the adventure of the bruce-partington plan-第5章

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building　after　hours；　he　would　need　three　keys；　would　he　not；　before

he　could　reach　the　papers？〃

　　〃Yes；　he　would。　The　key　of　the　outer　door；　the　key　of　the　office；

and　the　key　of　the　safe。〃

　　〃Only　Sir　James　Walter　and　you　had　those　keys？〃

　　〃I　had　no　keys　of　the　doors…　only　of　the　safe。〃

　　〃Was　Sir　James　a　man　who　was　orderly　in　his　habits？〃

　　〃Yes；　I　think　he　was。　I　know　that　so　far　as　those　three　keys　are

concerned　he　kept　them　on　the　same　ring。　I　have　often　seen　them

there。〃

　　〃And　that　ring　went　with　him　to　London？〃

　　〃He　said　so。〃

　　〃And　your　key　never　left　your　possession？〃

　　〃Never。〃

　　〃Then　West；　if　he　is　the　culprit；　must　have　had　a　duplicate。　And　yet

none　were　found　upon　his　body。　One　other　point：　if　a　clerk　in　this

office　desired　to　sell　the　plans；　would　it　not　be　simpler　to　copy

the　plans　for　himself　than　to　take　the　originals；　as　was　actually

done？〃

　　〃It　would　take　considerable　technical　knowledge　to　copy　the　plans　in

an　effective　way。〃

　　〃But　I　suppose　either　Sir　James；　or　you；　or　West　had　that

technical　knowledge？〃

　　〃No　doubt　we　had；　but　I　beg　you　won't　try　to　drag　me　into　the

matter；　Mr。　Holmes。　What　is　the　use　of　our　speculating　in　this　way

when　the　original　plans　were　actually　found　on　West？〃

　　〃Well；　it　is　certainly　singular　that　he　should　run　the　risk　of

taking　originals　if　he　could　safely　have　taken　copies；　which　would

have　equally　served　his　turn。〃

　　〃Singular；　no　doubt…　and　yet　he　did　so。〃

　　〃Every　inquiry　in　this　case　reveals　something　inexplicable。　Now

there　are　three　papers　still　missing。　They　are；　as　I　understand；　the

vital　ones。〃

　　〃Yes；　that　is　so。〃

　　〃Do　you　mean　to　say　that　anyone　holding　these　three　papers；　and

without　the　seven　others；　could　construct　a　Bruce…Partington

submarine？〃

　　〃I　reported　to　that　effect　to　the　Admiralty。　But　to…day　I　have

been　over　the　drawings　again；　and　I　am　not　so　sure　of　it。　The　double

valves　with　the　automatic　self…adjusting　slots　are　drawn　in　one　of　the

papers　which　have　been　returned。　Until　the　foreigners　had　invented

that　for　themselves　they　could　not　make　the　boat。　Of　course　they　might

soon　get　over　the　difficulty。〃

　　〃But　the　three　missing　drawings　are　the　most　important？〃

　　〃Undoubtedly。〃

　　〃I　think；　with　your　permission；　I　will　now　take　a　stroll　round　the

premises。　I　do　not　recall　any　other　question　which　I　desired　to　ask。〃

　　He　examined　the　lock　of　the　safe；　the　door　of　the　room；　and

finally　the　iron　shutters　of　the　window。　It　was　only　when　we　were　on

the　lawn　outside　that　his　interest　was　strongly　excited。　There　was　a

laurel　bush　outside　the　window；　and　several　of　the　branches　bore　signs

of　having　been　twisted　or　snapped。　He　examined　them　carefully　with　his

lens；　and　then　some　dim　and　vague　marks　upon　the　earth　beneath。

Finally　he　asked　the　chief　clerk　to　close　the　iron　shutters；　and　he

pointed　out　to　me　that　they　hardly　met　in　the　centre；　and　that　it

would　be　possible　for　anyone　outside　to　see　what　was　going　on　within

the　room。

　　〃The　indications　are　ruined　by　the　three　days'　delay。　They　may

mean　something　or　nothing。　Well；　Watson；　I　do　not　think　that

Woolwich　can　help　us　further。　It　is　a　small　crop　which　we　have

gathered。　Let　us　see　if　we　can　do　better　in　London。〃

　　Yet　we　added　one　more　sheaf　to　our　harvest　before　we　left　Woolwich

Station。　The　clerk　in　the　ticket　office　was　able　to　say　with

confidence　that　he　saw　Cadogan　West…　whom　he　knew　well　by　sight…

upon　the　Monday　night；　and　that　he　went　to　London　by　the　8：15　to

London　Bridge。　He　was　alone　and　took　a　single　third…class　ticket。

The　clerk　was　struck　at　the　time　by　his　excited　and　nervous　manner。　So

shaky　was　he　that　he　could　hardly　pick　up　his　change；　and　the　clerk

had　helped　him　with　it。　A　reference　to　the　timetable　showed　that　the

8：15　was　the　first　train　which　it　was　possible　for　West　to　take

after　he　had　left　the　lady　about　7：30。

　　〃Let　us　reconstruct；　Watson；〃　said　Holmes　after　half　an　hour　of

silence。　〃I　am　not　aware　that　in　all　our　joint　researches　we　have　ever

