the adventure of the bruce-partington plan-第1节

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　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　SHERLOCK　HOLMES

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　THE　ADVENTURE　OF　THE　BRUCE…PARTINGTON　PLAN

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　by　Sir　Arthur　Conan　Doyle



　　　In　the　third　week　of　November；　in　the　year　1895；　a　dense　yellow　fog

settled　down　upon　London。　From　the　Monday　to　the　Thursday　I　doubt

whether　it　was　ever　possible　from　our　windows　in　Baker　Street　to　see

the　loom　of　the　opposite　houses。　The　first　day　Holmes　had　spent　in

cross…indexing　his　huge　book　of　references。　The　second　and　third　had

been　patiently　occupied　upon　a　subject　which　he　had　recently　made

his　hobby…　the　music　of　the　Middle　Ages。　But　when；　for　the　fourth

time；　after　pushing　back　our　chairs　from　breakfast　we　saw　the

greasy；　heavy　brown　swirl　still　drifting　past　us　and　condensing　in

oily　drops　upon　the　window…panes；　my　comrade's　impatient　and　active

nature　could　endure　this　drab　existence　no　longer。　He　paced　restlessly

about　our　sitting…room　in　a　fever　of　suppressed　energy；　biting　his

nails；　tapping　the　furniture；　and　chafing　against　inaction。

　　〃Nothing　of　interest　in　the　paper；　Watson？〃　he　said。

　　I　was　aware　that　by　anything　of　interest；　Holmes　meant　anything　of

criminal　interest。　There　was　the　news　of　a　revolution；　of　a　possible

war；　and　of　an　impending　change　of　government；　but　these　did　not

come　within　the　horizon　of　my　companion。　I　could　see　nothing

recorded　in　the　shape　of　crime　which　was　not　commonplace　and　futile。

Holmes　groaned　and　resumed　his　restless　meanderings。

　　〃The　London　criminal　is　certainly　a　dull　fellow；〃　said　he　in　the

querulous　voice　of　the　sportsman　whose　game　has　failed　him。　〃Look

out　of　this　window；　Watson。　See　how　the　figures　loom　up；　are　dimly

seen；　and　then　blend　once　more　into　the　cloud…bank。　The　thief　or　the

murderer　could　roam　London　on　such　a　day　as　the　tiger　does　the　jungle；

unseen　until　he　pounces；　and　then　evident　only　to　his　victim。〃

　　〃There　have；〃　said　I；　〃been　numerous　petty　thefts。〃

　　Holmes　snorted　his　contempt。

　　〃This　great　and　sombre　stage　is　set　for　something　more　worthy　than

that；〃　said　he。　〃It　is　fortunate　for　this　community　that　I　am　not　a

criminal。〃

　　〃It　is；　indeed！〃　said　I　heartily。

　　　〃Suppose　that　I　were　Brooks　or　Woodhouse；　or　any　of　the　fifty　men

who　have　good　reason　for　taking　my　life；　how　long　could　I　survive

against　my　own　pursuit？　A　summons；　a　bogus　appointment；　and　all

would　be　over。　It　is　well　they　don't　have　days　of　fog　in　the　Latin

countries…　the　countries　of　assassination。　By　Jove！　here　comes

something　at　last　to　break　our　dead　monotony。〃

　　It　was　the　maid　with　a　telegram。　Holmes　tore　it　open　and　burst　out

laughing。

　　〃Well；　well！　What　next？〃　said　he。　〃Brother　Mycroft　is　coming　round。〃

　　〃Why　not？〃　I　asked。

　　〃Why　not？　It　is　as　if　you　met　a　tram…car　coming　down　a　country　lane。

Mycroft　has　his　rails　and　he　runs　on　them。　His　Pall　Mall　lodgings；　the

Diogenes　Club；　Whitehall…　that　is　his　cycle。　Once；　and　only　once；　he

