the adventure of the beryl coronet-第6章
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rather sternly。
〃Owe!〃 He caught up a pen。 〃Name the sum; and I will pay it。〃
〃No; the debt is not to me。 You owe a very humble apology to that
noble lad; your son; who has carried himself in this matter as I
should be proud to see my own son do; should I ever chance to have
one。〃
〃Then it was not Arthur who took them?〃
〃I told you yesterday; and I repeat to…day; that it was not。〃
〃You are sure of it! Then let us hurry to him at once to let him
know that the truth is known。〃
〃He knows it already。 When I had cleared it all up I had an
interview with him; and finding that he would not tell me the story; I
told it to him; on which he had to confess that I was right and to add
the very few details which were not yet quite clear to me。 Your news
of this morning; however; may open his lips。〃
〃For heaven's sake; tell me; then; what is this extraordinary
mystery!〃
〃I will do so; and I will show the steps by which I reached it。
And let me to you; first; that which it is hardest for me to say and
for you to hear: there has been an understanding between Sir George
Burnwell and your niece Mary。 They have now fled together。〃
〃My Mary? Impossible!〃
〃It is unfortunately more than possible; it is certain。 Neither
you nor your son knew the true character of this man when you admitted
him into your family circle。 He is one of the most dangerous men in
England…a ruined gambler; an absolutely desperate villain; a man
without heart or conscience。 Your niece knew nothing of such men。 When
he breathed his vows to her; as he had done to a hundred before her;
she flattered herself that she alone had touched his heart。 The
devil knows best what he said; but at least she became his tool and
was in the habit of seeing him nearly every evening。〃
〃I cannot; and I will not; believe it!〃 cried the banker with an
ashen face。
〃I will tell you; then; what occurred in your house last night。 Your
niece; when you had; as she thought; gone to your room; slipped down
and talked to her lover through the window which leads into the stable
lane。 His footmarks had pressed right through the snow; so long had he
stood there。 She told him of the coronet。 His wicked lust for gold
kindled at the news; and he bent her to his will。 I have no doubt that
she loved you; but there are women in whom the love of a lover
extinguishes all other loves; and I think that she must have been one。
She had hardly listened to his instructions when she saw you coming
downstairs; on which she closed the window rapidly and told you
about one of the servants' escapade with her wooden…legged lover;
which was all perfectly true。
〃Your boy; Arthur; went to bed after his interview with you; but
he slept badly on account of his uneasiness about his club debts。 In
the middle of the night he heard a soft tread pass his door; so he
rose and; looking out; was surprised to see his cousin walking very
stealthily along the passage until she disappeared into your
dressing…room。 Petrified with astonishment; the lad slipped on some
clothes and waited there in the dark to see what would come of this
strange affair。 Presently she emerged from the room again; and in
the light of the passage…lamp your son saw that she carried the
precious coronet in her hands。 She passed down the stairs; and he;
thrilling with horror; ran along and slipped behind the curtain near
your door; whence he could see what passed in the hall beneath。 He saw
her stealthily open the window; hand out the coronet to someone in the
gloom; and then closing it once more hurry back to her room; passing
quite close to where he stood hid behind the curtain。
〃As long as she was on the scene he could not take any action
without a horrible exposure of the woman whom he loved。 But the
instant that she was gone he realized how crushing a misfortune this
would be for you; and how important it was to set it right。 He
rushed down; just as he was; in his bare feet; opened the window;
sprang out into the snow; and ran down the lane; where he could see
a dark figure in the moonlight。 Sir George Burnwell tried to get away;
but Arthur caught him; and there was a struggle between them; your lad
tugging at one side of the coronet and his opponent at the other。 In
the scuffle; your son struck Sir George and cut him over the eye。 Then
something suddenly snapped; and your son; finding that he had the
coronet in his hands; rushed back; closed the window; ascended to your
room; and had just observed that the coronet had been twisted in the
struggle and was endeavouring to straighten it when you appeared
upon the scene。〃
〃Is it possible?〃 gasped the banker。
〃You then roused his anger by calling him names at a moment when
he felt that he had deserved your warmest thanks。 He could not explain
the true state of affairs without betraying one who certainly deserved
little enough consideration at his hands。 He took the more
chivalrous view; however; and preserved her secret。〃
〃And that was why she shrieked and fainted when she saw the
coronet;〃 cried Mr。 Holder。 〃Oh; my God! what a blind fool I have
been! And his asking to be allowed to go out for five minutes! The
dear fellow wanted to see if the missing piece were at the scene of
the struggle。 How cruelly I have misjudged him!〃
〃When I arrived at the house;〃 continued Holmes; 〃I at once went
very carefully round it to observe if there were any traces in the
snow which might help me。 I knew that none had fallen since the
evening before; and also that there had been a strong frost to
preserve impressions。 I passed along the tradesmen's path; but found
it all trampled down and indistinguishable。 just beyond it; however;
at the far side of the kitchen door; a woman had stood and talked with
a man; whose round impressions on one side showed that he had a wooden
leg。 I could even tell that they had been disturbed; for the woman had
run back swiftly to the door; as was shown by the deep toe and light
heel marks; while Wooden…leg had waited a little; and then had gone
away。 I thought at the time that this might be the maid and her
sweetheart; of whom you had already spoken to me; and inquiry showed
it was so。 I passed round the garden without seeing anything more than
random tracks; which I took to be the police; but when I got into
the stable lane a very long and complex story was written in the
snow in front of me。
〃There was a double line of tracks of a booted man; and a second
double line which I saw with delight belonged to a man with naked
feet。 I was at once convinced from what you had told me that the
latter was your son。 The first had walked both ways; but the other had
run swiftly; and as his tread was marked in places over the depression
of the boot; it was obvious that he had passed after the other。 I
followed them up and found they led to the hall window; where Boots
had worn all the snow away while waiting。 Then I walked to the other
end; which was a hundred yards or more down the lane。 I saw where
Boots had faced round; where the snow was cut up as though there had
been a struggle; and; finally; where a few drops of blood had
fallen; to show me that I was not mistaken。 Boots had then run down
the lane; and another little smudge of blood showed that it was he who
had been hurt。 When he came to the highroad at the other end; I
found that the pavement had been cleared; so there was an end to
that clue。
〃On entering the house; however; I examined; as you remember; the
sill and framework of the hall window with my lens; and I could at
once see that someone had passed out。 I could distinguish the
outline of an instep where the wet foot had been placed in coming
in。 I was then beginning to be able to form an opinion as to what
had occurred。 A man had waited outside the window; someone had brought
the gems; the deed had been overseen by your son; he had pursued the
thief; had struggled with him; they had each tugged at the coronet;
their united strength causing injuries which neither alone could
have effected。 He had returned with the prize;