adventure08-第5章

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We　both　ascended；　followed　by　the　doctor。



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

bedroom　door。　　I　have　spoken　of　the　impression　of

flabbiness　which　this　man　Blessington　conveyed。　　As　he

dangled　from　the　hook　it　was　exaggerated　and

intensified　until　he　was　scarce　human　in　his

appearance。　　The　neck　was　drawn　out　like　a　plucked

chicken's；　making　the　rest　of　him　seem　the　more　obese

and　unnatural　by　the　contrast。　　He　was　clad　only　in

his　long　night…dress；　and　his　swollen　ankles　and

ungainly　feet　protruded　starkly　from　beneath　it。　

Beside　him　stood　a　smart…looking　police…inspector；　who

was　taking　notes　in　a　pocket…book。



〃Ah；　Mr。　Holmes；〃　said　he；　heartily；　as　my　friend

entered；　〃I　am　delighted　to　see　you。〃



〃Good…morning；　Lanner；〃　answered　Holmes；　〃you　won't

think　me　an　intruder；　I　am　sure。　　Have　you　heard　of

the　events　which　led　up　to　this　affair？〃



〃Yes；　I　heard　something　of　them。〃



〃Have　you　formed　any　opinion？〃



〃As　far　as　I　can　see；　the　man　has　been　driven　out　of

his　senses　by　fright。　　The　bed　has　been　well　slept　in；

you　see。　　There's　his　impression　deep　enough。　　It's

about　five　in　the　morning；　you　know；　that　suicides　are

most　common。　　That　would　be　about　his　time　for　hanging

himself。　　It　seems　to　have　been　a　very　deliberate

affair。〃



〃I　should　say　that　he　has　been　dead　about　three　hours；

judging　by　the　rigidity　of　the　muscles；〃　said　I。



〃Noticed　anything　peculiar　about　the　room？〃　asked

Holmes。



〃Found　a　screw…driver　and　some　screws　on　the　wash…hand

stand。　　Seems　to　have　smoked　heavily　during　the　night；

too。　　Here　are　four　cigar…ends　that　I　picked　out　of

the　fireplace。〃



〃Hum！〃　said　Holmes；　〃have　you　got　his　cigar…holder？〃



〃No；　I　have　seen　none。〃



〃His　cigar…case；　then？〃



〃Yes；　it　was　in　his　coat…pocket。〃



Holmes　opened　it　and　smelled　the　single　cigar　which　it

contained。



〃Oh；　this　is　an　Havana；　and　these　others　are　cigars　of

the　peculiar　sort　which　are　imported　by　the　Dutch　from

their　East　Indian　colonies。　　They　are　usually　wrapped

in　straw；　you　know；　and　are　thinner　for　their　length

than　any　other　brand。〃　　He　picked　up　the　four　ends　and

examined　them　with　his　pocket…lens。



〃Two　of　these　have　been　smoked　from　a　holder　and　two

without；〃　said　he。　　〃Two　have　been　cut　by　a　not　very

sharp　knife；　and　two　have　had　the　ends　bitten　off　by　a

set　of　excellent　teeth。　　This　is　no　suicide；　Mr。

Lanner。　　It　is　a　very　deeply　planned　and　cold…blooded

murder。〃



〃Impossible！〃　cried　the　inspector。



〃And　why？〃



〃Why　should　any　one　murder　a　man　in　so　clumsy　a

fashion　as　by　hanging　him？〃



〃That　is　what　we　have　to　find　out。〃



〃How　could　they　get　in？〃



〃Through　the　front　door。〃



〃It　was　barred　in　the　morning。〃



〃Then　it　was　barred　after　them。〃



〃How　do　you　know？〃



〃I　saw　their　traces。　　Excuse　me　a　moment；　and　I　may　be

able　to　give　you　some　further　information　about　it。〃



He　went　over　to　the　door；　and　turning　the　lock　he

examined　it　in　his　methodical　way。　　Then　he　took　out

the　key；　which　was　on　the　inside；　and　inspected　that

also。　　The　bed；　the　carpet；　the　chairs　the

mantelpiece；　the　dead　body；　and　the　rope　were　each　in

turn　examined；　until　at　last　he　professed　himself

satisfied；　and　with　my　aid　and　that　of　the　inspector

cut　down　the　wretched　object　and　laid　it　reverently

under　a　sheet。



〃How　about　this　rope？〃　he　asked。



〃It　is　cut　off　this；〃　said　Dr。　Trevelyan；　drawing　a

large　coil　from　under　the　bed。　　〃He　was　morbidly

nervous　of　fire；　and　always　kept　this　beside　him；　so

that　he　might　escape　by　the　window　in　case　the　stairs

were　burning。〃



〃That　must　have　saved　them　trouble；〃　said　Holmes；

thoughtfully。　　〃Yes；　the　actual　facts　are　very　plain；

and　I　shall　be　surprised　if　by　the　afternoon　I　cannot

give　you　the　reasons　for　them　as　well。　　I　will　take

this　photograph　of　Blessington；　which　I　see　upon　the

