the adventure of the six napoleons-第3章

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which　will　bear　upon　it。　What　steps　do　you　propose　to　take　now；

Lestrade？〃

　　〃The　most　practical　way　of　getting　at　it；　in　my　opinion；　is　to

identify　the　dead　man。　There　should　be　no　difficulty　about　that。

When　we　have　found　who　he　is　and　who　his　associates　are；　we　should

have　a　good　start　in　learning　what　he　was　doing　in　Pitt　Street　last

night；　and　who　it　was　who　met　him　and　killed　him　on　the　doorstep　of

Mr。　Horace　Harker。　Don't　you　think　so？〃

　　〃No　doubt；　and　yet　it　is　not　quite　the　way　in　which　I　should

approach　the　case。〃

　　〃What　would　you　do　then？〃

　　〃Oh；　you　must　not　let　me　influence　you　in　any　way。　I　suggest　that

you　go　on　your　line　and　I　on　mine。　We　can　compare　notes　afterwards；

and　each　will　supplement　the　other。〃

　　〃Very　good；〃　said　Lestrade。

　　〃If　you　are　going　back　to　Pitt　Street；　you　might　see　Mr。　Horace

Harker。　Tell　him　for　me　that　I　have　quite　made　up　my　mind；　and　that　it

is　certain　that　a　dangerous　homicidal　lunatic；　with　Napoleonic

delusions；　was　in　his　house　last　night。　It　will　be　useful　for　his

article。〃

　　Lestrade　stared。

　　〃You　don't　seriously　believe　that？〃

　　Holmes　smiled。

　　〃Don't　I？　Well；　perhaps　I　don't。　But　I　am　sure　that　it　will　interest

Mr。　Horace　Harker　and　the　subscribers　of　the　Central　Press

Syndicate。　Now；　Watson；　I　think　that　we　shall　find　that　we　have　a　long

and　rather　complex　day's　work　before　us。　I　should　be　glad；　Lestrade；

if　you　could　make　it　convenient　to　meet　us　at　Baker　Street　at　six

o'clock　this　evening。　Until　then　I　should　like　to　keep　this

photograph；　found　in　the　dead　man's　pocket。　It　is　possible　that　I

may　have　to　ask　your　company　and　assistance　upon　a　small　expedition

which　will　have　be　undertaken　to…night；　if　my　chain　of　reasoning

should　prove　to　be　correct。　Until　then　good…bye　and　good　luck！〃

　　Sherlock　Holmes　and　I　walked　together　to　the　High　Street；　where　we

stopped　at　the　shop　of　Harding　Brothers；　whence　the　bust　had　been

purchased。　A　young　assistant　informed　us　that　Mr。　Harding　would　be

absent　until　afternoon；　and　that　he　was　himself　a　newcomer；　who

could　give　us　no　information。　Holmes's　face　showed　his

disappointment　and　annoyance。

　　〃Well；　well；　we　can't　expect　to　have　it　all　our　own　way；　Watson；〃　he

said；　at　last。　〃We　must　come　back　in　the　afternoon；　if　Mr。　Harding

will　not　be　here　until　then。　I　am；　as　you　have　no　doubt　surmised；

endeavouring　to　trace　these　busts　to　their　source；　in　order　to　find　if

there　is　not　something　peculiar　which　may　account　for　their　remarkable

fate。　Let　us　make　for　Mr。　Morse　Hudson；　of　the　Kennington　Road；　and

see　if　he　can　throw　any　light　upon　the　problem。〃

　　A　drive　of　an　hour　brought　us　to　the　picture…dealer's　establishment。

He　was　a　small；　stout　man　with　a　red　face　and　a　peppery　manner。

　　〃Yes；　sir。　On　my　very　counter；　sir；〃　said　he。　〃What　we　pay　rates　and

taxes　for　I　don't　know；　when　any　ruffian　can　come　in　and　break　one's

goods。　Yes；　sir；　it　was　I　who　sold　Dr。　Barnicot　his　two　statues。

Disgraceful；　sir！　A　Nihilist　plot…　that's　what　I　make　it。　No　one　but

an　anarchist　would　go　about　breaking　statues。　Red　republicans…

that's　what　I　call　'em。　Who　did　I　get　the　statues　from？　I　don't　see

what　that　has　to　do　with　it。　Well；　if　you　really　want　to　know；　I　got

them　from　Gelder　&　Co。；　in　Church　Street；　Stepney。　They　are　a

well…known　house　in　the　trade；　and　have　been　this　twenty　years。　How

many　had　I？　Three…　two　and　one　are　three…　two　of　Dr。　Barnicot's；　and

one　smashed　in　broad　daylight　on　my　own　counter。　Do　I　know　that

photograph？　No；　I　don't。　Yes；　I　do；　though。　Why；　it's　Beppo。　He　was

a　kind　of　Italian　piece…work　man；　who　made　himself　useful　in　the　shop。

He　could　carve　a　bit；　and　gild　and　frame；　and　do　odd　jobs。　The

fellow　left　me　last　week；　and　I've　heard　nothing　of　him　since。　No；　I

don't　know　where　he　came　from　nor　where　he　went　to。　I　had　nothing

against　him　while　he　was　here。　He　was　gone　two　days　before　the　bust

was　smashed。〃

　　〃Well；　that's　all　we　could　reasonably　expect　from　Morse　Hudson；〃

