adventure10-第6章

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cabinet　minister　and　future　premier　of　England。〃



We　were　fortunate　in　finding　that　Lord　Holdhurst　was

still　in　his　chambers　in　Downing　Street；　and　on　Holmes

sending　in　his　card　we　were　instantly　shown　up。　　The

statesman　received　us　with　that　old…fashioned　courtesy

for　which　he　is　remarkable；　and　seated　us　on　the　two

luxuriant　lounges　on　either　side　of　the　fireplace。　

Standing　on　the　run　between　us；　with　his　slight；　tall

figure；　his　sharp　features；　thoughtful　face；　and

curling　hair　prematurely　tinged　with　gray；　he　seemed

to　represent　that　not　to　common　type；　a　nobleman　who

is　in　truth　noble。



〃You　name　is　very　familiar　to　me；　Mr。　Holmes；〃　said

he；　smiling。　　〃And；　of　course；　I　cannot　pretend　to　be

ignorant　of　the　object　of　your　visit。　　There　has　only

been　once　occurrence　in　these　offices　which　could　call

for　your　attention。　　In　whose　interest　are　you　acting；

may　I　ask？〃



〃In　that　of　Mr。　Percy　Phelps；〃　answered　Holmes。



〃Ah；　my　unfortunate　nephew！　　You　can　understand　that

our　kinship　makes　it　the　more　impossible　for　me　to

screen　him　in　any　way。　　I　fear　that　the　incident　must

have　a　very　prejudicial　effect　upon　his　career。〃



〃But　if　the　document　if　found？〃



〃Ah；　that；　of　course；　would　be　different。〃



〃I　had　one　or　two　questions　which　I　wished　to　ask　you；

Lord　Holdhurst。〃



〃I　shall　be　happy　to　give　you　any　information　in　my

power。〃



〃Was　it　in　this　room　that　you　gave　your　instructions

as　to　the　copying　of　the　document？〃



〃It　was。〃



〃Then　you　could　hardly　have　been　overheard？〃



〃It　is　out　of　the　question。〃



〃Did　you　ever　mention　to　any　one　that　it　was　your

intention　to　give　any　one　the　treaty　to　be　copied？〃



〃Never。〃



〃You　are　certain　of　that？〃



〃Absolutely。〃



〃Well；　since　you　never　said　so；　and　Mr。　Phelps　never

said　so；　and　nobody　else　knew　anything　of　the　matter；

then　the　thief's　presence　in　the　room　was　purely

accidental。　　He　saw　his　chance　and　he　took　it。〃



The　statesman　smiled。　　〃You　take　me　out　of　my　province

there；〃　said　he。



Holmes　considered　for　a　moment。　　〃There　is　another

very　important　point　which　I　wish　to　discuss　with

you；〃　said　he。　　〃You　feared；　as　I　understand；　that

very　grave　results　might　follow　from　the　details　of

this　treaty　becoming　known。〃



A　shadow　passed　over　the　expressive　face　of　the

statesman。　　〃Very　grave　results　indeed。〃



〃Any　have　they　occurred？〃



〃Not　yet。〃



〃If　the　treaty　had　reached；　let　us　say；　the　French　or

Russian　Foreign　Office；　you　would　expect　to　hear　of

it？〃



〃I　should；〃　said　Lord　Holdhurst；　with　a　wry　face。



〃Since　nearly　ten　weeks　have　elapsed；　then；　and

nothing　has　been　heard；　it　is　not　unfair　to　suppose

that　for　some　reason　the　treaty　has　not　reached　them。〃



Lord　Holdhurst　shrugged　his　shoulders。



〃We　can　hardly　suppose；　Mr。　Holmes；　that　the　thief

took　the　treaty　in　order　to　frame　it　and　hang　it　up。〃



〃Perhaps　he　is　waiting　for　a　better　price。〃



〃If　he　waits　a　little　longer　he　will　get　no　price　at

all。　　The　treaty　will　cease　to　be　secret　in　a　few

months。〃



〃That　is　most　important；〃　said　Holmes。　　〃Of　course；　it

is　a　possible　supposition　that　the　thief　has　had　a

sudden　illness〃



〃An　attack　of　brain…fever；　for　example？〃　asked　the

statesman；　flashing　a　swift　glance　at　him。



〃I　did　not　say　so；〃　said　Holmes；　imperturbably。　　〃And

now；　Lord　Holdhurst；　we　have　already　taken　up　too　much

of　your　valuable　time；　and　we　shall　wish　you

good…day。〃



〃Every　success　to　your　investigation；　be　the　criminal

who　it　may；〃　answered　the　nobleman；　as　he　bowed　us　out

the　door。



〃He's　a　fine　fellow；〃　said　Holmes；　as　we　came　out　into

Whitehall。　　〃But　he　has　a　struggle　to　keep　up　his

position。　　He　is　far　from　rich　and　has　many　calls。　

You　noticed；　of　course；　that　his　boots　had　been

resoled。　　Now；　Watson；　I　won't　detain　you　from　your

legitimate　work　any　longer。　　I　shall　do　nothing　more

