adventure09-第4章

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〃The　carriage　which　had　brought　me　was　already　out　of

sight。　　I　stood　gazing　round　and　wondering　where　on

earth　I　might　be；　when　I　saw　some　one　coming　towards

me　in　the　darkness。　　As　he　came　up　to　me　I　made　out

that　he　was　a　railway　porter。



〃'Can　you　tell　me　what　place　this　is？'　I　asked。



〃'Wandsworth　Common；'　said　he。



〃'Can　I　get　a　train　into　town？'



〃'If　you　walk　on　a　mile　or　so　to　Clapham　Junction；'

said　he；　'you'll　just　be　in　time　for　the　last　to

Victoria。'



〃So　that　was　the　end　of　my　adventure；　Mr。　Holmes。　　I

do　not　know　where　I　was；　nor　whom　I　spoke　with；　nor

anything　save　what　I　have　told　you。　　But　I　know　that

there　is　foul　play　going　on；　and　I　want　to　help　that

unhappy　man　if　I　can。　　I　told　the　whole　story　to　Mr。

Mycroft　Holmes　next　morning；　and　subsequently　to　the

police。〃



We　all　sat　in　silence　for　some　little　time　after

listening　to　this　extraordinary　narrative。　　Then

Sherlock　looked　across　at　his　brother。



〃Any　steps？〃　he　asked。



Mycroft　picked　up　the　Daily　News；　which　was　lying　on

the　side…table。



〃'Anybody　supplying　any　information　to　the　whereabouts

of　a　Greek　gentleman　named　Paul　Kratides；　from　Athens；

who　is　unable　to　speak　English；　will　be　rewarded。　　A

similar　reward　paid　to　any　one　giving　information

about　a　Greek　lady　whose　first　name　is　Sophy。　　X

2473。'　　That　was　in　all　the　dailies。　　No　answer。〃



〃How　about　the　Greek　Legation？〃



〃I　have　inquired。　　They　know　nothing。〃



〃A　wire　to　the　head　of　the　Athens　police；　then？〃



〃Sherlock　has　all　the　energy　of　the　family；〃　said

Mycroft；　turning　to　me。　　〃Well；　you　take　the　case　up

by　all　means；　and　let　me　know　if　you　do　any　good。〃



〃Certainly；〃　answered　my　friend；　rising　from　his

chair。　　〃I'll　let　you　know；　and　Mr。　Melas　also。　　In

the　meantime；　Mr。　Melas；　I　should　certainly　be　on　my

guard；　if　I　were　you；　for　of　course　they　must　know

through　these　advertisements　that　you　have　betrayed

them。〃



As　we　walked　home　together；　Holmes　stopped　at　a

telegraph　office　and　sent　off　several　wires。



〃You　see；　Watson；〃　he　remarked；　〃our　evening　has　been

by　no　means　wasted。　　Some　of　my　most　interesting　cases

have　come　to　me　in　this　way　through　Mycroft。　　The

problem　which　we　have　just　listened　to；　although　it

can　admit　of　but　one　explanation；　has　still　some

distinguishing　features。〃



〃You　have　hopes　of　solving　it？〃



〃Well；　knowing　as　much　as　we　do；　it　will　be　singular

indeed　if　we　fail　to　discover　the　rest。　　You　must

yourself　have　formed　some　theory　which　will　explain

the　facts　to　which　we　have　listened。〃



〃In　a　vague　way；　yes。〃



〃What　was　your　idea；　then？〃



〃IT　seemed　to　me　to　be　obvious　that　this　Greek　girl

had　been　carried　off　by　the　young　Englishman　named

Harold　Latimer。〃



〃Carried　off　from　where？〃



〃Athens；　perhaps。〃



Sherlock　Holmes　shook　his　head。　　〃This　young　man　could

not　talk　a　word　of　Greek。　　The　lady　could　talk　English

fairly　well。　　Inferencethat　she　had　been　in　England

some　little　time；　but　he　had　not　been　in　Greece。〃



〃Well；　then；　we　will　presume　that　she　had　come　on　a

visit　to　England；　and　that　this　Harold　had　persuaded

her　to　fly　with　him。〃



〃That　is　more　probable。〃



〃Then　the　brotherfor　that；　I　fancy；　must　be　the

relationshipcomes　over　from　Greece　to　interfere。　　He

imprudently　puts　himself　into　the　power　of　the　young

man　and　his　older　associate。　　They　seize　him　and　use

violence　towards　him　in　order　to　make　him　sign　some

papers　to　make　over　the　girl's　fortuneof　which　he

may　be　trusteeto　them。　　This　he　refuses　to　do。　　In

order　to　negotiate　with　him　they　have　to　get　an

interpreter　；　and　they　pitch　upon　this　Mr。　Melas；

having　used　some　other　one　before。　　The　girl　is　not

told　of　the　arrival　of　her　brother；　and　finds　it　out

by　the　merest　accident。〃



〃Excellent；　Watson！〃　cried　Holmes。　　〃I　really　fancy

that　you　are　not　far　from　the　truth。　　You　see　that　we

