adventure11-第4章

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connection　with　it；　I　should　think　we　have　shaken　him

off　very　effectively。〃



〃My　dear　Watson；　you　evidently　did　not　realize　my

meaning　when　I　said　that　this　man　may　be　taken　as

being　quite　on　the　same　intellectual　plane　as　myself。　

You　do　not　imagine　that　if　I　were　the　pursuer　I　should

allow　myself　to　be　baffled　by　so　slight　an　obstacle。　

Why；　then；　should　you　think　so　meanly　of　him？〃



〃What　will　he　do？〃



〃What　I　should　do？〃



〃What　would　you　do；　then？〃



〃Engage　a　special。〃



〃But　it　must　be　late。〃



〃By　no　means。　　This　train　stops　at　Canterbury；　and

there　is　always　at　least　a　quarter　of　an　hour's　delay

at　the　boat。　　He　will　catch　us　there。〃



〃One　would　think　that　we　were　the　criminals。　　Let　us

have　him　arrested　on　his　arrival。〃



〃It　would　be　to　ruin　the　work　of　three　months。　　We

should　get　the　big　fish；　but　the　smaller　would　dart

right　and　left　out　of　the　net。　　On　Monday　we　should

have　them　all。　　No；　an　arrest　is　inadmissible。〃



〃What　then？〃



〃We　shall　get　out　at　Canterbury。〃



〃And　then？〃



〃Well；　then　we　must　make　a　cross…country　journey　to

Newhaven；　and　so　over　to　Dieppe。　　Moriarty　will　again

do　what　I　should　do。　　He　will　get　on　to　Paris；　mark

down　our　luggage；　and　wait　for　two　days　at　the　depot。　

In　the　meantime　we　shall　treat　ourselves　to　a　couple

of　carpet…bags；　encourage　the　manufactures　of　the

countries　through　which　we　travel；　and　make　our　way　at

our　leisure　into　Switzerland；　via　Luxembourg　and

Basle。〃



At　Canterbury；　therefore；　we　alighted；　only　to　find

that　we　should　have　to　wait　an　hour　before　we　could

get　a　train　to　Newhaven。



I　was　still　looking　rather　ruefully　after　the　rapidly

disappearing　luggage…van　which　contained　my　wardrobe；

when　Holmes　pulled　my　sleeve　and　pointed　up　the　line。



〃Already；　you　see；〃　said　he。



Far　away；　from　among　the　Kentish　woods　there　rose　a

thin　spray　of　smoke。　　A　minute　later　a　carriage　and

engine　could　be　seen　flying　along　the　open　curve　which

leads　to　the　station。　　We　had　hardly　time　to　take　our

place　behind　a　pile　of　luggage　when　it　passed　with　a

rattle　and　a　roar；　beating　a　blast　of　hot　air　into　our

faces。



〃There　he　goes；〃　said　Holmes；　as　we　watched　the

carriage　swing　and　rock　over　the　point。　〃There　are

limits；　you　see；　to　our　friend's　intelligence。　　It

would　have　been　a　coup…de…ma顃re　had　he　deduced　what　I

would　deduce　and　acted　accordingly。〃



〃And　what　would　he　have　done　had　he　overtaken　us？〃



〃There　cannot　be　the　least　doubt　that　he　would　have

made　a　murderous　attack　upon　me。　　It　is；　however；　a

game　at　which　two　may　play。　　The　question；　now　is

whether　we　should　take　a　premature　lunch　here；　or　run

our　chance　of　starving　before　we　reach　the　buffet　at

Newhaven。〃





We　made　our　way　to　Brussels　that　night　and　spent　two

days　there；　moving　on　upon　the　third　day　as　far　as

Strasburg。　　On　the　Monday　morning　Holmes　had

telegraphed　to　the　London　police；　and　in　the　evening

we　found　a　reply　waiting　for　us　at　our　hotel。　　Holmes

tore　it　open；　and　then　with　a　bitter　curse　hurled　it

into　the　grate。



〃I　might　have　known　it！〃　he　groaned。　　〃He　has

escaped！〃



〃Moriarty？〃



〃They　have　secured　the　whole　gang　with　the　exception

of　him。　　He　has　given　them　the　slip。　　Of　course；　when

I　had　left　the　country　there　was　no　one　to　cope　with

him。　　But　I　did　think　that　I　had　put　the　game　in　their

hands。　　I　think　that　you　had　better　return　to　England；

Watson。〃



〃Why？〃



〃Because　you　will　find　me　a　dangerous　companion　now。　

This　man's　occupation　is　gone。　　He　is　lost　if　he

returns　to　London。　　If　I　read　his　character　right　he

will　devote　his　whole　energies　to　revenging　himself

upon　me。　　He　said　as　much　in　our　short　interview；　and

I　fancy　that　he　meant　it。　　I　should　certainly

recommend　you　to　return　to　your　practice。〃



It　was　hardly　an　appeal　to　be　successful　with　one　who

was　an　old　campaigner　as　well　as　an　old　friend。　　We