had　a　case　which　was　more　difficult　to　get　at。　Every　fresh　advance

which　we　make　only　reveals　a　fresh　ridge　beyond。　And　yet　we　have

surely　made　some　appreciable　progress。

　　〃The　effect　of　our　inquiries　at　Woolwich　has　in　the　main　been

against　young　Cadogan　West；　but　the　indications　at　the　window　would

lend　themselves　to　a　more　favourable　hypothesis。　Let　us　suppose；　for

example；　that　he　had　been　approached　by　some　foreign　agent。　It　might

have　been　done　under　such　pledges　as　would　have　prevented　him　from

speaking　of　it；　and　yet　would　have　affected　his　thoughts　in　the

direction　indicated　by　his　remarks　to　his　fiancee。　Very　good。　We

will　now　suppose　that　as　he　went　to　the　theatre　with　the　young　lady　he

suddenly；　in　the　fog；　caught　a　glimpse　of　this　same　agent　going　in　the

direction　of　the　office。　He　was　an　impetuous　man；　quick　in　his

decisions。　Everything　gave　way　to　his　duty。　He　followed　the　man；

reached　the　window；　saw　the　abstraction　of　the　documents；　and

pursued　the　thief。　In　this　way　we　get　over　the　objection　that　no　one

would　take　originals　when　he　could　make　copies。　This　outsider　had　to

take　originals。　So　far　it　holds　together。〃

　　〃What　is　the　next　step？〃

　　〃Then　we　come　into　difficulties。　One　would　imagine　that　under　such

circumstances　the　first　act　of　young　Cadogan　West　would　be　to　seize

the　villain　and　raise　the　alarm。　Why　did　he　not　do　so？　Could　it　have

been　an　official　superior　who　took　the　papers？　That　would　explain

West's　conduct。　Or　could　the　chief　have　given　West　the　slip　in　the

fog；　and　West　started　at　once　to　London　to　head　him　off　from　his　own

rooms；　presuming　that　he　knew　where　the　rooms　were？　The　call　must　have

been　very　pressing；　since　he　left　his　girl　standing　in　the　fog　and

made　no　effort　to　communicate　with　her。　Our　scent　runs　cold　here；

and　there　is　a　vast　gap　between　either　hypothesis　and　the　laying　of

West's　body；　with　seven　papers　in　his　pocket；　on　the　roof　of　a

Metropolitan　train。　My　instinct　now　is　to　work　from　the　other　end。

If　Mycroft　has　given　us　the　list　of　addresses　we　may　be　able　to　pick

our　man　and　follow　two　tracks　instead　of　one。〃

　　Surely　enough；　a　note　awaited　us　at　Baker　Street。　A　government

messenger　had　brought　it　post…haste。　Holmes　glanced　at　it　and　threw　it

over　to　me。



　　〃There　are　numerous　small　fry；　but　few　who　would　handle　so　big　an

affair。　The　only　men　worth　considering　are　Adolph　Meyer；　of　13　Great

George　Street；　Westminster；　Louis　La　Rothiere；　of　Campden　Mansions；

Notting　Hill；　and　Hugo　Oberstein；　13　Caulfield　Gardens；　Kensington。

The　latter　was　known　to　be　in　town　on　Monday　and　is　now　reported　as

having　left。　Glad　to　hear　you　have　seen　some　light。　The　Cabinet　awaits

your　final　report　with　the　utmost　anxiety。　Urgent　representations　have

arrived　from　the　very　highest　quarter。　The　whole　force　of　the　State　is

at　your　back　if　you　should　need　it。

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　MYCROFT。



　　〃I'm　afraid；〃　said　Holmes；　smiling；　〃that　all　the　queen's　horses　and

all　the　queen's　men　cannot　avail　in　this　matter。〃　He　had　spread　out

his　big　map　of　London　and　leaned　eagerly　over　it。　〃Well；　well；〃　said

he　presently　with　an　exclamation　of　satisfaction；　〃things　are

turning　a　little　in　our　direction　at　last。　Why；　Watson；　I　do

honestly　believe　that　we　are　going　to　pull　it　off；　after　all。〃　He

slapped　me　on　the　shoulder　with　a　sudden　burst　of　hilarity；　〃I　am

going　out　now。　It　is　only　a　reconnaissance。　I　will　do　nothing

serious　without　my　trusted　comrade　and　biographer　at　my　elbow。　Do

you　stay　here；　and　the　odds　are　that　you　will　see　me　again　in　an

hour　or　two。　If　time　hangs　heavy　get　foolscap　and　a　pen；　and　begin

your　narrative　of　how　we　saved　the　State。〃

　　I　felt　some　reflection　of　his　elation　in　my　own　mind；　for　I　knew

well　that　he　would　not　depart　so　far　from　his　usual　austerity　of

demeanour　unless　there　was　good　cause　for　exultation。　All　the　long

November　evening　I　waited；　filled　with　impatience　for　his　return。　At

last；　shortly　after　nine　o'clock；　there　arrived　a　messenger　with　a

note：



　　Am　dining　at　Goldini's　Restaur