adventure10-第9章

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awaited　developments。



〃The　blind　was　not　down　in　your　room；　and　I　could　see

Miss　Harrison　sitting　there　reading　by　the　table。　　It

was　quarter…past　ten　when　she　closed　her　book；

fastened　the　shutters；　and　retired。



〃I　heard　her　shut　the　door；　and　felt　quite　sure　that

she　had　turned　the　key　in　the　lock。〃



〃The　key！〃　ejaculated　Phelps。



〃Yes；　I　had　given　Miss　Harrison　instructions　to　lock

the　door　on　the　outside　and　take　the　key　with　her　when

she　went　to　bed。　　She　carried　out　every　one　of　my

injunctions　to　the　letter；　and　certainly　without　her

cooperation　you　would　not　have　that　paper　in　you

coat…pocket。　　She　departed　then　and　the　lights　went

out；　and　I　was　left　squatting　in　the

rhododendron…bush。



〃The　night　was　fine；　but　still　it　was　a　very　weary

vigil。　　Of　course　it　has　the　sort　of　excitement　about

it　that　the　sportsman　feels　when　he　lies　beside　the

water…course　and　waits　for　the　big　game。　　It　was　very

long；　thoughalmost　as　long；　Watson；　as　when　you　and

I　waited　in　that　deadly　room　when　we　looked　into　the

little　problem　of　the　Speckled　Band。　　There　was　a

church…clock　down　at　Woking　which　struck　the　quarters；

and　I　thought　more　than　once　that　it　had　stopped。　　At

last　however　about　two　in　the　morning；　I　suddenly

heard　the　gentle　sound　of　a　bolt　being　pushed　back　and

the　creaking　of　a　key。　　A　moment　later　the　servant's

door　was　opened；　and　Mr。　Joseph　Harrison　stepped　out

into　the　moonlight。〃



〃Joseph！〃　ejaculated　Phelps。



〃He　was　bare…headed；　but　he　had　a　black　coat　thrown

over　his　shoulder　so　that　he　could　conceal　his　face　in

an　instant　if　there　were　any　alarm。　　He　walked　on

tiptoe　under　the　shadow　of　the　wall；　and　when　he

reached　the　window　he　worked　a　long…bladed　knife

through　the　sash　and　pushed　back　the　catch。　　Then　he

flung　open　the　window；　and　putting　his　knife　through

the　crack　in　the　shutters；　he　thrust　the　bar　up　and

swung　them　open。



〃From　where　I　lay　I　had　a　perfect　view　of　the　inside

of　the　room　and　of　every　one　of　his　movements。　　He　lit

the　two　candles　which　stood　upon　the　mantelpiece；　and

then　he　proceeded　to　turn　back　the　corner　of　the

carpet　in　the　neighborhood　of　the　door。　　Presently　he

stopped　and　picked　out　a　square　piece　of　board；　such

as　is　usually　left　to　enable　plumbers　to　get　at　the

joints　of　the　gas…pipes。　　This　one　covered；　as　a

matter　of　fact；　the　T　joint　which　gives　off　the　pipe

which　supplies　the　kitchen　underneath。　　Out　of　this

hiding…place　he　drew　that　little　cylinder　of　paper；

pushed　down　the　board；　rearranged　the　carpet；　blew　out

the　candles；　and　walked　straight　into　my　arms　as　I

stood　waiting　for　him　outside　the　window。



〃Well；　he　has　rather　more　viciousness　than　I　gave　him

credit　for；　has　Master　Joseph。　　He　flew　at　me　with　his

knife；　and　I　had　to　grass　him　twice；　and　got　a　cut

over　the　knuckles；　before　I　had　the　upper　hand　of　him。　

He　looked　murder　out　of　the　only　eye　he　could　see　with

when　we　had　finished；　but　he　listened　to　reason　and

gave　up　the　papers。　　Having　got　them　I　let　my　man　go；

but　I　wired　full　particulars　to　Forbes　this　morning。　

If　he　is　quick　enough　to　catch　is　bird；　well　and　good。　

But　if；　as　I　shrewdly　suspect；　he　finds　the　nest　empty

before　he　gets　there；　why；　all　the　better　for　the

government。　　I　fancy　that　Lord　Holdhurst　for　one；　and

Mr。　Percy　Phelps　for　another；　would　very　much　rather

that　the　affair　never　got　as　far　as　a　police…court。



〃My　God！〃　gasped　our　client。　　〃Do　you　tell　me　that

during　these　long　ten　weeks　of　agony　the　stolen　papers

were　within　the　very　room　with　me　all　the　time？〃



〃So　it　was。〃



〃And　Joseph！　　Joseph　a　villain　and　a　thief！〃



〃Hum！　　I　am　afraid　Joseph's　character　is　a　rather

deeper　and　more　dangerous　one　than　one　might　judge

from　his　appearance。　　From　what　I　have　heard　from　him

this　morning；　I　gather　that　he　has　lost　heavily　in

dabbling　with　stocks；　and　that　he　is　ready　to　do

