the adventure of the golden pince-nez-第4章

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

opens　it　or　tries　to　do　so。　While　she　is　thus　engaged；　young

Willoughby　Smith　enters　the　room。　In　her　hurry　to　withdraw　the　key；

she　makes　this　scratch　upon　the　door。　He　seizes　her；　and　she；

snatching　up　the　nearest　object；　which　happens　to　be　this　knife；

strikes　at　him　in　order　to　make　him　let　go　his　hold。　The　blow　is　a

fatal　one。　He　falls　and　she　escapes；　either　with　or　without　the　object

for　which　she　has　come。　Is　Susan；　the　maid；　there？　Could　anyone　have

got　away　through　that　door　after　the　time　that　you　heard　the　cry；

Susan？〃

　　〃No　sir；　it　is　impossible。　Before　I　got　down　the　stair；　I'd　have

seen　anyone　in　the　passage。　Besides；　the　door　never　opened；　or　I　would

have　heard　it。〃

　　〃That　settles　this　exit。　Then　no　doubt　the　lady　went　out　the　way　she

came。　I　understand　that　this　other　passage　leads　only　to　the

professor's　room。　There　is　no　exit　that　way？〃

　　〃No；　sir。〃

　　〃We　shall　go　down　it　and　make　the　acquaintance　of　the　professor。

Halloa；　Hopkins！　this　is　very　important；　very　important　indeed。　The

professor's　corridor　is　also　lined　with　cocoanut　matting。〃

　　〃Well；　sir；　what　of　that？〃

　　〃Don't　you　see　any　bearing　upon　the　case？　Well；　well。　I　don't　insist

upon　it。　No　doubt　I　am　wrong。　And　yet　it　seems　to　me　to　be　suggestive。

Come　with　me　and　introduce　me。〃

　　We　passed　down　the　passage；　which　was　of　the　same　length　as　that

which　led　to　the　garden。　At　the　end　was　a　short　flight　of　steps　ending

in　a　door。　Our　guide　knocked；　and　then　ushered　us　into　the　professor's

bedroom。

　　It　was　a　very　large　chamber；　lined　with　innumerable　volumes；　which

had　overflowed　from　the　shelves　and　lay　in　piles　in　the　corners；　or

were　stacked　all　round　at　the　base　of　the　cases。　The　bed　was　in　the

centre　of　the　room；　and　in　it；　propped　up　with　pillows；　was　the

owner　of　the　house。　I　have　seldom　seen　a　more　remarkable　looking

person。　It　was　a　gaunt；　aquiline　face　which　was　turned　towards　us；

with　piercing　dark　eyes；　which　lurked　in　deep　hollows　under　overhung

and　tufted　brows。　His　hair　and　beard　were　white；　save　that　the

latter　was　curiously　stained　with　yellow　around　his　mouth。　A　cigarette

glowed　amid　the　tangle　of　white　hair；　and　the　air　of　the　room　was

fetid　with　stale　tobacco　smoke。　As　he　held　out　his　hand　to　Holmes；　I

perceived　that　it　was　also　stained　with　yellow　nicotine。

　　〃A　smoker；　Mr。　Holmes？〃　said　he；　speaking　in　well…chosen　English；

with　a　curious　little　mincing　accent。　〃Pray　take　a　cigarette。　And　you；

sir？　I　can　recommend　them；　for　I　have　them　especially　prepared　by

Ionides；　of　Alexandria。　He　sends　me　a　thousand　at　a　time；　and　I　grieve

to　say　that　I　have　to　arrange　for　a　fresh　supply　every　fortnight。　Bad；

sir；　very　bad；　but　an　old　man　has　few　pleasures。　Tobacco　and　my

work…　that　is　all　that　is　left　to　me。〃

　　Holmes　had　lit　a　cigarette　and　was　shooting　little　darting　glances

all　over　the　room。

　　〃Tobacco　and　my　work；　but　now　only　tobacco；〃　the　old　man

exclaimed。　〃Alas！　what　a　fatal　interruption！　Who　could　have　foreseen

such　a　terrible　catastrophe？　So　estimable　a　young　man！　I　assure　you

that；　after　a　few　months'　training；　he　was　an　admirable　assistant。

What　do　you　think　of　the　matter；　Mr。　Holmes？〃

　　〃I　have　not　yet　made　up　my　mind。〃

　　〃I　shall　indeed　be　indebted　to　you　if　you　can　throw　a　light　where

all　is　so　dark　to　us。　To　a　poor　bookworm　and　invalid　like　myself

such　a　blow　is　paralyzing。　I　seem　to　have　lost　the　faculty　of　thought。

But　you　are　a　man　of　action…　you　are　a　man　of　affairs。　It　is　part　of

the　everyday　routine　of　your　life。　You　can　preserve　your　balance　in

every　emergency。　We　are　fortunate；　indeed；　in　having　you　at　our　side。〃

　　Holmes　was　pacing　up　and　down　one　side　of　the　room　whilst　the　old

professor　was　talking。　I　observed　that　he　was　smoking　with

extraordinary　rapidity。　It　was　evident　that　he　shared　our　host's

liking　for　the　fresh　Alexandrian　cigarettes。

　　〃Yes；　sir；　it　is　a　crushing　blow；〃　said　the　old　man。　〃That　is　my

magnum　opus…　the　pile　of　papers　on　the　side　table　yonder。　It　is　my

