the adventure of the golden pince-nez-第3章

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wrote　a　few　lines　upon　a　sheet　of　paper；　which　he　tossed　across　to

Stanley　Hopkins。

　　〃That's　the　best　I　can　do　for　you；〃　said　he。　〃It　may　prove　to　be

of　some　use。〃

　　The　astonished　detective　read　the　note　aloud。　It　ran　as　follows：



　　〃Wanted；　a　woman　of　good　address；　attired　like　a　lady。　She　has　a

remarkably　thick　nose；　with　eyes　which　are　set　close　upon　either

side　of　it。　She　has　a　puckered　forehead；　a　peering　expression；　and

probably　rounded　shoulders。　There　are　indications　that　she　has　had

recourse　to　an　optician　at　least　twice　during　the　last　few　months。

As　her　glasses　are　of　remarkable　strength；　and　as　opticians　are　not

very　numerous；　there　should　be　no　difficulty　in　tracing　her。〃



　　Holmes　smiled　at　the　astonishment　of　Hopkins；　which　must　have　been

reflected　upon　my　features。

　〃Surely　my　deductions　are　simplicity　itself；〃　said　he。　〃It　would　be

difficult　to　name　any　articles　which　afford　a　finer　field　for

inference　than　a　pair　of　glasses；　especially　so　remarkable　a　pair　as

these。　That　they　belong　to　a　woman　I　infer　from　their　delicacy；　and

also；　of　course；　from　the　last　words　of　the　dying　man。　As　to　her　being

a　person　of　refinement　and　well　dressed；　they　are；　as　you　perceive；

handsomely　mounted　in　solid　gold；　and　it　is　inconceivable　that

anyone　who　wore　such　glasses　could　be　slatternly　in　other　respects。

You　will　find　that　the　clips　are　too　wide　for　your　nose；　showing

that　the　lady's　nose　was　very　broad　at　the　base。　This　sort　of　nose

is　usually　a　short　and　coarse　one；　but　there　is　a　sufficient　number　of

exceptions　to　prevent　me　from　being　dogmatic　or　from　insisting　upon

this　point　in　my　description。　My　own　face　is　a　narrow　one；　and　yet　I

find　that　I　cannot　get　my　eyes　into　the　centre；　nor　near　the　centre；

of　these　glasses。　Therefore；　the　lady's　eyes　are　set　very　near　to

the　sides　of　the　nose。　You　will　perceive；　Watson；　that　the　glasses　are

concave　and　of　unusual　strength。　A　lady　whose　vision　has　been　so

extremely　contracted　all　her　life　is　sure　to　have　the　physical

characteristics　of　such　vision；　which　are　seen　in　the　forehead；　the

eyelids；　and　the　shoulders。〃

　　〃Yes；〃　I　said；　〃I　can　follow　each　of　your　arguments。　I　confess；

however；　that　I　am　unable　to　understand　how　you　arrive　at　the　double

visit　to　the　optician。〃

　　Holmes　took　the　glasses　in　his　hand。

　　〃You　will　perceive；〃　he　said；　〃that　the　clips　are　lined　with　tiny

bands　of　cork　to　soften　the　pressure　upon　the　nose。　One　of　these　is

discoloured　and　worn　to　some　slight　extent；　but　the　other　is　new。

Evidently　one　has　fallen　off　and　been　replaced。　I　should　judge　that

the　older　of　them　has　not　been　there　more　than　a　few　months。　They

exactly　correspond；　so　I　gather　that　the　lady　went　back　to　the　same

establishment　for　the　second。〃

　　〃By　George；　it's　marvellous！〃　cried　Hopkins；　in　an　ecstasy　of

admiration。　〃To　think　that　I　had　all　that　evidence　in　my　hand　and

never　knew　it！　I　had　intended；　however；　to　go　the　round　of　the

London　opticians。〃

　　〃Of　course　you　would。　Meanwhile；　have　you　anything　more　to　tell　us

about　the　case？〃

　　〃Nothing；　Mr。　Holmes。　I　think　that　you　know　as　much　as　I　do　now…

probably　more。　We　have　had　inquiries　made　as　to　any　stranger　seen　on

the　country　roads　or　at　the　railway　station。　We　have　heard　of　none。

What　beats　me　is　the　utter　want　of　all　object　in　the　crime。　Not　a

ghost　of　a　motive　can　anyone　suggest。〃

　　〃Ah！　there　I　am　not　in　a　position　to　help　you。　But　I　suppose　you

want　us　to　come　out　to…morrow？〃

　　〃If　it　is　not　asking　too　much；　Mr。　Holmes。　There's　a　train　from

Charing　Cross　to　Chatham　at　six　in　the　morning；　and　we　should　be　at

Yoxley　Old　Place　between　eight　and　nine。〃

　　〃Then　we　shall　take　it。　Your　case　has　certainly　some　features　of

great　interest；　and　I　shall　be　delighted　to　look　into　it。　Well；　it's

nearly　one；　and　we　had　best　get　a　few　hours'　sleep。　I　daresay　you

can　manage　all　right　on　the　sofa　in　front　of　the　fire。　I'll　light　my

spirit　lamp；　and　give　you　a　cup　of　coffee　before　we　start。〃

