the adventure of wisteria lodge-第3章

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happened　to　Mr。　Garcia；　nor　what　has　become　of　his　household。〃

　　〃As　to　Garcia；〃　said　Gregson；　〃that　is　easily　answered。　He　was　found

dead　this　morning　upon　Oxshott　Common；　nearly　a　mile　from　his　home。

His　head　had　been　smashed　to　pulp　by　heavy　blows　of　a　sandbag　or

some　such　instrument；　which　had　crushed　rather　than　wounded。　It　is　a

lonely　corner；　and　there　is　no　house　within　a　quarter　of　a　mile　of　the

spot。　He　had　apparently　been　struck　down　first　from　behind；　but　his

assailant　had　gone　on　beating　him　long　after　he　was　dead。　It　was　a

most　furious　assault。　There　are　no　footsteps　nor　any　clue　to　the

criminals。〃

　　〃Robbed？〃

　　〃No；　there　was　no　attempt　at　robbery。〃

　　〃This　is　very　painful…　very　painful　and　terrible；〃　said　Mr。　Scott

Eccles　in　a　querulous　voice；　〃but　it　is　really　uncommonly　hard　upon

me。　I　had　nothing　to　do　with　my　host　going　off　upon　a　nocturnal

excursion　and　meeting　so　sad　an　end。　How　do　I　come　to　be　mixed　up　with

the　case？〃

　　〃Very　simply；　sir；〃　Inspector　Baynes　answered。　〃The　only　document

found　in　the　pocket　of　the　deceased　was　a　letter　from　you　saying

that　you　would　be　with　him　on　the　night　of　his　death。　It　was　the

envelope　of　this　letter　which　gave　us　the　dead　man's　name　and　address。

It　was　after　nine　this　morning　when　we　reached　his　house　and　found

neither　you　nor　anyone　else　inside　it。　I　wired　to　Mr。　Gregson　to　run

you　down　in　London　while　I　examined　Wisteria　Lodge。　Then　I　came　into

town；　joined　Mr。　Gregson；　and　here　we　are。〃

　　〃I　think　now；〃　said　Gregson；　rising；　〃we　had　best　put　this　matter

into　an　official　shape。　You　will　come　round　with　us　to　the　station；

Mr。　Scott　Eccles；　and　let　us　have　your　statement　in　writing。〃

　　〃Certainly；　I　will　come　at　once。　But　I　retain　your　services；　Mr。

Holmes。　I　desire　you　to　spare　no　expense　and　no　pains　to　get　at　the

truth。〃

　　My　friend　turned　to　the　country　inspector。

　　〃I　suppose　that　you　have　no　objection　to　my　collaborating　with

you；　Mr。　Baynes？〃

　　〃Highly　honoured；　sir；　I　am　sure。〃

　　〃You　appear　to　have　been　very　prompt　and　business…like　in　all　that

you　have　done。　Was　there　any　clue；　may　I　ask；　as　to　the　exact　hour

that　the　man　met　his　death？〃

　　〃He　had　been　there　since　one　o'clock。　There　was　rain　about　that

time；　and　his　death　had　certainly　been　before　the　rain。〃

　　〃But　that　is　perfectly　impossible；　Mr。　Baynes；〃　cried　our　client。

〃His　voice　is　unmistakable。　I　could　swear　to　it　that　it　was　he　who

addressed　me　in　my　bedroom　at　that　very　hour。〃

　　〃Remarkable；　but　by　no　means　impossible；〃　said　Holmes；　smiling。

　　〃You　have　a　clue？〃　asked　Gregson。

　　〃On　the　face　of　it　the　case　is　not　a　very　complex　one；　though　it

certainly　presents　some　novel　and　interesting　features。　A　further

knowledge　of　facts　is　necessary　before　I　would　venture　to　give　a　final

and　definite　opinion。　By　the　way；　Mr。　Baynes；　did　you　find　anything

remarkable　besides　this　note　in　your　examination　of　the　house？〃

　　The　detective　looked　at　my　friend　in　a　singular　way。

　　〃There　were；〃　said　he；　〃one　or　two　very　remarkable　things。　Perhaps

when　I　have　finished　at　the　police…station　you　would　care　to　come

out　and　give　me　your　opinion　of　them。〃

　　〃I　am　entirely　at　your　service；〃　said　Sherlock　Holmes；　ringing　the

bell。　〃You　will　show　these　gentlemen　out；　Mrs。　Hudson；　and　kindly　send

the　boy　with　this　telegram。　He　is　to　pay　a　five…shilling　reply。〃

　　We　sat　for　some　time　in　silence　after　our　visitors　had　left。

Holmes　smoked　hard；　with　his　brows　drawn　down　over　his　keen　eyes；

and　his　head　thrust　forward　in　the　eager　way　characteristic　of　the

man。

　　〃Well；　Watson；〃　he　asked；　turning　suddenly　upon　me；　〃What　do　you

make　of　it？〃

　　〃I　can　make　nothing　of　this　mystification　of　Scott　Eccles。〃

　　〃But　the　crime？〃

　　〃Well；　taken　with　the　disappearance　of　the　man's　companions；　I

should　say　that　they　were　in　some　way　concerned　in　the　murder　and

had　fled　from　justice。〃

　　〃That　is　certainly　a　possible　point　of　view。　On　the　face　of　it　you

must　admit；　however；　that　it　is　very　strange　that　his　two　servants