analysis　of　the　documents　found　in　the　Coptic　monasteries　of　Syria　and

Egypt；　a　work　which　will　cut　deep　at　the　very　foundation　of　revealed

religion。　With　my　enfeebled　health　I　do　not　know　whether　I　shall

ever　be　able　to　complete　it；　now　that　my　assistant　has　been　taken　from

me。　Dear　me！　Mr。　Holmes；　why；　you　are　even　a　quicker　smoker　than　I

am　myself。〃

　　Holmes　smiled。

　　〃I　am　a　connoisseur；〃　said　he；　taking　another　cigarette　from　the

box…　his　fourth…　and　lighting　it　from　the　stub　of　that　which　he　had

finished。　〃I　will　not　trouble　you　with　any　lengthy

cross…examination；　Professor　Coram；　since　I　gather　that　you　were　in

bed　at　the　time　of　the　crime；　and　could　know　nothing　about　it。　I　would

only　ask　this：　What　do　you　imagine　that　this　poor　fellow　meant　by

his　last　words：　'The　professor…　it　was　she'？〃

　　The　professor　shook　his　head。

　　〃Susan　is　a　country　girl；〃　said　he；　〃and　you　know　the　incredible

stupidity　of　that　class。　I　fancy　that　the　poor　fellow　murmured　some

incoherent　delirious　words；　and　that　she　twisted　them　into　this

meaningless　message。〃

　　〃I　see。　You　have　no　explanation　yourself　of　the　tragedy？〃

　　〃Possibly　an　accident；　possibly…　I　only　breathe　it　among

ourselves…　a　suicide。　Young　men　have　their　hidden　troubles…　some

affair　of　the　heart；　perhaps；　which　we　have　never　known。　It　is　a

more　probable　supposition　than　murder。〃

　　〃But　the　eyeglasses？〃

　　〃Ah！　I　am　only　a　student…　a　man　of　dreams。　I　cannot　explain　the

practical　things　of　life。　But　still；　we　are　aware；　my　friend；　that

love…gages　may　take　strange　shapes。　By　all　means　take　another

cigarette。　It　is　a　pleasure　to　see　anyone　appreciate　them　so。　A　fan；　a

glove；　glasses…　who　knows　what　article　may　be　carried　as　a　token　or

treasured　when　a　man　puts　an　end　to　his　life？　This　gentleman　speaks　of

footsteps　in　the　grass；　but；　after　all；　it　is　easy　to　be　mistaken　on

such　a　point。　As　to　the　knife；　it　might　well　be　thrown　far　from　the

unfortunate　man　as　he　fell。　It　is　possible　that　I　speak　as　a　child；

but　to　me　it　seems　that　Willoughby　Smith　has　met　his　fate　by　his　own

hand。〃

　　Holmes　seemed　struck　by　the　theory　thus　put　forward；　and　he

continued　to　walk　up　and　down　for　some　time；　lost　in　thought　and

consuming　cigarette　after　cigarette。

　　〃Tell　me；　Professor　Coram；〃　he　said；　at　last；　〃what　is　in　that

cupboard　in　the　bureau？〃

　　〃Nothing　that　would　help　a　thief。　Family　papers；　letters　from　my

poor　wife；　diplomas　of　universities　which　have　done　me　honour。　Here　is

the　key。　You　can　look　for　yourself。〃

　　Holmes　picked　up　the　key；　and　looked　at　it　for　an　instant；　then　he

handed　it　back。

　　〃No；　I　hardly　think　that　it　would　help　me；〃　said　he。　〃I　should

prefer　to　go　quietly　down　to　your　garden；　and　turn　the　whole　matter

over　in　my　head。　There　is　something　to　be　said　for　the　theory　of

suicide　which　you　have　put　forward。　We　must　apologize　for　having

intruded　upon　you；　Professor　Coram；　and　I　promise　that　we　won't

disturb　you　until　after　lunch。　At　two　o'clock　we　will　come　again；

and　report　to　you　anything　which　may　have　happened　in　the　interval。〃

　　Holmes　was　curiously　distrait；　and　we　walked　up　and　down　the

garden　path　for　some　time　in　silence。

　　〃Have　you　a　clue？〃　I　asked；　at　last。

　　〃It　depends　upon　those　cigarettes　that　I　smoked；〃　said　he。　〃It　is

possible　that　I　am　utterly　mistaken。　The　cigarettes　will　show　me。〃

　　〃My　dear　Holmes；〃　I　exclaimed；　〃how　on　earth…〃

　　〃Well；　well；　you　may　see　for　yourself。　If　not；　there's　no　harm　done。

Of　course；　we　always　have　the　optician　clue　to　fall　back　upon；　but　I

take　a　short　cut　when　I　can　get　it。　Ah；　here　is　the　good　Mrs。

Marker！　Let　us　enjoy　five　minutes　of　instructive　conversation　with

her。〃

　　I　may　have　remarked　before　that　Holmes　had；　when　he　liked；　a

peculiarly　ingratiating　way　with　women；　and　that　he　very　readily

established　terms　of　confidence　with　them。　In　half　the　time　which　he

had　named；　he　had　captured　the　housekeeper's　goodwill　and　was　chatting

with　her　as　if　he　had　known　her　for　years。

　　〃Yes；　Mr。　Holmes；　it　is　as　you　say；　sir。