mantelpiece；　as　it　may　help　me　in　my　inquiries。〃



〃But　you　have　told　us　nothing！〃　cried　the　doctor。



〃Oh；　there　can　be　no　doubt　as　to　the　sequence　of

events；〃　said　Holmes。　　〃There　were　three　of　them　in

it：　　the　young　man；　the　old　man；　and　a　third；　to　whose

identity　I　have　no　clue。　　The　first　two；　I　need　hardly

remark；　are　the　same　who　masqueraded　as　the　Russian

count　and　his　son；　so　we　can　give　a　very　full

description　of　them。　　They　were　admitted　by　a

confederate　inside　the　house。　　If　I　might　offer　you　a

word　of　advice；　Inspector；　it　would　be　to　arrest　the

page；　who；　as　I　understand；　has　only　recently　come

into　your　service；　Doctor。〃



〃The　young　imp　cannot　be　found；〃　said　Dr。　Trevelyan；

〃the　maid　and　the　cook　have　just　been　searching　for

him。〃



Holmes　shrugged　his　shoulders。



〃He　has　played　a　not　unimportant　part　in　this　drama；〃

said　he。　　〃The　three　men　having　ascended　the　stairs；

which　they　did　on　tiptoe；　the　elder　man　first；　the

younger　man　second；　and　the　unknown　man　in　the　rear〃



〃My　dear　Holmes！〃　I　ejaculated。



〃Oh；　there　could　be　no　question　as　to　the

superimposing　of　the　footmarks。　　I　had　the　advantage

of　learning　which　was　which　last　night。　　They

ascended；　then；　to　Mr。　Blessington's　room；　the　door　of

which　they　found　to　be　locked。　　With　the　help　of　a

wire；　however；　they　forced　round　the　key。　　Even

without　the　lens　you　will　perceive；　by　the　scratches

on　this　ward；　where　the　pressure　was　applied。



〃On　entering　the　room　their　first　proceeding　must　have

been　to　gag　Mr。　Blessington。　　He　may　have　been　asleep；

or　he　may　have　been　so　paralyzed　with　terror　as　to

have　been　unable　to　cry　out。　　These　walls　are　thick；

and　it　is　conceivable　that　his　shriek；　if　he　had　time

to　utter　one；　was　unheard。



〃Having　secured　him；　it　is　evident　to　me　that　a

consultation　of　some　sort　was　held。　　Probably　it　was

something　in　the　nature　of　a　judicial　proceeding。　　It

must　have　lasted　for　some　time；　for　it　was　then　that

these　cigars　were　smoke。　　The　older　man　sat　in　that

wicker　chair；　it　was　he　who　used　the　cigar…holder。　

The　younger　man　sat　over　yonder；　he　knocked　his　ash

off　against　the　chest　of　drawers。　　The　third　fellow

paced　up　and　down。　　Blessington；　I　think；　sat　upright

in　the　bed；　but　of　that　I　cannot　be　absolutely

certain。



〃Well；　it　ended　by　their　taking　Blessington　and

hanging　him。　　The　matter　was　so　prearranged　that　it　is

my　belief　that　they　brought　with　them　some　sort　of

block　or　pulley　which　might　serve　as　a　gallows。　　That

screw…driver　and　those　screws　were；　as　I　conceive；　for

fixing　it　up。　　Seeing　the　hook；　however　they　naturally

saved　themselves　the　trouble。　　Having　finished　their

work　they　made　off；　and　the　door　was　barred　behind

them　by　their　confederate。〃



We　had　all　listened　with　the　deepest　interest　to　this

sketch　of　the　night's　doings；　which　Holmes　had　deduced

from　signs　so　subtle　and　minute　that；　even　when　he　had

pointed　them　out　to　us；　we　could　scarcely　follow　him

in　his　reasoning。　　The　inspector　hurried　away　on　the

instant　to　make　inquiries　about　the　page；　while　Holmes

and　I　returned　to　Baker　Street　for　breakfast。



〃I'll　be　back　by　three；〃　said　he；　when　we　had　finished

our　meal。　　〃Both　the　inspector　and　the　doctor　will

meet　me　here　at　that　hour；　and　I　hope　by　that　time　to

have　cleared　up　any　little　obscurity　which　the　case

may　still　present。〃





Our　visitors　arrived　at　the　appointed　time；　but　it　was

a　quarter　to　four　before　my　friend　put　in　an

appearance。　　From　his　expression　as　he　entered；

however；　I　could　see　that　all　had　gone　well　with　him。



〃Any　news；　Inspector？〃



〃We　have　got　the　boy；　sir。〃



〃Excellent；　and　I　have　got　the　men。〃



〃You　have　got　them！〃　we　cried；　all　three。



〃Well；　at　least　I　have　got　their　identity。　　This

so…called　Blessington　is；　as　I　expected；　well　known　at

headquarters；　and　so　are　his　assailants。　　Their　names

are　Biddle；　Hayward；　and　Moffat。〃



〃The　Worthingdon　bank　gang；〃　cried　the　inspe