the adventure of the retired colourman-第4章

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It　set　my　foot　upon　the　trail。　Why　should　this　man　at　such　a　time　be

filling　his　house　with　strong　odours？　Obviously；　to　cover　some　other

smell　which　he　wished　to　conceal…　some　guilty　smell　which　would

suggest　suspicions。　then　came　the　idea　of　a　room　such　as　you　see

here　with　iron　door　and　shutter…　a　hermetically　sealed　room。　Put　those

two　facts　together；　and　whither　do　they　lead？　I　could　only　determine

that　by　examining　the　house　myself。　I　was　already　certain　that　the

case　was　serious；　for　I　had　examined　the　box…office　chart　at　the

Haymarket　Theatre…　another　of　Dr。　Watson's　bull's…eyes…　and

ascertained　that　neither　B　thirty　nor　thirty…two　of　the　upper　circle

had　been　occupied　that　night。　Therefore；　Amberley　had　not　been　to

the　theatre；　and　his　alibi　fell　to　the　ground。　He　made　a　bad　slip　when

he　allowed　my　astute　friend　to　notice　the　number　of　the　seat　taken　for

his　wife。　The　question　now　arose　how　I　might　be　able　to　examine　the

house。　I　sent　an　agent　to　the　most　impossible　village　I　could　think

of；　and　summoned　my　man　to　it　at　such　an　hour　that　he　could　not

possibly　get　back。　To　prevent　any　miscarriage；　Dr。　Watson

accompanied　him。　The　good　vicar's　name　I　took；　of　course；　out　of　my

Crockford。　Do　I　make　it　all　clear　to　you？〃

　　〃It　is　masterly；〃　said　the　inspector　in　an　awed　voice。

　　〃There　being　no　fear　of　interruption　I　proceeded　to　burgle　the

house。　Burglary　has　always　been　an　alternative　profession　had　I

cared　to　adopt　it；　and　I　have　little　doubt　that　I　should　have　come

to　the　front。　Observe　what　I　found。　You　see　the　gas…pipe　along　the

skirting　here。　Very　good。　It　rises　in　the　angle　of　the　wall；　and　there

is　a　tap　here　in　the　corner。　The　pipe　runs　out　into　the　strong…room；

as　you　can　see；　and　ends　in　that　plaster　rose　in　the　centre　of　the

ceiling；　where　it　is　concealed　by　the　ornamentation。　That　end　is

wide　open。　At　any　moment　by　turning　the　outside　tap　the　room　could

be　flooded　with　gas。　With　door　and　shutter　closed　and　the　tap　full

on　I　would　not　give　two　minutes　of　conscious　sensation　to　anyone

shut　up　in　that　little　chamber。　By　what　devilish　device　he　decoyed

them　there　I　do　not　know；　but　once　inside　the　door　they　were　at　his

mercy。〃

　　The　inspector　examined　the　pipe　with　interest。　〃One　of　our

officers　mentioned　the　smell　of　gas；〃　said　he；　〃but　of　course　the

window　and　door　were　open　then；　and　the　paint…　or　some　of　it…　was

already　about。　He　had　begun　the　work　of　painting　the　day　before；

according　to　his　story。　But　what　next；　Mr。　Holmes？〃

　　〃Well；　then　came　an　incident　which　was　rather　unexpected　to

myself。　I　was　slipping　through　the　pantry　window；　in　the　early　dawn

when　I　felt　a　hand　inside　my　collar；　and　a　voice　said：　'Now；　you

rascal；　what　are　you　doing　in　there？'　When　I　could　twist　my　head　round

I　looked　into　the　tinted　spectacles　of　my　friend　and　rival；　Mr。

Barker。　it　was　a　curious　foregathering　and　set　us　both　smiling。　It

seems　that　he　had　been　engaged　by　Dr。　Ray　Ernest's　family　to　make　some

investigations　and　had　come　to　the　same　conclusion　as　to　foul　play。　He

had　watched　the　house　for　some　days　and　had　spotted　Dr。　Watson　as

one　of　the　obviously　suspicious　characters　who　had　called　there。　He

could　hardly　arrest　Watson；　but　when　he　saw　a　man　actually　climbing

out　of　the　pantry　window　there　came　a　limit　to　his　restraint。　Of

course；　I　told　him　how　matters　stood　and　we　continued　the　case

together。〃

　　〃Why　him？　Why；　not　us？〃

　　〃Because　it　was　in　my　mind　to　put　that　little　test　which　answered　so