anything　on　earth　to　better　his　fortunes。　　Being　an

absolutely　selfish　man；　when　a　chance　presented　itself

he　did　not　allow　either　his　sister's　happiness　or　your

reputation　to　hold　his　hand。〃



Percy　Phelps　sank　back　in　his　chair。　　〃My　head

whirls；〃　said　he。　　〃Your　words　have　dazed　me。〃



〃The　principal　difficulty　in　your　case；〃　remarked

Holmes；　in　his　didactic　fashion；　〃lay　in　the　fact　of

there　being　too　much　evidence。　　What　was　vital　was

overlaid　and　hidden　by　what　was　irrelevant。　　Of　all

the　facts　which　were　presented　to　us　we　had　to　pick

just　those　which　we　deemed　to　be　essential；　and　then

piece　them　together　in　their　order；　so　as　to

reconstruct　this　very　remarkable　chain　of　events。　　I

had　already　begun　to　suspect　Joseph；　from　the　fact

that　you　had　intended　to　travel　home　with　him　that

night；　and　that　therefore　it　was　a　likely　enough　thing

that　he　should　call　for　you；　knowing　the　Foreign

Office　well；　upon　his　way。　　When　I　heard　that　some　one

had　been　so　anxious　to　get　into　the　bedroom；　in　which

no　one　but　Joseph　could　have　concealed　anythingyou

told　us　in　your　narrative　how　you　had　turned　Joseph

out　when　you　arrived　with　the　doctormy　suspicions

all　changed　to　certainties；　especially　as　the　attempt

was　made　on　the　first　night　upon　which　the　nurse　was

absent；　showing　that　the　intruder　was　well　acquainted

with　the　ways　of　the　house。〃



〃How　blind　I　have　been！〃



〃The　facts　of　the　case；　as　far　as　I　have　worked　them

out；　are　these：　　this　Joseph　Harrison　entered　the

office　through　the　Charles　Street　door；　and　knowing

his　way　he　walked　straight　into　your　room　the　instant

after　you　left　it。　　Finding　no　one　there　he　promptly

rang　the　bell；　and　at　the　instant　that　he　did　so　his

eyes　caught　the　paper　upon　the　table。　　A　glance　showed

him　that　chance　had　put　in　his　way　a　State　document　of

immense　value；　and　in　an　instant　he　had　thrust　it　into

his　pocket　and　was　gone。　　A　few　minutes　elapsed；　as

you　remember；　before　the　sleepy　commissionnaire　drew

your　attention　to　the　bell；　and　those　were　just　enough

to　give　the　thief　time　to　make　his　escape。



〃He　made　his　way　to　Woking　by　the　first　train；　and

having　examined　his　booty　and　assured　himself　that　it

really　was　of　immense　value；　he　had　concealed　it　in

what　he　thought　was　a　very　safe　place；　with　the

intention　of　taking　it　out　again　in　a　day　or　two；　and

carrying　it　to　the　French　embassy；　or　wherever　he

thought　that　a　long　price　was　to　be　had。　　Then　came

your　sudden　return。　　He；　without　a　moment's　warning；

was　bundled　out　of　his　room；　and　from　that　time　onward

there　were　always　at　least　two　of　you　there　to　prevent

him　from　regaining　his　treasure。　　The　situation　to　him

must　have　been　a　maddening　one。　　But　at　last　he

thought　he　saw　his　chance。　　He　tried　to　steal　in；　but

was　baffled　by　your　wakefulness。　　You　remember　that

you　did　not　take　your　usual　draught　that　night。〃



〃I　remember。〃



〃I　fancy　that　he　had　taken　steps　to　make　that　draught

efficacious；　and　that　he　quite　relied　upon　your　being

unconscious。　　Of　course；　I　understood　that　he　would

repeat　the　attempt　whenever　it　could　be　done　with

safety。　　Your　leaving　the　room　gave　him　the　chance　he

wanted。　　I　kept　Miss　Harrison　in　it　all　day　so　that　he

might　not　anticipate　us。　　Then；　having　given　him　the

idea　that　the　coast　was　clear；　I　kept　guard　as　I　have

described。　　I　already　knew　that　the　papers　were

probably　in　the　room；　but　I　had　no　desire　to　rip　up

all　the　planking　and　skirting　in　search　of　them。　　I

let　him　take　them；　therefore；　from　the　hiding…place；

and　so　saved　myself　an　infinity　of　trouble。　　Is　there

any　other　point　which　I　can　make　clear？〃



〃Why　did　he　try　the　window　on　the　first　occasion；〃　I

asked；　〃when　he　might　have　entered　by　the　door？〃



〃In　reaching　the　door　he　would　have　to　pass　seven

bedrooms。　　On　the　other　hand；　he　could　get　out　on　to

the　lawn　with　ease。　　Anything　else？〃



〃You　do　not　think；〃　asked　Phelps；　〃that　he　had　any

murderous　intention？　　The　knife　was　only　meant