adventure08-第4章

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doctor's　tale。　　As　our　visitor　concluded；　Holmes

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

own　from　the　table；　and　followed　Dr。　Trevelyan　to　the

door。　　Within　a　quarter　of　an　hour　we　had　been　dripped

at　the　door　of　the　physician's　residence　in　Brook

Street；　one　of　those　sombre；　flat…faced　houses　which

one　associates　with　a　West…End　practice。　　A　small　page

admitted　us；　and　we　began　at　once　to　ascend　the　broad；

well…carpeted　stair。



But　a　singular　interruption　brought　us　to　a

standstill。　　The　light　at　the　top　was　suddenly　whisked

out；　and　from　the　darkness　came　a　reedy；　quivering

voice。



〃I　have　a　pistol；〃　it　cried。　　〃I　give　you　my　word　that

I'll　fire　if　you　come　any　nearer。〃



〃This　really　grows　outrageous；　Mr。　Blessington；〃　cried

Dr。　Trevelyan。



〃Oh；　then　it　is　you；　doctor；〃　said　the　voice；　with　a

great　heave　of　relief。　　〃But　those　other　gentlemen；

are　they　what　they　pretend　to　be？〃



We　were　conscious　of　a　long　scrutiny　out　of　the

darkness。



〃Yes；　yes；　it's　all　right；〃　said　the　voice　at　last。　

〃You　can　come　up；　and　I　am　sorry　if　my　precautions

have　annoyed　you。〃



He　relit　the　stair　gas　as　he　spoke；　and　we　saw　before

us　a　singular…looking　man；　whose　appearance；　as　well

as　his　voice；　testified　to　his　jangled　nerves。　　He　was

very　fat；　but　had　apparently　at　some　time　been　much

fatter；　so　that　the　skin　hung　about　his　face　in　loose

pouches；　like　the　cheeks　of　a　blood…hound。　　He　was　of

a　sickly　color；　and　his　thin；　sandy　hair　seemed　to

bristle　up　with　the　intensity　of　his　emotion。　　In　his

hand　he　held　a　pistol；　but　he　thrust　it　into　his

pocket　as　we　advanced。



〃Good…evening；　Mr。　Holmes；〃　said　he。　　〃I　am　sure　I　am

very　much　obliged　to　you　for　coming　round。　　No　one

ever　needed　your　advice　more　than　I　do。　　I　suppose

that　Dr。　Trevelyan　has　told　you　of　this　most

unwarrantable　intrusion　into　my　rooms。〃



〃Quite　so；〃　said　Holmes。　　〃Who　are　these　tow　men　Mr。

Blessington；　and　why　do　they　wish　to　molest　you？〃



〃Well；　well；〃　said　the　resident　patient；　in　a　nervous

fashion；　〃of　course　it　is　hard　to　say　that。　　You　can

hardly　expect　me　to　answer　that；　Mr。　Holmes。〃



〃Do　you　mean　that　you　don't　know？〃



〃Come　in　here；　if　you　please。　　Just　have　the　kindness

to　step　in　here。〃



He　led　the　way　into　his　bedroom；　which　was　large　and

comfortably　furnished。



〃You　see　that；〃　said　he；　pointing　to　a　big　black　box

at　the　end　of　his　bed。　　〃I　have　never　been　a　very　rich

man；　Mr。　Holmesnever　made　but　one　investment　in　my

life；　as　Dr。　Trevelyan　would　tell　you。　　But　I　don't

believe　in　bankers。　　I　would　never　trust　a　banker；　Mr。

Holmes。　　Between　ourselves；　what　little　I　have　is　in

that　box；　so　you　can　understand　what　it　means　to　me

when　unknown　people　force　themselves　into　my　rooms。〃



Holmes　looked　at　Blessington　in　his　questioning　way

and　shook　his　head。



〃I　cannot　possibly　advise　you　if　you　try　to　deceive

me；〃　said　he。



〃But　I　have　told　you　everything。〃



Holmes　turned　on　his　heel　with　a　gesture　of　disgust。　

〃Good…night；　Dr。　Trevelyan；〃　said　he。



〃And　no　advice　for　me？〃　cried　Blessington；　in　a

breaking　voice。



〃My　advice　to　your；　sir；　is　to　speak　the　truth。〃



A　minute　later　we　were　in　the　street　and　walking　for

home。　　We　had　crossed　Oxford　Street　and　were　half　way

down　Harley　Street　before　I　could　get　a　word　from　my

companion。



〃Sorry　to　bring　you　out　on　such　a　fool's　errand；

Watson；〃　he　said　at　last。　　〃It　is　an　interesting　case；

too；　at　the　bottom　of　it。〃



〃I　can　make　little　of　it；〃　I　confessed。



〃Well；　it　is　quite　evident　that　there　are　two

menmore；　perhaps；　but　at　least　twowho　are

determined　for　some　reason　to　get　at　this　fellow

Blessington。　　I　have　no　doubt　in　my　mind　that　both　on

the　first　and　on　the　second　occasion　that　young　man

penetrated　to　Blessington's　room；　while　his

confederate；　by　an　ingenious　device；　kept　the　doctor

