the adventure of the cardboard box-第4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！


and　crumpled　it　into　his　pocket。　〃That's　all　right〃　said　he。

　　〃Have　you　found　out　anything？〃

　　〃I　have　found　out　everything！〃

　　〃What！〃　Lestrade　stared　at　him　in　amazement。　〃You　are　joking。〃

　　〃I　was　never　more　serious　in　my　life。　A　shocking　crime　has　been

committed；　and　I　think　I　have　now　laid　bare　every　detail　of　it。〃

　　〃And　the　criminal？〃

　　Holmes　scribbled　a　few　words　upon　the　back　of　one　of　his　visiting

cards　and　threw　it　over　to　Lestrade。

　　〃That　is　the　name；〃　he　said。　〃You　cannot　effect　an　arrest　until

to…morrow　night　at　the　earliest。　I　should　prefer　that　you　do　not

mention　my　name　at　all　in　connection　with　the　case；　as　I　choose　to

be　only　associated　with　those　crimes　which　present　some　difficulty

in　their　solution。　Come　on；　Watson。〃　We　strode　off　together　to　the

station；　leaving　Lestrade　still　staring　with　a　delighted　face　at　the

card　which　Holmes　had　thrown　him。



　　〃The　case；〃　said　Sherlock　Holmes　as　we　chatted　over　our　cigars

that　night　in　our　rooms　at　Baker　Street；　〃is　one　where；　as　in　the

investigations　which　you　have　chronicled　under　the　names　of　'A　Study

in　Scarlet'　and　of　'The　Sign　of　Four；'　we　have　been　compelled　to

reason　backward　from　effects　to　causes。　I　have　written　to　Lestrade

asking　him　to　supply　us　with　the　details　which　are　now　wanting；　and

which　he　will　only　get　after　he　has　secured　his　man。　That　he　may　be

safely　trusted　to　do；　for　although　he　is　absolutely　devoid　of

reason；　he　is　as　tenacious　as　a　bulldog　when　he　once　understands

what　he　has　to　do；　and；　indeed；　it　is　just　this　tenacity　which　has

brought　him　to　the　top　at　Scotland　Yard。〃

　　〃Your　case　is　not　complete；　then？〃　I　asked。

　　〃It　is　fairly　complete　in　essentials。　We　know　who　the　author　of

the　revolting　business　is；　although　one　of　the　victims　still　escapes

us。　Of　course；　you　have　formed　your　own　conclusions。〃

　　〃I　presume　that　this　Jim　Browner；　the　steward　of　a　Liverpool　boat；

is　the　man　whom　you　suspect？〃

　　〃Oh！　it　is　more　than　a　suspicion。〃

　　〃And　yet　I　cannot　see　anything　save　very　vague　indications。〃

　　〃On　the　contrary；　to　my　mind　nothing　could　be　more　clear。　Let　me　run

over　the　principal　steps。　We　approached　the　case；　you　remember；　with

an　absolutely　blank　mind；　which　is　always　an　advantage。　We　had

formed　no　theories。　We　were　simply　there　to　observe　and　to　draw

inferences　from　our　observations。　What　did　we　see　first？　A　very　placid

and　respectable　lady；　who　seemed　quite　innocent　of　any　secret；　and　a

portrait　which　showed　me　that　she　had　two　younger　sisters。　It

instantly　flashed　across　my　mind　that　the　box　might　have　been　meant

for　one　of　these。　I　set　the　idea　aside　as　one　which　could　be　disproved

or　confirmed　at　our　leisure。　Then　we　went　to　the　garden；　as　you

remember；　and　we　saw　the　very　singular　contents　of　the　little　yellow

box。

　　〃The　string　was　of　the　quality　which　is　used　by　sailmakers　aboard

ship；　and　at　once　a　whiff　of　the　sea　was　perceptible　in　our

investigation。　When　I　observed　that　the　knot　was　one　which　is

popular　with　sailors；　that　the　parcel　had　been　posted　at　a　port；　and

that　the　male　ear　was　pierced　for　an　earring　which　is　so　much　more

common　among　sailors　than　landsmen；　I　was　quite　certain　that　an　the

actors　in　the　tragedy　were　to　be　found　among　our　seafaring　classes。

　　〃When　I　came　to　examine　the　address　of　the　packet　I　observed　that　it

was　to　Miss　S。　Cushing。　Now；　the　oldest　sister　would；　of　course；　be

Miss　Cushing；　and　although　her　initial　was　'S'　it　might　belong　to

one　of　the　others　as　well。　In　that　case　we　should　have　to　commence　our

investigation　from　a　fresh　basis　altogether。　I　therefore　went　into　the

house　with　the　intention　of　clearing　up　this　point。　I　was　about　to

assure　Miss　Cushing　that　I　was　convinced　that　a　mistake　had　been

made　when　you　may　remember　that　I　came　suddenly　to　a　stop。　The　fact

was　that　I　had　just　seen　something　which　filled　me　with　surprise　and

at　the　same　time　narrowed　the　field　of　our　inquiry　immensely。

　　〃As　a　medical　man；　you　are　aware；　Watson；　that　there　is　no　part　of