has　been　here。　What　upheaval　can　possibly　have　derailed　him？〃

　　〃Does　he　not　explain？〃

　　Holmes　handed　me　his　brother's　telegram。



　　Must　see　you　over　Cadogan　West。　Coming　at　once。

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　MYCROFT。



　　〃Cadogan　West？　I　have　heard　the　name。〃

　　〃It　recalls　nothing　to　my　mind。　But　that　Mycroft　should　break　out　in

this　erratic　fashion！　A　planet　might　as　well　leave　its　orbit。　By　the

way；　do　you　know　what　Mycroft　is？〃

　　I　had　some　vague　recollection　of　an　explanation　at　the　time　of　the

Adventure　of　the　Greek　Interpreter。

　　〃You　told　me　that　he　had　some　small　office　under　the　British

government。〃

　　Holmes　chuckled。

　　〃I　did　not　know　you　quite　so　well　in　those　days。　One　has　to　be

discreet　when　one　talks　of　high　matters　of　state。　You　are　right　in

thinking　that　he　is　under　the　British　government。　You　would　also　be

right　in　a　sense　if　you　said　that　occasionally　he　is　the　British

government。〃

　　〃My　dear　Holmes！〃

　　〃I　thought　I　might　surprise　you。　Mycroft　draws　four　hundred　and

fifty　pounds　a　year；　remains　a　subordinate；　has　no　ambitions　of　any

kind；　will　receive　neither　honour　nor　title；　but　remains　the　most

indispensable　man　in　the　country。〃

　　〃But　how？〃

　　〃Well；　his　position　is　unique。　He　has　made　it　for　himself。　There　has

never　been　anything　like　it　before；　nor　will　be　again。　He　has　the

tidiest　and　most　orderly　brain；　with　the　greatest　capacity　for　storing

facts；　of　any　man　living。　The　same　great　powers　which　I　have　turned　to

the　detection　of　crime　he　has　used　for　this　particular　business。　The

conclusions　of　every　department　are　passed　to　him；　and　he　is　the

central　exchange；　the　clearing…house；　which　makes　out　the　balance。　All

other　men　are　specialists；　but　his　specialism　is　omniscience。　We

will　suppose　that　a　minister　needs　information　as　to　a　point　which

involves　the　Navy；　India；　Canada　and　the　bimetallic　question；　he　could

get　his　separate　advices　from　various　departments　upon　each；　but

only　Mycroft　can　focus　them　all；　and　say　offhand　how　each　factor　would

affect　the　other。　They　began　by　using　him　as　a　short…cut；　a

convenience；　now　he　has　made　himself　an　essential。　In　that　great　brain

of　his　everything　is　pigeon…holed　and　can　be　handed　out　in　an　instant。

Again　and　again　his　word　has　decided　the　national　policy。　He　lives

in　it。　He　thinks　of　nothing　else　save　when；　as　an　intellectual

exercise；　he　unbends　if　I　call　upon　him　and　ask　him　to　advise　me　on

one　of　my　little　problems。　But　Jupiter　is　descending　to…day。　What　on

earth　can　it　mean？　Who　is　Cadogan　West；　and　what　is　he　to　Mycroft？〃

　　〃I　have　it；〃　I　cried；　and　plunged　among　the　litter　of　papers　upon

the　sofa。　〃Yes；　yes；　here　he　is；　sure　enough！　Cadogan　West　was　the

young　man　who　was　found　dead　on　the　Underground　on　Tuesday　morning。〃

　　Holmes　sat　up　at　attention；　his　pipe　halfway　to　his　lips。

　　〃This　must　be　serious；　Watson。　A　death　which　has　caused　my　brother

to　alter　his　habits　can　be　no　ordinary　one。　What　in　the　world　can　he

have　to　do　with　it？　The　case　was　featureless　as　I　remember　it。　The

