the adventure of the norwood builder-第4章

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

his　misadventures。

　　〃It's　all　going　wrong；　Watson…　all　as　wrong　as　it　can　go。　I　kept　a

bold　face　before　Lestrade；　but；　upon　my　soul；　I　believe　that　for

once　the　fellow　is　on　the　right　track　and　we　are　on　the　wrong。　All

my　instincts　are　one　way；　and　all　the　facts　are　the　other；　and　I

much　fear　that　British　juries　have　not　yet　attained　that　pitch　of

intelligence　when　they　will　give　the　preference　to　my　theories　over

Lestrade's　facts。〃

　　〃Did　you　go　to　Blackheath？〃

　　〃Yes；　Watson；　I　went　there；　and　I　found　very　quickly　that　the　late

lamented　Oldacre　was　a　pretty　considerable　blackguard。　The　father

was　away　in　search　of　his　son。　The　mother　was　at　home…　a　little；

fluffy；　blue…eyed　person；　in　a　tremor　of　fear　and　indignation。　Of

course；　she　would　not　admit　even　the　possibility　of　his　guilt。　But　she

would　not　express　either　surprise　or　regret　over　the　fate　of

Oldacre。　On　the　contrary；　she　spoke　of　him　with　such　bitterness　that

she　was　unconsciously　considerably　strengthening　the　case　of　the

police　for；　of　course；　if　her　son　had　heard　her　speak　of　the　man　in

this　fashion；　it　would　predispose　him　towards　hatred　and　violence。　‘He

was　more　like　a　malignant　and　cunning　ape　than　a　human　being；'　said

she；　‘and　he　always　was；　ever　since　he　was　a　young　man。'

　　〃‘You　knew　him　at　that　time？'　said　I

　　〃‘Yes；　I　knew　him　well；　in　fact；　he　was　an　old　suitor　of　mine。　Thank

heaven　that　I　had　the　sense　to　turn　away　from　him　and　to　marry　a

better；　if　poorer；　man。　I　was　engaged　to　him；　Mr。　Holmes；　when　I　heard

a　shocking　story　of　how　he　had　turned　a　cat　loose　in　an　aviary；　and

I　was　so　horrified　at　his　brutal　cruelty　that　I　would　have　nothing

more　to　do　with　him。'　She　rummaged　in　a　bureau；　and　presently　she

produced　a　photograph　of　a　woman；　shamefully　defaced　and　mutilated

with　a　knife。　‘That　is　my　own　photograph；'　she　said。　‘He　sent　it　to　me

in　that　state；　with　his　curse；　upon　my　wedding　morning。'

　　〃‘Well；'　said　I；　‘at　least　he　has　forgiven　you　now；　since　he　has

left　all　his　property　to　your　son。'

　　〃‘Neither　my　son　nor　I　want　anything　from　Jonas　Oldacre；　dead　or

alive！'　she　cried；　with　a　proper　spirit。　‘There　is　a　God　in　heaven；

Ah；　Holmes；　and　that　same　God　who　has　punished　that　wicked　man　will

show；　in　His　own　good　time；　that　my　son's　hands　are　guiltless　of　his

blood。'

