the problem of thor bridge-第5章

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the　parapet。〃

　　〃But　it　is　at　least　fifteen　feet　from　the　body。〃

　　〃Yes；　it　is　fifteen　feet　from　the　body。　It　may　have　nothing　to　do

with　the　matter；　But　it　is　a　point　worth　noting。　I　do　not　think　that

we　have　anything　more　to　learn　where。　There　were　no　footsteps；　you

say？〃

　　The　ground　was　iron　hard；　sir。　There　were　no　traces　at　all。〃

　　〃Then　we　can　go。　We　will　go　up　to　the　house　first　and　look　over

these　weapons　of　which　you　speak。　Then　we　shall　get　on　to

Winchester；　for　I　should　desire　to　see　Miss　Dunbar　before　we　go

farther。〃

　　Mr。　Neil　Gibson　had　not　returned　from　town；　but　we　saw　in　the

house　the　neurotic　Mr。　Bates　who　had　called　upon　us　in　the　morning。　He

showed　us　with　a　sinister　relish　the　formidable　array　of　firearms　of

various　shapes　and　sizes　which　his　employer　had　accumulated　in　the

course　of　an　adventurous　life。

　　〃Mr。　Gibson　has　his　enemies；　as　anyone　would　expect　who　knew　him　and

his　methods；〃　said　he。　〃He　sleeps　with　a　loaded　revolver　in　the　drawer

beside　his　bed。　He　is　a　man　of　violence；　sir；　and　there　are　times　when

all　of　us　are　afraid　of　him。　I　am　sure　that　the　poor　lady　who　has

passed　was　often　terrified。〃

　　〃Did　you　ever　witness　physical　violence　towards　her？〃

　　〃No；　I　cannot　say　that。　But　I　have　heard　words　which　were　nearly

as　bad…　words　of　cold；　cutting　contempt；　even　before　the　servants。〃

　　〃Our　millionaire　does　not　seem　to　shine　in　private　life；〃　remarked

Holmes　as　we　made　our　way　to　the　station。　〃Well；　Watson；　we　have

come　on　a　good　many　facts；　some　of　them　new　ones；　and　yet　I　seem

some　way　from　my　conclusion。　In　spite　of　the　evident　dislike　which　Mr。

Bates　has　to　his　employer；　I　gather　from　him　that　when　the　alarm

came　he　was　undoubtedly　in　his　library。　Dinner　was　over　at　8：30　and

all　was　normal　up　to　then。　It　is　true　that　the　alarm　was　somewhat　late

in　the　evening；　but　the　tragedy　certainly　occurred　about　the　hour

named　in　the　note。　There　is　no　evidence　at　all　that　Mr。　Gibson　had

been　out　of　doors　since　his　return　from　town　at　five　o'clock。　On　the

other　hand；　Miss　Dunbar；　as　I　understand　it；　admits　that　she　had

made　an　appointment　to　meet　Mrs。　Gibson　at　the　bridge。　Beyond　this　she

would　say　nothing；　as　her　lawyer；　had　advised　her　to　reserve　her

defence。　We　have　several　very　vital　questions　to　ask　that　young

lady；　and　my　mind　will　not　be　easy　until　we　have　seen　her。　I　must

confess　that　the　case　would　seem　to　me　to　be　very　black　against　her　if

it　were　not　for　one　thing。〃

　　〃And　what　is　that；　Holmes？〃

　　〃The　finding　of　the　pistol　in　her　wardrobe。〃

　　〃Dear　me；　Holmes！〃　I　cried；　〃that　seemed　to　me　to　be　the　most

damning　incident　of　all。〃

　　〃Not　so；　Watson。　It　had　struck　me　even　at　my　first　perfunctory

reading　as　very　strange；　and　now　that　I　am　in　closer　touch　with　the

case　it　is　my　only　firm　ground　for　hope。　We　must　look　for　consistency。

Where　there　is　a　want　of　it　we　must　suspect　deception。〃

　　〃I　hardly　follow　you。〃

　　〃Well　now；　Watson；　suppose　for　a　moment　that　we　visualize　you　in　the

character　of　a　woman　who；　in　a　cold；　premeditated　fashion；　is　about　to

get　rid　of　a　rival。　You　have　planned　it。　A　note　has　been　written。

The　victim　has　come。　You　have　your　weapon。　The　crime　is　done。　It　has

been　workmanlike　and　complete。　Do　you　tell　me　that　after　carrying

out　so　crafty　a　crime　you　would　now　ruin　your　reputation　as　a　criminal

by　forgetting　to　fling　your　weapon　into　those　adjacent　reed…beds　which

would　forever　cover　it；　but　you　must　needs　carry　it　carefully　home　and

put　it　in　your　own　wardrobe；　the　very　first　place　that　would　be

searched？　Your　best　friends　would　hardly　call　you　a　schemer；　Watson；

and　yet　I　could　not　picture　you　doing　anything　so　crude　as　that。〃

　　〃In　the　excitement　of　the　moment…〃

　　〃No；　no；　Watson；　I　will　not　admit　that　it　is　possible。　Where　a　crime

is　coolly　premeditated；　then　the　means　of　covering　it　are　coolly

premeditated　also。　I　hope；　therefore；　that　we　are　in　the　presence　of　a

serious　misconception。〃

　　〃But　there　is　so　much　to　explain。〃