young　man　had　apparently　fallen　out　of　the　train　and　killed　himself。

He　had　not　been　robbed；　and　there　was　no　particular　reason　to

suspect　violence。　Is　that　not　so？〃

　　〃There　has　been　an　inquest〃　said　I；　〃and　a　good　many　fresh　facts

have　come　out。　Looked　at　more　closely；　I　should　certainly　say　that

it　was　a　curious　case。〃

　　〃Judging　by　its　effect　upon　my　brother；　I　should　think　it　must　be

a　most　extraordinary　one。〃　He　snuggled　down　in　his　armchair。　〃Now；

Watson；　let　us　have　the　facts。〃

　　〃The　man's　name　was　Arthur　Cadogan　West。　He　was　twenty…seven　years

of　age；　unmarried；　and　a　clerk　at　Woolwich　Arsenal。〃

　　〃Government　employ。　Behold　the　link　with　Brother　Mycroft！〃

　　〃He　left　Woolwich　suddenly　on　Monday　night。　Was　last　seen　by　his

fiancee；　Miss　Violet　Westbury；　whom　he　left　abruptly　in　the　fog

about　7：30　that　evening。　There　was　no　quarrel　between　them　and　she　can

give　no　motive　for　his　action。　The　next　thing　heard　of　him　was　when

his　dead　body　was　discovered　by　a　plate…layer　named　Mason；　just

outside　Aldgate　Station　on　the　Underground　system　in　London。〃

　　〃When？〃

　　〃The　body　was　found　at　six　on　the　Tuesday　morning。　It　was　lying　wide

of　the　metals　upon　the　left　hand　of　the　track　as　one　goes　eastward；　at

a　point　close　to　the　station；　where　the　line　emerges　from　the　tunnel

in　which　it　runs。　The　head　was　badly　crushed…　an　injury　which　might

well　have　been　caused　by　a　fall　from　the　train。　The　body　could　only

have　come　on　the　line　in　that　way。　Had　it　been　carried　down　from　any

neighbouring　street；　it　must　have　passed　the　station　barriers；　where　a

collector　is　always　standing。　This　point　seems　absolutely　certain。〃

　　〃Very　good。　The　case　is　definite　enough。　The　man；　dead　or　alive；

either　fell　or　was　precipitated　from　a　train。　So　much　is　clear　to

me。　Continue。〃

　　〃The　trains　which　traverse　the　lines　of　rail　beside　which　the　body

was　found　are　those　which　run　from　west　to　east；　some　being　purely

Metropolitan；　and　some　from　Willesden　and　outlying　junctions。　It　can

be　stated　for　certain　that　this　young　man；　when　he　met　his　death；

was　travelling　in　this　direction　at　some　late　hour　of　the　night；　but

at　what　point　he　entered　the　train　it　is　impossible　to　state。〃

　　〃His　ticket；　of　course；　would　show　that。〃

　　〃There　was　no　ticket　in　his　pockets。〃

　　〃No　ticket！　Dear　me；　Watson；　this　is　really　very　singular。　According

to　my　experience　it　is　not　possible　to　reach　the　platform　of　a

Metropolitan　train　without　exhibiting　one's　ticket。　Presumably；

then；　the　young　man　had　one。　Was　it　taken　from　him　in　order　to　conceal

the　station　from　which　he　came？　It　is　possible。　Or　did　he　drop　it　in

the　carriage？　That　also　is　possible。　But　the　point　is　of　curious

interest。　I　understand　that　there　was　no　sign　of　robbery？〃

　　〃Apparently　not。　There　is　a　list　here　of　his　possessions。　His

purse　contained　two　pounds　fifteen。　He　had　also　a　check…book　on　the

Woolwich　branch　of　the　Capital　and　Counties　Bank。　Through　this　his

identity　was　established。　There　were　also　two　dress…circle　tickets　for

the　Woolwich　Theatre；　dated　for　that　very　evening。　Also　a　small　packet

of　t