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第6章

the adventure of the missing three-quarter-第6章

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  He opened the door; and we stepped into the hall。 The droning

sound swelled louder upon our ears until it became one long; deep wail

of distress。 It came from upstairs。 Holmes darted up; and I followed

him。 He pushed open a half…closed door; and we both stood appalled

at the sight before us。

  A woman; young and beautiful; was lying dead upon the bed。 Her

calm pale face; with dim; wide…opened blue eyes; looked upward from

amid a great tangle of golden hair。 At the foot of the bed; half

sitting; half kneeling; his face buried in the clothes; was a young

man; whose frame was racked by his sobs。 So absorbed was he by his

bitter grief; that he never looked up until Holmes's hand was on his

shoulder。

  〃Are you Mr。 Godfrey Staunton?〃

  〃Yes; yes; I am… but you are too late。 She is dead。〃

  The man was so dazed that he could not be made to understand that we

were anything but doctors who had been sent to his assistance。

Holmes was endeavouring to utter a few words of consolation and to

explain the alarm which had been caused to his friends by his sudden

disappearance when there was a step upon the stairs; and there was the

heavy; stern; questioning face of Dr。 Armstrong at the door。

  〃So; gentlemen;〃 said he; 〃you have attained your end and have

certainly chosen a particularly delicate moment for your intrusion。

I would not brawl in the presence of death; but I can assure you

that if I were a younger man your monstrous conduct would not pass

with impunity。〃

  〃Excuse me; Dr。 Armstrong; I think we are a little at

cross…purposes;〃 said my friend; with dignity。 〃If you could step

downstairs with us; we may each be able to give some light to the

other upon this miserable affair。〃

  A minute later; the grim doctor and ourselves were in the

sitting…room below。

  〃Well; sir?〃 said he。

  〃I wish you to understand; in the first place; that I am not

employed by Lord Mount…James; and that my sympathies in this matter

are entirely against that nobleman。 When a man is lost it is my duty

to ascertain his fate; but having done so the matter ends so far as

I am concerned; and so long as there is nothing criminal I am much

more anxious to hush up private scandals than to give them

publicity。 If; as I imagine; there is no breach of the law in this

matter; you can absolutely depend upon my discretion and my

cooperation in keeping the facts out of the papers。〃

  Dr。 Armstrong took a quick step forward and wrung Holmes by the

hand。

  〃You are a good fellow;〃 said he。 〃I had misjudged you。 I thank

heaven that my compunction at leaving poor Staunton all alone in

this plight caused me to turn my carriage back and so to make your

acquaintance。 Knowing as much as you do; the situation is very

easily explained。 A year ago Godfrey Staunton lodged in London for a

time and became passionately attached to his landlady's daughter; whom

he married。 She was as good as she was beautiful and as intelligent as

she was good。 No man need be ashamed of such a wife。 But Godfrey was

the heir to this crabbed old nobleman; and it was quite certain that

the news of his marriage would have been the end of his inheritance。 I

knew the lad well; and I loved him for his many excellent qualities。 I

did all I could to help him to keep things straight。 We did our very

best to keep the thing from everyone; for; when once such a whisper

gets about; it is not long before everyone has heard it。 Thanks to

this lonely cottage and his own discretion; Godfrey has up to now

succeeded。 Their secret was known to no one save to me and to one

excellent servant; who has at present gone for assistance to

Trumpington。 But at last there came a terrible blow in the shape of

dangerous illness to his wife。 It was consumption of the most virulent

kind。 The poor boy was half crazed with grief; and yet he had to go to

London to play this match; for he could not get out of it without

explanations which would expose his secret。 I tried to cheer him up by

wire; and he sent me one in reply; imploring me to do all I could。

This was the telegram which you appear in some inexplicable way to

have seen。 I did not tell him how urgent the danger was; for I knew

that he could do no good here; but I sent the truth to the girl's

father; and he very injudiciously communicated it to Godfrey。 The

result was that he came straight away in a state bordering on

frenzy; and has remained in the same state; kneeling at the end of her

bed; until this morning death put an end to her sufferings。 That is

all; Mr。 Holmes; and I am sure that I can rely upon your discretion

and that of your friend。〃

  Holmes grasped the doctor's hand。

  〃Come; Watson;〃 said he; and we passed from that house of grief into

the pale sunlight of the winter day。





                                 …THE END…




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