the adventure of wisteria lodge-第5节

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on　the　same　night　his　servant　and　his　cook　fled；　which　appeared　to

show　participation　in　the　crime。　It　was　suggested；　but　never　proved；

that　the　gentleman　may　have　had　valuables　in　the　house；　and　that　their

abstraction　was　the　motive　of　the　crime。　Every　effort　was　made　by

Inspector　Baynes；　who　has　the　case　in　hand；　to　ascertain　the　hiding

place　of　the　fugatives；　and　he　had　good　reason　to　believe　that　they

had　not　gone　far　but　were　lurking　in　some　retreat　which　had　been

already　prepared。　It　was　certain　from　the　first；　however；　that　they

would　eventually　be　detected；　as　the　cook；　from　the　evidence　of　one　or

two　trades…people　who　have　caught　a　glimpse　of　him　through　the　window；

was　a　man　of　most　remarkable　appearance…　being　a　huge　and　hideous

mulatto；　with　yellowish　features　of　a　pronounced　negroid　type。　This

man　has　been　seen　since　the　crime；　for　he　was　detected　and　pursued

by　Constable　Walters　on　the　same　evening；　when　he　had　the　audacity

to　revisit　Wisteria　Lodge。　Inspector　Baynes；　considering　that　such　a

visit　must　have　some　purpose　in　view　and　was　likely；　therefore；　to

be　repeated；　abandoned　the　house　but　left　an　ambuscade　in　the

shrubbery。　The　man　walk　into　the　trap　and　was　captured　last　night

after　a　struggle　in　which　Constable　Downing　was　badly　bitten　by　the

savage。　We　understand　that　when　the　prisoner　is　brought　before　the

magistrates　a　remand　will　be　applied　for　by　the　police；　and　that　great

developments　are　hoped　from　his　capture。〃



　　〃Really　we　must　see　Baynes　at　once；〃　cried　Holmes；　picking　up　his

hat。　〃We　will　just　catch　him　before　he　starts。〃　We　hurried　down　the

village　street　and　found；　as　we　had　expected；　that　the　inspector　was

just　leaving　his　lodgings。

　　〃You've　seen　the　paper；　Mr。　Holmes？〃　he　asked；　holding　one　out　to

us。

　　〃Yes；　Baynes；　I've　seen　it。　Pray　don't　think　it　a　liberty　if　I

give　you　a　word　of　friendly　warning。

　　〃Of　warning。　Mr。　Holmes？〃

　　〃I　have　looked　into　this　case　with　some　care；　and　I　am　not　convinced

that　you　are　on　the　right　lines。　I　don't　want　you　to　commit　yourself

too　far　unless　you　are　sure。〃

　　〃You're　very　kind；　Mr。　Holmes。〃

　　〃I　assure　you　I　speak　for　your　good。〃

　　It　seemed　to　me　that　something　like　a　wink　quivered　for　an　instant

over　one　of　Mr。　Baynes's　tiny　eyes。

　　〃We　agreed　to　work　on　our　own　lines；　Mr。　Holmes。　That's　what　I　am

doing。〃

　　〃Oh；　very　good；〃　said　Holmes。　〃Don't　blame　me。〃

　　〃No；　sir；　I　believe　you　mean　well　by　me。　But　we　all　have　our　own

systems；　Mr。　Holmes。　You　have　yours；　and　maybe　I　have　mine。〃

　　〃Let　us　say　no　more　about　it。〃

　　〃You're　welcome　always　to　my　news。　This　fellow　is　a　perfect

savage；　as　strong　as　a　cart…horse　and　as　fierce　as　the　devil。　He

chewed　Downing's　thumb　nearly　off　before　they　could　master　him。　He

hardly　speaks　a　word　of　English；　and　we　can　get　nothing　out　of　him　but

grunts。〃

　　〃And　you　think　you　have　evidence　that　he　murdered　his　late　master？〃

　　〃I　didn't　say　so；　Mr。　Holmes；　I　didn't　say　so。　We　all　have　our

