the adventure of the norwood builder-第3章

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Yes；　I　remember　how　he　pulled　it　up　in　order　to　swing　open　the　window。

I　could　not　find　my　stick；　and　he　said；　‘Never　mind；　my　boy；　I　shall

see　a　good　deal　of　you　now；　I　hope；　and　I　will　keep　your　stick　until

you　come　back　to　claim　it。'　I　left　him　there；　the　safe　open；　and　the

papers　made　up　in　packets　upon　the　table。　It　was　so　late　that　I

could　not　get　back　to　Blackheath；　so　I　spent　the　night　at　the

Anerley　Arms；　and　I　knew　nothing　more　until　I　read　of　this　horrible

affair　in　the　morning。〃

　　〃Anything　more　that　you　would　like　to　ask；　Mr。　Holmes？〃　said

Lestrade；　whose　eyebrows　had　gone　up　once　or　twice　during　this

remarkable　explanation。

　　〃Not　until　I　have　been　to　Blackheath。〃

　　〃You　mean　to　Norwood；〃　said　Lestrade。

　　〃Oh；　yes；　no　doubt　that　is　what　I　must　have　meant；〃　said　Holmes；

with　his　enigmatical　smile。　Lestrade　had　learned　by　more　experiences

than　he　would　care　to　acknowledge　that　that　brain　could　cut　through

that　which　was　impenetrable　to　him。　I　saw　him　look　curiously　at　my

companion。

　　〃I　think　I　should　like　to　have　a　word　with　you　presently；　Mr。

Sherlock　Holmes；〃　said　he。　〃Now；　Mr。　McFarlane；　two　of　my　constables

are　at　the　door；　and　there　is　a　four…wheeler　waiting。〃　The　wretched

young　man　arose；　and　with　a　last　beseeching　glance　at　us　walked　from

the　room。　The　officers　conducted　him　to　the　cab；　but　Lestrade

remained。

　　Holmes　had　picked　up　the　pages　which　formed　the　rough　draft　of　the

will；　and　was　looking　at　them　with　the　keenest　interest　upon　his　face。

　　〃There　are　some　points　about　that　document；　Lestrade；　are　there

not？〃　said　he；　pushing　them　over。

　　The　official　looked　at　them　with　a　puzzled　expression。

　　〃I　can　read　the　first　few　lines　and　these　in　the　middle　of　the

second　page；　and　one　or　two　at　the　end。　Those　are　as　clear　as

print；〃　said　he；　〃but　the　writing　in　between　is　very　bad；　and　there

are　three　places　where　I　cannot　read　it　at　all。〃

　　〃What　do　you　make　of　that？〃　said　Holmes。

　　〃Well；　what　do　you　make　of　it？〃

　　〃That　it　was　written　in　a　train。　The　good　writing　represents

stations；　the　bad　writing　movement；　and　the　very　bad　writing　passing

over　points。　A　scientific　expert　would　pronounce　at　once　that　this　was

drawn　up　on　a　suburban　line；　since　nowhere　save　in　the　immediate

vicinity　of　a　great　city　could　there　be　so　quick　a　succession　of

points。　Granting　that　his　whole　journey　was　occupied　in　drawing　up　the

will；　then　the　train　was　an　express；　only　stopping　once　between

Norwood　and　London　Bridge。〃

　　Lestrade　began　to　laugh。

　　〃You　are　too　many　for　me　when　you　begin　to　get　on　your　theories；　Mr。

Holmes；〃　said　he。　〃How　does　this　bear　on　the　case？〃

　　〃Well；　it　corroborates　the　young　man's　story　to　the　extent　that

the　will　was　drawn　up　by　Jonas　Oldacre　in　his　journey　yesterday。　It　is

curious…　is　it　not？…　that　a　man　should　draw　up　so　important　a　document

in　so　haphazard　a　fashion。　It　suggests　that　he　did　not　think　it　was

going　to　be　of　much　practical　importance。　If　a　man　drew　up　a　will

which　he　did　not　intend　ever　to　be　effective；　he　might　do　it　so。〃

　　〃Well；　he　drew　up　his　own　death　warrant　at　the　same　time；〃　said

Lestrade。

　　〃Oh；　you　think　so？〃

　　〃Don't　you？〃

　　〃Well；　it　is　quite　possible；　but　the　case　is　not　clear　to　me　yet。〃

　　〃Not　clear？　Well；　if　that　isn't　clear；　what　could　be　clear？　Here

is　a　young　man　who　learns　suddenly　that；　if　a　certain　older　man

dies；　he　will　succeed　to　a　fortune。　What　does　he　do？　He　says　nothing

to　anyone；　but　he　arranges　that　he　shall　go　out　on　some　pretext　to　see

his　client　that　night。　He　waits　until　the　only　other　person　in　the

house　is　in　bed；　and　then　in　the　solitude　of　a　man's　room　he　murders

him；　burns　his　body　in　the　wood…pile；　and　departs　to　a　neighbouring

hotel。　The　blood…stains　in　the　room　and　also　on　the　stick　are　very

slight。　It　is　probable　that　he　imagined　his　crime　to　be　a　bloodless

one；　and　hoped　that　if　the　body　were　consumed　it　would　hide　all　traces

of　the　method　of　his　death…　traces　which；　for　some　reason；　must　have

