I　may　say　that　it　defined　the

position　of　Great　Britain　towards　the　Triple　Alliance；　and

foreshadowed　the　policy　which　this　country　would　pursue　in　the　event

of　the　French　fleet　gaining　a　complete　ascendency　over　that　of　Italy

in　the　Mediterranean。　The　questions　treated　in　it　were　purely　naval。

At　the　end　were　the　signatures　of　the　high　dignitaries　who　had

signed　it。　I　glanced　my　eyes　over　it；　and　then　settled　down　to　my　task

of　copying。

　　〃It　was　a　long　document；　written　in　the　French　language；　and

containing　twenty　six　separate　articles。　I　copied　as　quickly　as　I

could；　but　at　nine　o'clock　I　had　only　done　nine　articles；　and　it

seemed　hopeless　for　me　to　attempt　to　catch　my　train。　I　was　feeling

drowsy　and　stupid；　partly　from　my　dinner　and　also　from　the　effects

of　a　long　day's　work。　A　cup　of　coffee　would　clear　my　brain。　A

commissionaire　remains　all　night　in　a　little　lodge　at　the　foot　of

the　stairs　and　is　in　the　habit　of　making　coffee　at　his　spirit…lamp　for

any　of　the　officials　who　may　be　working　overtime。　I　rang　the　bell；

therefore；　to　summon　him。

　　〃To　my　surprise；　it　was　a　woman　who　answered　the　summons；　a　large；

coarse　faced；　elderly　woman；　in　an　apron。　She　explained　that　she　was

the　commissionaire's　wife；　who　did　the　charing；　and　I　gave　her　the

order　for　the　coffee。

　　〃I　wrote　two　more　articles；　and　then；　feeling　more　drowsy　than　ever；

I　rose　and　walked　up　and　down　the　room　to　stretch　my　legs。　My　coffee

had　not　yet　come；　and　I　wondered　what　the　cause　of　the　delay　could　be。

Opening　the　door；　I　started　down　the　corridor　to　find　out。　There　was　a

straight　passage；　dimly　lighted；　which　led　from　the　room　in　which　I

had　been　working；　and　was　the　only　exit　from　it。　It　ended　in　a　curving

staircase；　with　the　commissionaire's　lodge　in　the　passage　at　the

bottom。　Halfway　down　this　staircase　is　a　small　landing；　with　another

passage　running　into　it　at　right　angles。　This　second　one　leads　by

means　of　a　second　small　stair　to　a　side　door；　used　by　servants；　and

also　as　a　short　cut　by　clerks　when　coming　from　Charles　Street。　Here　is

a　rough　chart　of　the　place。〃　（See　illustration。）

　　〃Thank　you。　I　think　that　I　quite　follow　you；〃　said　Sherlock　Holmes。

　　〃It　is　of　the　utmost　importance　that　you　should　notice　this　point。　I

went　down　the　stairs　and　into　the　hall；　where　I　found　the

commissionaire　fast　asleep　in　his　box；　with　the　kettle　boiling

furiously　upon　the　spirit…lamp。　I　took　off　the　kettle　and　blew　out　the

lamp；　for　the　water　was　spurting　over　the　floor。　Then　I　put　out　my

hand　and　was　about　to　shake　the　man；　who　was　still　sleeping　soundly；

when　a　bell　over　his　head　rang　loudly；　and　he　woke　with　a　start。

　　〃'Mr。　Phelps；　sir！'　said　he；　looking　at　me　in　bewilderment。

　　〃'I　came　down　to　see　if　my　coffee　was　ready。'

　　〃'I　was　boiling　the　kettle　when　I　fell　asleep；　sir。'　He　looked　at　me

and　then　up　at　the　still　quivering　bell　with　an　ever…growing

astonishment　upon　his　face。

　　〃'If　you　was　here；　sir；　then　who　rang　the　bell？'　he　asked。

　　〃'The　bell！'　I　cried。　'What　bell　is　it？'

　　〃'It's　the　bell　of　the　room　you　were　working　in。'

　　〃A　cold　hand　seemed　to　close　round　my　heart。　Someone；　then；　was　in

that　room　where　my　precious　treaty　lay　upon　the　table。　I　ran

frantically　up　the　stair　and　along　the　passage。　There　was　no　one　in

the　corridors；　Mr。　Holmes。　There　was　no　one　in　the　room。　All　was

exactly　as　I　left　it；　save　only　that　the　papers　which　had　been

committed　to　my　care　had　been　taken　from　the　desk　on　which　they　lay。

The　copy　was　there；　and　the　original　was　gone。〃

　　Holmes　sat　up　in　his　chair　and　rubbed　his　hands。　I　could　see　that

the　problem　was　entirely　to　his　heart。　〃Pray；　what　did　you　do　then？〃

he　murmured。

　　〃I　recognized　in　an　instant　that　the　thief　must　have　come　up　the

stairs　from　the　side　door。　Of　course　I　must　have　met　him　if　he　had

come　the　other　way。〃

　　〃You　were　satisfied　that　he　could　not　have　been　concealed　in　the

room　all　the　time；　or　in　the　corridor　which　you　have　just　described

as　dimly　lighted？〃

　　〃It　is　absolutely　impossible。　A　rat　could　not　conceal　himself　either

in　the　room　or