the musgrave ritual-第4章

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pictures　and　read　descriptions　of　the　famous　old　building；　so　I　will

confine　my　account　of　it　to　saying　that　it　is　built　in　the　shape　of　an

L；　the　long　arm　being　the　more　modern　portion；　and　the　shorter　the

ancient　nucleus　from　which　the　other　has　developed。　Over　the　low；

heavy…lintelled　door；　in　the　centre　of　this　old　part；　is　chiselled　the

date；　1607；　but　experts　are　agreed　that　the　beams　and　stonework　are

really　much　older　than　this。　The　enormously　thick　walls　and　tiny

windows　of　this　part　had　in　the　last　century　driven　the　family　into

building　the　new　wing；　and　the　old　one　was　used　now　as　a　storehouse

and　a　cellar；　when　it　was　used　at　all。　A　splendid　park　with　fine　old

timber　surrounds　the　house；　and　the　lake；　to　which　my　client　had

referred；　lay　close　to　the　avenue；　about　two　hundred　yards　from　the

building。

　　〃I　was　already　firmly　convinced；　Watson；　that　there　were　not　three

separate　mysteries　here；　but　one　only；　and　that　if　I　could　read　the

Musgrave　Ritual　aright　I　should　hold　in　my　hand　the　clue　which　would

lead　me　to　the　truth　concerning　both　the　butler　Brunton　and　the　maid

Howells。　To　that　then　I　turned　all　my　energies。　Why　should　this

servant　be　so　anxious　to　master　this　old　formula？　Evidently　because　he

saw　something　in　it　which　had　escaped　all　those　generations　of　country

squires；　and　from　which　he　expected　some　personal　advantage。　What

was　it　then；　and　how　had　it　affected　his　fate？

　　〃It　was　perfectly　obvious　to　me；　on　reading　the　Ritual；　that　the

measurements　must　refer　to　some　spot　to　which　the　rest　of　the　document

alluded；　and　that　if　we　could　find　that　spot　we　should　be　in　a　fair

way　towards　finding　what　the　secret　was　which　the　old　Musgraves　had

thought　it　necessary　to　embalm　in　so　curious　a　fashion。　There　were　two

guides　given　us　to　start　with；　an　oak　and　an　elm。　As　to　the　oak

there　could　be　no　question　at　all。　Right　in　front　of　the　house；　upon

the　lefthand　side　of　the　drive；　there　stood　a　patriarch　among　oaks；

one　of　the　most　magnificent　trees　that　I　have　ever　seen。

　　〃'That　was　there　when　your　Ritual　was　drawn　up；'　said　I　as　we

drove　past　it。

　　〃'It　was　there　at　the　Norman　Conquest　in　all　probability；'　he

answered。　'It　has　a　girth　of　twenty…three　feet。'

　　〃Here　was　one　of　my　fixed　points　secured。

　　〃'Have　you　any　old　elms？'　I　asked。

　　〃'There　used　to　be　a　very　old　one　over　yonder；　but　it　was　struck

by　lightning　ten　years　ago；　and　we　cut　down　the　stump。'

　〃'You　can　see　where　it　used　to　be？'

　　〃‘Oh　yes。'

　　〃‘There　are　no　other　elms？'

　　〃'No　old　ones；　but　plenty　of　beeches。'

　　〃'I　should　like　to　see　where　it　grew。'

　　〃We　had　driven　up　in　a　dog…cart；　and　my　client　led　me　away　at

once；　without　our　entering　the　house；　to　the　scar　on　the　lawn　where

the　elm　had　stood。　It　was　nearly　midway　between　the　oak　and　the　house。

My　investigation　seemed　to　be　progressing。

　　〃'I　suppose　it　is　impossible　to　find　out　how　high　the　elm　was？'　I

asked。

　　〃'I　can　give　you　it　at　once。　It　was　sixty…four　feet。'

　　〃'How　do　you　come　to　know　it？'　I　asked　in　surprise。

　　〃'When　my　old　tutor　used　to　give　me　an　exercise　in　trigonometry；

it　always　took　the　shape　of　measuring　heights。　When　I　was　a　lad　I

worked　out　every　tree　and　building　in　the　estate。'

　　〃This　was　an　unexpected　piece　of　luck。　My　data　were　coming　more

quickly　than　I　could　have　reasonably　hoped。

　　〃'Tell　me；'　I　asked；　'did　your　butler　ever　ask　you　such　a　question？'

　　〃Reginald　Musgrave　looked　at　me　in　astonishment。　'Now　that　you

call　it　to　my　mind；'　he　answered；　'Brunton　did　ask　me　about　the　height

of　the　tree　some　months　ago　in　connection　with　some　little　argument

with　the　groom。'