said　Holmes；　as　we　emerged　from　the　shop。　We　have　this　Beppo　as　a

common　factor；　both　in　Kennington　and　in　Kensington；　so　that　is

worth　a　ten…mile　drive。　Now；　Watson；　let　us　make　for　Gelder　&　Co。；

of　Stepney；　the　source　and　origin　of　the　busts。　I　shall　be　surprised

if　we　don't　get　some　help　down　there。〃

　　In　rapid　succession　we　passed　through　the　fringe　of　fashionable

London；　hotel　London；　theatrical　London；　literary　London；　commercial

London；　and；　finally；　maritime　London；　till　we　came　to　a　riverside

city　of　a　hundred　thousand　souls；　where　the　tenement　houses　swelter

and　reek　with　the　outcasts　of　Europe。　Here；　in　a　broad　thorough

fare；　once　the　abode　of　wealthy　City　merchants；　we　found　the　sculpture

works　for　which　we　searched。　Outside　was　a　considerable　yard　full　of

monumental　masonry。　Inside　was　a　large　room　in　which　fifty　workers

were　carving　or　moulding。　The　manager；　a　big　blond　German；　received　us

civilly　and　gave　a　clear　answer　to　all　Holmes's　questions。　A　reference

to　his　books　showed　that　hundreds　of　casts　had　been　taken　from　a

marble　copy　of　Devine's　head　of　Napoleon；　but　that　the　three　which　had

been　sent　to　Morse　Hudson　a　year　or　so　before　had　been　half　of　a　batch

of　six；　the　other　three　being　sent　to　Harding　Brothers；　of　Kensington。

There　was　no　reason　why　those　six　should　be　different　from　any　of

the　other　casts。　He　could　suggest　no　possible　cause　why　anyone

should　wish　to　destroy　them…　in　fact；　he　laughed　at　the　idea。　Their

wholesale　price　was　six　shillings；　but　the　retailer　would　get　twelve

or　more。　The　cast　was　taken　in　two　moulds　from　each　side　of　the

face；　and　then　these　two　profiles　of　plaster　of　Paris　were　joined

together　to　make　the　complete　bust。　The　work　was　usually　done　by

Italians；　in　the　room　we　were　in。　When　finished；　the　busts　were　put　on

a　table　in　the　passage　to　dry；　and　afterwards　stored。　That　was　all

he　could　tell　us。

　　But　the　production　of　the　photograph　had　a　remarkable　effect　upon

the　manager。　His　face　flushed　with　anger；　and　his　brows　knotted　over

his　blue　Teutonic　eyes。

　　〃Ah；　the　rascal！〃　he　cried。　〃Yes；　indeed；　I　know　him　very　well。　This

has　always　been　a　respectable　establishment；　and　the　only　time　that　we

have　ever　had　the　police　in　it　was　over　this　very　fellow。　It　was

more　than　a　year　ago　now。　He　knifed　another　Italian　in　the　street；　and

then　he　came　to　the　works　with　the　police　on　his　heels；　and　he　was

taken　here。　Beppo　was　his　name…　his　second　name　I　never　knew。　Serve　me

right　for　engaging　a　man　with　such　a　face。　But　he　was　a　good

workman…　one　of　the　best。〃

　　〃What　did　he　get？〃

　　〃The　man　lived　and　he　got　off　with　a　year。　I　have　no　doubt　he　is　out

now；　but　he　has　not　dared　to　show　his　nose　here。　We　have　a　cousin　of

his　here；　and　I　daresay　he　could　tell　you　where　he　is。〃

　　〃No；　no；〃　cried　Holmes；　〃not　a　word　to　the　cousin…　not　a　word；　I　beg

of　you。　The　matter　is　very　important；　and　the　farther　I　go　with　it；

the　more　important　it　seems　to　grow。　When　you　referred　in　your

ledger　to　the　sale　of　those　casts　I　observed　that　the　date　was　June

3rd　of　last　year。　Could　you　give　me　the　date　when　Beppo　was　arrested？〃

　　〃I　could　tell　you　roughly　by　the　pay…list；〃　the　manager　answered。

〃Yes；〃　he　continued；　after　some　turning　over　of　pages；　〃he　was　paid

last　on　May　20th。〃

　　〃Thank　you；〃　said　Holmes。　〃I　don't　think　that　I　need　intrude　upon

your　time　and　patience　any　more。〃　With　a　last　word　of　caution　that

he　should　say　nothing　as　to　our　researches；　we　turned　our　faces

westward　once　more。

　　The　afternoon　was　far　advanced　before　we　were　able　to　snatch　a　hasty

luncheon　at　a　restaurant。　A　news…bill　at　the　entrance　announced

〃Kensington　Outrage。　Murder　by　a　Madman；〃　and　the　contents　of　the

paper　showed　that　Mr。　Horace　Harker　had　got　his　account　into　print

after　all。　Two　columns　were　occupied　with　a　highly　sensational　and

flowery　rendering　of　the　whole　incident。　Holmes　propped　it　against　the

cruet…stand　and　read　it　while　he　ate。　Once　or　twice　he　chuckled。

　　〃This　is　all　right；　Watson；〃　said　he。　〃Listen　to　this：



　　〃It　is　satisfactory　to　know　that　there　can　be　no　difference　of

opinion　u