the adventure of the dying detective-第3章

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penetrating　voice。

　　〃Who　is　this　person？　What　does　he　want？　Dear　me；　Staples；　how

often　have　I　said　that　I　am；　not　to　be　disturbed　in　my　hours　of

study？〃

　　There　came　a　gentle　flow　of　soothing　explanation　from　the　butler。

　　〃Well；　I　won't　see　him；　Staples。　I　can't　have　my　work　interrupted

like　this。　I　am　not　at　home。　Say　so。　tell　him　to　come　in　the　morning

if　he　really　must　see　me。〃

　　Again　the　gentle　murmur。

　　〃Well；　well；　give　him　that　message。　He　can　come　in　the　morning；　or

he　can　stay　away。　My　work　must　not　be　hindered。〃

　　I　thought　of　Holmes　tossing　upon　his　bed　of　sickness　and　counting

the　minutes；　perhaps；　until　I　could　bring　help　to　him。　It　was　not　a

time　to　stand　upon　ceremony。　His　life　depended　upon　my　promptness。

Before　the　apologetic　butler　had　delivered　his　message　I　had　pushed

past　him　and　was　in　the　room。

　　With　a　shrill　cry　of　anger　a　man　rose　from　a　reclining　chair

beside　the　fire。　I　saw　a　great　yellow　face；　coarse…grained　and　greasy；

with　heavy；　double…chin；　and　two　sullen；　menacing　gray　eyes　which

glared　at　me　from　under　tufted　and　sandy　brows。　A　high　bald　head　had　a

small　velvet　smoking…cap　poised　coquettishly　upon　one　side　of　its　pink

curve。　The　skull　was　of　enormous　capacity；　and　yet　as　I　looked　down

I　saw　to　my　amazement　that　the　figure　of　the　man　was　small　and

frail；　twisted　in　the　shoulders　and　back　like　one　who　has　suffered

from　rickets　in　his　childhood。

　　〃What's　this？〃　he　cried　in　a　high；　screaming　voice。　〃What　is　the

meaning　of　this　intrusion？　Didn't　I　send　you　word　that　I　would　see　you

to…morrow　morning？〃

　　〃I　am　sorry；〃　said　I；　〃but　the　matter　cannot　be　delayed。　Mr。

Sherlock　Holmes…〃

　　The　mention　of　my　friend's　name　had　an　extraordinary　effect　upon　the

little　man。　The　look　of　anger　passed　in　an　instant　from　his　face。

His　features　became　tense　and　alert。

　　〃Have　you　come　from　Holmes？〃　he　asked。

　　〃I　have　just　left　him。〃

　　〃What　about　Holmes？　How　is　he？〃

　　〃He　is　desperately　ill。　That　is　why　I　have　come。〃

　　The　man　motioned　me　to　a　chair；　and　turned　to　resume　his　own。　As

he　did　so　I　caught　a　glimpse　of　his　face　in　the　mirror　over　the

mantelpiece。　I　could　have　sworn　that　it　was　set　in　a　malicious　and

abominable　smile。　Yet　I　persuaded　myself　that　it　must　have　been　some

nervous　contraction　which　I　had　surprised；　for　he　turned　to　me　an

instant　later　with　genuine　concern　upon　his　features。

　　〃I　am　sorry　to　hear　this；〃　said　he。　〃I　only　know　Mr。　Holmes

through　some　business　dealings　which　we　have　had；　but　I　have　every

respect　for　his　talents　and　his　character。　He　is　an　amateur　of

crime；　as　I　am　of　disease。　For　him　the　villain；　for　me　the　microbe。

There　are　my　prisons；〃　he　continued；　pointing　to　a　row　of　bottles

and　jars　which　stood　upon　a　side　table。　〃Among　those　gelatine

cultivations　some　of　the　very　worst　offenders　in　the　world　are　now

doing　time。〃

　　〃It　was　on　account　of　your　special　knowledge　that　Mr。　Holmes　desired

to　see　you。　He　has　a　high　opinion　of　you　and　thought　that　you　were　the

one　man　in　London　who　could　help　him。〃

　　The　little　man　started；　and　the　jaunty　smoking…cap　slid　to　the

floor。

　　〃Why？〃　he　asked。　〃Why　should　Mr。　Holmes　think　that　I　could　help

him　in　his　trouble？〃

　　〃Because　of　your　knowledge　of　Eastern　diseases。〃

　　〃But　why　should　he　think　that　this　disease　which　he　has　contracted

is　Eastern？〃

　　〃Because；　in　some　professional　inquiry；　he　has　been　working　among

Chinese　sailors　down　in　the　docks。〃

　　Mr。　Culverton　Smith　smiled　pleasantly　and　picked　up　his　smoking…cap。

　　〃Oh；　that's　it…　is　it？〃　said　he。　〃I　trust　the　matter　is　not　so　grave

as　you　suppose。　How　long　has　he　been　ill？〃

　　〃About　three　days。〃

　　〃Is　he　delirious？〃

　　〃Occasionally。〃

　　〃Tut；　tut！　This　sounds　serious。　It　would　be　inhuman　not　to　answer

his　call。　I　very　much　resent　any　interruption　to　my　work；　Dr。

Watson；　but　this　case　is　certainly　exceptional。　I　will　come　with　you

at　once。〃

　　I　remembered　Holmes's　injunction。

　　〃I　have　another　appointment；〃　said　I。