little　ways。　You　try　yours　and　I　will　try　mine。　That's　the　agreement。〃

　　Holmes　shrugged　his　shoulders　as　we　walked　away　together。　〃I　can't

make　the　man　out。　He　seems　to　be　riding　for　a　fall。　Well；　as　he

says；　we　must　each　try　our　own　way　and　see　what　comes　of　it。　But

there's　something　in　Inspector　Baynes　which　I　can't　quite　understand。〃

　　〃Just　sit　down　in　that　chair；　Watson；〃　said　Sherlock　Holmes　when

we　had　returned　to　our　apartment　at　the　Bull。　〃I　want　to　put　you　in

touch　with　the　situation；　as　I　may　need　your　help　to…night。　Let　me

show　you　the　evolution　of　this　case　so　far　as　I　have　been　able　to

follow　it。　Simple　as　it　has　been　in　its　leading　features；　it　has

none　the　less　presented　surprising　difficulties　in　the　way　of　an

arrest。　There　are　gaps　in　that　direction　which　we　have　still　to　fill。

　　〃We　will　go　back　to　the　note　which　was　handed　in　to　Garcia　upon

the　evening　of　his　death。　We　may　put　aside　this　idea　of　Baynes's

that　Garcia's　servants　were　concerned　in　the　matter。　The　proof　of　this

lies　in　the　fact　that　it　was　he　who　had　arranged　for　the　presence　of

Scott　Eccles；　which　could　only　have　been　done　for　the　purpose　of　an

alibi。　It　was　Garcia；　then；　who　had　an　enterprise；　and　apparently　a

criminal　enterprise；　in　hand　that　night　in　the　course　of　which　he

met　his　death。　I　say　'criminal'　because　only　a　man　with　a　criminal

enterprise　desires　to　establish　an　alibi。　Who；　then；　is　most　likely　to

have　taken　his　life？　Surely　the　person　against　whom　the　criminal

enterprise　was　directed。　So　far　it　seems　to　me　that　we　are　on　safe

ground。

　　〃We　can　now　see　a　reason　for　the　disappearance　of　Garcia's

household。　They　were　all　confederates　in　the　same　unknown　crime。　If　it

came　off　when　Garcia　returned；　any　possible　suspicion　would　be

warded　off　by　the　Englishman's　evidence；　and　all　would　be　well。　But

the　attempt　was　a　dangerous　one；　and　if　Garcia　did　not　return　by　a

certain　hour　it　was　probable　that　his　own　life　had　been　sacrificed。　It

had　been　arranged；　therefore；　that　in　such　a　case　his　two　subordinates

were　to　make　for　some　prearranged　spot　where　they　could　escape

investigation　and　be　in　a　position　afterwards　to　renew　their

attempt。　That　would　fully　explain　the　facts；　would　it　not？〃

　　The　whole　inexplicable　tangle　seemed　to　straighten　out　before　me。

I　wondered；　as　I　always　did；　how　it　had　not　been　obvious　to　me　before。

　　〃But　why　should　one　servant　return？〃

　　〃We　can　imagine　that　in　the　confusion　of　flight　something

precious；　something　which　he　could　not　bear　to　part　with；　had　been

left　behind。　That　would　explain　his　persistence；　would　it　not？〃

　　〃Well；　what　is　the　next　step？〃

　　〃The　next　step　is　the　note　received　by　Garcia　at　the　dinner。　It

indicates　a　confederate　at　the　other　end。　Now；　where　was　the　other

end？　I　have　already　shown　you　that　it　could　only　lie　in　some　large

house；　and　that　the　number　of　large　houses；　is　limited。　My　first

days　in　this　village　were　devoted　to　a　series　of　walks　in　which　in　the

intervals　of　my　botanical　researches　I　made　a　reconnaissance　of　all