　　〃Well；　we　shall　set　about　explaining　it。　When　once　your　point　of

view　is　changed；　the　very　thing　which　was　so　damning　becomes　a　clue　to

the　truth。　For　example；　there　is　this　revolver。　Miss　Dunbar

disclaims　all　knowledge　of　it。　On　our　new　theory　she　is　speaking　truth

when　she　says　so。　Therefore；　it　was　placed　in　her　wardrobe。　Who　placed

it　there？　Someone　who　wished　to　incriminate　her。　Was　not　that　person

the　actual　criminal？　You　see　how　we　come　at　once　upon　a　most

fruitful　line　of　inquiry。〃

　　We　were　compelled　to　spend　the　night　at　Winchester；　as　the

formalities　had　not　yet　been　completed；　but　next　morning；　in　the

company　of　Mr。　Joyce　Cummings；　the　rising　barrister　who　was

entrusted　with　the　defence；　we　were　allowed　to　see　the　young　lady　in

her　cell。　I　had　expected　from　all　that　we　had　heard　to　see　a　beautiful

woman；　but　I　can　never　forget　the　effect　which　Miss　Dunbar　produced

upon　me。　It　was　no　wonder　that　even　the　masterful　millionaire　had

found　in　her　something　more　powerful　than　himself…　something　which

could　control　and　guide　him。　One　felt；　too；　as　one　looked　at　the

strong；　clear…cut；　and　yet　sensitive　face；　that　even　should　she　be

capable　of　some　impetuous　deed。　None　the　less　there　was　an　innate

nobility　of　character　which　would　make　her　influence　always　for　the

good。　She　was　a　brunette；　tall；　with　a　noble　figure　and　commanding

presence；　but　her　dark　eyes　had　in　them　the　appealing；　helpless

expression　of　the　hunted　creature　who　feels　the　nets　around　it；　but

can　see　no　way　out　from　the　toils。　Now；　as　she　realized　the　presence

and　the　help　of　my　famous　friend；　there　came　a　touch　of　colour　in

her　wan　cheeks　and　a　light　of　hope　began　to　glimmer　in　the　glance

which　she　turned　upon　us。

　　〃Perhaps　Mr。　Neil　Gibson　has　told　you　something　of　what　occurred

between　us？〃　she　asked　in　a　low；　agitated　voice。

　　〃Yes；〃　Holmes　answered；　〃you　need　not　pain　yourself　by　entering　into

that　part　of　the　story。　After　seeing　you；　I　am　prepared　to　accept

Mr。　Gibson's　statement　both　as　to　the　influence　which　you　had　over　him

and　as　to　the　innocence　of　your　relations　with　him。　But　why　was　the

whole　situation　not　brought　out　in　court？〃

　　〃It　seemed　to　me　incredible　that　such　a　charge　could　be　sustained。　I

thought　that　if　we　waited　the　whole　thing　must　clear　itself　up　without

our　being　compelled　to　enter　into　painful　details　of　the　inner　life　of

the　family。　But　I　understand　that　far　from　clearing　it　has　become　even

more　serious。〃

　　〃My　dear　young　lady；〃　cried　Holmes　earnestly；　〃I　beg　you　to　have

no　illusions　upon　the　point。　Mr。　Cummings　here　would　assure　you　that

all　the　cards　are　at　present　against　us；　and　that　we　must　do

everything　that　is　possible　if　we　are　to　win　clear。　It　would　be　a

cruel　deception　to　pretend　that　you　are　not　in　very　great　danger。　Give

me　all　the　help　you　can；　then；　to　get　at　the　truth。〃

　　〃I　will　conceal　nothing。〃

　　〃Tell　us；　then；　of　your　true　relations　with　Mr。　Gibson's　wife。〃

　　〃She　hated　me；　Mr。　Holmes。　She　hated　me　with　all　the　fervour　of

her　tropical　nature。　She　was　a　woman　who　would　do　nothing　by　halves；

and　the　measure　of　her　love　fear　her　husband　was　the　measure　also　of

her　hatred　for　me。　It　is　probable　that　she　misunderstood　our

relations。　I　would　not　wish　to　wrong　her；　but　she　loved　so　vividly

in　a　physical　sense　that　she　could　hardly　understand　the　mental；　and

even　spiritual；　tie　which　held　her　husband　to　me；　or　imagine　that　it

was　only　my　desire　to　influence　his　power　to　good　ends　which　kept　me

under　his　roof。　I　can　see　now　that　I　was　wrong。　Nothing　could

justify　me　in　remaining　where　I　was　a　cause　of　unhappiness；　and　yet　it

is　certain　that　the　unhappiness　would　have　remained　even　if　I　had　left

the　house。〃

　　〃Now；　Miss　Dunbar；〃　said　Holmes；　〃I　beg　you　to　tell　us　exactly

what　occurred　that　evening。〃

　　〃I　can　tell　you　the　truth　so　far　as　I　know　it；　Mr。　Holmes；　but　I

am　in　a　position　to　prove　nothing；　and　there　are　points…　the　most

vital　points…　which　I　can　neither　explain　nor　can　I　imagine　any

explanation。〃

　　〃If　you　will　find　the　facts；　perhaps　others　may　find　the

explanation。〃

　　〃Wi