　　〃Very　good。　I　will　go　alone。　I　have　a　note　of　Mr。　Holmes's

address。　You　can　rely　upon　my　being　there　within　half　an　hour　at

most。〃

　　It　was　with　a　sinking　heart　that　I　reentered　Holmes's　bedroom。　For

all　that　I　knew　the　worst　might　have　happened　in　my　absence。　To　my

enormous　relief；　he　had　improved　greatly　in　the　interval。　His

appearance　was　as　ghastly　as　ever；　but　all　trace　of　delirium　had

left　him　and　he　spoke　in　a　feeble　voice；　it　is　true；　but　with　even

more　than　his　usual　crispness　and　lucidity。

　　〃Well；　did　you　see　him；　Watson？〃

　　〃Yes；　he　is　coming。〃

　　〃Admirable；　Watson！　Admirable！　You　are　the　best　of　messengers。〃

　　〃He　wished　to　return　with　me。〃

　　〃That　would　never　do；　Watson。　That　would　be　obviously　impossible。

Did　he　ask　what　ailed　me？〃

　　〃I　told　him　about　the　Chinese　in　the　East　End。〃

　　〃Exactly！　Well；　Watson；　you　have　done　all　that　a　good　friend

could。　You　can　now　disappear　from　the　scene。〃

　　〃I　must　wait　and　hear　his　opinion；　Holmes。〃

　　〃Of　course　you　must。　But　I　have　reasons　to　suppose　that　this　opinion

would　be　very　much　more　frank　and　valuable　if　he　imagines　that　we

are　alone。　There　is　just　room　behind　the　head　of　my　bed；　Watson。〃

　　〃My　dear　Holmes！〃

　　〃I　fear　there　is　no　alternative；　Watson。　The　room　does　not　lend

itself　to　concealment；　which　is　as　well；　as　it　is　the　less　likely　to

arouse　suspicion。　But　just　there；　Watson；　I　fancy　that　it　could　be

done。〃　Suddenly　he　sat　up　with　a　rigid　intentness　upon　his　haggard

face。　〃There　are　the　wheels；　Watson。　Quick；　man；　if　you　love　me！　And

don't　budge；　whatever　happens…　whatever　happens；　do　you　hear？　Don't

speak！　Don't　move！　Just　listen　with　all　your　ears。〃　Then　in　an　instant

his　sudden　access　of　strength　departed；　and　his　masterful；

purposeful　talk　droned　away　into　the　low；　vague　murmurings　of　a

semi…delirious　man。

　　From　the　hiding…place　into　which　I　had　been　so　swiftly　hustled　I

heard　the　footfalls　upon　the　stair；　with　the　opening　and　the　closing

of　the　bedroom　door。　〃Then；　to　my　surprise；　there　came　a　long　silence；

broken　only　by　the　heavy　breathings　and　gaspings　of　the　sick　man。　I

could　imagine　that　our　visitor　was　standing　by　the　bedside　and　looking

down　at　the　sufferer。　At　last　that　strange　hush　was　broken。

　　〃Holmes！〃　he　cried。　〃Holmes！〃　in　the　insistent　tone　of　one　who

awakens　a　sleeper。　〃Can't　you　hear　me；　Holmes？〃　There　was　a

rustling；　as　if　he　had　shaken　the　sick　man　roughly　by　the　shoulder。

　　〃Is　that　you；　Mr。　Smith？〃　Holmes　whispered。　〃I　hardly　dared　hope

that　you　would　come。〃

　　The　other　laughed。

　　〃I　should　imagine　not；〃　he　said。　〃And　yet；　you　see；　I　am　here。　Coals

of　fire；　Holmes…　coals　of　fire！〃

　　〃It　is　very　good　of　you…　very　noble　of　you。　I　appreciate　your

special　knowledge。〃

　　Our　visitor　sniggered；　〃You　do。　You　are；　fortunately；　the　only　man

in　London　who　does。　Do　you　know　what　is　the　matter　with　you？〃

　　〃The　same；〃　said　Holmes。

　　〃Ah！　You　recognize　the　symptoms？〃

　　〃Only　too　well。〃

　　〃Well；　I　shouldn't　be　surprised；　Holmes。　I　shouldn't　be　surprised　if

it　were　the　same。　A　bad　lookout　for　you　if　it　is。　Poor　Victor　was　a

dead　man　on　the　fourth　day…　a　strong；　hearty　young　fellow。　It　was

certainly；　as　you　said；　very　surprising　that　he　should　have　contracted

an　out…of…the…way　Asiatic　disease　in　the　heart　of　London…　a　disease；

too；　of　which　I　had　made　such　a　very　special　study。　Singular

coincidence；　Holmes。　Very　smart　of　you　to　notice　it；　but　rather

uncharitable　to　suggest　that　it　was　cause　and　effect。〃

　　〃I　knew　that　you　did　it。〃

　　〃Oh；　you　did；　did　you？　Well；　you　couldn't　prove　it；　anyhow。　But　what

do　you　think　of　yourself　spreading　reports　about　me　like　that；　and

then　crawling　to　me　for　help　the　moment　you　are　in　trouble？　What

sort　of　a　game　is　that…　eh？〃

　　I　heard　the　rasping；　laboured　breathing　of　the　sick　man。　〃Give　me

the　water！〃　he　gasped。

　　〃You're　precious　near　your　end；　my　friend；　but　I　don't　want　you　to

go　till　I　have　had　a　word　with　you。　That's　why　I　give　you　water。

There；　don't　slop　it　about！　That's　right。　Can　you　understand　what　I

say？〃

　　Holmes　groaned。

　　〃Do　what　you　can　for　me。　Let　bygones　be