the adventure of the cardboard box-第2章

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acquaintances　or　correspondents　that　it　is　a　rare　event　for　her　to

receive　anything　through　the　post。　Some　years　ago；　however；　when　she

resided　at　Penge；　she　let　apartments　in　her　house　to　three　young

medical　students；　whom　she　was　obliged　to　get　rid　of　on　account　of

their　noisy　and　irregular　habits。　The　police　are　of　opinion　that

this　outrage　may　have　been　perpetrated　upon　Miss　Cushing　by　these

youths；　who　owed　her　a　grudge　and　who　hoped　to　frighten　her　by　sending

her　these　relics　of　the　dissecting…rooms。　Some　probability　is　lent

to　the　theory　by　the　fact　that　one　of　these　students　came　from　the

north　of　Ireland；　and；　to　the　best　of　Miss　Cushing's　belief；　from

Belfast。　In　the　meantime；　the　matter　is　being　actively　investigated；

Mr。　Lestrade；　one　of　the　very　smartest　of　our　detective　officers；

being　in　charge　of　the　case。〃



　　〃So　much　for　the　Daily　Chronicle；〃　said　Holmes　as　I　finished

reading。　〃Now　for　our　friend　Lestrade。　I　had　a　note　from　him　this

morning；　in　which　he　says：



　　〃I　think　that　this　case　is　very　much　in　your　line。　We　have　every

hope　of　clearing　the　matter　up；　but　we　find　a　little　difficulty　in

getting　anything　to　work　upon。　We　have；　of　course；　wired　to　the

Belfast　post…office；　but　a　large　number　of　parcels　were　handed　in　upon

that　day；　and　they　have　no　means　of　identifying　this　particular　one；

or　of　remembering　the　sender。　The　box　is　a　half…pound　box　of

honeydew　tobacco　and　does　not　help　us　in　any　way。　The　medical

student　theory　still　appears　to　me　to　be　the　most　feasible；　but　if　you

should　have　a　few　hours　to　spare　I　should　be　very　happy　to　see　you　out

here。　I　shall　be　either　at　the　house　or　in　the　police…station　all　day。



What　say　you；　Watson？　Can　you　rise　superior　to　the　heat　and　run　down

to　Croydon　with　me　on　the　off　chance　of　a　case　for　your　annals？〃

　　〃I　was　longing　for　something　to　do。〃

　　〃You　shall　have　it　then。　Ring　for　our　boots　and　tell　them　to　order　a

cab。　I'll　be　back　in　a　moment　when　I　have　changed　my　dressing…gown　and

filled　my　cigar…case。〃

　　A　shower　of　rain　fell　while　we　were　in　the　train；　and　the　heat　was

far　less　oppressive　in　Croydon　than　in　town。　Holmes　had　sent　on　a

wire；　so　that　Lestrade；　as　wiry；　as　dapper；　and　as　ferret…like　as

ever；　was　waiting　for　us　at　the　station。　A　walk　of　five　minutes　took

us　to　Cross　Street；　where　Miss　Cushing　resided。

　　It　was　a　very　long　street　of　two…story　brick　houses；　neat　and

prim；　with　whitened　stone　steps；　and　little　groups　of　aproned　women

gossiping　at　the　doors。　Halfway　down；　Lestrade　stopped　and　tapped　at　a

door；　which　was　opened　by　a　small　servant　girl。　Miss　Cushing　was

sitting　in　the　front　room；　into　which　we　were　ushered。　She　was　a

placid…faced　woman；　with　large；　gentle　eyes；　and　grizzled　hair　curving

down　over　her　temples　on　each　side。　A　worked　antimacassar　lay　upon　her

lap　and　a　basket　of　coloured　silks　stood　upon　a　stool　beside　her。

　　〃They　are　in　the　outhouse；　those　dreadful　things；〃　said　she　as

Lestrade　entered。　I　wish　that　you　would　take　them　away　altogether。〃

　　〃So　I　shall；　Miss　Cushing。　I　only　kept　them　here　until　my　friend；

Mr。　Holmes；　should　have　seen　them　in　your　presence。〃

　　〃Why　in　my　presence；　sir？〃

　　〃In　case　he　wished　to　ask　any　questions。〃

　　〃What　is　the　use　of　asking　me　questions　when　I　tell　you　I　know

nothing　whatever　about　it？〃

　　〃Quite　so；　madam；〃　said　Holmes　in　his　soothing　way。　〃I　have　no　doubt

that　you　have　been　annoyed　more　than　enough　already　over　this

business。〃

　　〃Indeed；　I　have；　sir。　I　am　a　quiet　woman　and　live　a　retired　life。　It

is　something　new　for　me　to　see　my　name　in　the　papers　and　to　find　the

police　in　my　house。　I　won't　have　those　things　in　here；　Mr。　Lestrade。

If　you　wish　to　see　them　you　must　go　to　the　outhouse。〃

　　It　was　a　small　shed　in　the　narrow　garden　which　ran　behind　the　house。

Lestrade　went　in　and　brought　out　a　yellow　cardboard　box；　with　a

piece　of　brown　paper　and　some　string。　There　was　a　bench　at　the　end

of　the　path；　and　we　all　sat　down　while　Holmes　examined；　one　by　one；

