the adventure of shoscombe old place-第2章

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


jumpy　work；　for　it　would　have　been　a　bad　job　if　he　had　seen　us。　He's　a

terrible　man　with　his　fists　if　he　gets　started；　and　no　respecter　of

persons。　So　we　were　shy　of　getting　too　near；　but　we　marked　him　down

all　right。　It　was　the　haunted　crypt　that　he　was　making　for；　and

there　was　a　man　waiting　for　him　there。〃

　　〃What　is　this　haunted　crypt？〃

　　〃Well；　sir；　there　is　an　old　ruined　chapel　in　the　park。　It　is　so

old　that　nobody　could　fix　its　date。　And　under　it　there's　a　crypt　which

has　a　bad　name　among　us。　It's　a　dark；　damp；　lonely　place　by　day；　but

there　are　few　in　that　county　that　would　have　the　nerve　to　go　near　it

at　night。　But　master's　not　afraid。　He　never　feared　anything　in　his

life。　But　what　is　he　doing　there　in　the　night…time？〃

　　〃Wait　a　bit！〃　said　Holmes。　〃You　say　there　is　another　man　there。　It

must　be　one　of　your　own　stablemen；　or　someone　from　the　house！　Surely

you　have　only　to　spot　who　it　is　and　question　him？〃

　　〃It's　no　one　I　know。〃

　　〃How　can　you　say　that？〃

　　〃Because　I　have　seen　him；　Mr。　Holmes。　It　was　on　that　second　night。

Sir　Robert　turned　and　passed　us…　me　and　Stephens；　quaking　in　the

bushes　like　two　bunny…rabbits；　for　there　was　a　bit　of　moon　that　night。

But　we　could　hear　the　other　moving　about　behind。　We　were　not　afraid　of

him。　So　we　up　when　Sir　Robert　was　gone　and　pretended　we　were　just

having　a　walk　like　in　the　moonlight；　and　so　we　came　right　on　him　as

casual　and　innocent　as　you　please。　'Hullo；　mate！　who　may　you　be？'　says

I。'。　I　guess　he　had　not　heard　us　coming；　so　he　looked　over　his

shoulder　with　a　face　as　if　he　had　seen　the　devil　coming　out　of　hell。

He　let　out　a　yell；　and　away　he　went　as　hard　as　he　could　lick　it　in　the

darkness。　He　could　run！…　I'll　give　him　that。　In　a　minute　he　was　out　of

sight　and　hearing；　and　who　he　was；　or　what　he　was；　we　never　found。〃

　　〃But　you　saw　him　clearly　in　the　moonlight？〃

　　〃Yes；　I　would　swear　to　his　yellow　face…　a　mean　dog；　I　should　say。

What　could　he　have　in　common　with　Sir　Robert？〃

　　Holmes　sat　for　some　time　lost　in　thought。

　　〃Who　keeps　Lady　Beatrice　Falder　company？〃　he　asked　at　last。

　　〃There　is　her　maid；　Carrie　Evans。　She　has　been　with　her　this　five

years。〃

　　〃And　is；　no　doubt；　devoted？〃

　　Mr。　Mason　shuffled　uncomfortably。

　　〃She's　devoted　enough；〃　he　answered　at　last。　〃But　I　won't　say　to

whom。〃

　　〃Ah！〃　said　Holmes。

　　〃I　can't　tell　tales　out　of　school。〃

　　〃I　quite　understand；　Mr。　Mason。　Of　course；　the　situation　is　clear

enough。　From　Dr。　Watson's　description　of　Sir　Robert　I　can　realize　that

no　woman　is　safe　from　him。　Don't　you　think　the　quarrel　between　brother

and　sister　may　lie　there？〃

　　Well；　the　scandal　has　been　pretty　clear　for　a　long　time。〃

　　〃But　she　may　not　have　seen　it　before。　Let　us　suppose　that　she　has

suddenly　found　it　out。　She　waits　to　get　rid　of　the　woman。　Her

brother　will　not　permit　it。　The　invalid；　with　her　weak　heart　and

inability　to　get　about；　has　no　means　of　enforcing　her　will。　The

hated　maid　is　still　tied　to　her。　The　lady　refuses　to　speak；　sulks；

takes　to　drink。　Sir　Robert　in　his　anger　takes　her　pet　spaniel　away

from　her。　Does　not　all　this　hang　together？〃

　　〃Well；　it　might　do…　so　far　as　it　goes。〃

　　〃Exactly！　As　far　as　it　goes。　How　would　all　that　bear　upon　the　visits

by　night　to　the　old　crypt？　We　can't　fit　that　into　our　plot。〃

　　〃No；　sir；　and　there　is　something　more　that　I　can't　fit　in。　Why

should　Sir　Robert　want　to　dig　up　a　dead　body？〃

　　Holmes　sat　up　abruptly。

　　〃We　only　found　it　out　yesterday…　after　I　had　written　to　you。

Yesterday　Sir　Robert　had　gone　to　London；　so　Stephens　and　I　went　down

to　the　crypt。　It　was　all　in　order；　sir；　except　that　in　one　corner

was　a　bit　of　a　human　body。〃

　　〃You　informed　the　police；　I　suppose？〃

　　Our　visitor　smiled　grimly。

　　〃Well；　sir；　I　think　it　would　hardly　interest　them。　It　was　just　the

head　and　a　few　bones　of　a　mummy。　It　may　have　been　a　thousand　years

old。　But　it　wasn't　there　before。　That　I'll　swear；　and　so　will

Stephens。　It　had　been　stowed　away　in　a　corner　and　covered　over　with