pointed　to　him。　Is　not　all　this　obvious？〃

　　〃It　strikes　me；　my　good　Lestrade；　as　being　just　a　trifle　too

obvious；〃　said　Holmes。　〃You　do　not　add　imagination　to　your　other　great

qualities；　but　if　you　could　for　one　moment　put　yourself　in　the　place

of　this　young　man；　would　you　choose　the　very　night　after　the　will

had　been　made　to　commit　your　crime？　Would　it　not　seem　dangerous　to　you

to　make　so　very　close　a　relation　between　the　two　incidents？　Again；

would　you　choose　an　occasion　when　you　are　known　to　be　in　the　house；

when　a　servant　has　let　you　in？　And；　finally；　would　you　take　the

great　pains　to　conceal　the　body；　and　yet　leave　your　own　stick　as　a

sign　that　you　were　the　criminal？　Confess；　Lestrade；　that　all　this　is

very　unlikely。〃

　　〃As　to　the　stick；　Mr。　Holmes；　you　know　as　well　as　I　do　that　a

criminal　is　often　flurried；　and　does　such　things；　which　a　cool　man

would　avoid。　He　was　very　likely　afraid　to　go　back　to　the　room。　Give　me

another　theory　that　would　fit　the　facts。〃

　　〃I　could　very　easily　give　you　half　a　dozen；〃　said　Holmes。　〃Here

for　example；　is　a　very　possible　and　even　probable　one。　I　make　you　a

free　present　of　it。　The　older　man　is　showing　documents　which　are　of

evident　value。　A　passing　tramp　sees　them　through　the　window；　the　blind

of　which　is　only　half　down。　Exit　the　solicitor。　Enter　the　tramp！　He

seizes　a　stick；　which　he　observes　there；　kills　Oldacre；　and　departs

after　burning　the　body。〃

　　〃Why　should　the　tramp　burn　the　body？〃

　　〃For　the　matter　of　that；　why　should　McFarlane？〃

　　〃To　hide　some　evidence。〃

　　〃Possibly　the　tramp　wanted　to　hide　that　any　murder　at　all　had　been

committed。〃

　　〃And　why　did　the　tramp　take　nothing？〃

　　〃Because　they　were　papers　that　he　could　not　negotiate。〃

　　Lestrade　shook　his　head；　though　it　seemed　to　me　that　his　manner

was　less　absolutely　assured　than　before。

　　〃Well；　Mr。　Sherlock　Holmes；　you　may　look　for　your　tramp；　and　while

you　are　finding　him　we　will　hold　on　to　our　man。　The　future　will　show

which　is　right。　Just　notice　this　point；　Mr。　Holmes：　that　so　far　as

we　know；　none　of　the　papers　were　removed；　and　that　the　prisoner　is　the

one　man　in　the　world　who　had　no　reason　for　removing　them；　since　he　was

heir…at…law；　and　would　come　into　them　in　any　case。〃

　　My　friend　seemed　struck　by　this　remark。

　　〃I　don't　mean　to　deny　that　the　evidence　is　in　some　ways　very

strongly　in　favour　of　your　theory；〃　said　he。　〃I　only　wish　to　point　out

that　there　are　other　theories　possible。　As　you　say；　the　future　will

decide。　Good…morning！　I　dare　say　that　in　the　course　of　the　day　I　shall

drop　in　at　Norwood　and　see　how　you　are　getting　on。〃

　　When　the　detective　departed；　my　friend　rose　and　made　his

preparations　for　the　day's　work　with　the　alert　air　of　a　man　who　has

a　congenial　task　before　him。

　　〃My　first　movement　Watson；〃　said　he；　as　he　bustled　into　his

frockcoat；　〃must；　as　I　said；　be　in　the　direction　of　Blackheath。〃

　　〃And　why　not　Norwood？〃

　　〃Because　we　have　in　this　case　one　singular　incident　coming　close

to　the　heels　of　another　singular　incident。　The　police　are　making　the

mistake　of　concentrating　their　attention　upon　the　second；　because　it

happens　to　be　the　one　which　is　actually　criminal。　But　it　is　evident　to

me　that　the　logical　way　to　approach　the　case　is　to　begin　by　trying

to　throw　some　light　upon　the　first　incident…　the　curious　will；　so

suddenly　made；　and　to　so　unexpected　an　heir。　It　may　do　something　to

simplify　what　followed。　No；　my　dear　fellow；　I　don't　think　you　can　help

me。　There　is　no　prospect　of　danger；　or　I　should　not　dream　of

stirring　out　without　you。　I　trust　that　when　I　see　you　in　the

evening；　I　will　be　able　to　report　that　I　have　been　able　to　do

something　for　this　unfortunate　youngster；　who　has　thrown　himself

upon　my　protection。〃

　　It　was　late　when　my　friend　returned；　and　I　could　see；　by　a　glance　at

his　haggard　and　anxious　face；　that　the　high　hopes　with　which　be　had

started　had　not　been　fulfilled。　For　an　hour　he　droned　away　upon　his

violin；　endeavouring　to　soothe　his　own　ruffled　spirits。　At　last　he

flung　down　the　instrument；　and　plunged　into　a　detailed　account　of

his　misadventures。