adventure08-第2章

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be　able　to　follow　his　reasoning；　and　to　see　that　the

nature　and　state　of　the　various　medical　instruments　in

the　wicker　basket　which　hung　in　the　lamplight　inside

the　brougham　had　given　him　the　data　for　his　swift

deduction。　　The　light　in　our　window　above　showed　that

this　late　visit　was　indeed　intended　for　us。　　With　some

curiosity　as　to　what　could　have　sent　a　brother　medico

to　us　at　such　an　hour；　I　followed　Holmes　into　our

sanctum。



A　pale；　taper…faced　man　with　sandy　whiskers　rose　up

from　a　chair　by　the　fire　as　we　entered。　　His　age　may

not　have　been　more　than　three　or　four　and　thirty；　but

his　haggard　expression　and　unhealthy　hue　told　of　a

life　which　has　sapped　his　strength　and　robbed　him　of

his　youth。　　His　manner　was　nervous　and　shy；　like　that

of　a　sensitive　gentleman；　and　the　thin　white　hand

which　he　laid　on　the　mantelpiece　as　he　rose　was　that

of　an　artist　rather　than　of　a　surgeon。　　His　dress　was

quiet　and　sombrea　black　frock…coat；　dark　trousers；

and　a　touch　of　color　about　his　necktie。



〃Good…evening；　doctor；〃　said　Holmes；　cheerily。　　〃I　am

glad　to　see　that　you　have　only　been　waiting　a　very　few

minutes。〃



〃You　spoke　to　my　coachman；　then？〃



〃No；　it　was　the　candle　on　the　side…table　that　told　me。　

Pray　resume　your　seat　and　let　me　know　how　I　can　serve

you。〃



〃My　name　is　Doctor　Percy　Trevelyan；〃　said　our　visitor；

〃and　I　live　at　403　Brook　Street。〃



〃Are　you　not　the　author　of　a　monograph　upon　obscure

nervous　lesions？〃　I　asked。



His　pale　cheeks　flushed　with　pleasure　at　hearing　that

his　work　was　known　to　me。



〃I　so　seldom　hear　of　the　work　that　I　thought　it　was

quite　dead；〃　said　he。　　〃My　publishers　gave　me　a　most

discouraging　account　of　its　sale。　　You　are　yourself；　I

presume；　a　medical　man？〃



〃A　retired　army　surgeon。〃



〃My　own　hobby　has　always　been　nervous　disease。　　I

should　wish　to　make　it　an　absolute　specialty；　but；　of

course；　a　man　must　take　what　he　can　get　at　first。　

This；　however；　is　beside　the　question；　Mr。　Sherlock

Holmes；　and　I　quite　appreciate　how　valuable　your　time

is。　　The　fact　is　that　a　very　singular　train　of　events

has　occurred　recently　at　my　house　in　Brook　Street；　and

to…night　they　came　to　such　a　head　that　I　felt　it　was

quite　impossible　for　me　to　wait　another　hour　before

asking　for　your　advice　and　assistance。〃



Sherlock　Holmes　sat　down　and　lit　his　pipe。　　〃You　are

very　welcome　to　both；〃　said　he。　　〃Pray　let　me　have　a

detailed　account　of　what　the　circumstances　are　which

have　disturbed　you。〃



〃One　or　two　of　them　are　so　trivial；〃　said　Dr。

Trevelyan；　〃that　really　I　am　almost　ashamed　to　mention

them。　　But　the　matter　is　so　inexplicable；　and　the

recent　turn　which　it　has　taken　is　so　elaborate；　that　I

shall　lay　it　all　before　you；　and　you　shall　judge　what

is　essential　and　what　is　not。



〃I　am　compelled；　to　begin　with；　to　say　something　of　my

own　college　career。　　I　am　a　London　University　man；　you

know；　and　I　am　sure　that　your　will　not　think　that　I　am

unduly　singing　my　own　praises　if　I　say　that　my　student

career　was　considered　by　my　professors　to　be　a　very

promising　one。　　After　I　had　graduated　I　continued　to

devote　myself　to　research；　occupying　a　minor　position

in　King's　College　Hospital；　and　I　was　fortunate　enough

to　excite　considerable　interest　by　my　research　into

the　pathology　of　catalepsy；　and　finally　to　win　the

Bruce　Pinkerton　prize　and　medal　by　the　monograph　on

nervous　lesions　to　which　your　friend　has　just　alluded。　

I　should　not　go　too　far　if　I　were　to　say　that　there

was　a　general　impression　at　that　time　that　a

distinguished　career　lay　before　me。



〃But　the　one　great　stumbling…block　lay　in　my　want　of

capital。　　As　you　will　readily　understand；　a　specialist

who　aims　high　is　compelled　to　start　in　one　of　a　dozen

streets　in　the　Cavendish　Square　quarter；　all　of　which

entail　enormous　rents　and　furnishing　expenses。　

Besides　this　preliminary　outlay；　he　must　be　prepared

to　keep　himself　for　some　years；　and　to　hire　a

presentable　carriage　and　horse。　　To　do　this　was　quite

beyond　my　power；　and　I　could　only　hope　that　by　economy

I　might　in　ten　years'　time　save　enough　to　enable　me　to

put　up　my　plate。　　Suddenly；　however；　an　unexpected

incident　opened　up　quite　a　new　prospect　to　me。



〃This　was　a　visit　from　a　gentleman　of　the　name　of

Blessington；　who　was　a　complete　stranger　to　me。　　He

came　up　to　my　room　one　morning；　and　plunged　into

business　in　an　instant。



〃'You　are　the　same　Percy　Trevelyan　who　has　had　so

distinguished　a　career　and　own　a　great　prize　lately？'

