the adventure of the copper beeches-第7章

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there　when　the　Rucastles　went　away。

　　〃He　has　come　back　and　done　it。　I　tell　you　that　he　is　a　clever　and

dangerous　man。　I　should　not　be　very　much　surprised　if　this　were　he

whose　step　I　hear　now　upon　the　stair。　I　think；　Watson；　that　it　would

be　as　well　for　you　to　have　your　pistol　ready。〃

　　The　words　were　hardly　out　of　his　mouth　before　a　man　appeared　at

the　door　of　the　room；　a　very　fat　and　burly　man；　with　a　heavy　stick

in　his　hand。　Miss　Hunter　screamed　and　shrunk　against　the　wall　at　the

sight　of　him；　but　Sherlock　Holmes　sprang　forward　and　confronted　him。

　　〃You　villain！〃　said　he；　〃where's　your　daughter？〃

　　The　fat　man　cast　his　eyes　round；　and　then　up　at　the　open　skylight。

　　〃It　is　for　me　to　ask　you　that；〃　he　shrieked；　〃you　thieves！　Spies　and

thieves！　I　have　caught　you；　have　I？　You　are　in　my　power。　I'll　serve

you！〃　He　turned　and　clattered　down　the　stairs　as　hard　as　he　could　go。

　　〃He's　gone　for　the　dog！〃　cried　Miss　Hunter。

　　〃I　have　my　revolver；〃　said　I。

　　〃Better　close　the　front　door；〃　cried　Holmes；　and　we　all　rushed

down　the　stairs　together。　We　had　hardly　reached　the　hall　when　we　heard

the　baying　of　a　hound；　and　then　a　scream　of　agony；　with　a　horrible

worrying　sound　which　it　was　dreadful　to　listen　to。　An　elderly　man　with

a　red　face　and　shaking　limbs　came　staggering　out　at　a　side　door。

　　〃My　God〃　he　cried。　〃Someone　has　loosed　the　dog。　He's　not　been　fed

for　two　days。　Quick；　quick；　or　we'll　be　too　late！〃

　　Holmes　and　I　rushed　out　and　round　the　angle　of　the　house；　with

Toller　hurrying　behind　us。　There　was　the　huge　famished　brute；　its

black　muzzle　buried　in　Rucastle's　throat；　while　he　writhed　and

screamed　upon　the　ground。　Running　up；　I　blew　its　brains　out；　and　it

fell　over　with　its　keen　white　teeth　still　meeting　in　the　great　creases

of　his　neck。　With　much　labour　we　separated　them　and　carried　him；

living　but　horribly　mangled；　into　the　house。　We　laid　him　upon　the

drawing…room　sofa；　and　having　dispatched　the　sobered　Toller　to　bear

the　news　to　his　wife；　I　did　what　I　could　to　relieve　his　pain。　We

were　all　assembled　round　him　when　the　door　opened　and　a　tall；　gaunt

woman　entered　the　room。

　　〃Mrs。　Toller！〃　cried　Miss　Hunter。

　　〃Yes；　miss。　Mr。　Rucastle　let　me　out　when　he　came　back　before　he　went

up　to　you。　Ah；　miss；　it　is　a　pity　you　didn't　let　me　know　what　you　were

planning；　for　I　would　have　told　you　that　your　pains　were　wasted。〃

　　〃Ha！〃　said　Holmes；　looking　keenly　at　her。　〃It　is　clear　that　Mrs。

Toller　knows　more　about　this　matter　than　anyone　else。〃

　　〃Yes；　sir；　I　do；　and　I　am　ready　enough　to　tell　what　I　know。〃

　　〃Then；　pray；　sit　down；　and　let　us　hear　it；　for　there　are　several

points　on　which　I　must　confess　that　I　am　still　in　the　dark。〃

　　〃I　will　soon　make　it　clear　to　you；〃　said　she；　〃and　I'd　have　done

so　before　now　if　I　could　ha'　got　out　from　the　cellar。　If　there's

police…court　business　over　this；　you'll　remember　that　I　was　the　one

that　stood　your　friend；　and　that　I　was　Miss　Alice's　friend　too。

　　〃She　was　never　happy　at　home；　Miss　Alice　wasn't；　from　the　time