the　large　houses　and　an　examination　of　the　family　history　of　the

occupants。　One　house；　and　only　one；　riveted　my　attention。　It　is　the

famous　old　Jacobean　grange　of　High　Gable；　one　mile　on　the　farther　side

of　Oxshott；　and　less　than　half　a　mile　from　the　scene　of　the　tragedy。

The　other　mansions　belonged　to　prosaic　and　respectable　people　who　live

far　aloof　from　romance。　But　Mr。　Henderson；　of　High　Gable；　was　by　all

accounts　a　curious　man　to　whom　curious　adventures　might　befall。　I

concentrated　my　attention；　therefore；　upon　him　and　his　household。

　　〃A　singular　set　of　people；　Watson…　the　man　himself　the　most　singular

of　them　all。　I　managed　to　see　him　on　a　plausible　pretext；　but　I　seemed

to　read　in　his　dark；　deep…set；　brooding　eyes　that　he　was　perfectly

aware　of　my　true　business。　He　is　a　man　of　fifty；　strong；　active；

with　iron…gray　hair；　great　bunched　black　eyebrows；　the　step　of　a　deer；

and　the　air　of　an　emperor…　a　fierce；　masterful　man；　with　a　red…hot

spirit　behind　his　parchment　face。　He　is　either　a　foreigner　or　has

lived　long　in　the　tropics；　for　he　is　yellow　and　sapless；　but　tough

as　whipcord。　His　friend　and　secretary；　Mr。　Lucas；　is　undoubtedly　a

foreigner；　chocolate　brown；　wily；　suave；　and　catlike；　with　a　poisonous

gentleness　of　speech。　You　see；　Watson；　we　have　come　already　upon　two

sets　of　foreigners…　one　at　Wisteria　Lodge　and　one　at　High　Gable…　so

our　gaps　are　beginning　to　close。

　　〃These　two　men；　close　and　confidential　friends；　are　the　centre　of

the　household；　but　there　is　one　other　person　who　for　our　immediate

purpose　may　be　even　more　important。　Henderson　has　two　children…

girls　of　eleven　and　thirteen。　Their　governess　is　a　Miss　Burnet；　an

Englishwoman　of　forty　or　thereabouts。　There　is　also　one　confidential

manservant。　This　little　group　forms　the　real　family；　for　they　travel

about　together；　and　Henderson　is　a　great　traveller；　always　on　the

move。　It　is　only　within　the　last　few　weeks　that　he　has　returned；　after

a　year's　absence；　to　High　Gable。　I　may　add　that　he　is　enormously　rich；

and　whatever　his　whims　may　be　he　can　very　easily　satisfy　them。　For　the

rest；　his　house　is　full　of　butlers；　footmen；　maidservants；　and　the

usual　overfed；　underworked　staff　of　a　large　English　country…house。

　　〃So　much　I　learned　partly　from　village　gossip　and　partly　from　my　own

observation。　There　are　no　better　instruments　than　discharged

servants　with　a　grievance；　and　I　was　lucky　enough　to　find　one。　I

call　it　luck；　but　it　would　not　have　come　my　way　had　I　not　been　looking

out　for　it。　As　Baynes　remarks；　we　all　have　our　systems。　It　was　my

system　which　enabled　me　to　find　John　Warner；　late　gardener　of　High

Gable；　sacked　in　a　moment　of　temper　by　his　imperious　employer。　He　in

turn　had　friends　among　the　indoor　servants　who　unite　in　their　fear　and

dislike　of　their　master。　So　I　had　my　key　to　the　secrets　of　the

establishment。

　　〃Curious　people；　Watson！　I　don't　pretend　to　understand　it　all　yet；

but　very　curious　people　anyway。　It's　a　double…winged　house；　and　the

servants　live　on　one　side；　the　family　on　the　other。　There's　no　link

between　the　two　save　f