a case of identity-第6章
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the other。 I think that that was the chain of events； Mr。
Windibank！〃
Our visitor had recovered something of his assurance while
Holmes had been talking； and he rose from his chair now with a
cold sneer upon his pale face。
〃It may be so； or it may not； Mr。 Holmes；〃 said he； 〃but if
you are so very sharp you ought to be sharp enough to know that it
is you who are breaking the law now； and not me。 I have done
nothing actionable from the first； but as long as you keep； that
door locked you lay yourself open to an action for assault and
illegal constraint。
〃The law cannot； as you say； touch you；〃 said Holmes；
unlocking and throwing open the door； 〃yet there never was a man
who deserved punishment more。 If the young lady has a brother or
a friend； he ought to lay a whip across your shoulders。 By Jove！〃
he continued； flushing up at the sight of the bitter sneer upon
the man's face； 〃it is not part of my duties to my client； but
here's a hunting crop handy； and I think I shall just treat myself
to〃 He took two swift steps to the whip； but before he could
grasp it there was a wild clatter of steps upon the stairs； the
heavy hall door banged； and from the window we could see Mr。
James Windibank running at the top of his speed down the road。
〃There's a cold…blooded scoundrel！〃 said Holmes； laughing； as
he threw himself down into his chair once more。 〃That fellow will
rise from crime to crime until he does something very bad； and
ends on a gallows。 The case has； in some respects； been not
entirely devoid of interest。〃
〃I cannot now entirely see all the steps of your reasoning；〃 I
remarked。
〃Well； of course it was obvious from the first that this Mr。
Hosmer Angel must have some strong object for his curious conduct；
and it was equally clear that the only man who really profited by
the incident； as far as we could see； was the stepfather。 Then
the fact that the two men were never together； but that the one
always appeared when the other was away； was suggestive。 So were
the tinted spectacles and the curious voice； which both hinted at
a disguise； as did the bushy whiskers。 My suspicions were all
confirmed by his peculiar action in typewriting his signature；
which； of course； inferred that his handwriting was so familiar to
her that she would recognize even the smallest sample of it。 You
see all these isolated facts； together with many minor ones； all
pointed in the same direction。〃
〃And how did you verify them？〃
〃Having once spotted my man； it was easy to get corroboration。
I knew the firm for which this man worked。 Having taken the
printed description； I eliminated everything from it which could
be the result of a disguisethe whiskers； the glasses； the voice；
and I sent it to the firm； with a request that they would inform
me whether it answered to the description of any of their
travellers。 I had already noticed the peculiarities of the
typewriter； and I wrote to the man himself at his business
address； asking him if he would come here。 As I expected； his
reply was typewritten and revealed the same trivial but
characteristic defects。 The same post brought me a letter from
Westhouse & Marbank； of Fenchurch Street； to say that the
description tallied in every respect with that of their employee；
James Windibank。 Voila tout！〃
〃And Miss Sutherland？〃
〃If I tell her she will not believe me。 You may remember the
old Persian saying； ‘There is danger for him who taketh the tiger
cub； and danger also for whoso snatches a delusion from a woman。'
There is as much sense in Hafiz as in Horace； and as much
knowledge of the world。〃
。
