the adventure of the bruce-partington plan-第4节

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the　poor　old　fellow　killed　himself！　If　the　latter；　may　it　be　taken

as　some　sign　of　self…reproach　for　duty　neglected？　We　must　leave　that

question　to　the　future。　Now　we　shall　turn　to　the　Cadogan　Wests。〃

　　A　small　but　well…kept　house　in　the　outskirts　of　the　town　sheltered

the　bereaved　mother。　The　old　lady　was　too　dazed　with　grief　to　be　of

any　use　to　us；　but　at　her　side　was　a　white…faced　young　lady；　who

introduced　herself　as　Miss　Violet　Westbury；　the　fiancee　of　the　dead

man；　and　the　last　to　see　him　upon　that　fatal　night。

　　〃I　cannot　explain　it；　Mr。　Holmes；〃　she　said。　〃I　have　not　shut　an　eye

since　the　tragedy；　thinking；　thinking；　thinking；　night　and　day；　what

the　true　meaning　of　it　can　be。　Arthur　was　the　most　single…minded；

chivalrous；　patriotic　man　upon　earth。　He　would　have　cut　his　right　hand

off　before　he　would　sell　a　State　secret　confided　to　his　keeping。　It　is

absurd；　impossible；　preposterous　to　anyone　who　knew　him。〃

　　〃But　the　facts；　Miss　Westbury？〃

　　〃Yes；　yes；　I　admit　I　cannot　explain　them。〃

　　〃Was　he　in　any　want　of　money？〃

　　〃No；　his　needs　were　very　simple　and　his　salary　ample。　He　had　saved　a

few　hundreds；　and　we　were　to　marry　at　the　New　Year。〃

　　〃No　signs　of　any　mental　excitement？　Come；　Miss　Westbury；　be

absolutely　frank　with　us。〃

　　The　quick　eye　of　my　companion　had　noted　some　change　in　her　manner。

She　coloured　and　hesitated。

　　〃Yes；〃　she　said　at　last；　〃I　had　a　feeling　that　there　was　something

on　his　mind。〃

　　〃For　long？〃

　　〃Only　for　the　last　week　or　so。　He　was　thoughtful　and　worried。　Once　I

pressed　him　about　it。　He　admitted　that　there　was　something；　and　that

it　was　concerned　with　his　official　life。　'It　is　too　serious　for　me

to　speak　about；　even　to　you；'　said　he。　I　could　get　nothing　more。〃

　　Holmes　looked　grave。

　　〃Go　on；　Miss　Westbury。　Even　if　it　seems　to　tell　against　him；　go

on。　We　cannot　say　what　it　may　lead　to；〃

　　〃Indeed；　I　have　nothing　more　to　tell。　Once　or　twice　it　seemed　to

me　that　he　was　on　the　point　of　telling　me　something。　He　spoke　one

evening　of　the　importance　of　the　secret；　and　I　have　some

recollection　that　he　said　that　no　doubt　foreign　spies　would　pay　a

great　deal　to　have　it。〃

　　My　friend's　face　grew　graver　still。

　　〃Anything　else？〃

　　〃He　said　that　we　were　slack　about　such　matters…　that　it　would　be

easy　for　a　traitor　to　get　the　plans。〃

　　〃Was　it　only　recently　that　he　made　such　remarks？〃

　　〃Yes；　quite　recently。〃

　　〃Now　tell　us　of　that　last　evening。〃

　　〃We　were　to　go　to　the　theatre。　The　fog　was　so　thick　that　a　cab　was

useless。　We　walked；　and　our　way　took　us　close　to　the　office。

Suddenly　he　darted　away　into　the　fog。〃

　　〃Without　a　word？〃

　　〃He　gave　an　exclamation；　that　was　all。　I　waited　but　he　never

returned。　Then　I　walked　home。　Next　morning；　after　the　office　opened；

they　came　to　inquire。　About　twelve　o'clock　we　heard　the　terrible　news。

Oh；　Mr。　Holmes；　if　you　could　only；　only　save　his　honour！　It　was　so

much　to　him。〃

　　Holmes　shook　his　head　sadly。

