the adventure of the bruce-partington plan-第8章

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It　was　just　as　you　say。　A　Stock　Exchange　debt　had　to　be　paid。　I　needed

the　money　badly。　Oberstein　offered　me　five　thousand。　It　was　to　save

myself　from　ruin。　But　as　to　murder；　I　am　as　innocent　as　you。〃

　　〃What　happened；　then？〃

　　〃He　had　his　suspicions　before；　and　he　followed　me　as　you　describe。　I

never　knew　it　until　I　was　at　the　very　door。　It　was　thick　fog；　and

one　could　not　see　three　yards。　I　had　given　two　taps　and　Oberstein

had　come　to　the　door。　The　young　man　rushed　up　and　demanded　to　know

what　we　were　about　to　do　with　the　papers。　Oberstein　had　a　short

life…preserver。　He　always　carried　it　with　him。　As　West　forced　his

way　after　us　into　the　house　Oberstein　struck　him　on　the　head。　The　blow

was　a　fatal　one。　He　was　dead　within　five　minutes。　There　he　lay　in

the　hall；　and　we　were　at　our　wit's　end　what　to　do。　Then　Oberstein

had　this　idea　about　the　trains　which　halted　under　his　back　window。　But

first　he　examined　the　papers　which　I　had　brought。　He　said　that　three

of　them　were　essential；　and　that　he　must　keep　them。　'You　cannot　keep

them；'　said　I。　'There　will　be　a　dreadful　row　at　Woolwich　if　they　are

not　returned。'　'I　must　keep　them；'　said　he；　'for　they　are　so　technical

that　it　is　impossible　in　the　time　to　make　copies。'　'Then　they　must　all

go　back　together　tonight；'　said　I。　He　thought　for　a　little；　and　then

he　cried　out　that　he　had　it。　'Three　I　will　keep；'　said　he。　'The　others

we　will　stuff　into　the　pocket　of　this　young　man。　When　he　is　found

the　whole　business　will　assuredly　be　put　to　his　account。　I　could　see

no　other　way　out　of　it；　so　we　did　as　he　suggested。　We　waited　half　an

hour　at　the　window　before　a　train　stopped。　It　was　so　thick　that

nothing　could　be　seen；　and　we　had　no　difficulty　in　lowering　West's

body　on　to　the　train。　That　was　the　end　of　the　matter　so　far　as　I　was

concerned。〃

　　〃And　your　brother？〃

　　〃He　said　nothing；　but　he　had　caught　me　once　with　his　keys；　and　I

think　that　he　suspected。　I　read　in　his　eves　that　he　suspected。　As

you　know；　he　never　held　up　his　head　again。〃

　　There　was　silence　in　the　room。　It　was　broken　by　Mycroft　Holmes。

　　〃Can　you　not　make　reparation？　It　would　ease　your　conscience；　and

possibly　your　punishment。〃

　　〃What　reparation　can　I　make？〃

　　〃Where　is　Oberstein　with　the　papers？〃

　　〃I　do　not　know。〃

　　〃Did　he　give　you　no　address？〃

　　〃He　said　that　letters　to　the　Hotel　du　Louvre；　Paris；　would

eventually　reach　him。〃

　　〃Then　reparation　is　still　within　your　power；〃　said　Sherlock　Holmes。

　　〃I　will　do　anything　I　can。　I　owe　this　fellow　no　particular

good…will。　He　has　been　my　ruin　and　my　downfall。

　　〃Here　are　paper　and　pen。　Sit　at　this　desk　and　write　to　my　dictation。

Direct　the　envelope　to　the　address　given。　That　is　right。　Now　the

letter：



Dear　Sir：

　　With　regard　to　our　transaction；　you　will　no　doubt　have　observed　by

now　that　one　essential　detail　is　missing。　I　have　a　tracing　which

will　make　it　complete。　This　has　involved　me　in　extra　trouble；　however；

and　I　must　ask　you　for　a　further　advance　of　five　hundred　pounds。　I

will　not　trust　it　to　the　post；　nor　will　I　take　anything　but　gold　or

notes。　I　would　come　to　you　abroad；　but　it　would　excite　remark　if　I

left　the　country　at　present。　Therefore　I　shall　expect　to　meet　you　in

the　smoking…room　of　the　Charing　Cross　Hotel　at　noon　on　Saturday。

Remember　that　only　English　notes；　or　gold；　will　be　taken。



That　will　do　very　well。　I　shall　be　very　much　surprised　if　it　does

not　fetch　our　man。〃

　　And　it　did！　It　is　a　matter　of　history…　that　secret　history　of　a

nation　which　is　often；　so　much　more　intimate　and　interesting　than

its　public　chronicles…　that　Oberstein；　eager　to　complete　the　coup　of

his　lifetime；　came　to　the　lure　and　was　safely　engulfed　for　fifteen

years　in　a　British　prison。　In　his　trunk　were　found　the　invaluable

Bruce…Partington　plans；　which　he　had　put　up　for　auction　in　all　the

naval　centres　of　Europe。

　　Colonel　Walter　died　in　prison　towards　the　end　of　the　second　year

of　his　sentence。　As　to　Holmes；　he　returned　refreshed　to　his

monograph　upon　the　Polyphonic　Motets　of　Lassus；　which　has　since　been

printed　for　private　circulation；　and　is　said　by　experts　to　be　the　last

word　upon　the　subject。　Some　weeks　afterwards　I　learned　incidentally

that　my　friend　spent　a　day　at　Windsor；　whence　he　returned　with　a

remarkably　fine　emerald　tie…pin。　When　I　asked　him　if　he　had　bought　it；

he　answered　that　it　was　a　present　from　a　certain　gracious　lady　in

whose　interests　he　had　once　been　fortunate　enough　to　carry　out　a　small

commission。　He　said　no　more；　but　I　fancy　that　I　could　guess　at　that

lady's　august　name；　and　I　have　little　doubt　that　the　emerald　pin

will　forever　recall　to　my　friend's　memory　the　adventure　of　the

Bruce…Partington　plans。





　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　…THE　END…

。