adventure10-第2章

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his　room；　for　she　has　nursed　him　hand…and…foot　this

two　months　back。　　Perhaps　we'd　better　go　in　at　once；

for　I　know　how　impatient　he　is。〃



The　chamber　in　which　we　were　shown　was　on　the　same

floor　as　the　drawing…room。　　It　was　furnished　partly　as

a　sitting　and　partly　as　a　bedroom；　with　flowers

arranged　daintily　in　every　nook　and　corner。　　A　young

man；　very　pale　and　worn；　was　lying　upon　a　sofa　near

the　open　window；　through　which　came　the　rich　scent　of

the　garden　and　the　balmy　summer　air。　　A　woman　was

sitting　beside　him；　who　rose　as　we　entered。



〃Shall　I　leave；　Percy？〃　she　asked。



He　clutched　her　hand　to　detain　her。　　〃How　are　you；

Watson？〃　said　he；　cordially。　　〃I　should　never　have

known　you　under　that　moustache；　and　I　dare　say　you

would　not　be　prepared　to　swear　to　me。　　This　I　presume

is　your　celebrated　friend；　Mr。　Sherlock　Holmes？〃



I　introduced　him　in　a　few　words；　and　we　both　sat　down。　

The　stout　young　man　had　left　us；　but　his　sister　still

remained　with　her　hand　in　that　of　the　invalid。　　She

was　a　striking…looking　woman；　a　little　short　and　thick

for　symmetry；　but　with　a　beautiful　olive　complexion；

large；　dark；　Italian　eyes；　and　a　wealth　of　deep　black

hair。　　Her　rich　tints　made　the　white　face　of　her

companion　the　more　worn　and　haggard　by　the　contrast。



〃I　won't　waste　your　time；〃　said　he；　raising　himself

upon　the　sofa。　　〃I'll　plunge　into　the　matter　without

further　preamble。　　I　was　a　happy　and　successful　man；

Mr。　Holmes；　and　on　the　eve　of　being　married；　when　a

sudden　and　dreadful　misfortune　wrecked　all　my

prospects　in　life。



〃I　was；　as　Watson　may　have　told　you；　in　the　Foreign

Office；　and　through　the　influences　of　my　uncle；　Lord

Holdhurst；　I　rose　rapidly　to　a　responsible　position。　

When　my　uncle　became　foreign　minister　in　this

administration　he　gave　me　several　missions　of　trust；

and　as　I　always　brought　them　to　a　successful

conclusion；　he　came　at　last　to　have　the　utmost

confidence　in　my　ability　and　tact。



〃Nearly　ten　weeks　agoto　be　more　accurate；　on　the　23d

of　Mayhe　called　me　into　his　private　room；　and；　after

complimenting　me　on　the　good　work　which　I　had　done；　he

informed　me　that　he　had　a　new　commission　of　trust　for

me　to　execute。



〃'This；'　said　he；　taking　a　gray　roll　of　paper　from　his

bureau；　'is　the　original　of　that　secret　treaty　between

England　and　Italy　of　which；　I　regret　to　say；　some

rumors　have　already　got　into　the　public　press。　　It　is

of　enormous　importance　that　nothing　further　should

leak　out。　　The　French　or　the　Russian　embassy　would　pay

an　immense　sum　to　learn　the　contents　of　these　papers。　

They　should　not　leave　my　bureau　were　it　not　that　it　is

absolutely　necessary　to　have　them　copied。　　You　have　a

desk　in　your　office？〃



〃'Yes；　sir。'



〃'Then　take　the　treaty　and　lock　it　up　there。　　I　shall

give　directions　that　you　may　remain　behind　when　the

others　go；　so　that　you　may　copy　it　at　your　leisure

without　fear　of　being　overlooked。　　When　you　have

finished；　relock　both　the　original　and　the　draft　in

the　desk；　and　hand　them　over　to　me　personally

to…morrow　morning。'



