the red house mystery-第38节

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〃Good　Lord！〃　said　Bill；　as　he　put　down　the　letter。　

〃I　thought　you'd　say　that；〃　murmured　Antony。　

〃Tony；　do　you　mean　to　say　that　you　knew　all　this？〃　

〃I　guessed　some　of　it。　I　didn't　quite　know　all　of　it；　of　course。　

〃Good　Lord！〃　said　Bill　again；　and　returned　to　the　letter。　In　a　moment　
he　was　looking　up　again。　〃What　did　you　write　to　him？　Was　that　last　
night？　After　I'd　gone　into　Stanton？〃　
〃Yes。〃　

〃What　did　you　say？　That　you'd　discovered　that　Mark　was　Robert？〃　

〃Yes。　At　least　I　said　that　this　morning　I　should　probably　telegraph　to　
Mr。　Cartwright　of　Wimpole　Street；　and　ask　him　to　…〃　

Bill　burst　in　eagerly　on　the　top　of　the　sentence。　〃Yes；　now　what　was　
all　that　about？　You　were　so　damn　Sherlocky　yesterday　all　of　a　sudden。　
We'd　been　doing　the　thing　together　all　the　time；　and　you'd　been　telling　me　
everything；　and　then　suddenly　you　become　very　mysterious　and　private　
and　talk　enigmatically　…　is　that　the　word？　…　about　dentists　and　swimming　
and　the　'Plough　and　Horses；'　and　…　well；　what　was　it　all　about？　You　
simply　vanished　out　of　sight；　I　didn't　know　what　on　earth　we　were　talking　
about。〃　

Antony　laughed　and　apologized。　

〃Sorry；　Bill。　I　felt　like　that　suddenly。　Just　for　the　last　half…hour；　just　
to　end　up　with。　I'll　tell　you　everything　now。　Not　that　there's　anything　to　
tell；　really。　It　seems　so　easy　when　you　know　it　…　so　obvious。　About　Mr。　
Cartwright　of　Wimpole　Street。　Of　course　he　was　just　to　identify　the　
body。〃　

〃But　whatever　made　you　think　of　a　dentist　for　that？〃　

〃Who　could　do　it　better？　Could　you　have　done　it？　How　could　you？　
You'd　never　gone　bathing　with　Mark；　you'd　never　seen　him　stripped。　He　
didn't　swim。　Could　his　doctor　do　it？　Not　unless　he'd　had　some　
particular　operation；　and　perhaps　not　then。　But　his　dentists　could　…at　
any　time；　always　…　if　he　had　been　to　his　dentist　fairly　often。　Hence　Mr。　

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Cartwright　of　Wimpole　Street。〃　

Bill　nodded　thoughtfully　and　went　back　again　to　the　letter。　

〃I　see。　And　you　told　Cayley　that　you　were　telegraphing　to　Cartwright　
to　identify　the　body？〃　

〃Yes。　And　then　of　course　it　was　all　up　for　him。　Once　we　knew　that　
Robert　was　Mark　we　knew　everything。〃　

〃How　did　you　know？〃　

Antony　got　up　from　the　breakfast　table　and　began　to　fill　his　pipe。　

〃I'm　not　sure　that　I　can　say；　Bill。　You　know　those　problems　in　
Algebra　where　you　say；　'Let　x　be　the　answer；'　and　then　you　work　it　out　and　
find　what　x　is。　Well；　that's　one　way；　and　another　way；　which　they　never　
give　you　any　marks　for　at　school；　is　to　guess　the　answer。　Pretend　the　
answer　is　4　…　well；　will　that　satisfy　the　conditions　of　the　problem？　No。　
Then　try　6；　and　if　6　doesn't　either；　then　what　about　5？　…　and　so　on。　Well；　
the　Inspector　and　the　Coroner　and　all　that　lot　had　guessed　their　answer；　
and　it　seemed　to　fit；　but　you　and　I　knew　it　didn't　really　fit；　there　were　
several　conditions　in　the　problem　which　it　didn't　fit　at　all。　So　we　knew　
that　their　answer　was　wrong；　and　we　had　to　think　of　another　…　an　answer　
which　explained　all　the　things　which　were　puzzling　us。　Well；　I　happened　
to　guess　the　right　one。　Got　a　match？〃　

