the adventure of the missing three-quarter-第3章

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


I　am　all　the　family　that　this　young　man　has　got；　and　I　tell　you　that　I

am　not　responsible。　If　he　has　any　expectations　it　is　due　to　the　fact

that　I　have　never　wasted　money；　and　I　do　not　propose　to　begin　to　do　so

now。　As　to　those　papers　with　which　you　are　making　so　free；　I　may

tell　you　that　in　case　there　should　be　anything　of　any　value　among

them；　you　will　be　held　strictly　to　account　for　what　you　do　with　them。〃

　　〃Very　good；　sir；〃　said　Sherlock　Holmes。　〃May　I　ask；　in　the

meanwhile；　whether　you　have　yourself　any　theory　to　account　for　this

young　man's　disappearance？〃

　　〃No；　sir；　I　have　not。　He　is　big　enough　and　old　enough　to　look

after　himself；　and　if　he　is　so　foolish　as　to　lose　himself；　I

entirely　refuse　to　accept　the　responsibility　of　hunting　for　him。〃

　　〃I　quite　understand　your　position；〃　said　Holmes；　with　a

mischievous　twinkle　in　his　eyes。　〃Perhaps　you　don't　quite　understand

mine。　Godfrey　Staunton　appears　to　have　been　a　poor　man。　If　he　has　been

kidnapped；　it　could　not　have　been　for　anything　which　he　himself

possesses。　The　fame　of　your　wealth　has　gone　abroad；　Lord

Mount…James；　and　it　is　entirely　possible　that　a　gang　of　thieves　have

secured　your　nephew　in　order　to　gain　from　him　some　information　as　to

your　house；　your　habits；　and　your　treasure。〃

　　The　face　of　our　unpleasant　little　visitor　turned　as　white　as　his

neckcloth。

　　〃Heavens；　sir；　what　an　idea！　I　never　thought　of　such　villainy！

What　inhuman　rogues　there　are　in　the　world！　But　Godfrey　is　a　fine　lad…

a　staunch　lad。　Nothing　would　induce　him　to　give　his　old　uncle　away。

I'll　have　the　plate　moved　over　to　the　bank　this　evening。　In　the

meantime　spare　no　pains；　Mr。　Detective！　I　beg　you　to　leave　no　stone

unturned　to　bring　him　safely　back。　As　to　money；　well；　so　far　as　a

fiver　or　even　a　tenner　goes　you　can　always　look　to　me。〃

　　Even　in　his　chastened　frame　of　mind；　the　noble　miser　could　give　us

no　information　which　could　help　us；　for　he　knew　little　of　the

private　life　of　his　nephew。　Our　only　clue　lay　in　the　truncated

telegram；　and　with　a　copy　of　this　in　his　hand　Holmes　set　forth　to　find

a　second　link　for　his　chain。　We　had　shaken　off　Lord　Mount…James；　and

Overton　had　gone　to　consult　with　the　other　members　of　his　team　over

the　misfortune　which　had　befallen　them。

　　There　was　a　telegraph…office　at　a　short　distance　from　the　hotel。

We　halted　outside　it。

　　〃It's　worth　trying；　Watson；〃　said　Holmes。　〃Of　course；　with　a　warrant

we　could　demand　to　see　the　counterfoils；　but　we　have　not　reached

that　stage　yet。　I　don't　suppose　they　remember　faces　in　so　busy　a

place。　Let　us　venture　it。〃

　　〃I　am　sorry　to　trouble　you；〃　said　he；　in　his　blandest　manner；　to　the

young　woman　behind　the　grating；　〃there　is　some　small　mistake　about　a

telegram　I　sent　yesterday。　I　have　had　no　answer；　and　I　very　much

fear　that　I　must　have　omitted　to　put　my　name　at　the　end。　Could　you

tell　me　if　this　was　so？〃

　　The　young　woman　turned　over　a　sheaf　of　counterfoils。

　　〃What　o'clock　was　it？〃　she　asked。

　　〃A　little　after　six。〃

　　〃Whom　was　it　to？〃

　　Holmes　put　his　finger　to　his　lips　and　glanced　at　me。　〃The　last　words

in　it　were　'For　God's　sake；'〃　he　whispered；　confidentially；　〃I　am　very

anxious　at　getting　no　answer。〃

　　The　young　woman　separated　one　of　the　forms。

　　〃This　is　it。　There　is　no　name；〃　said　she；　smoothing　it　out　upon

the　counter。

　　〃Then　that；　of　course；　accounts　for　my　getting　no　answer；〃　said

Holmes。　〃Dear　me；　how　very　stupid　of　me；　to　be　sure！　Good…morning；

miss；　and　many　thanks　for　having　relieved　my　mind。〃　He　chuckled　and

rubbed　his　hands　when　we　found　ourselves　in　the　street　once　more。

　　〃Well？〃　I　asked。

　　〃We　progress；　my　dear　Watson；　we　progress。　I　had　seven　different

schemes　for　getting　a　glimpse　of　that　telegram；　but　I　could　hardly

hope　to　succeed　the　very　first　time。〃

　　〃And　what　have　you　gained？〃

　　〃A　starting…point　for　our　investigation。〃　He　hailed　a　cab。　〃King's

Cross　Station；〃　said　he。

　　〃We　have　a　journey；　then？〃

　　〃Yes；　I　think　we　must　run　down　to　Cambridge　together。　All　the