　　〃Come；　Watson；〃　said　he；　〃our　ways　lie　elsewhere。　Our　next　station

must　be　the　office　from　which　the　papers　were　taken。

　　〃It　was　black　enough　before　against　this　young　man；　but　our

inquiries　make　it　blacker；〃　he　remarked　as　the　cab　lumbered　off。

〃His　coming　marriage　gives　a　motive　for　the　crime。　He　naturally　wanted

money。　The　idea　was　in　his　head；　since　he　spoke　about　it。　He　nearly

made　the　girl　an　accomplice　in　the　treason　by　telling　her　his　plans。

It　is　all　very　bad。〃

　　〃But　surely；　Holmes；　character　goes　for　something？　Then；　again；

why　should　he　leave　the　girl　in　the　street　and　dart　away　to　commit　a

felony？〃

　　〃Exactly！　There　are　certainly　objections。　But　it　is　a　formidable

case　which　they　have　to　meet。〃

　　Mr。　Sidney　Johnson；　the　senior　clerk；　met　us　at　the　office　and

received　us　with　that　respect　which　my　companion's　card　always

commanded。　He　was　a　thin；　gruff；　bespectacled　man　of　middle　age；　his

cheeks　haggard；　and　his　hands　twitching　from　the　nervous　strain　to

which　he　had　been　subjected。

　　〃It　is　bad；　Mr。　Holmes；　very　bad！　Have　you　heard　of　the　death　of　the

chief？〃

　　〃We　have　just　come　from　his　house。〃

　　〃The　place　is　disorganized。　The　chief　dead；　Cadogan　West　dead；　our

papers　stolen。　And　yet；　when　we　closed　our　door　on　Monday　evening；

we　were　as　efficient　an　office　as　any　in　the　government　service。

Good　God；　it's　dreadful　to　think　off　That　West；　of　all　men；　should

have　done　such　a　thing！〃

　　〃You　are　sure　of　his　guilt；　then？〃

　　〃I　can　see　no　other　way　out　of　it。　And　yet　I　would　have　trusted

him　as　I　trust　myself。〃

　　〃At　what　hour　was　the　office　closed　on　Monday？〃

　　〃At　five。〃

　　〃Did　you　close　it？〃

　　〃I　am　always　the　last　man　out。〃

　　〃Where　were　the　plans？〃

　　〃In　that　safe。　I　put　them　there　myself。〃

　　〃Is　there　no　watchman　to　the　building？〃

　　〃There　is；　but　he　has　other　departments　to　look　after　as　well。　He　is

an　old　soldier　and　a　most　trustworthy　man。　He　saw　nothing　that

evening。　Of　course　the　fog　was　very　thick。〃

　　〃Suppose　that　Cadogan　West　wished　to　make　his　way　into　the

building　after　hours；　he　would　need　three　keys；　would　he　not；　before

he　could　reach　the　papers？〃

　　〃Yes；　he　would。　The　key　of　the　outer　door；　the　key　of　the　office；

and　the　key　of　the　safe。〃

　　〃Only　Sir　James　Walter　and　you　had　those　keys？〃

　　〃I　had　no　keys　of　the　doors…　only　of　the　safe。〃

　　〃Was　Sir　James　a　man　who　was　orderly　in　his　habits？〃

　　〃Yes；　I　think　he　was。　I　know　that　so　far　as　those　three　keys　are

concerned　he　kept　them　on　the　same　ring。　I　have　often　seen　them

there。〃

　　〃And　that　ring　went　with　him　to　London？〃

　　〃He　said　so。〃

　　〃And　your　key　never　left　your　possession？〃

　　〃Never。〃

　　〃Then　West；　if　he　is　the　culprit；　must　have　had　a　duplicate。　And　yet

none　were　found　upon　his　body。　One　other　point：　if　a　clerk　in　this

office　desired　to　sell　the　plans；　would　it　not　be　simpler　to　copy

the　plans　for　himself　than　to　take　the　originals；　as　was　actually

done？〃

　　〃It　would　take　considerable　technical　knowledge　to　copy　the　plans　in

an　effective　way。〃

　　〃But　I　suppose　either　Sir　James；　or　you；　or　West　had　that