hold　all　the　cards；　and　we　have　only　to　fear　some

sudden　act　of　violence　on　their　part。　　If　they　give　us

time　we　must　have　them。〃



〃But　how　can　we　find　where　this　house　lies？〃



〃Well；　if　our　conjecture　is　correct　and　the　girl's

name　is　or　was　Sophy　Kratides；　we　should　have　no

difficulty　in　tracing　her。　　That　must　be　our　main

hope；　for　the　brother　is；　of　course；　a　complete

stranger。　　It　is　clear　that　some　time　has　elapsed

since　this　Harold　established　these　relations　with　the

girlsome　weeks；　at　any　ratesince　the　brother　in

Greece　has　had　time　to　hear　of　it　and　come　across。　　If

they　have　been　living　in　the　same　place　during　this

time；　it　is　probable　that　we　shall　have　some　answer　to

Mycroft's　advertisement。〃



We　had　reached　our　house　in　Baker　Street　while　we　had

been　talking。　　Holmes　ascended　the　stair　first；　and　as

he　opened　the　door　of　our　room　he　gave　a　start　of

surprise。　　Looking　over　his　shoulder；　I　was　equally

astonished。　　His　brother　Mycroft　was　sitting　smoking

in　the　arm…chair。



〃Come　in；　Sherlock！　　Come　in；　sir；〃　said　he　blandly；

smiling　at　our　surprised　faces。　　〃You　don't　expect

such　energy　from　me；　do　you；　Sherlock？　　But　somehow

this　case　attracts　me。〃



〃How　did　you　get　here？〃



〃I　passed　you　in　a　hansom。〃



〃There　has　been　some　new　development？〃



〃I　had　an　answer　to　my　advertisement。〃



〃Ah！〃



〃Yes；　it　came　within　a　few　minutes　of　your　leaving。〃



〃And　to　what　effect？〃



Mycroft　Holmes　took　out　a　sheet　of　paper。



〃Here　it　is；〃　said　he；　〃written　with　a　J　pen　on　royal

cream　paper　by　a　middle…aged　man　with　a　weak

constitution。　　'Sir；'　he　says；　'in　answer　to　your

advertisement　of　to…day's　date；　I　beg　to　inform　you

that　know　the　young　lady　in　question　very　well。　　If

you　should　care　to　call　upon　me　I　could　give　you　some

particulars　as　to　her　painful　history。　　She　is　living

at　present　at　The　Myrtles；　Beckenham。　　Yours

faithfully；　J。　Davenport。'



〃He　writes　from　Lower　Brixton；〃　said　Mycroft　Holmes。　

〃Do　you　not　think　that　we　might　drive　to　him　now；

Sherlock；　and　learn　these　particulars？〃



〃My　dear　Mycroft；　the　brother's　life　is　more　valuable

than　the　sister's　story。　　I　think　we　should　call　at

Scotland　Yard　for　Inspector　Gregson；　and　go　straight

out　to　Beckenham。　　We　know　that　a　man　is　being　done　to

death；　and　every　hour　may　be　vital。〃



〃Better　pick　up　Mr。　Melas　on　our　way；〃　I　suggested。　

〃We　may　need　an　interpreter。〃



〃Excellent；〃　said　Sherlock　Holmes。　　〃Send　the　boy　for

a　four…wheeler；　and　we　shall　be　off　at　once。〃　　He

opened　the　table…drawer　as　he　spoke；　and　I　noticed

that　he　slipped　his　revolver　into　his　pocket。　　〃Yes；〃

said　he；　in　answer　to　my　glance；　〃I　should　say　from

what　we　have　heard；　that　we　are　dealing　with　a

particularly　dangerous　gang。〃



It　was　almost　dark　before　we　found　ourselves　in　Pall

Mall；　at　the　rooms　of　Mr。　Melas。　　A　gentleman　had　just

called　for　him；　and　he　was　gone。



〃Can　you　tell　me　where？〃　asked　Mycroft　Holmes。



〃I　don't　know；　sir；〃　answered　the　woman　who　had　opened

the　door；　〃I　only　know　that　he　drove　away　with　the

gentleman　in　a　carriage。〃



〃Did　the　gentleman　give　a　name？〃



〃No；　sir。〃



〃He　wasn't　a　tall；　handsome；　dark　young　man？〃



〃Oh；　nor；　sir。　　He　was　a　little　gentleman；　with

glasses；　thin　in　the　face；　but　very　pleasant　in　his

ways；　for　he　was　laughing　al　the　time　that　he　was

talking。〃



〃Come　along！〃　cried　Sherlock　Holmes；　abruptly。　　〃This

grows　serious；〃　he　observed；　as　we　drove　to　Scotland

Yard。　　〃These　men　have　got　hold　of　Melas　again。　　He　is

a　man　of　no　physical　courage；　as　they　are　well　aware

from　their　experience　the　other　night。　　This　villain

was　able　to　terrorize　him　the　instant　that　he　got　into

his　presence。　　No　doubt　they　want　his　professional

services；　but；　having　used　him；　they　may　be　inclined

to　punish　him　for　what　they　will　regard　as　his

treachery。〃



Our　hope　was　that；　by　taking　train；　we　might　get　to

Beckenham　as　soon　or　sooner　than