indications　seem　to　me　to　point　in　that　direction。〃

　　〃Tell　me；〃　I　asked；　as　we　rattled　up　Gray's　Inn　Road；　〃have　you

any　suspicion　yet　as　to　the　cause　of　the　disappearance？　I　don't

think　that　among　all　our　cases　I　have　known　one　where　the　motives

are　more　obscure。　Surely　you　don't　really　imagine　that　he　may　be

kidnapped　in　order　to　give　information　against　his　wealthy　uncle？〃

　　〃I　confess；　my　dear　Watson；　that　that　does　not　appeal　to　me　as　a

very　probable　explanation。　It　struck　me；　however；　as　being　the　one

which　was　most　likely　to　interest　that　exceedingly　unpleasant　old

person。〃

　　〃It　certainly　did　that；　but　what　are　your　alternatives？〃

　　〃I　could　mention　several。　You　must　admit　that　it　is　curious　and

suggestive　that　this　incident　should　occur　on　the　eve　of　this

important　match；　and　should　involve　the　only　man　whose　presence

seems　essential　to　the　success　of　the　side。　It　may；　of　course；　be　a

coincidence；　but　it　is　interesting。　Amateur　sport　is　free　from

betting；　but　a　good　deal　of　outside　betting　goes　on　among　the

public；　and　it　is　possible　that　it　might　be　worth　someone's　while　to

get　at　a　player　as　the　ruffians　of　the　turf　get　at　a　race…horse。　There

is　one　explanation。　A　second　very　obvious　one　is　that　this　young　man

really　is　the　heir　of　a　great　property；　however　modest　his　means　may

at　present　be；　and　it　is　not　impossible　that　a　plot　to　hold　him　for

ransom　might　be　concocted。〃

　　〃These　theories　take　no　account　of　the　telegram。〃

　　〃Quite　true；　Watson。　The　telegram　still　remains　the　only　solid　thing

with　which　we　have　to　deal；　and　we　must　not　permit　our　attention　to

wander　away　from　it。　It　is　to　gain　light　upon　the　purpose　of　this

telegram　that　we　are　now　upon　our　way　to　Cambridge。　The　path　of　our

investigation　is　at　present　obscure；　but　I　shall　be　very　much

surprised　if　before　evening　we　have　not　cleared　it　up；　or　made　a

considerable　advance　along　it。〃

　　It　was　already　dark　when　we　reached　the　old　university　city。

Holmes　took　a　cab　at　the　station　and　ordered　the　man　to　drive　to　the

house　of　Dr。　Leslie　Armstrong。　A　few　minutes　later；　we　had　stopped

at　a　large　mansion　on　the　busiest　thoroughfare。　We　were　shown　in；

and　after　a　long　wait　were　at　last　admitted　into　the

consulting…room；　where　we　found　the　doctor　seated　behind　his　table。

　　It　argues　the　degree　in　which　I　had　lost　touch　with　my　profession

that　the　name　of　Leslie　Armstrong　was　unknown　to　me。　Now　I　am　aware

that　he　is　not　only　one　of　the　heads　of　the　medical　school　of　the

university；　but　a　thinker　of　European　reputation　in　more　than　one

branch　of　science。　Yet　even　without　knowing　his　brilliant　record　one

could　not　fail　to　be　impressed　by　a　mere　glance　at　the　man；　the

square；　massive　face；　the　brooding　eyes　under　the　thatched　brows；

and　the　granite　moulding　of　the　inflexible　jaw。　A　man　of　deep

character；　a　man　with　an　alert　mind；　grim；　ascetic；　self…contained；

formidable…　so　I　read　Dr。　Leslie　Armstrong。　He　held　my　friend's　card

in　his　hand；　and　he　looked　up　with　no　very　pleased　expression　upon　his

dour　features。

　　〃I　have　heard　your　name；　Mr。　Sherlock　Holmes；　and　I　am　aware　of　your

profession…　one　of　which　I　by　no　means　approve。〃

　　〃In　that；　Doctor；　you　will　find　yourself　in　agreement　with　every

criminal　in　the　country；〃　said　my　friend；　quietly。

　　〃So　far　as　your　efforts　are　directed　towards　the　suppression　of

crime；　sir；　they　must　have　the　support　of　every　reasonable　member　of

the　community；　though　I　cannot　doubt　that　the　official　machinery　is

amply　sufficient　for　the　purpose。　Where　your　calling　is　more　open　to

criticism　is　when　you　pry　into　the　secrets　of　private　individuals；

when　you　rake　up　family　matters　which　are　better　hidden；　and　when

you　incidentally　waste　the　time　of　men　who　are　more　busy　than

yourself。　At　the　present　moment；　for　example；　I　should　be　writing　a

treatise　instead　of　conversing　with　you。〃

　　〃No　doubt；　Doctor；　and　yet　the　conversation　may　prove　more　important

than　the　treatise。　Incidentally；　I　may　tell　you　that　we　are　doing

the　reverse　of　what　you　very　justly　blame；　and　that　we　are

endeavouring　to　pre