to…day；　unless　I　have　an　answer　to　my　cab

advertisement。　　But　I　should　be　extremely　obliged　to

you　if　you　would　come　down　with　me　to　Woking

to…morrow；　by　the　same　train　which　we　took　yesterday。〃





I　met　him　accordingly　next　morning　and　we　traveled

down　to　Woking　together。　　He　had　had　no　answer　to　his

advertisement；　he　said；　and　no　fresh　light　had　been

thrown　upon　the　case。　　He　had；　when　he　so　willed　it；

the　utter　immobility　of　countenance　of　a　red　Indian；

and　I　could　not　gather　from　his　appearance　whether　he

was　satisfied　or　not　with　the　position　of　the　case。　

His　conversation；　I　remember；　was　about　the　Bertillon

system　of　measurements；　and　he　expressed　his

enthusiastic　admiration　of　the　French　savant。



We　found　our　client　still　under　the　charge　of　his

devoted　nurse；　but　looking　considerably　better　than

before。　　He　rose　from　the　sofa　and　greeted　us　without

difficulty　when　we　entered。



〃Any　news？〃　he　asked；　eagerly。



〃My　report；　as　I　expected；　is　a　negative　one；〃　said

Holmes。　　〃I　have　seen　Forbes；　and　I　have　seen　your

uncle；　and　I　have　set　one　or　two　trains　of　inquiry

upon　foot　which　may　lead　to　something。〃



〃You　have　not　lost　heart；　then？〃



〃By　no　means。〃



〃God　bless　you　for　saying　that！〃　cried　Miss　Harrison。　

〃If　we　keep　our　courage　and　our　patience　the　truth

must　come　out。〃



〃We　have　more　to　tell　you　than　you　have　for　us；〃　said

Phelps；　reseating　himself　upon　the　couch。



〃I　hoped　you　might　have　something。〃



〃Yes；　we　have　had　an　adventure　during　the　night；　and

one　which　might　have　proved　to　be　a　serious　one。〃　　His

expression　grew　very　grave　as　he　spoke；　and　a　look　of

something　akin　to　fear　sprang　up　in　his　eyes。　　〃Do　you

know；〃　said　he；　〃that　I　begin　to　believe　that　I　am　the

unconscious　centre　of　some　monstrous　conspiracy；　and

that　my　life　is　aimed　at　as　well　as　my　honor？〃



〃Ah！〃　cried　Holmes。



〃It　sounds　incredible；　for　I　have　not；　as　far　as　I

know；　an　enemy　in　the　world。　　Yet　from　last　night's

experience　I　can　come　to　no　other　conclusion。〃



〃Pray　let　me　hear　it。〃



〃You　must　know　that　last　night　was　the　very　first

night　that　I　have　ever　slept　without　a　nurse　in　the

room。　　I　was　so　much　better　that　I　thought　I　could

dispense　with　one。　　I　had　a　night…light　burning；

however。　　Well；　about　two　in　the　morning　I　had　sunk

into　a　light　sleep　when　I　was　suddenly　aroused　by　a

slight　noise。　　It　was　like　the　sound　which　a　mouse

makes　when　it　is　gnawing　a　plank；　and　I　lay　listening

to　it　for　some　time　under　the　impression　that　it　must

come　from　that　cause。　　Then　it　grew　louder；　and

suddenly　there　came　from　the　window　a　sharp　metallic

snick。　　I　sat　up　in　amazement。　　There　could　be　no

doubt　what　the　sounds　were　now。　　The　first　ones　had

been　caused　by　some　one　forcing　an　instrument　through

the　slit　between　the　sashes；　and　the　second　by　the

catch　being　pressed　back。



〃There　was　a　pause　then　for　about　ten　minutes；　as　if

the　person　were　waiting　to　see　whether　the　noise　had

awakened　me。　　Then　I　heard　a　gentle　creaking　as　the

window　was　very　slowly　opened。　　I　could　stand　it　no

longer；　for　my　nerves　are　not　what　they　used　to　be。　　I

sprang　out　of　bed　and　flung　open　the　shutters。　　A　man

was　crouching　at　the　window。　　I　could　see　little　of

him；　for　he　was　gone　like　a　flash。　　He　was　wrapped　in

some　sort　of　cloak　which　came　across　the　lower　part　of

his　face。　　One　thing　only　I　am　sure　of；　and　that　is

that　he　had　some　weapon　in　his　hand。　　It　looked　to　me

like　a　long　knife。　　I　distinctly　saw　the　gleam　of　it

as　he　turned　to　run。〃



〃This　is　most　interesting；〃　said　Holmes。　　〃Pray　what

did　you　do　then？〃



〃I　should　have　followed　him　through　the　open　window　if

I　had　been　stronger。　　As　it　was；　I　rang　the　bell　and

roused　the　house。　　It　took　me　some　little　time；　for

the　bell　rings　in　the　kitchen　and　the　servants　all

sleep　upstairs。　　I　shouted；　however；　and　that　brought

Joseph　down；　and　he　roused　the　others。　　Joseph　and　the

groom　found　marks　o