　　〃This　was　excellent　news；　Watson；　for　it　showed　me　that　I　was　on　the

right　road。　I　looked　up　at　the　sun。　It　was　low　in　the　heavens；　and　I

calculated　that　in　less　than　an　hour　it　would　lie　just　above　the

topmost　branches　of　the　old　oak。　One　condition　mentioned　in　the　Ritual

would　then　be　fulfilled。　And　the　shadow　of　the　elm　must　mean　the

farther　end　of　the　shadow；　otherwise　the　trunk　would　have　been

chosen　as　the　guide。　I　had；　then；　to　find　where　the　far　end　of　the

shadow　would　fall　when　the　sun　was　just　clear　of　the　oak。〃

　　〃That　must　have　been　difficult；　Holmes；　when　the　elm　was　no　longer

there。〃

　　〃Well；　at　least　I　knew　that　if　Brunton　could　do　it；　I　could　also。

Besides；　there　was　no　real　difficulty。　I　went　with　Musgrave　to　his

study　and　whittled　myself　this　peg；　to　which　I　tied　this　long　string

with　a　knot　at　each　yard。　Then　I　took　two　lengths　of　a　fishing…rod；

which　came　to　just　six　feet；　and　I　went　back　with　my　client　to　where

the　elm　had　been。　The　sun　was　just　grazing　the　top　of　the　oak。　I

fastened　the　rod　on　end；　marked　out　the　direction　of　the　shadow；　and

measured　it。　It　was　nine　feet　in　length。

　　〃Of　course　the　calculation　now　was　a　simple　one。　If　a　rod　of　six

feet　threw　a　shadow　of　nine；　a　tree　of　sixty…four　feet　would　throw　one

of　ninety…six；　and　the　line　of　the　one　would　of　course　be　the　line

of　the　other。　I　measured　out　the　distance；　which　brought　me　almost

to　the　wall　of　the　house；　and　I　thrust　a　peg　into　the　spot。　You　can

imagine　my　exultation；　Watson；　when　within　two　inches　of　my　peg　I

saw　a　conical　depression　in　the　ground。　I　knew　that　it　was　the　mark

made　by　Brunton　in　his　measurements；　and　that　I　was　still　upon　his

trail。

　　〃From　this　starting…point　I　proceeded　to　step；　having　first　taken

the　cardinal　points　by　my　pocket…compass。　Ten　steps　with　each　foot

took　me　along　parallel　with　the　wall　of　the　house；　and　again　I

marked　my　spot　with　a　peg。　Then　I　carefully　paced　off　five　to　the　east

and　two　to　the　south。　It　brought　me　to　the　very　threshold　of　the　old

door。　Two　steps　to　the　west　meant　now　that　I　was　to　go　two　paces

down　the　stone…flagged　passage；　and　this　was　the　place　indicated　by

the　Ritual。

　　〃Never　have　I　felt　such　a　cold　chill　of　disappointment；　Watson。

For　a　moment　it　seemed　to　me　that　there　must　be　some　radical　mistake

in　my　calculations。　The　setting　sun　shone　full　upon　the　passage　floor；

and　I　could　see　that　the　old；　foot…worn　gray　stones　with　which　it

was　paved　were　firmly　cemented　together；　and　had　certainly　not　been

moved　for　many　a　long　year。　Brunton　had　not　been　at　work　here。　I

tapped　upon　the　floor；　but　it　sounded　the　same　all　over；　and　there　was

no　sign　of　any　crack　or　crevice。　But　fortunately；　Musgrave；　who　had

begun　to　appreciate　the　meaning　of　my　proceedings；　and　who　was　now

as　excited　as　myself；　took　out　his　manuscript　to　check　my

calculations。

　　〃'And　under；'　he　cried。　'You　have　omitted　the　and　under。'

　　〃I　had　thought　that　it　meant　that　we　were　to　dig；　but　now；　of

course；　I　saw　at　once　that　I　was　wrong。　'There　is　a　cedar　under　this

then？'　I　cried。

　　〃'Yes；　and　as　old　as　the　house。　Down　here；　through　this　door。'

　　〃We　went　down　a　winding　stone　stair；　and　my　companion；　striking　a

match；　lit　a　large　lantern　which　stood　on　a　barrel　in　the　corner。　In

an　instant　it　was　obvious　that　we　had　at　last　come　upon　the　true

place；　and　that　we　had　not　been　the　only　people　to　visit　the　spot

recently。

　　〃It　had　been　used　for　the　storage　of　wood；　but　the　billets；　which

had　evidently　been　littered　over　the　floor；　were　now　piled　at　the

sides；　so　as　to　leave　a　clear　space　in　the　middle。　In　this　space　lay　a

large　and　heavy　flagstone　with　a　rusted　iron　ring　in　the　centre　to

which　a　thick　shepherd's…check　muffler　was　attached。

　　〃'By　Jove！'　cried　my　client。　'That's　Brunton's　muffler。　I　have

seen　it　on　him　and　could　swear　to　it。　What　has　the　villain　been

doing　here？'

　　〃At　my　suggestion　a　couple　of　the　county　police　were　summoned　to

be　present；　and　I　then　endeavoured　to　raise　the　stone　by　pulling　on

the　cravat。　I　could　only　move　it　slightly；　and　it　was　with　the　aid

of　one　of　the　constables　that　I　succeeded　at　last　in　carrying　it　to

one　side。　A　black　hole　yawned　beneath　into　which　we　all　peered；

while　Musgrave；　kneeling　at　the　side；　pushed　down　the　lantern。

　　〃A　small　chamber　about　seven　feet　deep　and　four　feet　square　lay　open

to　us。　At　one　side　of　this　was　a　squat；　brass…bound　wooden　box；　the

lid　of　which　was　hinged　upward；　wit