the naval treaty-第9章

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into　my　arms　as　I　stood　waiting　for　him　outside　the　window。

　　〃Well；　he　has　rather　more　viciousness　than　I　gave　him　credit　for；

has　Master　Joseph。　He　flew　at　me　with　his　knife；　and　I　had　to　grasp

him　twice；　and　got　a　cut　over　the　knuckles；　before　I　had　the　upper

hand　of　him。　He　looked　murder　out　of　the　only　eye　he　could　see　with

when　we　had　finished；　but　he　listened　to　reason　and　gave　up　the

papers。　Having　got　them　I　let　my　man　go；　but　I　wired　full

particulars　to　Forbes　this　morning。　If　he　is　quick　enough　to　catch　his

bird；　well　and　good。　But　if；　as　I　shrewdly　suspect；　he　finds　the

nest　empty　before　he　gets　there；　why；　all　the　better　for　the

government。　I　fancy　that　Lord　Holdhurst；　for　one；　and　Mr。　Percy　Phelps

for　another；　would　very　much　rather　that　the　affair　never　got　as　far

as　a　police…court。〃

　　〃My　God！〃　gasped　our　client。　〃Do　you　tell　me　that　during　these

long　ten　weeks　of　agony　the　stolen　papers　were　within　the　very　room

with　me　all　the　time？〃

　　〃So　it　was。〃

　　〃And　Joseph！　Joseph　a　villain　and　a　thief！〃

　　〃Hum！　I　am　afraid　Joseph's　character　is　a　rather　deeper　and　more

dangerous　one　than　one　might　judge　from　his　appearance。　From　what　I

have　heard　from　him　this　morning；　I　gather　that　he　has　lost　heavily　in

dabbling　with　stocks；　and　that　he　is　ready　to　do　anything　on　earth

to　better　his　fortunes。　Being　an　absolutely　selfish　man；　when　a　chance

presents　itself　he　did　not　allow　either　his　sister's　happiness　or　your

reputation　to　hold　his　hand。〃

　　Percy　Phelps　sank　back　in　his　chair。　〃My　head　whirls；〃　said　he。

〃Your　words　have　dazed　me。〃

　　〃The　principal　difficulty　in　your　case；〃　remarked　Holmes　in　his

didactic　fashion；　〃lay　in　the　fact　of　there　being　too　much　evidence。

What　was　vital　was　overlaid　and　hidden　by　what　was　irrelevant。　Of

all　the　facts　which　were　presented　to　us　we　had　to　pick　just　those

which　we　deemed　to　be　essential；　and　then　piece　them　together　in　their

order；　so　as　to　reconstruct　this　very　remarkable　chain　of　events。　I

had　already　begun　to　suspect　Joseph　from　the　fact　that　you　had

intended　to　travel　home　with　him　that　night；　and　that　therefore　it　was

a　likely　enough　thing　that　he　should　call　for　you；　knowing　the　Foreign

Office　well；　upon　his　way。　When　I　heard　that　someone　had　been　so

anxious　to　get　into　the　bedroom；　in　which　no　one　but　Joseph　could　have

concealed　anything…you　told　us　in　your　narrative　how　you　had　turned

Joseph　out　when　you　arrived　with　the　doctor…my　suspicions　all

changed　to　certainties；　especially　as　the　attempt　was　made　on　the

first　night　upon　which　the　nurse　was　absent；　showing　that　the　intruder

was　well　acquainted　with　the　ways　of　the　house。〃

　　〃How　blind　I　have　been！〃

　　〃The　facts　of　the　case；　as　far　as　I　have　worked　them　out；　are　these：

This　Joseph　Harrison　entered　the　office　through　the　Charles　Street

door；　and　knowing　his　way　he　walked　straight　into　your　room　the

instant　after　you　left　it。　Finding　no　one　there　he　promptly　rang　the

bell；　and　at　the　instant　that　he　did　so　his　eyes　caught　the　paper　upon

the　table。　A　glance　showed　him　that　chance　had　put　in　his　way　a

State　document　of　immense　value；　and　in　an　instant　he　had　thrust　it

into　his　pocket　and　was　gone。　A　few　minutes　elapsed；　as　you

remember；　before　the　sleepy　commissionaire　drew　your　attention　to

the　bell；　and　those　were　just　enough　to　give　the　thief　time　to　make

his　escape。

　　〃He　made　his　way　to　Woking　by　the　first　train；　and；　having

examined　his　booty　and　assured　himself　that　it　really　was　of　immense

value；　he　had　concealed　it　in　what　he　thought　was　a　very　safe　place；

with　the　intention　of　taking　it　out　again　in　a　day　or　two；　and

carrying　it　to　the　French　embassy；　or　wherever　he　thought　that　a

long　price　was　to　be　had。　Then　came　your　sudden　return。　He；　without

a　moment's　warning；　was　bundled　out　of　his　room；　and　from　that　time

onward　there　were　always　at　least　two　of　you　there　to　prevent　him　from

regaining　his　treasure。　The　situation　to　him　must　have　been　a

maddening　one。　But　at　last　he　thought　he　saw　his　chance。　He　tried　to

steal　in；　but　was　baffled　by　your　wakefulness。　You　may　remember　that

you　did　not　take　your　usual　draught　that　night。〃

　　〃I　remember。〃

　　〃I　fancy　that　he　had　taken　steps　to　make　that　draught　efficacious；

and　that　he　quite　relied　upon　your　being　unconscious。　Of　course；　I

understood　that　he　would　repeat　the　attempt　whenever　it　could　be

done　with　safety。　Your　leaving　the　room　gave　him　the　chance　he　wanted。

I　kept　Miss　Harrison　in　it　all　day　so　that　he　might　not　anticipate　us。

Then；　having　given　him　the　idea　that　the　coast　was　clear；　I　kept　guard

as　I　have　described。　I　already　knew　that　the　papers　were　probably　in

the　room；　but　I　had　no　desire　to　rip　up　all　the　planking　and

skirting　in　search　of　them。　I　let　him　take　them；　therefore；　from　the

hiding…place；　and　so　saved　myself　an　infinity　of　trouble。　Is　there　any

other　point　which　I　can　make　clear？〃

　　〃Why　did　he　try　the　window　on　the　first　occasion；〃　I　asked；　〃when　he

might　have　entered　by　the　door？〃

　　〃In　reaching　the　door　he　would　have　to　pass　seven　bedrooms。　On　the

other　hand；　he　could　get　out　on　to　the　lawn　with　case。　Anything　else？〃

　　〃You　do　not　think；〃　asked　Phelps；　〃that　he　had　any　murderous

intention？　The　knife　was　only　meant　as　a　tool。〃

　　〃It　may　be　so；〃　answered　Holmes；　shrugging　his　shoulders。　〃I　can

only　say　for　certain　that　Mr。　Joseph　Harrison　is　a　gentleman　to

whose　mercy　I　should　be　extremely　unwilling　to　trust。〃

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　THE　END

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