the queen of hearts-第56章

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maid…of…all…work。

Three　days　and　nights　of　exertion　on　his　own　part；　and　on　that　of
others　who　were　competent　to　assist　his　investigations；　were
enough　to　satisfy　him　that　there　was　no　sound　cause　for　suspicion
against　the　girl。

He　next　practiced　the　same　precaution　in　relation　to　the　shopman。
There　was　more　difficulty　and　uncertainty　in　privately　clearing
up　this　person's　character　without　his　knowledge；　but　the
obstacles　were　at　last　smoothed　away　with　tolerable　success；　and；
though　there　is　not　the　same　amount　of　certainty　in　this　case
which　there　was　in　the　case　of　the　girl；　there　is　still　fair
reason　for　supposing　that　the　shopman　has　had　nothing　to　do　with
the　robbery　of　the　cash…box。

As　a　necessary　consequence　of　these　proceedings；　the　range　of
suspicion　now　becomes　limited　to　the　lodger；　Mr。　Jay。

When　I　presented　your　letter　of　introduction　to　Sergeant　Bulmer；
he　had　already　made　some　inquiries　on　the　subject　of　this　young
man。　The　result；　so　far；　has　not　been　at　all　favorable。　Mr。　Jay's
habits　are　irregular；　he　frequents　public　houses；　and　seems　to　be
familiarly　acquainted　with　a　great　many　dissolute　characters；　he
is　in　debt　to　most　of　the　tradespeople　whom　he　employs；　he　has
not　paid　his　rent　to　Mr。　Yatman　for　the　last　month；　yesterday
evening　he　came　home　excited　by　liquor；　and　last　week　he　was　seen
talking　to　a　prize…fighter；　in　short；　though　Mr。　Jay　does　call
himself　a　journalist；　in　virtue　of　his　penny…a…line　contributions
to　the　newspapers；　he　is　a　young　man　of　low　tastes；　vulgar
manners；　and　bad　habits。　Nothing　has　yet　been　discovered　in
relation　to　him　which　redounds　to　his　credit　in　the　smallest
degree。

I　have　now　reported；　down　to　the　very　last　details；　all　the
particulars　communicated　to　me　by　Sergeant　Bulmer。　I　believe　you
will　not　find　an　omission　anywhere；　and　I　think　you　will　admit；
though　you　are　prejudiced　against　me；　that　a　clearer　statement　of
facts　was　never　laid　before　you　than　the　statement　I　have　now
made。　My　next　duty　is　to　tell　you　what　I　propose　to　do　now　that
the　case　is　confided　to　my　hands。

In　the　first　place；　it　is　clearly　my　business　to　take　up　the　case
at　the　point　where　Sergeant　Bulmer　has　left　it。　On　his　authority；
I　am　justified　in　assuming　that　I　have　no　need　to　trouble　myself
about　the　maid…of…all…work　and　the　shopman。　Their　characters　are
now　to　be　considered　as　cleared　up。　What　remains　to　be　privately
investigated　is　the　question　of　the　guilt　or　innocence　of　Mr。
Jay。　Before　we　give　up　the　notes　for　lost；　we　must　make　sure；　if
we　can；　that　he　knows　nothing　about　them。

This　is　the　plan　that　I　have　adopted；　with　the　full　approval　of
Mr。　and　Mrs。　Yatman；　for　discovering　whether　Mr。　Jay　is　or　is　not
the　person　who　has　stolen　the　cash…box：

I　propose　to…day　to　present　myself　at　the　house　in　the　character
of　a　young　man　who　is　looking　for　lodgings。　The　back　room　on　the
second　floor　will　be　shown　to　me　as　the　room　to　let；　and　I　shall
establish　myself　there　to…night　as　a　person　from　the　country　who
has　come　to　London　to　look　for　a　situation　in　a　respectable　shop
or　office。

By　this　means　I　shall　be　living　next　to　the　room　occupied　by　Mr。
Jay。　The　partition　between　us　is　mere　lath　and　plaster。　I　shall
make　a　small　hole　in　it；　near　the　cornice；　through　which　I　can
see　what　Mr。　Jay　does　in　his　room；　and　hear　every　word　that　is
said　when　any　friend　happens　to　call　on　him。　Whenever　he　is　at
home；　I　shall　be　at　my　post　of　observation；　whenever　he　goes　out；
I　shall　be　after　him。　By　employing　these　means　of　watching　him；　I
believe　I　may　look　forward　to　the　discovery　of　his　secretif　he
knows　anything　about　the　lost　bank…notesas　to　a　dead　certainty。

What　you　may　think　of　my　plan　of　observation　I　cannot　undertake
to　say。　It　appears　to　me　to　unite　the　invaluable　merits　of
boldness　and　simplicity。　Fortified　by　this　conviction；　I　close
the　present　communication　with　feelings　of　the　most　sanguine
description　in　regard　to　the　future；　and　remain　your　obedient
servant；

