the adventure of wisteria lodge-第4章

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

excellent　inspector　comes　back　for　us。　Meanwhile　we　can　thank　our

lucky　fate　which　has　rescued　us　for　a　few　short　hours　from　the

insufferable　fatigues　of　idleness。〃



　　An　answer　had　arrived　to　Holmes's　telegram　before　our　Surrey　officer

had　returned。　Holmes　read　it　and　was　about　to　place　it　in　his　notebook

when　he　caught　a　glimpse　of　my　expectant　face。　He　tossed　it　across

with　a　laugh。

　　〃We　are　moving　in　exalted　circles；〃　said　he。

　　The　telegram　was　a　list　of　names　and　addresses：



　　Lord　Harringby；　The　Dingle；　Sir　George　Ffolliott；　Oxshott　Towers；

Mr。　Hynes　Hynes；　J。　P。；　Purdey　Place；　Mr。　James　Baker　Williams；　Forton

Old　Hall；　Mr。　Henderson；　High　Gable；　Rev。　Joshua　Stone；　Nether

Walsling。



　　〃This　is　a　very　obvious　way　of　limiting　our　field　of　operations；〃

said　Holmes。　〃No　doubt　Baynes；　with　his　methodical　mind；　has　already

adopted　some　similar　plan。〃

　　〃I　don't　quite　understand。〃

　　〃Well；　my　dear　fellow；　we　have　already　arrived　at　the　conclusion

that　the　message　received　by　Garcia　at　dinner　was　an　appointment　or　an

assignation。　Now；　if　the　obvious　reading　of　it　is　correct　and　in　order

to　keep　this　tryst　one　has　to　ascend　a　main　stair　and　seek　the　seventh

door　in　a　corridor；　it　is　perfectly　clear　that　the　house　is　a　very

large　one。　It　is　equally　certain　that　this　house　cannot　be　more　than　a

mile　or　two　from　Oxshott；　since　Garcia　was　walking　in　that　direction

and　hoped；　according　to　my　reading　of　the　facts；　to　be　back　in

Wisteria　Lodge　in　time　to　avail　himself　of　an　alibi；　which　would

only　be　valid　up　to　one　o'clock。　As　the　number　of　large　houses　close

to　Oxshott　must　be　limited；　I　adopted　the　obvious　method　of　sending　to

the　agents　mentioned　by　Scott　Eccles　and　obtaining　a　list　of　them。

Here　they　are　in　this　telegram；　and　the　other　end　of　our　tangled　skein

must　lie　among　them。〃



　　It　was　nearly　six　o'clock　before　we　found　ourselves　in　the　pretty

Surrey　village　of　Esher；　with　Inspector　Baynes　as　our　companion。

　　Holmes　and　I　had　taken　things　for　the　night；　and　found　comfortable

quarters　at　the　Bull。　Finally　we　set　out　in　the　company　of　the

detective　on　our　visit　to　Wisteria　Lodge。　It　was　a　cold；　dark　March

evening；　with　a　sharp　wind　and　a　fine　rain　beating　upon　our　faces；　a

fit　setting　for　the　wild　common　over　which　our　road　passed　and　the

tragic　goal　to　which　it　led　us。

　　2。　The　Tiger　of　San　Pedro



　　A　cold　and　melancholy　walk　of　a　couple　of　miles　brought　us　to　a　high

wooden　gate；　which　opened　into　a　gloomy　avenue　of　chestnuts。　The

curved　and　shadowed　drive　led　us　to　a　low；　dark　house；　pitch…black

against　a　slate…coloured　sky。　From　the　front　window　upon　the　left　of

the　door　there　peeped　a　glimmer　of　a　feeble　light。

　　〃There's　a　constable　in　possession；〃　said　Baynes。　〃I'll　knock　at　the

window。〃　He　stepped　across　the　grass　plot　and　tapped　with　his　hand

on　the　pane。　Through　the　fogged　glass　I　dimly　saw　a　man　spring　up　from

a　chair　beside　the　fire；　and　heard　a　sharp　cry　from　within　the　room。

An　instant　later　a　white…faced；　hard…breathing　policeman　had　opened

the　door；　the　candle　wavering　in　his　trembling　hand。

　　〃What's　the　matter；　Walters？〃　asked　Baynes　sharply。

　　The　man　mopped　his　forehead　with　his　handkerchief　and　gave　a　long

sigh　of　relief。

　　〃I　am　glad　you　have　come；　sir。　It　has　been　a　long　evening；　and　I

don't　think　my　nerve　is　as　good　as　it　was。〃

　　〃Your　nerve；　Walters？　I　should　not　have　thought　you　had　a　nerve　in

your　body。〃

　　〃Well；　sir；　it's　this　lonely；　silent　house　and　the　queer　thing　in

the　kitchen。　Then　when　you　tapped　at　the　window　I　thought　it　had

come　again。〃

　　〃That　what　had　come　again？〃

　　〃The　devil；　sir；　for　all　I　know。　It　was　at　the　window。〃

　　〃What　was　at　the　window；　and　when？〃

　　〃It　was　just　about　two　hours　ago。　The　light　was　just　fading。　I　was

sitting　reading　in　the　chair。　I　don't　know　what　made　me　look　up；　but

there　was　a　face　looking　in　at　me　through　the　lower　pane。　Lord；　sir；

what　a　face　it　was！　I'll　see　it　in　my　dreams。〃