　　〃Well；　I　tried　one　or　two　leads；　but　could　get　at　nothing　which

would　help　our　hypothesis；　and　several　points　which　would　make　against

it。　I　gave　it　up　at　last　and　off　I　went　to　Norwood。

　　〃This　place；　Deep　Dene　House；　is　a　big　modern　villa　of　staring

brick；　standing　back　in　its　own　grounds；　with　a　laurel…clumped　lawn　in

front　of　it。　To　the　right　and　some　distance　back　from　the　road　was　the

timber…yard　which　had　been　the　scene　of　the　fire。　Here's　a　rough

plan　on　a　leaf　of　my　notebook。　This　window　on　the　left　is　the　one

which　opens　into　Oldacre's　room。　You　can　look　into　it　from　the　road；

you　see。　That　is　about　the　only　bit　of　consolation　I　have　had

to…day。　Lestrade　was　not　there；　but　his　head　constable　did　the

honours。　They　had　just　found　a　great　treasure　trove。　They　had　spent

the　morning　raking　among　the　ashes　of　the　burned　wood…pile；　and

besides　the　charred　organic　remains　they　had　secured　several

discoloured　metal　discs。　I　examined　them　with　care；　and　there　was　no

doubt　that　they　were　trouser　buttons。　I　even　distinguished　that　one　of

them　was　marked　with　the　name　of　‘Hyams；'　who　was　Oldacres　tailor。　I

then　worked　the　lawn　very　carefully　for　signs　and　traces；　but　this

drought　has　made　everything　as　hard　as　iron。　Nothing　was　to　be　seen

save　that　some　body　or　bundle　had　been　dragged　through　a　low　privet

hedge　which　is　in　a　line　with　the　wood…pile。　All　that；　of　course；　fits

in　with　the　official　theory。　I　crawled　about　the　lawn　with　an　August

sun　on　my　back；　but　I　got　up　at　the　end　of　an　hour　no　wiser　than

before。

　　〃Well；　after　this　fiasco　I　went　into　the　bedroom　and　examined　that

also。　The　blood…stains　were　very　slight；　mere　smears　and

discolourations；　but　undoubtedly　fresh。　The　stick　had　been　removed；

but　there　also　the　marks　were　slight。　There　is　no　doubt　about　the

stick　belonging　to　our　client。　He　admits　it。　Footmarks　of　both　men

could　be　made　out　on　the　carpet；　but　none　of　any　third　person；　which

again　is　a　trick　for　the　other　side。　They　were　piling　up　their　score

all　the　time　and　we　were　at　a　standstill。

　　〃Only　one　little　gleam　of　hope　did　I　get…　and　yet　it　amounted　to

nothing。　I　examined　the　contents　of　the　safe；　most　of　which　had　been

taken　out　and　left　on　the　table。　The　papers　had　been　made　up　into

sealed　envelopes；　one　or　two　of　which　had　been　opened　by　the　police。

They　were　not；　so　far　as　I　could　judge；　of　any　great　value；　nor　did

the　bank…book　show　that　Mr。　Oldacre　was　in　such　very　affluent

circumstances。　But　it　seemed　to　me　that　all　the　papers　were　not　there。

There　were　allusions　to　some　deeds…　possibly　the　more　valuable…

which　I　could　not　find。　This；　of　course；　if　we　could　definitely

prove　it；　would　turn　Lestrade's　argument　against　himself；　for　who

would　steal　a　thing　if　he　knew　that　he　would　shortly　inherit　it？

　　〃Finally；　having　drawn　every　other　cover　and　picked　up　no　scent；　I

tried　my　luck　with　the　housekeeper。　Mrs。　Lesington　is　her　name…　a

little；　dark；　silent　person；　with　suspicious　and　sidelong　eyes。　She

could　tell　us　something　if　she　would…　I　am　convinced　of　it。　But　she

was　as　close　as　wax。　Yes；　she　had　let　Mr。　McFarlane　in　at　halfpast

nine。　She　wished　her　hand　had　withered　before　she　had　done　so。　She　had

gone　to　bed　at　half…past　ten。　Her　room　was　at　the　other　end　of　the

house；　and　she　could　hear　nothing　of　what　had　passed。　Mr。　McFarlane

had　left　his　hat；　and　to　the　best　of　her　had　been　awakened　by　the

alarm　of　fire。　Her　poor；　dear　master　had　certainly　been　murdered。

Had　he　any　enemies？　Well；　every　man　had　enemies；　but　Mr。　Oldacre

kept　himself　very　much　to　himself；　and　only　met　people　in　the　way　of

business。　She　had　seen　the　buttons；　and　was　sure　that　they　had

belonged　to　the　clothes　which　he　had　worn　last　night。　The　wood…pile

was　very　dry；　for　it　had　not　rained　for　a　month。　It　burned　like

tinder；　and　by　the　time　she　reached　the　spot；　nothing　could　be　seen

but　flames。　She　and　all　the　firemen　smelled　the　burned　flesh　from

inside　it。　She　knew　nothing　of　the　papers；　nor　of　Mr。　Oldacre's

private　affairs。

　　〃So；　my　dear　Watson；　there's　my　report　of　a　failure。　And　yet…　and

yet…〃　he　clenched　his　thin　hands　in　a　paroxysm　of　conviction…　〃I

know　it's　all　wrong。　I　feel　it　in　my　bones。　There　is　something　that

has　not　come　out；　and　that　housekeeper　knows　it。　There　was　a　sort　of

sulky　defiance　in　her　eyes；　which　only　goes　with　guilty　knowledge。

However；　there's　no　good　talking　any　more　about　it；　Watson；　but　unless

some　lucky　chance　comes　our　way　I　fear　that　the　Norwood

Disappearance　Case　will　not　figure　in　that　chronicle　of　our

successes　which　I　foresee　that　a　patient　public　will　sooner　or　later

have　to　endure。〃

　　〃Surely；〃　said　I；　〃the　man's　appearance　would　go　far　with　any　jury？〃

　　〃That　is　a　dangerous　argument　my　dear　Watson。　You　remember　that

terrible　murderer；　Bert　Stevens；　who　wanted　us　to　get　him　off　in

'87？　Was　there　ever　a　more　mild…mannered；　Sunday…school　young　man？〃

　　〃It　is　true。〃

　　〃Unless　we　succeed　in　establishing　an　alternative　theory；　this　man

is　lost。　You　can　hardly　find　a　flaw　in　the　case　which　can　now　be

presented　against　him；　and　all　further　investigation　has　served　to

strengthen　it。　By　the　way；　there　is　one　curious　little　point　about

those　papers　which　may　serve　us　as　the　starting…point　for　an

inquiry。　On　looking　over　the　bank…book　I　found　that　the　low　state　of

the　balance　was　principally　due　to　large　checks　which　have　been　made

out　during　the　last　year　to　Mr。　Cornelius。　I　confess　that　I　should

be　interested　to　know　who　this　Mr。　Cornelius　may　be　with　whom　a

retired　builder　has　had　such　very　large　transactions。　Is　it　possible

that　he　has　had　a　hand　in　the　affair？　Cornelius　might　be　a　broker；　but

we　have　found　no　scrip　to　correspond　with　these　larg