the adventure of the cardboard box-第6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！


good　company；　I　won't　deny　it；　and　he　had　wonderful　polite　ways　with

him　for　a　sailor　man；　so　that　I　think　there　must　have　been　a　time　when

he　knew　more　of　the　poop　than　the　forecastle。　For　a　month　he　was　in

and　out　of　my　house；　and　never　once　did　it　cross　my　mind　that　harm

might　come　of　his　soft　tricky　ways。　And　then　at　last　something　made　me

suspect　and　from　that　day　my　peace　was　gone　forever。

　　〃'It　was　only　a　little　thing；　too。　I　had　come　into　the　parlour

unexpected；　and　as　I　walked　in　at　the　door　I　saw　a　light　of　welcome　on

my　wife's　face。　But　as　she　saw　who　it　was　it　faded　again；　and　she

turned　away　with　a　look　of　disappointment。　That　was　enough　for　me。

There　was　no　one　but　Alec　Fairbairn　whose　step　she　could　have　mistaken

for　mine。　If　I　could　have　seen　him　then　I　should　have　killed　him；

for　I　have　always　been　like　a　madman　when　my　temper　gets　loose。　Mary

saw　the　devil's　light　in　my　eyes；　and　she　ran　forward　with　her　hands

on　my　sleeve。　〃Don't　Jim；　don't！〃　says　she。　〃Where's　Sarah？〃　I

asked。　〃In　the　kitchen；〃　says　she。　〃Sarah；〃　says　I　as　I　went　in；　〃this

man　Fairbairn　is　never　to　darken　my　door　again。〃　〃Why　not？〃　says

she。　〃Because　I　order　it。〃　〃Oh！〃　says　she；　〃if　my　friends　are　not　good

enough　for　this　house；　then　I　am　not　good　enough　for　it　either。〃

〃You　can　do　what　you　like；〃　says　I；　〃but　if　Fairbairn　shows　his　face

here　again　I'll　send　you　one　of　his　ears　for　a　keepsake。〃　She　was

frightened　by　my　face；　I　think；　for　she　never　answered　a　word；　and　the

same　evening　she　left　my　house。

　　〃'Well；　I　don't　know　now　whether　it　was　pure　devilry　on　the　part

of　this　woman；　or　whether　she　thought　that　she　could　turn　me　against

my　wife　by　encouraging　her　to　misbehave。　Anyway；　she　took　a　house　just

two　streets　off　and　let　lodgings　to　sailors。　Fairbairn　used　to　stay

there；　and　Mary　would　go　round　to　have　tea　with　her　sister　and　him。

How　often　she　went　I　don't　know；　but　I　followed　her　one　day；　and　as

I　broke　in　at　the　door　Fairbairn　got　away　over　the　back　garden　wall；

like　the　cowardly　skunk　that　he　was。　I　swore　to　my　wife　that　I　would

kill　her　if　I　found　her　in　his　company　again；　and　I　led　her　back

with　me；　sobbing　and　trembling；　and　as　white　as　a　piece　of　paper。

There　was　no　trace　of　love　between　us　any　longer。　I　could　see　that　she

hated　me　and　feared　me；　and　when　the　thought　of　it　drove　me　to

drink；　then　she　despised　me　as　well。

　　〃'Well；　Sarah　found　that　she　could　not　make　a　living　in　Liverpool；

so　she　went　back；　as　I　understand；　to　live　with　her　sister　in　Croydon；

and　things　jogged　on　much　the　same　as　ever　at　home。　And　then　came　this

last　week　and　all　the　misery　and　ruin。

　　〃'It　was　in　this　way。　We　had　gone　on　the　May　Day　for　a　round

voyage　of　seven　days；　but　a　hogshead　got　loose　and　started　one　of

our　plates；　so　that　we　had　to　put　back　into　port　for　twelve　hours。　I

left　the　ship　and　came　home；　thinking　what　a　surprise　it　would　be

for　my　wife；　and　hoping　that　maybe　she　would　be　glad　to　see　me　so

soon。　The　thought　was　in　my　head　as　I　turned　into　my　own　street　and　at

that　moment　a　cab　passed　me；　and　there　she　was；　sitting　by　the　side　of

Fairbairn；　the　two　chatting　and　laughing；　with　never　a　thought　for

me　as　I　stood　watching　them　from　the　footpath。

　　〃'I　tell　you；　and　I　give　you　my　word　for　it；　that　from　that　moment　I

was　not　my　own　master；　and　it　is　all　like　a　dim　dream　when　I　look　back

on　it。　I　had　been　drinking　hard　of　late；　and　the　two　things　together