technical　knowledge？〃

　　〃No　doubt　we　had；　but　I　beg　you　won't　try　to　drag　me　into　the

matter；　Mr。　Holmes。　What　is　the　use　of　our　speculating　in　this　way

when　the　original　plans　were　actually　found　on　West？〃

　　〃Well；　it　is　certainly　singular　that　he　should　run　the　risk　of

taking　originals　if　he　could　safely　have　taken　copies；　which　would

have　equally　served　his　turn。〃

　　〃Singular；　no　doubt…　and　yet　he　did　so。〃

　　〃Every　inquiry　in　this　case　reveals　something　inexplicable。　Now

there　are　three　papers　still　missing。　They　are；　as　I　understand；　the

vital　ones。〃

　　〃Yes；　that　is　so。〃

　　〃Do　you　mean　to　say　that　anyone　holding　these　three　papers；　and

without　the　seven　others；　could　construct　a　Bruce…Partington

submarine？〃

　　〃I　reported　to　that　effect　to　the　Admiralty。　But　to…day　I　have

been　over　the　drawings　again；　and　I　am　not　so　sure　of　it。　The　double

valves　with　the　automatic　self…adjusting　slots　are　drawn　in　one　of　the

papers　which　have　been　returned。　Until　the　foreigners　had　invented

that　for　themselves　they　could　not　make　the　boat。　Of　course　they　might

soon　get　over　the　difficulty。〃

　　〃But　the　three　missing　drawings　are　the　most　important？〃

　　〃Undoubtedly。〃

　　〃I　think；　with　your　permission；　I　will　now　take　a　stroll　round　the

premises。　I　do　not　recall　any　other　question　which　I　desired　to　ask。〃

　　He　examined　the　lock　of　the　safe；　the　door　of　the　room；　and

finally　the　iron　shutters　of　the　window。　It　was　only　when　we　were　on

the　lawn　outside　that　his　interest　was　strongly　excited。　There　was　a

laurel　bush　outside　the　window；　and　several　of　the　branches　bore　signs

of　having　been　twisted　or　snapped。　He　examined　them　carefully　with　his

lens；　and　then　some　dim　and　vague　marks　upon　the　earth　beneath。

Finally　he　asked　the　chief　clerk　to　close　the　iron　shutters；　and　he

pointed　out　to　me　that　they　hardly　met　in　the　centre；　and　that　it

would　be　possible　for　anyone　outside　to　see　what　was　going　on　within

the　room。

　　〃The　indications　are　ruined　by　the　three　days'　delay。　They　may

mean　something　or　nothing。　Well；　Watson；　I　do　not　think　that

Woolwich　can　help　us　further。　It　is　a　small　crop　which　we　have

gathered。　Let　us　see　if　we　can　do　better　in　London。〃

　　Yet　we　added　one　more　sheaf　to　our　harvest　before　we　left　Woolwich

Station。　The　clerk　in　the　ticket　office　was　able　to　say　with

confidence　that　he　saw　Cadogan　West…　whom　he　knew　well　by　sight…

upon　the　Monday　night；　and　that　he　went　to　London　by　the　8：15　to

London　Bridge。　He　was　alone　and　took　a　single　third…class　ticket。

The　clerk　was　struck　at　the　time　by　his　excited　and　nervous　manner。　So

shaky　was　he　that　he　could　hardly　pick　up　his　change；　and　the　clerk

had　helped　him　with　it。　A　reference　to　the　timetable　showed　that　the

8：15　was　the　first　train　which　it　was　possible　for　West　to　take

after　he　had　left　the　lady　about　7：30。

　　〃Let　us　reconstruct；　Watson；〃　said　Holmes　after　half　an　hour　of

silence。　〃I　am　not　aware　that　in　all　our　joint　researches　we　have　ever

had　a　case　which　was　more　difficult　to　get　at。　Every　fresh　advance

which　we