said　he。



〃I　bowed。



〃'Answer　my　frankly；'　he　continued；　'for　you　will　find

it　to　your　interest　to　do　so。　　You　have　all　the

cleverness　which　makes　a　successful　man。　　Have　you　the

tact？'



〃I　could　not　help　smiling　at　the　abruptness　of　the

question。



〃'I　trust　that　I　have　my　share；'　I　said。



〃'Any　bad　habits？　　Not　drawn　towards　drink；　eh？'



〃'Really；　sir！'　I　cried。



〃'Quite　right！　　That's　all　right！　　But　I　was　bound　to

ask。　　With　all　these　qualities；　why　are　you　not　in

practice？'



〃I　shrugged　my　shoulders。



〃'Come；　come！'　said　he；　in　his　bustling　way。　　'It's

the　old　story。　　More　in　your　brains　than　in　your

pocket；　eh？　　What　would　you　say　if　I　were　to　start　you

in　Brook　Street？'



〃I　stared　at　him　in　astonishment。



〃'Oh；　it's　for　my　sake；　not　for　yours；'　he　cried。　

'I'll　be　perfectly　frank　with　you；　and　if　it　suits　you

it　will　suit　me　very　well。　　I　have　a　few　thousands　to

invest；　d'ye　see；　and　I　think　I'll　sink　them　in　you。'



〃'But　why？'　I　gasped。



〃'Well；　it's　just　like　any　other　speculation；　and

safer　than　most。'



〃'What　am　I　to　do　；　then？'



〃'I'll　tell　you。　　I'll　take　the　house；　furnish　it；　pay

the　maids；　and　run　the　whole　place。　　All　you　have　to

do　is　just　to　wear　out　your　chair　in　the

consulting…room。　　I'll　let　you　have　pocket…money　and

everything。　　Then　you　hand　over　to　me　three　quarters

of　what　you　earn；　and　you　keep　the　other　quarter　for

yourself。'



〃This　was　the　strange　proposal；　Mr。　Holmes；　with　which

the　man　Blessington　approached　me。　　I　won't　weary　you

with　the　account　of　how　we　bargained　and　negotiated。　

It　ended　in　my　moving　into　the　house　next　Lady…day；

and　starting　in　practice　on　very　much　the　same

conditions　as　he　had　suggested。　　He　cam　himself　to

live　with　me　in　the　character　of　a　resident　patient。　

His　heart　was　weak；　it　appears；　and　he　needed　constant

medical　supervision。　　He　turned　the　two　best　rooms　of

the　first　floor　into　a　sitting…room　and　bedroom　for

himself。　　He　was　a　man　of　singular　habits；　shunning

company　and　very　seldom　going　out。　　His　life　was

irregular；　but　in　one　respect　he　was　regularity

itself。　　Every　evening；　at　the　same　hour；　he　walked

into　the　consulting…room；　examined　the　books；　put　down

five　and　three…pence　for　every　guinea　that　I　had

earned；　and　carried　the　rest　off　to　the　strong…box　in

his　own　room。



〃I　may　say　with　confidence　that　he　never　had　occasion

to　regret　his　speculation。　　From　the　first　it　was　a

success。　　A　few　good　cases　and　the　reputation　which　I

had　won　in　the　hospital　brought　me　rapidly　to　the

front；　and　during　the　last　few　years　I　have　made　him　a

rich　man。



〃So　much；　Mr。　Holmes；　for　my　past　history　and　my

relations　with　Mr。　Blessington。　　It　only　remains　for

me　now　to　tell　you　what　has　occurred　to　bring　me　her

to…night。



〃Some　weeks　ago　Mr。　Blessington　came　down　to　me　in；　as

it　seemed　to　me；　a　state　of　considerable　agitation。　

He　spoke　of　some　burglary　which；　he　said；　had　been

committed　in　the　West　End；　and　he　appeared；　I

remember；　to　be　quite　unnecessarily　excited　about　it；

declaring　that　a　day　should　not　pass　before　we　should

add　stronger　bolts　to　our　windows　and　doors。　　For　a

week　he　continued　to　be　in　a　peculiar　state　of

restlessness；　peering　continually　out　of　the　windows；

and　ceasing　to　take　the　short　walk　which　had　usually

been　the　prelude　to　his　dinner。　　From　his　man