should　have　been　in　a　conspiracy　against　him　and　should　have

attacked　him　on　the　one　night　when　he　had　a　guest。　They　had　him

alone　at　their　mercy　every　other　night　in　the　week。〃

　　〃Then　why　did　they　fly？〃

　　〃Quite　so。　Why　did　they　fly？　There　is　a　big　fact。　Another　big　fact

is　the　remarkable　experience　of　our　client；　Scott　Eccles。　Now；　my　dear

Watson；　is　it　beyond　the　limits　of　human　ingenuity　to　furnish　an

explanation　which　would　cover　both　these　big　facts？　If　it　were　one

which　would　also　admit　of　the　mysterious　note　with　its　very　curious

phraseology；　why；　then　it　would　be　worth　accepting　as　a　temporary

hypothesis。　If　the　fresh　facts　which　come　to　our　knowledge　all　fit

themselves　into　the　scheme；　then　our　hypothesis　may　gradually　become　a

solution。〃

　　〃But　what　is　our　hypothesis？〃

　　Holmes　leaned　back　in　his　chair　with　half…closed　eyes。

　　〃You　must　admit　my　dear　Watson；　that　the　idea　of　a　joke　is

impossible。　There　were　grave　events　afoot。　as　the　sequel　showed；　and

the　coaxing　of　Scott　Eccles　to　Wisteria　Lodge　had　some　connection　with

them。〃

　　〃But　what　possible　connection？〃

　　〃Let　us　take　it　link　by　link。　There　is；　on　the　face　of　it；　something

unnatural　about　this　strange　and　sudden　friendship　between　the　young

Spaniard　and　Scott　Eccles。　It　was　the　former　who　forced　the　pace。　He

called　upon　Eccles　at　the　other　end　of　London　on　the　very　day　after　he

first　met　him；　and　he　kept　in　close　touch　with　him　until　he　got　him

down　to　Esher。　Now；　what　did　he　want　with　Eccles？　What　could　Eccles

supply？　I　see　no　charm　in　the　man。　He　is　not　particularly　intelligent…

not　a　man　likely　to　be　congenial　to　a　quick…witted　Latin。　Why；　then；

was　he　picked　out　from　all　the　other　people　whom　Garcia　met　as

particularly　suited　to　his　purpose？　Has　he　any　one　outstanding

quality？　I　say　that　he　has。　He　is　the　very　type　of　conventional

British　respectability；　and　the　very　man　as　a　witness　to　impress

another　Briton。　You　saw　yourself　how　neither　of　the　inspectors　dreamed

of　questioning　his　statement；　extraordinary　as　it　was。〃

　　〃But　what　was　he　to　witness？〃

　　〃Nothing；　as　things　turned　out；　but　everything　had　they　gone　another

way。　That　is　how　I　read　the　matter。〃

　　〃I　see；　he　might　have　proved　an　alibi。〃

　　〃Exactly；　my　dear　Watson；　he　might　have　proved　an　alibi。　We　will

suppose；　for　arguments　sake；　that　the　household　of　Wisteria　Lodge

are　confederates　in　some　design。　The　attempt；　whatever　it　may　be；　is

to　come　off；　we　will　say；　before　one　o'clock。　By　some　juggling　of

the　clocks　it　is　quite　possible　that　they　may　have　got　Scott　Eccles　to

bed　earlier　than　he　thought　but　in　any　case　it　is　likely　that　when

Garcia　went　out　of　his　way　to　tell　him　that　it　was　one　it　was　really

not　more　than　twelve。　If　Garcia　could　do　whatever　he　had　to　do　and

be　back　by　the　hour　mentioned　he　had　evidently　a　powerful　reply　to　any

accusation。　Here　was　this　irreproachable　Englishman　ready　to　swear

in　any　court　of　law　that　the　accused　was　in　his　house　all　the　time。　It

was　an　insurance　against　the　worst。〃

　　〃Yes；　yes；　I　see　that。　But　how　about　the　disappearance　of　the

others？〃

　　〃I　have　not　all　my　facts　yet　but　I　do　not　think　there　are　any

insuperable　difficulties。　Still；　it　is　an　error　to　argue　in　front　of

your　data。　You　find　yourself　insensibly　twisting　them　round　to　fit

your　theories。〃

　　〃And　the　message？〃

　　〃How　did　it　run？　'Our　own　colours；　green　and　white。'　Sounds　like

racing。　'Green　open；　white　shut。'　that　is　clearly　a　signal。　'Main

stair；　first　corridor；　seventh　right；　green　baize。'　This　is　an

assignation。　We　may　find　a　jealous　husband　at　the　bottom　of　it　all。　It

was　clearly　a　dangerous　quest。　She　would　not　have　said　'Godspeed'

had　it　not　been　so。　'D'…　that　should　be　a　guide。〃

　　〃The　man　was　a　Spaniard。　I　suggest　that　'D'　stands　for　Dolores；　a

common　female　name　in　Spain。〃

　　〃Good；　Watson；　very　good…　but　quite　inadmissible。　A　Spaniard　would

write　to　a　Spaniard　in　Spanish。　The　writer　of　this　note　is　certainly

English。　Well；　we　can　only　possess　our　souls　in　patience　until　this

excellent　inspector　comes　back　for　us。　Meanwhil