Bill　handed　him　a　box；　and　he　lit　his　pipe。　

〃Yes；　but　that　doesn't　quite　do；　old　boy。　Something　must　have　put　
you　on　to　it　suddenly。　By　the　way；　I'll　have　my　matches　back；　if　you　
don't　mind。〃　

Antony　laughed　and　took　them　out　of　his　pocket。　

〃Sorry。。。。　Well　then；　let's　see　if　I　can　go　through　my　own　mind　again；　
and　tell　you　how　I　guessed　it。　First　of　all；　the　clothes。〃　

〃Yes？〃　

〃To　Cayley　the　clothes　seemed　an　enormously　important　clue。　
didn't　quite　see　why；　but　I　did　realize　that　to　a　man　in　Cayley's　position　the　
smallest　clue　would　have　an　entirely　disproportionate　value。　For　some　
reason；　then；　Cayley　attached　this　exaggerated　importance　to　the　clothes　
which　Mark　was　wearing　on　that　Tuesday　morning；　all　the　clothes；　the　
inside　ones　as　well　as　the　outside　ones。　I　didn't　know　why；　but　I　did　feel　

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certain　that；　in　that　case；　the　absence　of　the　collar　was　unintentional。　In　

collecting　the　clothes　he　had　overlooked　the　collar。　Why？〃　

〃It　was　the　one　in　the　linen…basket？〃　

〃Yes。　It　seemed　probable。　Why　had　Cayley　put　it　there？　The　
obvious　answer　was　that　he　hadn't。　Mark　had　put　it　there。　
remembered　what　you　told　me　about　Mark　being　finicky；　and　having　lots　
of　clothes　and　so　on；　and　I　felt　that　he　was　just　the　sort　of　man　who　would　
never　wear　the　same　collar　twice。〃　He　paused；　and　then　asked；　〃Is　that　
right；　do　you　think？〃　

〃Absolutely；〃　said　Bill　with　conviction。　

〃Well；　I　guessed　it　was。　So　then　I　began　to　see　an　x　which　would　fit　
just　this　part　of　the　problem　…　the　clothes　part。　I　saw　Mark　changing　his　
clothes；　I　saw　him　instinctively　dropping　the　collar　in　the　linen…basket；　just　
as　he　had　always　dropped　every　collar　he　had　ever　taken　off；　but　leaving　
the　rest　of　the　clothes　on　a　chair　in　the　ordinary　way；　and　I　saw　Cayley　
collecting　all　the　clothes　afterwards　…　all　the　visible　clothes　…　and　not　
realizing　that　the　collar　wasn't　there。〃　

〃Go　on；〃　said　Bill　eagerly。　

〃Well；　I　felt　pretty　sure　about　that；　and　I　wanted　an　explanation　of　it。　
Why　had　Mark　changed　down　there　instead　of　in　his　bedroom？　The　only　
answer　was　that　the　fact　of　his　changing　had　to　be　kept　secret。　When　did　
he　change？　The　only　possible　time　was　between　lunch　（when　he　would　
be　seen　by　the　servants）　and　the　moment　of　Robert's　arrival。　And　when　
did　Cayley　collect　the　clothes　in　a　bundle？　Again；　the　only　answer　was　
'Before　Robert's　arrival。'　So　another　x　was　wanted　…to　fit　those　three　
conditions。〃　

〃And　the　answer　was　that　a　murder　was　intended；　even　before　Robert　
arrived？〃　

〃Yes。　Well　now；　it　couldn't　be　intended　on　the　strength　of　that　letter；　
unless　there　was　very　much　more　behind　the　letter　than　we　knew。　Nor　
was　it　possible　a　murder　could　be　intended　without　any　more　preparation　
than　the　changing　into　a　different　suit　in　which　to　escape。　The　thing　was　
too　childish。　Also；　if　Robert　was　to　be　murdered；　why　go　out　of　the　way　
to　announce　his　existence　to　you　all　…　even；　at　the　cost　of　some　trouble；　to　