fairly　turned　my　brain。　There's　something　throbbing　in　my　head　now；

like　a　docker's　hammer；　but　that　morning　I　seemed　to　have　all

Niagara　whizzing　and　buzzing　in　my　ears。

　　〃'Well；　I　took　to　my　heels；　and　I　ran　after　the　cab。　I　had　a　heavy

oak　stick　in　my　hand；　and　I　tell　you　I　saw　red　from　the　first；　but

as　I　ran　I　got　cunning；　too；　and　hung　back　a　little　to　see　them

without　being　seen。　They　pulled　up　soon　at　the　railway　station。

There　was　a　good　crowd　round　the　booking…office；　so　I　got　quite

close　to　them　without　being　seen。　They　took　tickets　for　New

Brighton。　So　did　I；　but　I　got　in　three　carriages　behind　them。　When

we　reached　it　they　walked　along　the　Parade；　and　I　was　never　more

than　a　hundred　yards　from　them。　At　last　I　saw　them　hire　a　boat　and

start　for　a　row；　for　it　was　a　very　hot　day；　and　they　thought；　no

doubt；　that　it　would　be　cooler　on　the　water。

　　〃It　was　just　as　if　they　had　been　given　into　my　hands。　There　was　a

bit　of　a　haze；　and　you　could　not　see　more　than　a　few　hundred　yards。

I　hired　a　boat　for　myself；　and　I　pulled　after　them。　I　could　see　the

blur　of　their　craft；　but　they　were　going　nearly　as　fast　as　I；　and　they

must　have　been　a　long　mile　from　the　shore　before　I　caught　them　up。　The

haze　was　like　a　curtain　all　round　us；　and　there　were　we　three　in　the

middle　of　it。　My　God；　shall　I　ever　forget　their　faces　when　they　saw

who　was　in　the　boat　that　was　closing　in　upon　them？　She　screamed　out。

He　swore　like　a　madman　and　jabbed　at　me　with　an　oar；　for　he　must

have　seen　death　in　my　eyes。　I　got　past　it　and　got　one　in　with　my　stick

that　crushed　his　head　like　an　egg。　I　would　have　spared　her；　perhaps；

for　all　my　madness；　but　she　threw　her　arms　round　him；　crying　out　to

him；　and　calling　him　〃Alec。〃　I　struck　again；　and　she　lay　stretched

beside　him。　I　was　like　a　wild　beast　then　that　had　tasted　blood。　If

Sarah　had　been　there；　by　the　Lord；　she　should　have　joined　them。　I

pulled　out　my　knife；　and…　well；　there！　I've　said　enough。　It　gave　me

a　kind　of　savage　joy　when　I　thought　how　Sarah　would　feel　when　she

had　such　sign　of　what　her　meddling　had　brought　about。　Then　I　tied

the　bodies　into　the　boat；　stove　a　plank；　and　stood　by　until　they　had

sunk。　I　knew　very　well　that　the　owner　would　think　that　they　had　lost

their　bearings　and　had　drifted　off　out　to　sea。　I　cleaned　myself　up；

got　back　to　land；　and　joined　my　ship　without　a　soul　having　a　suspicion

of　what　had　passed。　That　night　I　made　up　the　packet　for　Sarah　Cushing；

and　next　day　I　sent　it　from　Belfast。

　　〃'There　you　have　the　whole　truth　of　it。　You　can　hang　me；　or　do

what　you　like　with　me；　but　you　cannot　punish　me　as　I　have　been

punished　already。　I　cannot　shut　my　eyes　but　I　see　those　two　faces

staring　at　me…　staring　at　me　as　they　stared　when　my　boat　broke　through

the　haze。　I　killed　them　quick；　but　they　are　killing　me　slow；　and　if

I　have　another　night　of　it　I　shall　be　either；　mad　or　dead　before

morning。　You　won't　put　me　alone　into　a　cell；　sir？　For　pity's　sake

don't；　and　may　you　be　treated　in　your　day　of　agony　as　you　treat　me

now。〃

　　〃What　is　the　meaning　of　it　Watson？；　said　Holmes　solemnly　as　he

laid　down　the　paper。　〃What　object　is　served　by　this　circle　of　misery

and　violence　and　fear？　It　must　tend　to　some　end；　or　else　our

universe　is　ruled　by　chance；　which　is　unthinkable。　But　what　end？　There

is　the　great　standing　perennial　problem　to　which　human　reason　is　as

far　from　an　answer　as　ever。〃





　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　…THE　END…

。