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


　　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…

。