MATTHEW　SHARPIN。


FROM　THE　SAME　TO　THE　SAME。

7th　July。

SIRAs　you　have　not　honored　me　with　any　answer　to　my　last
communication；　I　assume　that；　in　spite　of　your　prejudices　against
me；　it　has　produced　the　favorable　impression　on　your　mind　which　I
ventured　to　anticipate。　Gratified　and　encouraged　beyond　measure
by　the　token　of　approval　which　your　eloquent　silence　conveys　to
me；　I　proceed　to　report　the　progress　that　has　been　made　in　the
course　of　the　last　twenty…four　hours。

I　am　now　comfortably　established　next　door　to　Mr。　Jay；　and　I　am
delighted　to　say　that　I　have　two　holes　in　the　partition　instead
of　one。　My　natural　sense　of　humor　has　led　me　into　the　pardonable
extravagance　of　giving　them　both　appropriate　names。　One　I　call　my
peep…hole；　and　the　other　my　pipe…hole。　The　name　of　the　first
explains　itself；　the　name　of　the　second　refers　to　a　small　tin
pipe　or　tube　inserted　in　the　hole；　and　twisted　so　that　the　mouth
of　it　comes　close　to　my　ear　while　I　am　standing　at　my　post　of
observation。　Thus；　while　I　am　looking　at　Mr。　Jay　through　my
peep…hole；　I　can　hear　every　word　that　may　be　spoken　in　his　room
through　my　pipe…hole。

Perfect　candora　virtue　which　I　have　possessed　from　my
childhoodcompels　me　to　acknowledge；　before　I　go　any　further；
that　the　ingenious　notion　of　adding　a　pipe…hole　to　my　proposed
peep…hole　originated　with　Mrs。　Yatman。　This　ladya　most
intelligent　and　accomplished　person；　simple；　and　yet
distinguished　in　her　manners；　has　entered　into　all　my　little
plans　with　an　enthusiasm　and　intelligence　which　I　cannot　too
highly　praise。　Mr。　Yatman　is　so　cast　down　by　his　loss　that　he　is
quite　incapable　of　affording　me　any　assistance。　Mrs。　Yatman；　who
is　evidently　most　tenderly　attached　to　him；　feels　her　husband's
sad　condition　of　mind　even　more　acutely　than　she　feels　the　loss
of　the　money；　and　is　mainly　stimulated　to　exertion　by　her　desire
to　assist　in　raising　him　from　the　miserable　state　of　prostration
into　which　he　has　now　fallen。

〃The　money；　Mr。　Sharpin；〃　she　said　to　me　yesterday　evening；　with
tears　in　her　eyes；　〃the　money　may　be　regained　by　rigid　economy
and　strict　attention　to　business。　It　is　my　husband's　wretched
state　of　mind　that　makes　me　so　anxious　for　the　discovery　of　the
thief。　I　may　be　wrong；　but　I　felt　hopeful　of　success　as　soon　as
you　entered　the　house；　and　I　believe　that；　if　the　wretch　who
robbed　us　is　to　be　found；　you　are　the　man　to　discover　him。〃　I
accepted　this　gratifying　compliment　in　the　spirit　in　which　it　was
offered；　firmly　believing　that　I　shall　be　found；　sooner　or　later；
to　have　thoroughly　deserved　it。

Let　me　now　return　to　businessthat　is　to　say；　to　my　peep…hole
and　my　pipe…hole。

I　have　enjoyed　some　hours　of　calm　observation　of　Mr。　Jay。　Though
rarely　at　home；　as　I　understand　from　Mrs。　Yatman；　on　ordinary
occasions；　he　has　been　indoors　the　whole　of　this　day。　That　is
suspicious；　to　begin　with。　I　have　to　report；　further；　that　he
rose　at　a　late　hour　this　morning　（always　a　bad　sign　in　a　young
man）；　and　that　he　lost　a　great　deal　of　time；　after　he　was　up；　in
yawning　and　complaining　to　himself　of　headache。　Like　other
debauched　characters；　he　ate　little　or　nothing　for　breakfast。　His
next　proceeding　was　to　smoke　a　pipea　dirty　clay　pipe；　which　a
gentleman　would　have　been　ashamed　to　put　between　his　lips。　When
he　had　done　smoking　he　took　out　pen；　ink　and　paper；　and　sat　down
to　write　with　a　groanwhether　of　remorse　for　having　taken　the
bank…notes；　or　of　disgust　at　the　task　before　him；　I　am　unable　to
say。　After　writing　a　few　lines　（too　far　away　from　my　peep…hole　to
give　me　a　chance　of　reading　over　his　shoulder）；　he　leaned　back　in
his　chair；　and　amused　himself　by　humming　the　tunes　of　popular
songs。　I　recognized　〃My　Mary　Anne；〃　〃Bobbin'　Around；〃　and　〃Old
Dog　Tray；〃　among　other　melodies。　Whether　these　do　or　do　not
represent　secret　signals　by　which　he　communicates
　with　his　accomplices　remains　to　be　seen。　After　he　had　amused
himself　for　some　time　by　humming；　he　got　up　and　began　to　walk
about　the　room；　occasionally　stopping　to　add　a　sentence　to　the
paper　on　his　desk。　Before　long　he　went　to　a　locked　cupboard　and
opened　it。　I　strained　my　eyes　eagerly；　in　expectation　of　making　a
discovery