sat　in　the　Strasburg　salle…唷璵anger　arguing　the

question　for　half　an　hour；　but　the　same　night　we　had

resumed　our　journey　and　were　well　on　our　way　to

Geneva。



For　a　charming　week　we　wandered　up　the　Valley　of　the

Rhone；　and　then；　branching　off　at　Leuk；　we　made　our

way　over　the　Gemmi　Pass；　still　deep　in　snow；　and　so；

by　way　of　Interlaken；　to　Meiringen。　　It　was　a　lovely

trip；　the　dainty　green　of　the　spring　below；　the　virgin

white　of　the　winter　above；　but　it　was　clear　to　me　that

never　for　one　instant　did　Holmes　forget　the　shadow

which　lay　across　him。　　In　the　homely　Alpine　villages

or　in　the　lonely　mountain　passes；　I　could　tell　by　his

quick　glancing　eyes　and　his　sharp　scrutiny　of　every

face　that　passed　us；　that　he　was　well　convinced　that；

walk　where　we　would；　we　could　not　walk　ourselves　clear

of　the　danger　which　was　dogging　our　footsteps。



Once；　I　remember；　as　we　passed　over　the　Gemmi；　and

walked　along　the　border　of　the　melancholy　Daubensee；　a

large　rock　which　had　been　dislodged　from　the　ridge

upon　our　right　clattered　down　and　roared　into　the　lake

behind　us。　　In　an　instant　Holmes　had　raced　up　on　to

the　ridge；　and；　standing　upon　a　lofty　pinnacle；　craned

his　neck　in　every　direction。　　It　was　in　vain　that　our

guide　assured　him　that　a　fall　of　stones　was　a　common

chance　in　the　spring…time　at　that　spot。　　He　said

nothing；　but　he　smiled　at　me　with　the　air　of　a　man　who

sees　the　fulfillment　of　that　which　he　had　expected。



And　yet　for　all　his　watchfulness　he　was　never

depressed。　　On　the　contrary；　I　can　never　recollect

having　seen　him　in　such　exuberant　spirits。　　Again　and

again　he　recurred　to　the　fact　that　if　he　could　be

assured　that　society　was　freed　from　Professor　Moriarty

he　would　cheerfully　bring　his　own　career　to　a

conclusion。



〃I　think　that　I　may　go　so　far　as　to　say；　Watson；　that

I　have　not　lived　wholly　in　vain；〃　he　remarked。　　〃If　my

record　were　closed　to…night　I　could　still　survey　it

with　equanimity。　　The　air　of　London　is　the　sweeter　for

my　presence。　　In　over　a　thousand　cases　I　am　not　aware

that　I　have　ever　used　my　powers　upon　the　wrong　side。　

Of　late　I　have　been　tempted　to　look　into　the　problems

furnished　by　nature　rather　than　those　more　superficial

ones　for　which　our　artificial　state　of　society　is

responsible。　　Your　memoirs　will　draw　to　an　end；

Watson；　upon　the　day　that　I　crown　my　career　by　the

capture　or　extinction　of　the　most　dangerous　and

capable　criminal　in　Europe。〃



I　shall　be　brief；　and　yet　exact；　in　the　little　which

remains　for　me　to　tell。　　It　is　not　a　subject　on　which

I　would　willingly　dwell；　and　yet　I　am　conscious　that　a

duty　devolves　upon　me　to　omit　no　detail。



It　was　on　the　3d　of　May　that　we　reached　the　little

village　of　Meiringen；　where　we　put　up　at　the

Englischer　Hof；　then　kept　by　Peter　Steiler　the　elder。　

Our　landlord　was　an　intelligent　　man；　and　spoke

excellent　English；　having　served　for　three　years　as

waiter　at　the　Grosvenor　Hotel　in　London。　　At　his

advice；　on　the　afternoon　of　the　4th　we　set　off

together；　with　the　intention　of　crossing　the　hills　and

spending　the　night　at　the　hamlet　of　Rosenlaui。　　We　had

strict　injunctions；　however；　on　no　account　to　pass　the

falls　of　Reichenbach；　which　are　about　half…way　up　the

hill；　without　making　a　small　detour　to　see　them。



It　is　indeed；　a　fearful　place。　　The　torrent；　swollen

by　the　melting　snow；　plunges　into　a　tremendous　abyss；

from　which　the　spray　rolls　up　like　the　smoke　from　a

burning　house。　　The　shaft　into　which　the　river　hurls

itself　is　a　immense　chasm；　lined　by　glistening

coal…black　rock；　and　narrowing　into　a　creaming；

boiling　pit　of　incalculable　depth；　which　brims　over

and　shoots　the　stream　onward　over　its　jagged　lip。　　The

long　sweep　of　green　water　roaring　forever　down；　and

the　thick　flickering　curtain　of　spray　hissing　forever

upward；　turn　a　man　giddy　with　their　constant　whirl　and

clamor。　　We　stood　near　the　edge　peering　down　at　the

gleam　of　the　breaking　water　far　below　us　against　the