that　her　father　married　again。　She　was　slighted　like　and　had　no　say　in

anything；　but　it　never　really　became　bad　for　her　until　after　she　met

Mr。　Fowler　at　a　friend's　house。　As　well　as　I　could　learn；　Miss　Alice

had　rights　of　her　own　by　will；　but　she　was　so　quiet　and　patient；　she

was；　that　she　never　said　a　word　about　them；　but　just　left　everything

in　Mr。　Rucastle's　hands。　He　knew　he　was　safe　with　her；　but　when

there　was　a　chance　of　a　husband　coming　forward；　who　would　ask　for

all　that　the　law　would　give　him；　then　her　father　thought　it　time　to

put　a　stop　on　it。　He　wanted　her　to　sign　a　paper；　so　that　whether　she

married　or　not；　he　could　use　her　money。　When　she　wouldn't　do　it；　he

kept　on　worrying　her　until　she　got　brain…fever；　and　for　six　weeks

was　at　death's　door。　Then　she　got　better　at　last；　all　worn　to　a

shadow；　and　with　her　beautiful　hair　cut　off；　but　that　didn't　make　no

change　in　her　young　man；　and　he　stuck　to　her　as　true　as　man　could　be。〃

　　〃Ah；〃　said　Holmes；　〃I　think　that　what　you　have　been　good　enough　to

tell　us　makes　the　matter　fairly　clear；　and　that　I　can　deduce　all

that　remains。　Mr。　Rucastle　then；　I　presume；　took　to　this　system　of

imprisonment？〃

　　〃Yes；　sir。〃

　　〃And　brought　Miss　Hunter　down　from　London　in　order　to　get　rid　of　the

disagreeable　persistence　of　Mr。　Fowler。〃

　　〃That　was　it；　sir。〃

　　〃But　Mr。　Fowler　being　a　persevering　man；　as　a　good　seaman　should　be；

blockaded　the　house；　and　having　met　you　succeeded　by　certain

arguments；　metallic　or　otherwise；　in　convincing　you　that　your

interests　were　the　same　as　his。〃

　　〃Mr。　Fowler　was　a　very　kind…spoken；　free…handed　gentleman；〃　said

Mrs。　Toller　serenely。

　　〃And　in　this　way　he　managed　that　your　good　man　should　have　no　want

of　drink；　and　that　a　ladder　should　be　ready　at　the　moment　when　your

master　had　gone　out。〃

　　〃You　have　it；　sir；　just　as　it　happened。〃

　　〃I　am　sure　we　owe　you　an　apology；　Mrs。　Toller；〃　said　Holmes；　〃for

you　have　certainly　cleared　up　everything　which　puzzled　us。　And　here

comes　the　country　surgeon　and　Mrs。　Rucastle；　so　I　think；　Watson；

that　we　had　best　escort　Miss　Hunter　back　to　Winchester；　as　it　seems　to

me　that　our　locus　standi　now　is　rather　a　questionable　one。〃

　　And　thus　was　solved　the　mystery　of　the　sinister　house　with　the

copper　beeches　in　front　of　the　door。　Mr。　Rucastle　survived；　but　was

always　a　broken　man；　kept　alive　solely　through　the　care　of　his　devoted

wife。　They　still　live　with　their　old　servants；　who　probably　know　so

much　of　Rucastle's　past　life　that　he　finds　it　difficult　to　part　from

them。　Mr。　Fowler　and　Miss　Rucastle　were　married；　by　special　license；

in　Southampton　the　day　after　their　flight；　and　he　is　now　the　holder　of

a　government　appointment　in　the　island　of　Mauritius。　As　to　Miss　Violet

Hunter；　my　friend　Holmes；　rather　to　my　disappointment；　manifested　no

further　interest　in　her　when　once　she　had　ceased　to　be　the　centre　of

one　of　his　problems；　and　she　is　now　the　head　of　a　private　school　at

Walsall；　where　I　believe　that　she　has　met　with　considerable　success。

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　THE　END

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