太子爷小说网 > 英语电子书 > the naval treaty >

第7节

the naval treaty-第7节

小说: the naval treaty 字数: 每页4000字

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页,按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页,按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部!
————未阅读完?加入书签已便下次继续阅读!



  〃But Holmes said that he was not going to Briarbrae。〃

  〃I have known him for some time;〃 said I; 〃but I never knew him do

anything yet without a very good reason;〃 and with that our

conversation drifted off on to other topics。

  But it was a weary day for me。 Phelps was still weak after his

long illness; and his misfortunes made him querulous and nervous。 In

vain I endeavoured to interest him in Afghanistan; in India; in social

questions; in anything which might take his mind out of the groove。 He

would always come back to his lost treaty; wondering; guessing;

speculating as to what Holmes was doing; what steps Lord Holdhurst was

taking; what news we should have in the morning。 As the evening wore

on his excitement became quite painful。

  〃You have implicit faith in Holmes?〃 he asked。

  〃I have seen him do some remarkable things。〃

  〃But he never brought light into anything quite so dark as this?〃

  〃Oh; yes; I have known him solve questions which presented fewer

clues than yours。〃

  〃But not where such large interests are at stake?〃

  〃I don't know that。 To my certain knowledge he has acted on behalf

of three of the reigning houses of Europe in very vital matters。〃

  〃But you know him well; Watson。 He is such an inscrutable fellow

that I never quite know what to make of him。 Do you think he is

hopeful? Do you think he expects to make a success of it?〃

  〃He has said nothing。〃

  〃That is a bad sign。〃

  〃On the contrary。 I have noticed that when he is off the trail he

generally says so。 It is when he is on a scent and is not quite

absolutely sure yet that it is the right one that he is most taciturn。

Now; my dear fellow; we can't help matters by making ourselves nervous

about them; so let me implore you to go to bed and so be fresh for

whatever may await us to…morrow。〃

  I was able at last to persuade my companion to take my advice;

though I knew from his excited manner that there was not much hope

of sleep for him。 Indeed; his mood was infectious; for I lay tossing

half the night myself; brooding over this strange problem and

inventing a hundred theories; each of which was more impossible than

the last。 Why had Holmes remained at Woking? Why had he asked Miss

Harrison to remain in the sick…room all day? Why had he been so

careful not to inform the people at Briarbrae that he intended to

remain near them? I cudgelled my brains until I fell asleep in the

endeavour to find some explanation which would cover all these facts。

  It was seven o'clock when I awoke; and I set off at once for

Phelps's room to find him haggard and spent after a sleepless night。

His first question was whether Holmes had arrived yet。

  〃He'll be here when he promised;〃 said I; 〃and not an instant sooner

or later。〃

  And my words were true; for shortly after eight a hansom dashed up

to the door and our friend got out of it。 Standing in the window we

saw that his left hand was swathed in a bandage and that his face

was very grim and pale。 He entered the house; but it was some little

time before he came upstairs。

  〃He looks like a beaten man;〃 cried Phelps。

  I was forced to confess that he was right。 〃After all;〃 said I; 〃the

clue of the matter lies probably here in town。〃

  Phelps gave a groan。

  〃I don't know how it is;〃 said he; 〃but I had hoped for so much from

his return。 But surely his hand was not tied up like that yesterday。

What can be the matter?〃

  〃You are not wounded; Holmes?〃 I asked as my friend entered the

room。

  〃Tut; it is only a scratch through my own clumsiness;〃 he

answered; nodding his good…morning to us。 〃This case of yours; Mr。

Phelps; is certainly one of the darkest which I have ever

investigated。〃

  〃I feared that you would find it beyond you。〃

  〃It has been a most remarkable experience。〃

  〃That bandage tells of adventures;〃 said I。 〃Won't you tell us

what has happened?〃

  〃After breakfast; my dear Watson。 Remember that I have breathed

thirty miles of Surrey air this morning。 I suppose that there has been

no answer from my cabman advertisement? Well; well; we cannot expect

to score every time。〃

  The table was all laid; and just as I was about to ring Mrs。

Hudson entered with the tea and coffee。 A few minutes later she

brought in three covers; and we all drew up to the table; Holmes

ravenous; I curious; and Phelps in the gloomiest state of depression。

  〃Mrs。 Hudson has risen to the occasion;〃 said Holmes; uncovering a

dish of curried chicken。 〃Her cuisine is a little limited; but she has

as good an idea of breakfast as a Scotchwoman。 What have you there;

Watson?〃

  〃Ham and eggs;〃 I answered。

  〃Good! What are you going to take; Mr。 Phelps…curried fowl or

eggs; or will you help yourself?〃

  〃Thank you。 I can eat nothing;〃 said Phelps。

  〃Oh; come! Try the dish before you。〃

  〃Thank you; I would really rather not。〃

  〃Well; then;〃 said Holmes with a mischievous twinkle; 〃I suppose

that you have no objection to helping me?〃

  Phelps raised the cover; and as he did so he uttered a scream and

sat there staring with a face as white as the plate upon which he

looked。 Across the centre of it was lying a little cylinder of

blue…gray paper。 He caught it up; devoured it with his eyes; and

then danced madly about the room; pressing it to his bosom and

shrieking out in his delight。 Then he fell back into an armchair; so

limp and exhausted with his own emotions that we had to pour brandy

down his throat to keep him from fainting。

  〃There! there!〃 said Holmes soothingly; patting him upon the

shoulder。 〃It was too bad to spring it on you like this; but Watson

here will tell you that I never can resist a touch of the dramatic。〃

  Phelps seized his hand and kissed it。 〃God bless you!〃 he cried。

〃You have saved my honour。〃

  〃Well; my own was at stake; you know;〃 said Holmes。 〃I assure you it

is just as hateful to me to fail in a case as it can be to you to

blunder over a commission。〃

  Phelps thrust away the precious document into the innermost pocket

of his coat。

  〃I have not the heart to interrupt your breakfast any further; and

yet I am dying to know how you got it and where it was。〃

  Sherlock Holmes swallowed a cup of coffee and turned his attention

to the ham and eggs。 Then he rose; lit his pipe; and settled himself

down into his chair。

  〃I'll tell you what I did first; and how I came to do it

afterwards;〃 said he。 〃After leaving you at the station I went for a

charming walk through some admirable Surrey scenery to a pretty little

village called Ripley; where I had my tea at an inn and took the

precaution of filling my flask and of putting a paper of sandwiches in

my pocket。 There I remained until evening; when I set off for Woking

again and found myself in the highroad outside Briarbrae just after

sunset。

  〃Well; I waited until the road was clear…it is never a very

frequented one at any time; I fancy…and then I clambered over the

fence into the grounds。〃

  〃Surely the gate was open!' ejaculated Phelps。

  〃Yes; but I have a peculiar taste in these matters。 I chose the

place where the three fir…trees stand; and behind their screen I got

over without the least chance of anyone in the house being able to see

me。 I crouched down among the bushes on the other side and crawled

from one to the other…witness the disreputable state of my trouser

knees…until I had reached the clump of rhododendrons just opposite

to your bedroom window。 There I squatted down and 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 your 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; though…almost 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 servants' door was opened; and Mr。 Joseph Harrison

stepped out into the moonlight。〃

  〃Joseph!〃 ejaculated Phelps。

  〃He was bare…headed; but he had a black cloak thrown over his

shoulder; so that he could conceal his face in an instant if there

were any alarm。 He walked on tiptoe unde

返回目录 上一页 下一页 回到顶部 0 0

你可能喜欢的