the adventure of the six napoleons-第4章

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



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

opinion　upon　this　case；　since　Mr。　Lestrade；　one　of　the　most

experienced　members　of　the　official　force；　and　Mr。　Sherlock　Holmes；

the　well…known　consulting　expert；　have　each　come　to　the　conclusion

that　the　grotesque　series　of　incidents；　which　have　ended　in　so

tragic　a　fashion；　arise　from　lunacy　rather　than　from　deliberate　crime。

No　explanation　save　mental　aberration　can　cover　the　facts。



The　Press；　Watson；　is　a　most　valuable　institution；　if　you　only　know

how　to　use　it。　And　now；　if　you　have　quite　finished；　we　will　hark

back　to　Kensington　and　see　what　the　manager　of　Harding　Brothers　has　to

say　on　the　matter。〃

　　The　founder　of　that　great　emporium　proved　to　be　a　brisk；　crisp

little　person；　very　dapper　and　quick；　with　a　clear　head　and　a　ready

tongue。

　　〃Yes；　sir；　I　have　already　read　the　account　in　the　evening　papers。

Mr。　Horace　Harker　is　a　customer　of　ours。　We　supplied　him　with　the　bust

some　months　ago。　We　ordered　three　busts　of　that　sort　from　Gelder　&

Co。；　of　Stepney。　They　are　all　sold　now。　To　whom？　Oh；　I　daresay　by

consulting　our　sales　book　we　could　very　easily　tell　you。　Yes；　we

have　the　entries　here。　One　to　Mr。　Harker　you　see；　and　one　to　Mr。

Josiah　Brown；　of　Labumum　Lodge；　Labumum　Vale；　Chiswick；　and　one　to　Mr。

Sandeford；　of　Lower　Grove　Road；　Reading。　No；　I　have　never　seen　this

face　which　you　show　me　in　the　photograph。　You　would　hardly　forget

it；　would　you；　sir；　for　I've　seldom　seen　an　uglier。　Have　we　any

Italians　on　the　staff？　Yes；　sir；　we　have　several　among　our

workpeople　and　cleaners。　I　daresay　they　might　get　a　peep　at　that　sales

book　if　they　wanted　to。　There　is　no　particular　reason　for　keeping　a

watch　upon　that　book。　Well；　well；　it's　a　very　strange　business；　and

I　hope　that　you　will　let　me　know　if　anything　comes　of　your　inquiries。〃

　　Holmes　had　taken　several　notes　during　Mr。　Harding's　evidence；　and

I　could　see　that　he　was　thoroughly　satisfied　by　the　turn　which　affairs

were　taking。　He　made　no　remark；　however；　save　that；　unless　we　hurried；

we　should　be　late　for　our　appointment　with　Lestrade。　Sure　enough；　when

we　reached　Baker　Street　the　detective　was　already　there；　and　we

found　him　pacing　up　and　down　in　a　fever　of　impatience。　His　look　of

importance　showed　that　his　day's　work　had　not　been　in　vain。

　　〃Well？〃　he　asked。　〃What　luck；　Mr。　Holmes？〃

　　〃We　have　had　a　very　busy　day；　and　not　entirely　a　wasted　one；〃　my

friend　explained。　〃We　have　seen　both　the　retailers　and　also　the

wholesale　manufacturers。　I　can　trace　each　of　the　busts　now　from　the

beginning。〃

　　〃The　busts〃　cried　Lestrade。　〃Well；　well；　you　have　your　own

methods；　Mr。　Sherlock　Holmes；　and　it　is　not　for　me　to　say　a　word

against　them；　but　I　think　I　have　done　a　better　day's　work　than　you。

I　have　identified　the　dead　man。〃

　　〃You　don't　say　so？〃

　　〃And　found　a　cause　for　the　crime。〃

　　〃Splendid！〃

　　〃We　have　an　inspector　who　makes　a　specialty　of　Saffron　Hill　and

the　Italian　Quarter。　Well；　this　dead　man　had　some　Catholic　emblem

round　his　neck；　and　that；　along　with　his　colour；　made　me　think　he

was　from　the　South。　Inspector　Hill　knew　him　the　moment　he　caught　sight

of　him。　His　name　is　Pietro　Venucci；　from　Naples；　and　he　is　one　of

the　greatest　cut…throats　in　London。　He　is　connected　with　the　Mafia；

which；　as　you　know；　is　a　secret　political　society；　enforcing　its

decrees　by　murder。　Now；　you　see　how　the　affair　begins　to　clear　up。　The

other　fellow　is　probably　an　Italian　also；　and　a　member　of　the　Mafia。

He　has　broken　the　rules　in　some　fashion。　Pietro　is　set　upon　his　track。

Probably　the　photograph　we　found　in　his　pocket　is　the　man　himself；

so　that　he　may　not　knife　the　wrong　person。　He　dogs　the　fellow；　he　sees

him　enter　a　house；　he　waits　outside　for　him；　and　in　the　scuffle　he

receives　his　own　death…wound。　How　is　that；　Mr。　Sherlock　Holmes？〃

　　Holmes　clapped　his　hands　approvingly。

　　〃Excellent；　Lestrade；　excellent！〃　he　cried。　〃But　I　didn't　quite

follow　your　explanation　of　the　destruction　of　the　busts。〃