from　interfering。〃



〃And　the　catalepsy？〃



〃A　fraudulent　imitation；　Watson；　though　I　should

hardly　dare　to　hint　as　much　to　our　specialist。　　It　is

a　very　easy　complaint　to　imitate。　　I　have　done　it

myself。〃



〃And　then？〃



〃By　the　purest　chance　Blessington　was　out　on　each

occasion。　　Their　reason　for　choosing　so　unusual　an

hour　for　a　consultation　was　obviously　to　insure　that

there　should　be　no　other　patient　in　the　waiting…room。　

It　just　happened；　however；　that　this　hour　coincided

with　Blessington's　constitutional；　which　seems　to　show

that　they　were　not　very　well　acquainted　with　his　daily

routine。　　Of　course；　if　they　had　been　merely　after

plunder　they　would　at　least　have　made　some　attempt　to

search　for　it。　　Besides；　I　can　read　in　a　man's　eye

when　it　is　his　own　skin　that　he　is　frightened　for。　　It

is　inconceivable　that　this　fellow　could　have　made　two

such　vindictive　enemies　as　these　appear　to　be　without

knowing　of　it。　　I　hold　it；　therefore；　to　be　certain

that　he　does　know　who　these　men　are；　and　that　for

reasons　of　his　own　he　suppresses　it。　　It　is　just

possible　that　to…morrow　may　find　him　in　a　more

communicative　mood。〃



〃Is　there　not　one　alternative；〃　I　suggested；

〃grotesquely　improbably；　no　doubt；　but　still　just

conceivable？　　Might　the　whole　story　of　the　cataleptic

Russian　and　his　son　be　a　concoction　of　Dr。

Trevelyan's；　who　has；　for　his　own　purposes；　been　in

Blessington's　rooms？〃



I　saw　in　the　gaslight　that　Holmes　wore　an　amused　smile

at　this　brilliant　departure　of　mine。



〃My　dear　fellow；〃　said　he；　〃it　was　one　of　the　first

solutions　which　occurred　to　me；　but　I　was　soon　able　to

corroborate　the　doctor's　tale。　　This　young　man　has

left　prints　upon　the　stair…carpet　which　made　it　quite

superfluous　for　me　to　ask　to　see　those　which　he　had

made　in　the　room。　　When　I　tell　you　that　his　shoes　were

square…toed　instead　of　being　pointed　like

Blessington's；　and　were　quite　an　inch　and　a　third

longer　than　the　doctor's；　you　will　acknowledge　that

there　can　be　no　doubt　as　to　his　individuality。　　But　we

may　sleep　on　it　now；　for　I　shall　be　surprised　if　we　do

not　hear　something　further　from　Brook　Street　in　the

morning。〃





Sherlock　Holmes's　prophecy　was　soon　fulfilled；　and　in

a　dramatic　fashion。　　At　half…past　seven　next　morning；

in　the　first　glimmer　of　daylight；　I　found　him　standing

by　my　bedside　in　his　dressing…gown。



〃There's　a　brougham　waiting　for　us；　Watson；〃　said　he。



〃What's　the　matter；　then？〃



〃The　Brook　Street　business。〃



〃Any　fresh　news？〃



〃Tragic；　but　ambiguous；〃　said　he；　pulling　up　the

blind。　　〃Look　at　thisa　sheet　from　a　note…book；　with

'For　God's　sake　come　at　onceP。　T。；'　scrawled　upon　it

in　pencil。　　Our　friend；　the　doctor；　was　hard　put　to　it

when　he　wrote　this。　　Come　along；　my　dear　fellow；　for

it's　an　urgent　call。〃



In　a　quarter　of　an　hour　or　so　we　were　back　at　the

physician's　house。　　He　came　running　out　to　meet　us

with　a　face　of　horror。



〃Oh；　such　a　business！〃　he　cried；　with　his　hands　to　his

temples。



〃What　then？〃



〃Blessington　has　committed　suicide！〃



Holmes　whistled。



〃Yes；　he　hanged　himself　during　the　night。〃



We　had　entered；　and　the　doctor　had　preceded　us　into

what　was　evidently　his　waiting…room。



〃I　really　hardly　know　what　I　am　doing；〃　he　cried。　

〃The　police　are　already　upstairs。　　It　has　shaken　me

most　dreadfully。〃



〃When　did　you　find　it　out？〃



〃He　has　a　cup　of　tea　taken　in　to　him　early　every

morning。　　When　the　maid　entered；　about　seven；　there

the　unfortunate　fellow　was　hanging　in　the　middle　of

the　room。　　He　had　tied　his　cord　to　the　hook　on　which

the　heavy　lamp　used　to　hang；　and　he　had　jumped　off

from　the　top　of　the　very　box　that　he　showed　us

yesterday。〃



Holmes　stood　for　a　moment　in　deep　thought。



〃With　your　permission；〃　said　he　at　last；　〃I　should

like　to　go　upstairs　and　look　into　the　matter。〃



We　both　ascended；　followed　by　the　doctor。



It　was　a　dreadful　sight　which　met　us　as　we　entered　the

bedroom