　　〃Tut；　tut；　Walters。　This　is　not　talk　for　a　police…constable。〃

　　〃I　know；　sir；　I　know；　but　it　shook　me；　sir；　and　there's　no　use　to

deny　it。　It　wasn't　black；　sir；　nor　was　it　white；　nor　any　colour　that　I

know；　but　a　kind　of　queer　shade　like　clay　with　a　splash　of　milk　in　it。

Then　there　was　the　size　of　it…　it　was　twice　yours；　sir。　And　the　look

of　it…　the　great　staring　goggle　eyes；　and　the　line　of　white　teeth　like

a　hungry　beast。　I　tell　you；　sir；　I　couldn't　move　a　finger；　nor　get

my　breath；　till　it　whisked　away　and　was　gone。　Out　I　ran　and　through

the　shrubbery；　but　thank　God　there　was　no　one　there。〃

　　〃If　I　didn't　know　you　were　a　good　man；　Walters；　I　should　put　a　black

mark　against　you　for　this。　If　it　were　the　devil　himself　a　constable　on

duty　should　never　thank　God　that　he　could　not　lay　his　hands　upon

him。　I　suppose　the　whole　thing　is　not　a　vision　and　a　touch　of　nerves？〃

　　〃That；　at　least；　is　very　easily　settled；〃　said　Holmes；　lighting

his　little　pocket　lantern。　〃Yes；〃　he　reported；　after　a　short

examination　of　the　grass　bed；　〃a　number　twelve　shoe；　I　should　say。

If　he　was　all　on　the　same　scale　as　his　foot　he　must　certainly　have

been　a　giant。〃

　　〃What　became　of　him？〃

　　〃He　seems　to　have　broken　through　the　shrubbery　and　made　for　the

road。〃

　　〃Well〃　said　the　inspector　with　a　grave　and　thoughtful　face；　〃whoever

he　may　have　been；　and　whatever　he　may　have　wanted；　he's　gone　for　the

present　and　we　have　more　immediate　things　to　attend　to。　Now；　Mr。

Holmes；　with　your　permission；　I　will　show　you　round　the　house。〃

　　The　various　bedrooms　and　sitting…rooms　had　yielded　nothing　to　a

careful　search。　Apparently　the　tenants　had　brought　little　or　nothing

with　them；　and　all　the　furniture　down　to　the　smallest　detail　had

been　taken　over　with　the　house。　A　good　deal　of　clothing　with　the　stamp

of　Marx　and　Co。；　High　Holborn；　had　been　left　behind。　Telegraphic

inquiries　had　been　already　made　which　showed　that　Marx　knew　nothing　of

his　customer　save　that　he　was　a　good　payer。　Odds　and　ends；　some　pipes；

a　few　novels；　two　of　them　in　Spanish；　an　old…fashioned　pinfire

revolver；　and　a　guitar　were　among　the　personal　property。

　　〃Nothing　in　all　this〃　said　Baynes；　stalking；　candle　in　hand；　from

room　to　room。　〃But　now；　Mr。　Holmes；　I　invite　your　attention　to　the

kitchen。〃

　　It　was　a　gloomy；　high…ceilinged　room　at　the　back　of　the　house；

with　a　straw　litter　in　one　corner；　which　served　apparently　as　a　bed

for　the　cook。　The　table　was　piled　with　half…eaten　dishes　and　dirty

plates；　the　debris　of　last　night's　dinner。

　　〃Look　at　this；〃　said　Baynes。　〃What　do　you　make　of　it？〃

　　He　held　up　his　candle　before　an　extraordinary　object　which　stood

at　the　back　of　the　dresser。　It　was　so　wrinkled　and　shrunken　and

withered　that　it　was　difficult　to　say　what　it　might　have　been。　One

could　but　say　that　it　was　black　and　leathery　and　that　it　bore　some

resemblance　to　a　dwarfish；　human　figure。　At　first；　as　I　examined　it；　I

thought　that　it　was　a　mummified　negro　baby；　and　then　it　seemed　a

very　twisted　and　ancient　monkey。　Finally　I　was　left　in　doubt　as　to

whether　it　was　animal　or　human。　A　double　band　of　white　shells　was

strung　round　the　centre　of　it。

　　〃Very　interesting…　very　interesting；　indeed！〃　said　Holmes；　peering

at　this　sinister　relic。　〃Anything　more？〃

　　In　silence　Baynes　led　the　way　to　the　sink　and　held　forward　his

candle。　The　limbs　and　body　of　some　large；　white　bird；　torn　savagely　to

pieces　with　the　feathers　still　on；　were　littered　all　over　it。　Holmes

pointed　to　the　wattles　on　the　severed　head。

　　〃A　white　cock；〃　said　he。　〃Most　interesting！　It　is　really　a　very

curious　case。〃

　　　But　Mr。　Baynes　had　kept　his　most　sinister　exhibit　to　the　last。　From

under　the　sink　he　drew　a　zinc　pail　which　contained　a　quantity　of

blood。　Then　from　the　table　he　took　a　platter　heaped　with　small

pieces　of　charred　bone。

　　〃Something　has　been　killed　and　something　has　been　burned。　We　raked

all　these　out　of　the　fire。　We　had　a　doctor　in　this　morning。　He　says

that　they　are　not　human。〃

　　Holmes　smiled　and　rubbed　his　hands。

　　〃I　must　congratulate　you；