admirably。　I　fear　you　would　not　have　gone　so　far。〃

　　The　inspector　smiled。

　　〃Well；　maybe　not。　I　understand　that　I　have　your　word；　Mr。　Holmes；

that　you　step　right　out　of　the　case　now　and　that　you　turn　all　your

results　over　to　us。〃

　　〃Certainly；　that　is　always　my　custom。〃

　　〃Well；　in　the　name　of　the　force　I　thank　you。　It　seems　a　clear

case；　as　you　put　it；　and　there　can't　be　much　difficulty　over　the

bodies。〃

　　〃I'll　show　you　a　grim　little　bit　of　evidence；〃　said　Holmes；　〃and　I

am　sure　Amberley　himself　never　observed　it。　You'll　get　results；

Inspector；　by　always　putting　yourself　in　the　other　fellow's　place；　and

thinking　what　you　would　do　yourself。　It　takes　some　imagination；　but　it

pays。　Now；　we　will　suppose　that　you　were　shut　up　in　this　little

room；　had　not　two　minutes　to　live；　but　wanted　to　get　even　with　the

fiend　who　was　probably　mocking　at　you　from　the　other　side　of　the　door。

What　would　you　do？〃

　　〃Write　a　message。〃

　　〃Exactly。　You　would　like　to　tell　people　how　you　died。　No　use　writing

on　paper。　That　would　be　seen。　If　you　wrote　on　the　wall　someone　might

rest　upon　it。　Now；　look　here！　Just　above　the　skirting　is　scribbled

with　a　purple　indelible　pencil：　'We　we…'　That's　all。〃

　　〃What　do　you　make　of　that？〃

　　〃Well；　it's　only　a　foot　above　the　ground。　The　poor　devil　was　on

the　floor　dying　when　he　wrote　it。　He　lost　his　senses　before　he　could

finish。〃

　　〃He　was　writing；　'We　were　murdered。'〃

　　〃That's　how　I　read　it。　If　you　find　an　indelible　pencil　on　the　body…〃

　　〃We'll　look　out　for　it；　you　may　be　sure。　But　those　securities？

Clearly　there　was　no　robbery　at　all。　And　yet　he　did　possess　those

bonds。　We　verified　that。〃

　　〃You　may　be　sure　he　has　them　hidden　in　a　safe　place。　When　the

whole　elopement　had　passed　into　history；　he　would　suddenly　discover

them　and　announce　that　the　guilty　couple　had　relented　and　sent　back

the　plunder　or　had　dropped　it　on　the　way。〃

　　〃You　certainly　seem　to　have　met　every　difficulty；〃　said　the

inspector。　〃Of　course；　he　was　bound　to　call　us　in；　but　why　he　should

have　gone　to　you　I　can't　understand。〃

　　〃Pure　swank！〃　Holmes　answered。　〃He　felt　so　clever　and　so　sure　of

himself　that　he　imagined　no　one　could　touch　him。　He　could　say　to　any

suspicious　neighbour；　'Look　at　the　steps　I　have　taken。　I　have

consulted　not　only　the　police　but　even　Sherlock　Holmes。'〃

　　The　inspector　laughed。

　　〃We　must　forgive　you　your　'even；'　Mr。　Holmes；〃　said　he；　〃It's　as

workmanlike　a　job　as　I　can　remember。〃

　　A　couple　of　days　later　my　friend　tossed　across　to　me　a　copy　of　the

bi…weekly　North　Surrey　Observer。　Under　a　series　of　flaming

headlines；　which　began　with　〃The　Haven　Horror〃　and　ended　with

〃Brilliant　Police　Investigation；〃　there　was　a　packed　column　of　print

which　gave　the　first　consecutive　account　of　the　affair。　The　concluding

paragraph　is　typical　of　the　whole。　It　ran　thus：



　　The　remarkable　acumen　by　which　Inspector　MacKinnon　deduced　from

the　smell　of　paint　that　some　other　smell；　that　of　gas；　for　example；

might　be　concealed；　the　bold　deduction　that　the　strong…room　might　also

be　the　death…chamber；　and　the　subsequent　inquiry　which　led　to　the

discovery　of　the　bodies　in　a　disused　well；　cleverly　concealed　by　a

dog…kennel；　should　live　in　the　history　of　crime　as　a　standing

example　of　the　intelligence　of　our　professional　detectives。



　　〃Well；　well；　MacKinnon　is　a　good　fellow；〃　said　Holmes　with　a

tolerant　smile。　〃You　can　file　it　in　our　archives；　Watson。　Some　day　the

true　story　may　be　told。〃





　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　…THE　END…

。