the　articles　which　Lestrade　had　handed　to　him。

　　〃The　string　is　exceedingly　interesting；〃　he　remarked；　holding　it

up　to　the　light　and　sniffing　at　it。　〃What　do　you　make　of　this

string；　Lestrade？〃

　　〃It　has　been　tarred。〃

　　〃Precisely。　It　is　a　piece　of　tarred　twine。　You　have　also；　no

doubt；　remarked　that　Miss　Cushing　has　cut　the　cord　with　a　scissors；　as

can　be　seen　by　the　double　fray　on　each　side。　This　is　of　importance。〃

　　〃I　cannot　see　the　importance；〃　said　Lestrade。

　　〃The　importance　lies　in　the　fact　that　the　knot　is　left　intact；　and

that　this　knot　is　of　a　peculiar　character。〃

　　〃It　is　very　neatly　tied。　I　had　already　made　a　note　to　that　effect〃

said　Lestrade　complacently。

　　〃So　much　for　the　string；　then；〃　said　Holmes；　smiling；　〃now　for　the

box　wrapper。　Brown　paper；　with　a　distinct　smell　of　coffee。　What　did

you　not　observe　it？　I　think　there　can　be　no　doubt　of　it。　Address

printed　in　rather　straggling　characters：　'Miss　S。　Cushing；　Cross

Street；　Croydon。'　Done　with　a　broad…pointed　pen；　probably　a　J　and　with

very　inferior　ink。　The　word　'Croydon'　has　been　originally　spelled　with

an　'i；'　which　has　been　changed　to　'y。'　The　parcel　was　directed；

then；　by　a　man…　the　printing　is　distinctly　masculine…　of　limited

education　and　unacquainted　with　the　town　of　Croydon。　So　far；　so

good！　The　box　is　a　yellow；　half…pound　honeydew　box；　with　nothing

distinctive　save　two　thumb　marks　at　the　left　bottom　corner。　It　is

filled　with　rough　salt　of　the　quality　used　for　preserving　hides　and

other　of　the　coarser　commercial　purposes。　And　embedded　in　it　are　these

very　singular　enclosures。〃

　　He　took　out　the　two　ears　as　he　spoke；　and　laying　a　board　across

his　knee　he　examined　them　minutely；　while　Lestrade　and　I；　bending

forward　on　each　side　of　him；　glanced　alternately　at　these　dreadful

relics　and　at　the　thoughtful；　eager　face　of　our　companion。　Finally

he　returned　them　to　the　box　once　more　and　sat　for　a　while　in　deep

meditation。

　　〃You　have　observed；　of　course；〃　said　he　at　last；　〃that　the　ears

are　not　a　pair。〃

　　〃Yes；　I　have　noticed　that。　But　if　this　were　the　practical　joke　of

some　students　from　the　dissecting…rooms；　it　would　be　as　easy　for

them　to　send　two　odd　ears　as　a　pair。

　　〃Precisely。　But　this　is　not　a　practical　joke。〃

　　〃You　are　sure　of　it？〃

　　〃The　presumption　is　strongly　against　it。　Bodies　in　the

dissecting…rooms　are　injected　with　preservative　fluid。　These　ears　bear

no　signs　of　this。　They　are　fresh；　too。　They　have　been　cut　off　with　a

blunt　instrument；　which　would　hardly　happen　if　a　student　had　done

it。　Again；　carbolic　or　rectified　spirits　would　be　the　preservatives

which　would　suggest　themselves　to　the　medical　mind；　certainly　not

rough　salt。　I　repeat　that　there　is　no　practical　joke　here；　but　that　we

are　investigating　a　serious　crime。〃

　　A　vague　thrill　ran　through　me　as　I　listened　to　my　companion's

words　and　saw　the　stern　gravity　which　had　hardened　his　features。

This　brutal　preliminary　seemed　to　shadow　forth　some　strange　and

inexplicable　horror　in　the　background。　Lestrade；　however；　shook　his

head　like　a　man　who　is　only　half　convinced。

　　〃There　are　objections　to　the　joke　theory；　no　doubt〃　said　he；　〃but

there　are　much　stronger　reasons　against　the　other。　We　know　that　this

woman　has　led　a　most　quiet　and　respectable　life　at　Penge　and　here

for　the　last　twenty　years。　She　has　hardly　been　away　from　her　home

for　a　day　during　that　time。　Why　on　earth；　then；　should　any　criminal

send　her　the　proofs　of　his　guilt；　especially　as；　unless　she　is　a

most　consummate　actress；　she　understands　quite　as　little　of　the　matter

as　we　do？〃

　　〃That　is　the　problem　which　we　have　to　solve；〃　Holmes　answered；

〃and　for　my　part　I　shall　set　about　it　by　presuming　that　my　reasoning

is　correct　and　that　a　double　murder　has　been　committed。　One　of　these

ears　is　a　woman's；　small；　finely　formed；　and　pierced　for　an　earring。

The　other　is　a　man's；　sun…burned；　discoloured；　and　also　pierced　for　an

earring。　These　two　people　are　presumably　dead；　or　we　should　have　heard

their　story　before　now。　To…day　is　Friday。　The　packet　was　posted　on

Thursday　morning。　The　tragedy；　then；