a　board；　but　that　corner　had　always　been　empty　before。〃

　　〃What　did　you　do　with　it？〃

　　〃Well；　we　just　left　it　there。〃

　　〃That　was　wise。　You　say　Sir　Robert　was　away　yesterday。　Has　he

returned？〃

　　〃We　expect　him　back　to…day。〃

　　〃When　did　Sir　Robert　give　away　his　sister's　dog？〃

　　〃It　was　just　a　week　ago　to…day。　The　creature　was　howling　outside　the

old　well…house；　and　Sir　Robert　was　in　one　of　his　tantrums　that

morning。　He　caught　it　up；　and　I　thought　he　would　have　killed　it。

Then　he　gave　it　to　Sandy　Bain；　the　jockey；　and　told　him　to　take　the

dog　to　old　Barnes　at　the　Green　Dragon；　for　he　never　wished　to　see　it

again。〃

　　Holmes　sat　for　some　time　in　silent　thought。　He　had　lit　the　oldest

and　foulest　of　his　pipes。

　　〃I　am　not　clear　yet　what　you　want　me　to　do　in　this　matter；　Mr。

Mason；〃　he　said　at　last。　〃Can't　you　make　it　more　definite？〃

　　〃Perhaps　this　will　make　it　more　definite；　Mr。　Holmes；〃　said　our

visitor。

　　He　took　a　paper　from　his　pocket；　and；　unwrapping　it　carefully；　he

exposed　a　charred　fragment　of　bone。

　　Holmes　examined　it　with　interest。

　　〃Where　did　you　get　it？〃

　　〃There　is　a　central　heating　furnace　in　the　cellar　under　Lady

Beatrice's　room。　It's　been　off　for　some　time；　but　Sir　Robert

complained　of　cold　and　had　it　on　again；　Harvey　runs　it…　he's　one　of　my

lads。　This　very　morning　he　came　to　me　with　this　which　he　found

raking　out　the　cinders。　He　didn't　like　the　look　of　it。〃

　　〃Nor　do　I；〃　said　Holmes。　〃What　do　you　make　of　it；　Watson？〃

　　It　was　burned　to　a　black　cinder；　but　there　could　be　no　question　as

to　its　anatomical　significance。

　　〃It's　the　upper　condyle　of　a　human　femur；〃　said　I。

　　〃Exactly！〃　Holmes　had　become　very　serious。　〃When　does　this　lad

tend　to　the　furnace？〃

　　〃He　makes　it　up　every　evening　and　then　leaves　it。〃

　　〃Then　anyone　could　visit　it　during　the　night？〃

　　〃Yes；　sir。〃

　　〃Can　you　enter　it　from　outside？〃

　　〃There　is　one　door　from　the　outside。　There　is　another　which　leads　up

by　a　stair　to　the　passage　in　which　Lady　Beatrice's　room　is　situated。〃

　　〃These　are　deep　waters；　Mr。　Mason；　deep　and　rather　dirty。　You　say

that　Sir　Robert　was　not　at　home　last　night？〃

　　〃No；　sir。〃

　　〃Then；　whoever　was　burning　bones；　it　was　not　he。〃

　　〃That's　true；　sir。〃

　　〃What　is　the　name　of　that　inn　you　spoke　of？〃

　　〃The　Green　Dragon。〃

　　〃Is　there　good　fishing　in　that　part　of　Berkshire？〃　The　honest

trainer　showed　very　clearly　upon　his　face　that　he　was　convinced　that

yet　another　lunatic　had　come　into　his　harassed　life。

　　〃Well；　sir；　I've　heard　there　are　trout　in　the　mill…stream　and　pike

in　the　Hall　lake。〃

　　〃That's　good　enough。　Watson　and　I　are　famous　fishermen…　are　we

not；　Watson？　You　may　address　us　in　future　at　the　Green　Dragon。　We

should　reach　it　to…night。　I　need　not　say　that　we　don't　want　to　see

you；　Mr。　Mason；　but　a　note　will　reach　us；　and　no　doubt　I　could　find

you　if　I　want　you。　When　we　have　gone　a　little　farther　into　the

matter　I　will　let　you　have　a　considered　opinion。〃

　　Thus　it　was　that　on　a　bright　May　evening　Holmes　and　I　found

ourselves　alone　in　a　first…class　carriage　and　bound　for　the　little

〃halt…on…demand〃　station　of　Shoscombe。　The　rack　above　us　was　covered

with　a　formidable　litter　of　rods；　reels；　and　baskets。　On　reaching

our　destination　a　short　drive　took　us　to　an　old…fashioned　tavern；

where　a　sporting　host；　Josiah　Barnes；　entered　eagerly　into　our　plans

for　the　extirpation　of　the　fish　of　the　neighbourhood。

　　〃What　about　the　Hall　lake　and　the　chance　of　a　pike？〃　said　Holmes。

　　The　face　of　the　innkeeper　clouded。

　　〃That　wouldn't　do；　sir。　You　might　chance　to　find　yourself　in　the

lake　before　you　were　through。〃

　　〃How's　that；　then？〃

　　〃It's　Sir　Robert；　sir。　He's　terrible　jealous　of　touts。　If　you　two

strangers　were　as　near　his　training　quarters　as　that　he'd　be　after　you

as　sure　as　fate。　He　ain't　taking　no　chances；　Sir　Robert　ain't。〃

　　〃I've　heard　he　has　a　horse　entered　for　the　Derby。〃

　　〃Yes；　and　a　good　colt；　too。　He　carries　all　our　money　for　the　race；

and　all　Sir　Robert's　into　the　Bargain。　By　the　way〃…　he　looked　at　us

with　thoughtful　eyes…　〃I　suppose　you　ain't　on　the　turf　yourselves？〃