the adventure of the priory school-第2章

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for　we　could　see　the　marks　of　his　feet　where　he　had　landed　on　the

lawn。　His　bicycle　was　kept　in　a　small　shed　beside　this　lawn；　and　it

also　was　gone。

　　〃He　had　been　with　me　for　two　years；　and　came　with　the　best

references；　but　he　was　a　silent；　morose　man；　not　very　popular　either

with　masters　or　boys。　No　trace　could　be　found　of　the　fugitives；　and

now；　on　Thursday　morning；　we　are　as　ignorant　as　we　were　on　Tuesday。

Inquiry　was；　of　course；　made　at　once　at　Holdernesse　Hall。　It　is　only　a

few　miles　away；　and　we　imagined　that；　in　some　sudden　attack　of

homesickness；　he　had　gone　back　to　his　father；　but　nothing　had　been

heard　of　him。　The　Duke　is　greatly　agitated；　and；　as　to　me；　you　have

seen　yourselves　the　state　of　nervous　prostration　to　which　the　suspense

and　the　responsibility　have　reduced　me。　Mr。　Holmes；　if　ever　you　put

forward　your　full　powers；　I　implore　you　to　do　so　now；　for　never　in

your　life　could　you　have　a　case　which　is　more　worthy　of　them。〃

　　Sherlock　Holmes　had　listened　with　the　utmost　intentness　to　the

statement　of　the　unhappy　schoolmaster。　His　drawn　brows　and　the　deep

furrow　between　them　showed　that　he　needed　no　exhortation　to

concentrate　all　his　attention　upon　a　problem　which；　apart　from　the

tremendous　interests　involved　must　appeal　so　directly　to　his　love　of

the　complex　and　the　unusual。　He　now　drew　out　his　notebook　and　jotted

down　one　or　two　memoranda。

　　〃You　have　been　very　remiss　in　not　coming　to　me　sooner；〃　said　he；

severely。　〃You　start　me　on　my　investigation　with　a　very　serious

handicap。　It　is　inconceivable；　for　example；　that　this　ivy　and　this

lawn　would　have　yielded　nothing　to　an　expert　observer。〃

　　〃I　am　not　to　blame；　Mr。　Holmes。　His　Grace　was　extremely　desirous

to　avoid　all　public　scandal。　He　was　afraid　of　his　family　unhappiness

being　dragged　before　the　world。　He　has　a　deep　horror　of　anything　of

the　kind。〃

　　〃But　there　has　been　some　official　investigation？〃

　　〃Yes；　sir；　and　it　has　proved　most　disappointing。　An　apparent　clue

was　at　once　obtained；　since　a　boy　and　a　young　man　were　reported　to

have　been　seen　leaving　a　neighbouring　station　by　an　early　train。

Only　last　night　we　had　news　that　the　couple　had　been　hunted　down　in

Liverpool；　and　they　prove　to　have　no　connection　whatever　with　the

matter　in　hand。　Then　it　was　that　in　my　despair　and　disappointment；

after　a　sleepless　night；　I　came　straight　to　you　by　the　early　train。〃

　　〃I　suppose　the　local　investigation　was　relaxed　while　this　false　clue

was　being　followed　up？〃

　　〃It　was　entirely　dropped。〃

　　〃So　that　three　days　have　been　wasted。　The　affair　has　been　most

deplorably　handled。〃

　　〃I　feel　it　and　admit　it。〃

　　〃And　yet　the　problem　should　be　capable　of　ultimate　solution。　I　shall

be　very　happy　to　look　into　it。　Have　you　been　able　to　trace　any

connection　between　the　missing　boy　and　this　German　master？〃

　　〃None　at　all。〃

　　〃Was　he　in　the　master's　class？〃

　　〃No；　he　never　exchanged　a　word　with　him；　so　far　as　I　know。〃

　　〃That　is　certainly　very　singular。　Had　the　boy　a　bicycle？〃

　　〃No。〃

　　〃Was　any　other　bicycle　missing？〃

　　〃No。〃

　　〃Is　that　certain？〃

　　〃Quite。〃

　　〃Well；　now；　you　do　not　mean　to　seriously　suggest　that　this　German

rode　off　upon　a　bicycle　in　the　dead　of　the　night；　bearing　the　boy　in

his　arms？〃

　　〃Certainly　not。〃

　　〃Then　what　is　the　theory　in　your　mind？〃

　　〃The　bicycle　may　have　been　a　blind。　It　may　have　been　hidden

somewhere；　and　the　pair　gone　off　on　foot。〃

　　〃Quite　so；　but　it　seems　rather　an　absurd　blind；　does　it　not？　Were

there　other　bicycles　in　this　shed？〃

　　〃Several。〃

　　〃Would　he　not　have　hidden　a　couple；　had　he　desired　to　give　the

idea　that　they　had　gone　off　upon　them？〃

　　〃I　suppose　he　would。〃

　　〃Of　course　he　would。　The　blind　theory　won't　do。　But　the　incident

is　an　admirable　starting…point　for　an　investigation。　After　all；　a

bicycle　is　not　an　easy　thing　to　conceal　or　to　destroy。　One　other

question。　Did　anyone　call　to　see　the　boy　on　the　day　before　he

disappeared？〃

　　〃No。〃

　　〃Did　he　get　any　letters？〃

　　〃Yes；　one　letter。〃

