adventure08-第3章

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and　ceasing　to　take　the　short　walk　which　had　usually

been　the　prelude　to　his　dinner。　　From　his　manner　it

struck　me　that　he　was　in　mortal　dread　of　something　or

somebody；　but　when　I　questioned　him　upon　the　point　he

became　so　offensive　that　I　was　compelled　to　drop　the

subject。　　Gradually；　as　time　passed；　his　fears

appeared　to　die　away；　and　he　had　renewed　his　former

habits；　when　a　fresh　event　reduced　him　to　the　pitiable

state　of　prostration　in　which　he　now　lies。



〃What　happened　was　this。　　Two　days　ago　I　received　the

letter　which　I　now　read　to　you。　　Neither　address　nor

date　is　attached　to　it。



〃'A　Russian　nobleman　who　is　now　resident　in　England；'

it　runs；　'would　be　glad　to　avail　himself　of　the

professional　assistance　of　Dr。　Percy　Trevelyan。　　He

has　been　for　some　years　a　victim　to　cataleptic

attacks；　on　which；　as　is　well　known；　Dr。　Trevelyan　is

an　authority。　　He　proposes　to　call　at　about　quarter

past　six　to…morrow　evening；　if　Dr。　Trevelyan　will　make

it　convenient　to　be　at　home。'



〃This　letter　interest　me　deeply；　because　the　chief

difficulty　in　the　study　of　catalepsy　is　the　rareness

of　the　disease。　　You　may　believe；　than；　that　I　was　in

my　consulting…room　when；　at　the　appointed　hour；　the

page　showed　in　the　patient。



He　was　an　elderly　man；　thin；　demure；　and

common…placeby　no　means　the　conception　one　forms　of

a　Russian　nobleman。　　I　was　much　more　struck　by　the

appearance　of　his　companion。　　This　was　a　tall　young

man；　surprisingly　handsome；　with　a　dark；　fierce　face；

and　the　limbs　and　chest　of　a　Hercules。　　He　had　his

hand　under　the　other's　arm　as　they　entered；　and　helped

him　to　a　chair　with　a　tenderness　which　one　would

hardly　have　expected　from　his　appearance。



〃'You　will　excuse　my　coming　in；　doctor；'　said　he　to

me；　speaking　English　with　a　slight　lisp。　　'This　is　my

father；　and　his　health　is　a　matter　of　the　most

overwhelming　importance　to　me。'



〃I　was　touched　by　this　filial　anxiety。　　'You　would；

perhaps；　care　to　remain　during　the　consultation？'　said

I。



〃'Not　for　the　world；'　he　cried　with　a　gesture　of

horror。　　'It　is　more　painful　to　me　than　I　can　express。　

If　I　were　to　see　my　father　in　one　of　these　dreadful

seizures　I　am　convinced　that　I　should　never　survive

it。　　My　own　nervous　system　is　an　exceptionally

sensitive　one。　　With　your　permission；　I　will　remain　in

the　waiting…room　while　you　go　into　my　father's　case。'