〃I　took　the　papers　and〃



〃Excuse　me　an　instant；〃　said　Holmes。　　〃Were　you　alone

during　this　conversation？〃



〃Absolutely。〃



〃In　a　large　room？〃



〃Thirty　feet　each　way。〃



〃In　the　centre？〃



〃Yes；　about　it。〃



〃And　speaking　low？〃



〃My　uncle's　voice　is　always　remarkably　low。　　I　hardly

spoke　at　all。〃



〃Thank　you；〃　said　Holmes；　shutting　his　eyes；　〃pray　go

on。〃



〃I　did　exactly　what　he　indicated；　and　waited　until　the

other　clerks　had　departed。　　One　of　them　in　my　room；

Charles　Gorot；　had　some　arrears　of　work　to　make　up；　so

I　left　him　there　and　went　out　to　dine。　　When　I

returned　he　was　gone。　　I　was　anxious　to　hurry　my　work；

for　I　knew　that　Josephthe　Mr。　Harrison　whom　you　saw

just　nowwas　in　town；　and　that　he　would　travel　down

to　Woking　by　the　eleven…o'clock　train；　and　I　wanted　if

possible　to　catch　it。



〃When　I　came　to　examine　the　treaty　I　saw　at　once　that

it　was　of　such　importance　that　my　uncle　had　been

guilty　of　no　exaggeration　in　what　he　had　said。　

Without　going　into　details；　I　may　say　that　it　defined

the　position　of　Great　Britain　towards　the　Triple

Alliance；　and　fore…shadowed　the　policy　which　this

country　would　pursue　in　the　event　of　the　French　fleet

gaining　a　complete　ascendancy　over　that　of　Italy　in

the　Mediterranean。　　The　questions　treated　in　it　were

purely　naval。　　At　the　end　were　the　signatures　of　the

high　dignitaries　who　had　signed　it。　　I　glanced　my　eyes

over　it；　and　then　settled　down　to　my　task　of　copying。



〃It　was　a　long　document；　written　in　the　French

language；　and　containing　twenty…six　separate　articles。　

I　copied　as　quickly　as　I　could；　but　at　nine　o'clock　I

had　only　done　nine　articles；　and　it　seemed　hopeless

for　me　to　attempt　to　catch　my　train。　　I　was　feeling

drowsy　and　stupid；　partly　from　my　dinner　and　also　from

the　effects　of　a　long　day's　work。　　A　cup　of　coffee

would　clear　my　brain。　　A　commissionnaire　remains　all

night　in　a　little　lodge　at　the　foot　of　the　stairs；　and

is　in　the　habit　of　making　coffee　at　his　spirit…lamp

for　any　of　the　officials　who　may　be　working　over　time。　

I　rang　the　bell；　therefore；　to　summon　him。



〃To　my　surprise；　it　was　a　woman　who　answered　the

summons；　a　large；　coarse…faced；　elderly　woman；　in　an

apron。　　She　explained　that　she　was　the

commissionnaire's　wife；　who　did　the　charing；　and　I

gave　her　the　order　for　the　coffee。



〃I　wrote　two　more　articles　and　then；　feeling　more

drowsy　than　ever；　I　rose　and　walked　up　and　down　the

room　to　stretch　my　legs。　　My　coffee　had　not　yet　come；

and　I　wondered　what　was　the　cause　of　the　delay　could

be。　　Opening　the　door；　I　started　down　the　corridor　to

find　out。　　There　was　a　straight　passage；　dimly

lighted；　which　led　from　the　room　in　which　I　had　been

working；　and　was　the　only　exit　from　it。　　It　ended　in　a

curving　staircase；　with　the　commissionnaire's　lodge　in

the　passage　at　the　bottom。　　Half　way　down　this

staircase　is　a　small　landing；　with　another　passage

running　into　it　at　right　angles。　　This　second　one

leads　by　means　of　a　second　small　stair　to　a　side　door；

used　by　servants；　and　also　as　a　short　cut　by　clerks

when　coming　from　Charles　Street。　　Here　is　a　rough

chart　of　the　place。〃



〃Thank　you。　　I　think　that　I　quite　follow　you；〃　said

Sherlock　Holmes。



〃It　is　of　the　utmost　importance　that　you　should　notice

this　point。　　I　went　down　the　stairs　and　into　the　hall；

where　I　found　the　commissionnaire　fast　asleep　in　his

box；　with　the　kettle　boiling　furiously　upon　the

spirit…lamp。　　I　took　off　the　kettle　and　blew　out　the

lamp；　for　the　water　was　spurting　over　the　floor。　　Then

I　put　out　my　hand　and　was　about　to　shake　the　man；　who

was　still　sleeping　soundly；　when　a　bell　over　his　head

rang　loudly；　and　he　woke　with　a　start。



〃'Mr。　Phelps；　sir！'　said　he；　looking　at　me　in

bewilderment。



〃'I　came　down　to　see　if　my　coffee　was　ready。'



〃'I　was　boiling　the　kettle　when　I　fell　asleep；　sir。'　

He　looked　at　me　and　then　up　at　the　still　quivering

bell　with　an　ever…growing　astonishment　upon　his　face。



〃'If　you　was　here；　sir；　then　who　rang　the　bell？'　he

asked。



〃'The　bell！'　I　cried。　　'What　bell　is　it？'



〃'It's　the　bell　of　the　room　you　were　working　in。'



〃A　cold　hand　seemed　to　close　round　my　heart。　　Some

one；　then；　was　in　that　room　where　my　precious　treaty

lay　upon　the　table。　　I　ran　frantically　up　the　stair

and　along　the　passage。　　There　was　no　one　in　the

corridors；　Mr。　Holmes。　　There　was　no　one　in　the　room。　

All　was　exactly　as　I　left　it；　save　only　that　the

papers　which　had　been　committed　to　my　care　had　been

taken　from　the　desk　on　which　they　lay。　　The　copy　was

there；　and　the　original　was　gone。〃



Holmes　sat　up　in　his　chair　and　rubbed　his　hands。　　I

could　see　that　the　problem　was　entirely　to　his　heart。　

〃Pray；　what　did　you　do　then？〃　he　murmured。



〃I　recognized　in　an　instant　that　the　thief　must　hav