adventure10-第3章

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



〃I　recognized　in　an　instant　that　the　thief　must　have

come　up　the　stairs　from　the　side　door。　　Of　course　I

must　have　met　him　if　he　had　come　the　other　way。〃



〃You　were　satisfied　that　he　could　not　have　been

concealed　in　the　room　all　the　time；　or　in　the　corridor

which　you　have　just　described　as　dimly　lighted？〃



〃It　is　absolutely　impossible。　　A　rat　could　not　conceal

himself　either　in　the　room　or　the　corridor。　　There　is

no　cover　at　all。〃



〃Thank　you。　　Pray　proceed。〃



〃The　commissionnaire；　seeing　by　my　pale　face　that

something　was　to　be　feared；　had　followed　me　upstairs。　

Now　we　both　rushed　along　the　corridor　and　down　the

steep　steps　which　led　to　Charles　Street。　　The　door　at

the　bottom　was　closed；　but　unlocked。　　We　flung　it　open

and　rushed　out。　　I　can　distinctly　remember　that　as　we

did　so　there　came　three　chines　from　a　neighboring

clock。　　It　was　quarter　to　ten。〃



〃That　is　of　enormous　importance；〃　said　Holmes；　making

a　note　upon　his　shirt…cuff。



〃The　night　was　very　dark；　and　a　thin；　warm　rain　was

falling。　　There　was　no　one　in　Charles　Street；　but　a

great　traffic　was　going　on；　as　usual；　in　Whitehall；　at

the　extremity。　　We　rushed　along　the　pavement；

bare…headed　as　we　were；　and　at　the　far　corner　we　found

a　policeman　standing。



〃'A　robbery　has　been　committed；'　I　gasped。　　'A

document　of　immense　value　has　been　stolen　from　the

Foreign　Office。　　Has　any　one　passed　this　way？'



〃'I　have　been　standing　here　for　a　quarter　of　an　hour；

sir；'　said　he；　'only　one　person　has　passed　during　that

timea　woman；　tall　and　elderly；　with　a　Paisley

shawl。'



〃'Ah；　that　is　only　my　wife；'　cried　the

commissionnaire；　'has　no　one　else　passed？'



〃'No　one。'



〃'Then　it　must　be　the　other　way　that　the　thief　took；'

cried　the　fellow；　tugging　at　my　sleeve。



〃'But　I　was　not　satisfied；　and　the　attempts　which　he

made　to　draw　me　away　increased　my　suspicions。



〃'Which　way　did　the　woman　go？'　I　cried。



〃'I　don't　know；　sir。　　I　noticed　her　pass；　but　I　had　no

special　reason　for　watching　her。　　She　seemed　to　be　in

a　hurry。'



〃'How　long　ago　was　it？'



〃'Oh；　not　very　many　minutes。'



〃'Within　the　last　vie？'



〃'Well；　it　could　not　be　more　than　five。'



〃'You're　only　wasting　your　time；　sir；　and　every　minute

now　is　of　importance；'　cried　the　commissionnaire；

'take　my　word　for　it　that　my　old　woman　has　nothing　to

do　with　it；　and　come　down　to　the　other　end　of　the

street。　　Well；　if　you　won't；　I　will。'　　And　with　that

he　rushed　off　in　the　other　direction。



〃But　I　was　after　him　in　an　instant　and　caught　him　by

the　sleeve。



〃'Where　do　you　live？'　said　I。



〃'16　Ivy　Lane；　Brixton；'　he　answered。　　'But　don't　let

yourself　be　drawn　away　upon　a　false　scent；　Mr。　Phelps。　

Come　to　the　other　end　of　the　street　and　let　us　see　if

we　can　hear　of　anything。'



