the adventure of the retired colourman-第1章
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SHERLOCK HOLMES
THE ADVENTURE OF THE RETIRED COLOURMAN
by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
Sherlock Holmes was in a melancholy and philosophic mood that
morning。 His alert practical nature was subject to such reactions。
〃Did you see him？〃 he asked。
〃You mean the old fellow who has just gone out？〃
〃Precisely。〃
〃Yes； I met him at the door。〃
〃What did you think of him？〃
〃A pathetic； futile； broken creature。〃
〃Exactly； Watson。 Pathetic and futile。 But is not all life
pathetic and futile？ Is not his story a microcosm of the whole？ We
reach。 We grasp。 And what is left in our hands at the end？ A shadow。
Or worse than a shadow… misery。〃
〃Is he one of your clients？〃
〃Well； I suppose I may call him so。 He has been sent on by the Yard。
Just as medical men occasionally send their incurables to a quack。
They argue that they can do nothing more； and that whatever happens
the patient can be no worse than he is。〃
〃What is the matter？〃
Holmes took a rather soiled card from the table。 〃Josiah Amberley。
He says he was junior partner of Brickfall and Amberley； who are
manufacturers of artistic materials。 You will see their names upon
paint…boxes。 He made his little pile； retired from business at the age
of sixty…one； bought a house at Lewisham； and settled down to rest
after a life of ceaseless grind。 One would think his future was
tolerably assured。〃
〃Yes； indeed。〃
Holmes glanced over some notes which he had scribbled upon the
back of an envelope。
〃Retired in 1896； Watson。 Early in 1897 he married a woman twenty
years younger than himself… a good…looking woman； too； if the
photograph does not flatter。 A competence； a wife； leisure… it
seemed a straight road which lay before him。 And yet within two
years he is； as you have seen； as broken and miserable a creature as
crawls beneath the sun。〃
〃But what has happened？〃
〃The old story； Watson。 A treacherous friend and a fickle wife。 It
would appear that Amberley has one hobby in life； and it is chess。 Not
far from him at Lewisham there lives a young doctor who is also a
chess…player。 I have noted his name as Dr。 Ray Ernest。 Ernest was
frequently in the house； and an intimacy between him and Mrs。 Amberley
was a natural sequence； for you must admit that our unfortunate client
has few outward graces； whatever his inner virtues may be。 The
couple went off together last week… destination untraced。 What is
more； the faithless spouse carried off the old man's deed…box as her
personal luggage with a good part of his life's savings within。 Can we
find the lady？ Can we save the money？ A commonplace problem so far
as it has developed； and yet a vital one for Josiah Amberley。〃
〃What will you do about it？〃
〃Well； the immediate question； my dear Watson； happens to be； what
will you do？… if you will be good enough to understudy me。 You know
that I am preoccupied with this case of the two Coptic Patriarchs；
which should come to a head to…day。 I really have not time to go out
to Lewisham； and yet evidence taken on the spot has a special value。
The old fellow was quite insistent that I should go； but I explained
my difficulty。 He is prepared to meet a representative。〃
〃By all means；〃 I answered。 〃I confess I don't see that I can be
of much service； but I am willing to do my best。〃 And so it was that
on a summer afternoon I set forth to Lewisham； little dreaming that
within a week the affair in which I was engaging would be the eager
debate of all England。
It was late that evening before I returned to Baker Street and
gave an account of my mission。 Holmes lay with his gaunt figure
stretched in his deep chair； his pipe curling forth slow wreaths of
acrid tobacco； while his eyelids drooped over his eyes so lazily
that he might almost have been asleep were it not that at any halt
or questionable passage of my narrative they half lifted； and two gray
eyes； as bright and keen as rapiers； transfixed me with their
searching glance。
〃The Haven is the name of Mr。 Josiah Amberley's house；〃 I explained。
〃I think it would interest you； Holmes。 It is like some penurious
patrician who has sunk into the company of his inferiors。 You know
that particular quarter； the monotonous brick streets； the weary
suburban highways。 Right in the middle of them； a little island of
ancient culture and comfort； lies this old home； surrounded by a
high sun…baked wall mottled with lichens and topped with moss； the
sort of wall…〃
〃Cut out the poetry； Watson；〃 said Holmes severely。 〃I note that
it was a high brick wall。〃
〃Exactly。 I should not have known which was The Haven had I not
asked a lounger who was smoking in the street。 I have a reason for
mentioning him。 He was a tall； dark； heavily moustached； rather
military…looking man。 He nodded in answer to my inquiry and gave me
a curiously questioning glance； which came back to my memory a
little later。
〃I had hardly entered the gateway before I saw Mr。 Amberley coming
down the drive。 I only had a glimpse of him this morning； and he
certainly gave me the impression of a strange creature； but when I saw
him in full light his appearance was even more abnormal。〃
〃I have； of course； studied it； and yet I should be interested to
have your impression；〃 said Holmes。
〃He seemed to me like a man who was literally bowed down by care。
His back was curved as though he carried a heavy burden。 Yet he was
not the weakling that I had at first imagined； for his shoulders and
chest have the framework of a giant； though his figure tapers away
into a pair of spindled legs。〃
〃Left shoe wrinkled； right one smooth。〃
〃I did not observe that。〃
〃No； you wouldn't。 I spotted his artificial limb。 But proceed。〃
〃I was struck by the snaky locks of grizzled hair which curled
from under his old straw hat； and his face with its fierce； eager
expression and the deeply lined features。〃
〃Very good； Watson。 What did he say？〃
〃He began pouring out the story of his grievances。 We walked down
the drive together； and of course I took a good look round。 I have
never seen a worse…kept place。 The garden was all running to seed；
giving me an impression of wild neglect in which the plants had been
allowed to find the way of Nature rather than of art。 How any decent
woman could have tolerated such a state of things； I don't know。 The
house； too； was slatternly to the last degree； but the poor man seemed
himself to be aware of it and to be trying to remedy it； for a great
pot of green paint stood in the centre of the hall； and he was
carrying a thick brush in his left hand。 He had been working on the
woodwork。
〃He took me into his dingy sanctum； and we had a long chat。 Of
course； he was disappointed that you had not come yourself。 'I
hardly expected；' he said； 'that so humble all individual as myself；
especially after my heavy financial loss； could obtain the complete
attention of so famous a man as Mr。 Sherlock Holmes。'
〃I assured him that the financial question did not arise。 'No； of
course； it is art for art's sake with him；' said he； 'but even on
the artistic side of crime he might have found something here to
study。 And human nature； Dr。 Watson… the black ingratitude of it
all！ When did I ever refuse one of her requests？ Was ever a woman so
pampered？ And that young man… he might have been my own son。 He had
the run of my house。 And yet see how they have treated me！ Oh； Dr。
Watson； it is a dreadful； dreadful world！'
〃That was the burden of his song for an hour or more。 He had； it
seems； no suspicion of an intrigue。 They lived alone save for a
woman who comes in by the day and leaves every evening at six。 On that
particular evening old Amberley； wishing to give his wife a treat； had
taken two upper circle seats at the Haymarket Theatre。 At the last
moment she had complained of a headache and had refused to go。 He
had gone alone。 There seemed to be no doubt about the fact； for he
produced the unused ticket which he had taken for his wife。〃
〃Tha