　　〃The　busts！　You　never　can　get　those　busts　out　of　your　head。　After

all；　that　is　nothing；　petty　larceny；　six　months　at　the　most。　It　is　the

murder　that　we　are　really　investigating；　and　I　tell　you　that　I　am

gathering　all　the　threads　into　my　hands。〃

　　〃And　the　next　stage？〃

　　〃Is　a　very　simple　one。　I　shall　go　down　with　Hill　to　the　Italian

Quarter；　find　the　man　whose　photograph　we　have　got；　and　arrest　him

on　the　charge　of　murder。　Will　you　come　with　us？〃

　　〃I　think　not。　I　fancy　we　can　attain　our　end　in　a　simpler　way。　I

can't　say　for　certain；　because　it　all　depends…　well；　it　all　depends

upon　a　factor　which　is　completely　outside　our　control。　But　I　have

great　hopes…　in　fact；　the　betting　is　exactly　two　to　one…　that　if　you

will　come　with　us　to…night　I　shall　be　able　to　help　you　to　lay　him　by

the　heels。〃

　　〃In　the　Italian　Quarter？〃

　　〃No；　I　fancy　Chiswick　is　an　address　which　is　more　likely　to　find

him。　If　you　will　come　with　me　to　Chiswick　to…night；　Lestrade；　I'll

promise　to　go　to　the　Italian　Quarter　with　you　to…morrow；　and　no　harm

will　be　done　by　the　delay。　And　now　I　think　that　a　few　hours'　sleep

would　do　us　all　good；　for　I　do　not　propose　to　leave　before　eleven

o'clock；　and　it　is　unlikely　that　we　shall　be　back　before　morning。

You'll　dine　with　us；　Lestrade；　and　then　you　are　welcome　to　the　sofa

until　it　is　time　for　us　to　start。　In　the　meantime；　Watson；　I　should　be

glad　if　you　would　ring　for　an　express　messenger；　for　I　have　a　letter

to　send　and　it　is　important　that　it　should　go　at　once。〃

　　Holmes　spent　the　evening　in　rummaging　among　the　files　of　the　old

daily　papers　with　which　one　of　our　lumber…rooms　was　packed。　When　at

last　he　descended；　it　was　with　triumph　in　his　eyes；　but　he　said

nothing　to　either　of　us　as　to　the　result　of　his　researches。　For　my　own

part；　I　had　followed　step　by　step　the　methods　by　which　he　had　traced

the　various　windings　of　this　complex　case；　and；　though　I　could　not　yet

perceive　the　goal　which　we　would　reach；　I　understood　clearly　that

Holmes　expected　this　grotesque　criminal　to　make　an　attempt　upon　the

two　remaining　busts；　one　of　which；　I　remembered；　was　at　Chiswick。　No

doubt　the　object　of　our　journey　was　to　catch　him　in　the　very　act；

and　I　could　not　but　admire　the　cunning　with　which　my　friend　had

inserted　a　wrong　clue　in　the　evening　paper；　so　as　to　give　the　fellow

the　idea　that　he　could　continue　his　scheme　with　impunity。　I　was　not

surprised　when　Holmes　suggested　that　I　should　take　my　revolver　with

me。　He　had　himself　picked　up　the　loaded　hunting…crop；　which　was　his

favourite　weapon。

　　A　four…wheeler　was　at　the　door　at　eleven；　and　in　it　we　drove　to　a

spot　at　the　other　side　of　Hammersmith　Bridge。　Here　the　cabman　was

directed　to　wait。　A　short　walk　brought　us　to　a　secluded　road　fringed

with　pleasant　houses；　each　standing　in　its　own　grounds。　In　the　light

of　a　street　lamp　we　read　〃Laburnum　Villa〃　upon　the　gate…post　of　one　of

them。　The　occupants　had　evidently　retired　to　rest；　for　all　was　dark

save　for　a　fanlight　over　the　hall　door；　which　shed　a　single　blurred

circle　on　to　the　garden　path。　The　wooden　fence　which　separated　the

grounds　from　the　road　threw　a　dense　black　shadow　upon　the　inner

side；　and　here　it　was　that　we　crouched。

　　〃I　fear　that　you'll　have　a　long　wait；〃　Holmes　whispered。　〃We　may

thank　our　stars　that　it　is　not　raining。　I　don't　think　we　can　even

venture　to　smoke　to　pass　the　time。　However；　it's　a　two　to　one　chance

that　we　get　something　to　pay　us　for　our　trouble。〃

　　It　proved；　however；　that　our　vigil　was　not　to　be　so　long　as　Holmes

had　led　us　to　fear；　and　it　ended　in　a　very　sudden　and　singular

fashion。　In　an　instant；　without　the　least　sound　to　warn　us　of　his

coming；　the　garden　gate　swung　open；　and　a　lithe；　dark　figure；　as　swift

and　active　as　an　ape；　rushed　up　the　garden　path。　We　saw　it　whisk

past　the　light　thrown　from　over　the　door　and　disappear　against　the

black　shadow　of　the　house。　There　was　a　long　pause；　during　which　we

held　our　breath；　and　then　a　very　gentle　creaking　sound　came　to　our

ears。　The　window　was　being　opened。　T