〃Nothing　was　to　be　lost　by　following　his　advice。　　With

the　policeman　we　both　hurried　down；　but　only　to　find

the　street　full　of　traffic；　many　people　coming　and

going；　but　all　only　too　eager　to　get　to　a　place　of

safety　upon　so　wet　a　night。　　There　was　no　lounger　who

could　tell　us　who　had　passed。



〃Then　we　returned　to　the　office；　and　searched　the

stairs　and　the　passage　without　result。　　The　corridor

which　led　to　the　room　was　laid　down　with　a　kind　of

creamy　linoleum　which　shows　an　impression　very　easily。　

We　examined　it　very　carefully；　but　found　no　outline　of

any　footmark。〃



〃Had　it　been　raining　all　evening？〃



〃Since　about　seven。〃



〃How　is　it；　then；　that　the　woman　who　came　into　the

room　about　nine　left　no　traces　with　her　muddy　boots？〃



〃I　am　glad　you　raised　the　point。　　It　occurred　to　me　at

the　time。　　The　charwomen　are　in　the　habit　of　taking

off　their　boots　at　the　commissionnaire's　office；　and

putting　on　list　slippers。〃



〃That　is　very　clear。　　There　were　no　marks；　then；

though　the　night　was　a　wet　one？　　The　chain　of　events

is　certainly　one　of　extraordinary　interest。　　What　did

you　do　next？



〃We　examined　the　room　also。　　There　is　no　possibility

of　a　secret　door；　and　the　windows　are　quite　thirty

feet　from　the　ground。　　Both　of　them　were　fastened　on

the　inside。　　The　carpet　prevents　any　possibility　of　a

trap…door；　and　the　ceiling　is　of　the　ordinary

whitewashed　kind。　　I　will　pledge　my　life　that　whoever

stole　my　papers　could　only　have　come　through　the

door。〃



〃How　about　the　fireplace？〃



〃They　use　none。　　There　is　a　stove。　　The　bell…rope

hangs　from　the　wire　just　to　the　right　of　my　desk。　

Whoever　rang　it　must　have　come　right　up　to　the　desk　to

do　it。　But　why　should　any　criminal　wish　to　ring　the

bell？　　It　is　a　most　insoluble　mystery。〃



〃〃Certainly　the　incident　was　unusual。　　What　were　your

next　steps？　　You　examined　the　room；　I　presume；　to　see

if　the　intruder　had　left　any　tracesany　cigar…end　or

dropped　glove　or　hairpin　or　other　trifle？〃



〃There　was　nothing　of　the　sort。〃



〃No　smell？〃



〃Well；　　we　never　thought　of　that。〃



〃Ah；　a　scent　of　tobacco　would　have　been　worth　a　great

deal　to　us　in　such　an　investigation。〃



〃I　never　smoke　myself；　so　I　think　I　should　have

observed　it　if　there　had　been　any　smell　of　tobacco。　

There　was　absolutely　no　clue　of　any　kind。　　The　only

tangible　fact　was　that　the　commissionnaire's　wife…Mrs。

Tangey　was　the　namehad　hurried　our　of　the　place。　　He

could　give　no　explanation　save　that　it　was　about　the

time　when　the　woman　always　went　　home。　　The　policeman

and　I　agreed　that　our　best　plan　would　be　to　seize　the

woman　before　she　could　get　rid　of　the　papers；

presuming　that　she　had　them。



〃The　alarm　had　reached　Scotland　Yard　by　this　time；　and

Mr。　Forbes；　the　detective；　came　round　at　once　and　took

up　the　case　with　a　great　deal　of　energy。　　We　hire　a

hansom；　and　in　half　an　hour　we　were　at　the　address

which　had　been　given　to　us。　　A　young　woman　opened　the

door；　who　proved　to　be　Mrs。　Tangey's　eldest　daughter。　

Her　mother　had　not　come　back　yet；　and　we　were　shown

into　the　front　room　to　wait。



〃About　ten　minutes　later　a　knock　came　at　the　door；　and

here　we　made　the　one　serious　mistake　for　which　I　blame

myself。　　Instead　of　opening　the　door　ourselves；　we

allowed　the　girl　to　do　so。　　We　heard　her　say；　'Mother；

there　are　two　men　in　the　house　waiting　to　see　you；'

and　an　instant　afterwards　we　heard　the　patter　of　feet

rushing　down　the　passage。　　Forbes　flung　open　the　door；

and　we　both　ran　into　the　back　room　or　kitchen；　but　the

woman　had　got　there　before　us。　　She　stared　at　us　with

defiant　eyes；　and　then；　suddenly　recognizing　me；　an

expression　of　absolute　astonishment　came　over　her

face。



〃'Why；　if　it　isn't　Mr。　Phelps；　of　the　office！'　she

cried。



〃'Come；　come；　who　did　you　think　we　were　when　you　ran

away　from　us？'　asked　my　companion。



〃'I　thought　you　were　the　brokers；'　said　she；　'we　have

had　some　trouble　with　a　tradesman。'



〃'That's　not　quite　good　enough；'　answered　Forbes。　　'We

have　reason　to　believe　that　you　have　taken　a　paper　of

importance　fro　the　Foreign　Office；　and　that　you　ran　in

here　to　dispose　of　it。　　You　must　come　back　with　us　to

Scotland　Yard　to　be　searched。'



〃It　was　in　vain　that　she　protested　and　resisted。　　A

four…wheeler　was　brought；　and　we　all　three　drove　back

in　it。　　We　had　first　made　an　examination　of　the

kitchen；　and　especially　of　the　kitchen　fire；　to　see

whether　she　might　have　made　away　with　the　papers

during　the　instant　that　she　was　alone。　　There　were　no

signs；　however；　of　any　ashes　or　scraps。　　When　we

reached　Scotland　Yard　she　was　handed　over　at　once　to

the　female　searcher。　　I　waited　in　an　agony　of　suspense

until　she　came　back　with　her　report。　　There　were　no

signs　of　the　papers。



〃Then　for　the　first　time　the　horror　of　my　situation

came　in　its　full　force。　　Hitherto　I　had　been　acting；

and　action　had　numbed　thought。　　I　had　been　so

confident　of　regaining　the　treaty　at　once　that　I　had

not　dared　to　think　of　what　would　be　the　consequence