〃To　this；　of　course；　I　assented；　and　the　young　man

withdrew。　　The　patient　and　I　then　plunged　into　a

discussion　of　his　case；　of　which　I　took　exhaustive

notes。　　He　was　not　remarkable　for　intelligence；　and

his　answers　were　frequently　obscure；　which　I

attributed　to　his　limited　acquaintance　with　our

language。　　Suddenly；　however；　as　I　sat　writing；　he

cased　to　give　any　answer　at　all　to　my　inquiries；　and

on　my　turning　towards　him　I　was　shocked　to　see　that　he

was　sitting　bolt　upright　in　his　chair；　staring　at　me

with　a　perfectly　blank　and　rigid　face。　　He　was　again

in　the　grip　of　his　mysterious　malady。



〃My　first　feeling；　as　I　have　just　said；　was　one　of

pity　and　horror。　　My　second；　I　fear；　was　rather　one　of

professional　satisfaction。　　I　made　notes　of　my

patient's　pulse　and　temperature；　tested　the　rigidity

of　his　muscles；　and　examined　his　reflexes。　　There　was

nothing　markedly　abnormal　in　any　of　these　conditions；

which　harmonized　with　my　former　experiences。　　I　had

obtained　good　results　in　such　cases　by　the　inhalation

of　nitrite　of　amyl；　and　the　present　seemed　an

admirable　opportunity　of　testing　its　virtues。　　The

bottle　was　downstairs　in　my　laboratory；　so　leaving　my

patient　seated　in　his　chair；　I　ran　down　to　get　it。　

There　was　some　little　delay　in　finding　itfive

minutes；　let　us　sayand　then　I　returned。　　Imagine　my

amazement　to　find　the　room　empty　and　the　patient　gone。



〃Of　course；　my　first　act　was　to　run　into　the

waiting…room。　　The　son　had　gone　also。　　The　hall　door

had　been　closed；　but　not　shut。　　My　page　who　admits

patients　is　a　new　boy　and　by　no　means　quick。　　He　waits

downstairs；　and　runs　up　to　show　patients　out　when　I

ring　the　consulting…room　bell。　　He　had　heard　nothing；

and　the　affair　remained　a　complete　mystery。　　Mr。

Blessington　cam　in　from　his　walk　shortly　afterwards；

but　I　did　not　say　anything　to　him　upon　the　subject；

for；　to　tell　the　truth；　I　have　got　in　the　way　of　late

of　holding　as　little　communication　with　him　as

possible。



〃Well；　I　never　thought　that　I　should　see　anything　more

of　the　Russian　and　his　son；　so　you　can　imagine　my

amazement　when；　at　the　very　same　hour　this　evening；

they　both　came　marching　into　my　consulting…room；　just

as　they　had　done　before。



〃'I　feel　that　I　owe　you　a　great　many　apologies　for　my

abrupt　departure　yesterday；　doctor；'　said　my　patient。



〃'I　confess　that　I　was　very　much　surprised　at　it；'

said　I。



〃'Well；　the　fact　is；'　he　remarked；　'that　when　I

recover　from　these　attacks　my　mind　is　always　very

clouded　as　to　all　that　has　gone　before。　　I　woke　up　in

a　strange　room；　as　it　seemed　to　me；　and　made　my　way

out　into　the　street　in　a　sort　of　dazed　way　when　you

were　absent。'



〃'And　I；'　said　the　son；　'seeing　my　father　pass　the

door　of　the　waiting…room；　naturally　thought　that　the

consultation　had　come　to　an　end。　　It　was　not　until　we

had　reached　home　that　I　began　to　realize　the　true

state　of　affairs。'



〃'Well；'　said　I；　laughing；　'there　is　no　harm　done

except　that　you　puzzled　me　terribly；　so　if　you；　sir；

would　kindly　step　into　the　waiting…room　I　shall　be

happy　to　continue　our　consultation　which　was　brought

to　so　abrupt　an　ending。'



〃'For　half　an　hour　or　so　I　discussed　that　old

gentleman's　symptoms　with　him；　and　then；　having

prescribed　for　him；　I　saw　him　go　off　upon　the　arm　of

his　son。



〃I　have　told　you　that　Mr。　Blessington　generally　chose

this　hour　of　the　day　for　his　exercise。　　He　came　in

shortly　afterwards　and　passed　upstairs。　　An　instant

later　I　heard　him　running　down；　and　he　burst　into　my

consulting…room　like　a　man　who　is　mad　with　panic。



〃'Who　has　been　in　my　room？'　he　cried。



〃'No　one；'　said　I。



〃'It's　a　lie！　He　yelled。　　'Come　up　and　look！'



〃I　passed　over　the　grossness　of　his　language；　as　he

seemed　half　out　of　his　mind　with　fear。　　When　I　went

upstairs　with　him　he　pointed　to　several　footprints

upon　the　light　carpet。



〃'D'you　mean　to　say　those　are　mine？'　he　cried。



〃They　were　certainly　very　much　larger　than　any　which

he　could　have　made；　and　were　evidently　quite　fresh。　

It　rained　hard　this　afternoon；　as　you　know；　and　my

patients　were　the　only　people　who　called。　　It　must

have　been　the　case；　then；　that　the　man　in　the

waiting…room　had；　for　some　unknown　reason；　while　I　was

busy　with　the　other；　ascended　to　the　room　of　my

resident　patient。　　Nothing　has　been　touched　or　taken；

but　there　were　the　footprints　to　prove　that　the

intrusion　was　an　undoubted　fact。



〃Mr。　Blessington　seemed　more　excited　over　the　matter

than　I　should　have　thought　possible；　though　of　course

it　was　enough　to　disturb　anybody's　peace　of　mind。　　He

actually　sat　crying　in　an　arm…chair；　and　I　could

hardly　get　him　to　speak　coherently。　　It　was　his

suggestion　that　I　should　come　round　to　you；　and　of

course　I　at　once　saw　the　propriety　of　it；　for

certainly　the　incident　is　a　very　singular　one；　though

he　appears　to　completely　overtake　its　importance。　　If

you　would　only　come　back　with　me　in　my　brougham；　you

would　at　least　be　able　to　soothe　him；　though　I　can

hardly　hope　that　you　will　be　able　to　explain　this

remarkable　occurrence。〃



Sherlock　Holmes　had　listened　to　this　long　narrative

with　an　intentness　which　showed　me　that　his　interest

was　keenly　aroused。　　His　face　was　as　impassive　as

ever；　but　his　lids　had　drooped　more　heavily　over　his

eyes；　and　his　smoke　had　curled　up　more　thickly　from

his　pipe　to　emphasize　each　curious　episode　in　the

doctor's　tale。　　As　our　visitor　concluded；　Holmes

sprang　up　without　a　word；　handed　me　my　hat；　picked　his

ow