the　body　which　varies　so　much　as　the　human　ear。　Each　ear　is　as　a

rule　quite　distinctive　and　differs　from　all　other　ones。　In　last

years　Anthropological　Journal　you　will　find　two　short　monographs

from　my　pen　upon　the　subject。　I　had；　therefore；　examined　the　ears　in

the　box　with　the　eyes　of　an　expert　and　had　carefully　noted　their

anatomical　peculiarities。　Imagine　my　surprise；　then；　when　on　looking

at　Miss　Cushing　I　perceived　that　her　ear　corresponded　exactly　with　the

female　ear　which　I　had　just　inspected。　The　matter　was　entirely

beyond　coincidence。　There　was　the　same　shortening　of　the　pinna；　the

same　broad　curve　of　the　upper　lobe；　the　same　convolution　of　the

inner　cartilage。　In　all　essentials　it　was　the　same　ear。

　　〃Of　course　I　at　once　saw　the　enormous　importance　of　the　observation。

It　was　evident　that　the　victim　was　a　blood　relation；　and　probably　a

very　close　one。　I　began　to　talk　to　her　about　her　family；　and　you

remember　that　she　at　once　gave　us　some　exceedingly　valuable　details。

　　〃In　the　first　place；　her　sisters　name　was　Sarah；　and　her　address　had

until　recently　been　the　same；　so　that　it　was　quite　obvious　how　the

mistake　had　occurred　and　for　whom　the　packet　was　meant。　Then　we

heard　of　this　steward；　married　to　the　third　sister；　and　learned　that

he　had　at　one　time　been　so　intimate　with　Miss　Sarah　that　she　had

actually　gone　up　to　Liverpool　to　be　near　the　Browners；　but　a　quarrel

had　afterwards　divided　them。　This　quarrel　had　put　a　stop　to　all

communications　for　some　months；　so　that　if　Browner　had　occasion　to

address　a　packet　to　Miss　Sarah；　he　would　undoubtedly　have　done　so　to

her　old　address。

　　〃And　now　the　matter　had　begun　to　straighten　itself　out

wonderfully。　We　had　learned　of　the　existence　of　this　steward；　an

impulsive　man；　of　strong　passions…　you　remember　that　he　threw　up

what　must　have　been　a　very　superior　berth　in　order　to　be　nearer　to　his

wife…　subject；　too；　to　occasional　fits　of　hard　drinking。　We　had　reason

to　believe　that　his　wife　had　been　murdered；　and　that　a　man…　presumably

a　seafaring　man…　had　been　murdered　at　the　same　time。　Jealousy；　of

course；　at　once　suggests　itself　as　the　motive　for　the　crime。　And　why

should　these　proofs　of　the　deed　be　sent　to　Miss　Sarah　Cushing？

Probably　because　during　her　residence　in　Liverpool　she　had　some　hand

in　bringing　about　the　events　which　led　to　the　tragedy。　You　will

observe　that　this　line　of　boats　calls　at　Belfast　Dublin；　and

Waterford；　so　that；　presuming　that　Browner　had　committed　the　deed

and　had　embarked　at　once　upon　his　steamer；　the　May　Day；　Belfast

would　be　the　first　place　at　which　he　could　post　his　terrible　packet。

　　〃A　second　solution　was　at　this　stage　obviously　possible；　and

although　I　thought　it　exceedingly　unlikely；　I　was　determined　to

elucidate　it　before　going　further。　An　unsuccessful　lover　might　have

killed　Mr。　and　Mrs。　Browner；　and　the　male　ear　might　have　belonged　to

the　husband。　There　were　many　grave　objections　to　this　theory；　but　it

was　conceivable。　I　therefore　sent　off　a　telegram　to　my　friend　Algar；

of　the　Liverpool　force；　and　asked　him　to　find　out　if　Mrs。　Browner　were

at　home；　and　if　Browner　had　departed　in　the　May　Day。　Then　we　went　on

to　Wallington　to　visit　Miss　Sarah。

　　〃I　was　curious；　in　the　first　place；　to　see　how　far　the　family　ear

had　been　reproduced　in　her。　Then；　of　course；　she　might　give　us　very

important　information；　but　I　was　not　sanguine　that　she　would。　She　must

have　heard　of　the　business　the　day　before；　since　all　Croydon　was

ringing　with　it；　and　she　alone　could　have　understood　for　whom　the

packet　was　meant。　If　she　had　been　willing　to　help　justice　she　would

probably　have　communicated　with　the　police　already。　However；　it　was

clearly　our　duty　to　see　her；　so　we　went。　We　found　that　the　news　of　the

arrival　of　the　packet…　for　her　illness　dated　from　that　time…　had

such　an　effect　upon　her　as　to　bring　on　brain　fever。　It　was　clearer

than　ever　that　she　understood　its　full　significance；　but　equally　clear

that　we　should　have　to　wait　some　time　for　any　assistance　from　her。

　　〃However；　we　were　really　independent　of　her　help。　Our　answer