　　〃From　whom？〃

　　〃From　his　father。〃

　　〃Do　you　open　the　boys'　letters？〃

　　〃No。〃

　　〃How　do　you　know　it　was　from　the　father？〃

　　〃The　coat　of　arms　was　on　the　envelope；　and　it　was　addressed　in　the

Duke's　peculiar　stiff　hand。　Besides；　the　Duke　remembers　having

written。〃

　　〃When　had　he　a　letter　before　that？〃

　　〃Not　for　several　days。〃

　　〃Had　he　ever　one　from　France？〃

　　〃No；　never。

　　〃You　see　the　point　of　my　questions；　of　course。　Either　the　boy　was

carried　off　by　force　or　he　went　of　his　own　free　will。　In　the　latter

case；　you　would　expect　that　some　prompting　from　outside　would　be

needed　to　make　so　young　a　lad　do　such　a　thing。　If　he　has　had　no

visitors；　that　prompting　must　have　come　in　letters；　hence　I　try　to

find　out　who　were　his　correspondents。〃

　　〃I　fear　I　cannot　help　you　much。　His　only　correspondent；　so　far　as

I　know；　was　his　own　father。〃

　　〃Who　wrote　to　him　on　the　very　day　of　his　disappearance。　Were　the

relations　between　father　and　son　very　friendly？〃

　　〃His　Grace　is　never　very　friendly　with　anyone。　He　is　completely

immersed　in　large　public　questions；　and　is　rather　inaccessible　to

all　ordinary　emotions。　But　he　was　always　kind　to　the　boy　in　his　own

way。〃

　　〃But　the　of　the　latter　were　with　the　mother？〃

　　〃Yes。〃

　　〃Did　he　say　so？〃

　　〃No。〃

　　〃The　Duke；　then？〃

　　〃Good　heaven；　no！〃

　　〃Then　how　could　you　know？〃

　　〃I　have　had　some　confidential　talks　with　Mr。　James　Wilder；　his

Graces　secretary。　It　was　he　who　gave　me　the　information　about　Lord

Saltire's　feelings。〃

　　〃I　see。　By　the　way；　that　last　letter　of　the　Dukes…　was　it　found　in

the　boy's　room　after　he　was　gone？〃

　　〃No；　he　had　taken　it　with　him。　I　think；　Mr。　Holmes；　it　is　time

that　we　were　leaving　for　Euston。〃

　　〃I　will　order　a　four…wheeler。　In　a　quarter　of　an　hour；　we　shall　be

at　your　service。　If　you　are　telegraphing　home；　Mr。　Huxtable；　it

would　be　well　to　allow　the　people　in　your　neighbourhood　to　imagine

that　the　inquiry　is　still　going　on　in　Liverpool；　or　wherever　else　that

red　herring　led　your　pack。　In　the　meantime　I　will　do　a　little　quiet

work　at　your　own　doors；　and　perhaps　the　scent　is　not　so　cold　but

that　two　old　hounds　like　Watson　and　myself　may　get　a　sniff　of　it。〃

　　That　evening　found　us　in　the　cold；　bracing　atmosphere　of　the　Peak

country；　in　which　Dr。　Huxtable's　famous　school　is　situated。　It　was

already　dark　when　we　reached　it。　A　card　was　lying　on　the　hall　table；

and　the　butler　whispered　something　to　his　master；　who　turned　to　us

with　agitation　in　every　heavy　feature。

　　〃The　Duke　is　here；〃　said　he。　〃The　Duke　and　Mr。　Wilder　are　in　the

study。　Come；　gentlemen；　and　I　will　introduce　you。〃

　　I　was；　of　course；　familiar　with　the　pictures　of　the　famous

statesman；　but　the　man　himself　was　very　different　from　his

representation。　He　was　a　tall　and　stately　person；　scrupulously

dressed；　with　a　drawn；　thin　face；　and　a　nose　which　was　grotesquely

curved　and　long。　His　complexion　was　of　a　dead　pallor；　which　was　more

startling　by　contrast　with　a　long；　dwindling　beard　of　vivid　red；　which

flowed　down　over　his　white　waistcoat　with　his　watch…chain　gleaming

through　its　fringe。　Such　was　the　stately　presence　who　looked　stonily

at　us　from　the　centre　of　Dr。　Huxtable's　hearthrug。　Beside　him　stood

a　very　young　man；　whom　I　understood　to　be　Wilder；　the　private

secretary。　He　was　small；　nervous；　alert　with　intelligent　light…blue

eyes　and　mobile　features。　It　was　he　who　at　once；　in　an　incisive　and

positive　tone；　opened　the　conversation。

　　〃I　called　this　morning；　Dr。　Huxtable；　too　late　to　prevent　you　from

starting　for　London。　I　learned　that　your　object　was　to　invite　Mr。

Sherlock　Holmes　to　undertake　the　conduct　of　this　case。　His　Grace　is

surprised；　Dr。　Huxtable；　that　you　should　have　taken　such　a　step

without　consulting　him。〃

　　〃When　I　learned　that　the　police　had　failed…〃

　　〃His　Grace　is　by　no　means　convinced　that　the　police　have　failed。〃

　　〃But　surely；　Mr。　Wilder…〃

　　〃You　are　well　aware；　Dr。　Huxtable；　that　his　Grace　is　particularly

anxious　to　avoid　all　public　scandal。　He　prefers　to　take　as　few

people　as　possible　into　his　confidence。〃

　　〃The　matter　can　be