　　The　gale　had　blown　itself　out　next　day；　but　it　was　a　bitter

morning　when　we　started　upon　our　journey。　We　saw　the　cold　winter　sun

rise　over　the　dreary　marshes　of　the　Thames　and　the　long；　sudden

reaches　of　the　river；　which　I　shall　ever　associate　with　our　pursuit　of

the　Andaman　Islander　in　the　earlier　days　of　our　career。　After　a　long

and　weary　journey；　we　alighted　at　a　small　station　some　miles　from

Chatham。　While　a　horse　was　being　put　into　a　trap　at　the　local　inn；

we　snatched　a　hurried　breakfast；　and　so　we　were　all　ready　for　business

when　we　at　last　arrived　at　Yoxley　Old　Place。　A　constable　met　us　at　the

garden　gate。

　　〃Well；　Wilson；　any　news？〃

　　〃No；　sir…　nothing。〃

　　〃No　reports　of　any　stranger　seen？〃

　　〃No；　sir。　Down　at　the　station　they　are　certain　that　no　stranger

either　came　or　went　yesterday。〃

　　〃Have　you　had　inquiries　made　at　inns　and　lodgings？〃

　　〃Yes；　sir：　there　is　no　one　that　we　cannot　account　for。〃

　　〃Well；　it's　only　a　reasonable　walk　to　Chatham。　Anyone　might　stay

there　or　take　a　train　without　being　observed。　This　is　the　garden

path　of　which　I　spoke；　Mr。　Holmes。　I'll　pledge　my　word　there　was　no

mark　on　it　yesterday。〃

　　〃On　which　side　were　the　marks　on　the　grass？〃

　　〃This　side；　sir。　This　narrow　margin　of　grass　between　the　path　and

the　flowerbed。　I　can't　see　the　traces　now；　but　they　were　clear　to　me

then。〃

　　〃Yes；　yes：　someone　has　passed　along；〃　said　Holmes；　stooping　over　the

grass　border。　〃Our　lady　must　have　picked　her　steps　carefully；　must　she

not；　since　on　the　one　side　she　would　leave　a　track　on　the　path；　and　on

the　other　an　even　clearer　one　on　the　soft　bed？〃

　　〃Yes；　sir；　she　must　have　been　a　cool　hand。〃

　　I　saw　an　intent　look　pass　over　Holmes's　face。

　　〃You　say　that　she　must　have　come　back　this　way？〃

　　〃Yes；　sir；　there　is　no　other。〃

　　〃On　this　strip　of　grass？〃

　　〃Certainly；　Mr。　Holmes。〃

　　〃Hum！　It　was　a　very　remarkable　performance…　very　remarkable。　Well；　I

think　we　have　exhausted　the　path。　Let　us　go　farther。　This　garden

door　is　usually　kept　open；　I　suppose？　Then　this　visitor　had　nothing　to

do　but　to　walk　in。　The　idea　of　murder　was　not　in　her　mind；　or　she

would　have　provided　herself　with　some　sort　of　weapon；　instead　of

having　to　pick　this　knife　off　the　writing…table。　She　advanced　along

this　corridor；　leaving　no　traces　upon　the　cocoanut　matting。　Then　she

found　herself　in　this　study。　How　long　was　she　there？　We　have　no

means　of　judging。〃

　　〃Not　more　than　a　few　minutes；　sir。　I　forgot　to　tell　you　that　Mrs。

Marker；　the　housekeeper；　had　been　in　there　tidying　not　very；　long

before…　about　a　quarter　of　an　hour；　she　says。〃

　　〃Well；　that　gives　us　a　limit。　Our　lady　enters　this　room；　and　what

does　she　do？　She　goes　over　to　the　writing…table。　What　for？　Not　for

anything　in　the　drawers。　If　there　had　been　anything　worth　her

taking；　it　would　surely　have　been　locked　up。　No；　it　was　for

something　in　that　wooden　bureau。　Halloa！　what　is　that　scratch　upon　the

face　of　it？　Just　hold　a　match；　Watson。　Why　did　you　not　tell　me　of

this；　Hopkins？〃

　　The　mark　which　he　was　examining　began　upon　the　brasswork　on　the

righthand　side　of　the　keyhole；　and　extended　for　about　four　inches；

where　it　had　scratched　the　varnish　from　the　surface。

　　〃I　noticed　it；　Mr。　Holmes；　but　you'll　always　find　scratches　round

a　keyhole。〃

　　〃This　is　recent；　quite　recent。　See　how　the　brass　shines　where　it

is　cut。　An　old　scratch　would　be　the　same　colour　as　the　surface。　Look

at　it　through　my　lens。　There's　the　varnish；　too；　like　earth　on　each

side　of　a　furrow。　Is　Mrs。　Marker　there？〃

　　A　sad…faced；　elderly　woman　came　into　the　room。

　　〃Did　you　dust　this　bureau　yesterday　morning？〃

　　〃Yes；　sir。〃

　　〃Did　you　notice　this　scratch？〃

　　〃No；　sir；　I　did　not。〃

　　〃I　am　sure　you　did　not；　for　a　duster　would　have　swept　away　these

shreds　of　varnish。　Who　has　the　key　of　this　bureau？〃

　　〃The　Professor　keeps　it　on　his　watch…chain。〃

　　〃Is　it　a　simple　key？〃

　　〃No；　sir；　it　is　a　Chubb's　key。〃

　　〃Very　good。　Mrs。　Marker；　you　can　go。　Now　we　are　making　a　little

progress。　Our　lady　enters　the　room；　advances　to　the　bureau；　and　either

opens　it　or　tries　to　do　so。　While　she　is