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Mrs。　Norbury？　What　did　it　all　mean？　I　didn't　know。　But　I　began　to　
feel　now　that　Robert　was　an　incident　only；　that　the　plot　was　a　plot　of　
Cayley's　against　Mark　…　either　to　get　him　to　kill　his　brother；　or　to　get　his　
brother　to　kill　him　…　and　that　for　some　inexplicable　reason　Mark　seemed　to　
be　lending　himself　to　the　plot。〃　He　was　silent　for　a　little；　and　then　said；　
almost　to　himself；　〃I　had　seen　the　empty　brandy　bottles　in　that　cupboard。〃　

〃You　never　said　anything　about　them〃　complained　Bill。　

〃I　only　saw　them　afterwards。　I　was　looking　for　the　collar；　you　
remember。　They　came　back　to　me　afterwards；　I　knew　how　Cayley　would　
feel　about　it。。。。　Poor　devil！〃　

〃Go　on；〃　said　Bill。　

〃Well；　then；　we　had　the　inquest；　and　of　course　I　noticed；　and　I　suppose　
you　did　too；　the　curious　fact　that　Robert　had　asked　his　way　at　the　second　
lodge　and　not　at　the　first。　So　I　talked　to　Amos　and　Parsons。　That　made　
it　more　curious。　Amos　told　me　that　Robert　had　gone　out　of　his　way　to　
speak　to　him；　had　called　to　him；　in　fact。　Parsons　told　me　that　his　wife　was　
out　in　their　little　garden　at　the　first　lodge　all　the　afternoon；　and　was　certain　
that　Robert　had　never　come　past　it。　He　also　told　me　that　Cayley　had　put　
him　on　to　a　job　on　the　front　lawn　that　afternoon。　So　I　had　another　guess。　
Robert　had　used　the　secret　passage　…　the　passage　which　comes　out　into　the　
park　between　the　first　and　second　lodges。　Robert；　then；　had　been　in　the　
house；　it　was　a　put…up　job　between　Robert　and　Cayley。　But　how　could　
Robert　be　there　without　Mark　knowing？　Obviously；　Mark　knew　too。　
What　did　it　all　mean？〃　

〃When　was　this？〃　interrupted　Bill。　〃Just　after　the　inquest　…after　
you'd　seen　Amos　and　Parsons；　of　course？〃　

〃Yes。　I　got　up　and　left　them；　and　came　to　look　for　you。　I'd　got　back　
to　the　clothes　then。　Why　did　Mark　change　his　clothes　so　secretly？　
Disguise？　But　then　what　about　his　face？　That　was　much　more　
important　than　clothes。　His　face；　his　beard　…　he'd　have　to　shave　off　his　
beard　…　and　then　…oh；　idiot！　I　saw　you　looking　at　that　poster。　Mark　
acting；　Mark　made…up；　Mark　disguised。　Oh；　priceless　idiot！　Mark　was　
Robert。。。。　Matches；　please。〃　

Bill　passed　over　the　matches　again；　waited　till　Antony　had　relit　his　

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pipe；　and　then　held　out　his　hand　for　them；　just　as　they　were　going　into　the　
other's　pocket。　

〃Yes；〃　said　Bill　thoughtfully。　〃Yes。。。。　But　wait　a　moment。　What　
about　the　'Plough　and　Horses'？〃　Antony　looked　comically　at　him。　

〃You'll　never　forgive　me；　Bill；〃　he　said。　〃You'll　never　come　clue…
hunting　with　me　again。〃　

〃What　do　you　mean？〃　

Antony　sighed。　

〃It　was　a　fake；　Watson。　I　wanted　you　out　of　the　way。　I　wanted　to　be　
alone。　I'd　guessed　at　my　x；　and　I　wanted　to　test　it　…　to　test　it　every　way；　
by　everything　we'd　discovered。　I　simply　had　to　be　alone　just　then；　So　…〃　
he　smiled　and　added；　〃Well；　I　knew　you　wanted　a　drink。〃　

〃You　are　a　devil；〃　said　Bill；　staring　at　him。　〃And　your　interest　when　I