the musgrave ritual-第4节

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　　〃'How　do　you　come　to　know　it？'　I　asked　in　surprise。

　　〃'When　my　old　tutor　used　to　give　me　an　exercise　in　trigonometry；

it　always　took　the　shape　of　measuring　heights。　When　I　was　a　lad　I

worked　out　every　tree　and　building　in　the　estate。'

　　〃This　was　an　unexpected　piece　of　luck。　My　data　were　coming　more

quickly　than　I　could　have　reasonably　hoped。

　　〃'Tell　me；'　I　asked；　'did　your　butler　ever　ask　you　such　a　question？'

　　〃Reginald　Musgrave　looked　at　me　in　astonishment。　'Now　that　you

call　it　to　my　mind；'　he　answered；　'Brunton　did　ask　me　about　the　height

of　the　tree　some　months　ago　in　connection　with　some　little　argument

with　the　groom。'

　　〃This　was　excellent　news；　Watson；　for　it　showed　me　that　I　was　on　the

right　road。　I　looked　up　at　the　sun。　It　was　low　in　the　heavens；　and　I

calculated　that　in　less　than　an　hour　it　would　lie　just　above　the

topmost　branches　of　the　old　oak。　One　condition　mentioned　in　the　Ritual

would　then　be　fulfilled。　And　the　shadow　of　the　elm　must　mean　the

farther　end　of　the　shadow；　otherwise　the　trunk　would　have　been

chosen　as　the　guide。　I　had；　then；　to　find　where　the　far　end　of　the

shadow　would　fall　when　the　sun　was　just　clear　of　the　oak。〃

　　〃That　must　have　been　difficult；　Holmes；　when　the　elm　was　no　longer

there。〃

　　〃Well；　at　least　I　knew　that　if　Brunton　could　do　it；　I　could　also。

Besides；　there　was　no　real　difficulty。　I　went　with　Musgrave　to　his

study　and　whittled　myself　this　peg；　to　which　I　tied　this　long　string

with　a　knot　at　each　yard。　Then　I　took　two　lengths　of　a　fishing…rod；

which　came　to　just　six　feet；　and　I　went　back　with　my　client　to　where

the　elm　had　been。　The　sun　was　just　grazing　the　top　of　the　oak。　I

fastened　the　rod　on　end；　marked　out　the　direction　of　the　shadow；　and

measured　it。　It　was　nine　feet　in　length。

　　〃Of　course　the　calculation　now　was　a　simple　one。　If　a　rod　of　six

feet　threw　a　shadow　of　nine；　a　tree　of　sixty…four　feet　would　throw　one

of　ninety…six；　and　the　line　of　the　one　would　of　course　be　the　line

of　the　other。　I　measured　out　the　distance；　which　brought　me　almost

to　the　wall　of　the　house；　and　I　thrust　a　peg　into　the　spot。　You　can

imagine　my　exultation；　Watson；　when　within　two　inches　of　my　peg　I

saw　a　conical　depression　in　the　ground。　I　knew　that　it　was　the　mark

made　by　Brunton　in　his　measurements；　and　that　I　was　still　upon　his

trail。

　　〃From　this　starting…point　I　proceeded　to　step；　having　first　taken

the　cardinal　points　by　my　pocket…compass。　Ten　steps　with　each　foot

took　me　along　parallel　with　the　wall　of　the　house；　and　again　I

marked　my　spot　with　a　peg。　Then　I　carefully　paced　off　five　to　the　east

and　two　to　the　south。　It　brought　me　to　the　very　threshold　of　the　old

door。　Two　steps　to　the　west　meant　now　that　I　was　to　go　two　paces

down　the　stone…flagged　passage；　and　this　was　the　place　indicated　by

the　Ritual。

　　〃Never　have　I　felt　such　a　cold　chill　of　disappointment；　Watson。

For　a　moment　it　seemed　to　me　that　there　must　be　some　radical　mistake

in　my　calculations。　The　setting　sun　shone　full　upon　the　passage　floor；

and　I　could　see　that　the　old；　foot…worn　gray　stones　with　which　it

was　paved　were　firmly　cemented　together；　and　had　certainly　not　been

moved　for　many　a　long　year。　Brunton　had　not　been　at　work　here。　I

tapped　upon　the　floor；　but　it　sounded　the　same　all　over；　and　there　was

no　sign　of　any　crack　or　crevice。　But　fortunately；　Musgrave；　who　had

begun　to　appreciate　the　meaning　of　my　proceedings；　and　who　was　now

as　excited　as　myself；　took　out　his　manuscript　to　check　my

calculations。

　　〃'And　under；'　he　cried。　'You　have　omitted　the　and　under。'

　　〃I　had　thought　that　it　meant　that　we　were　to　dig；　but　now；　of

course；　I　saw　at　once　that　I　was　wrong。　'There　is　a　cedar　under　this

then？'　I　cried。

　　〃'Yes；　and　as　old　as　the　house。　Down　here；　through　this　door。'

　　〃We　went　down　a　winding　stone　stair；　and　my　companion；　striking　a

match；　lit　a　large　lantern　which　stood　on　a　barrel　in　the　corner。　In

an　instant　it　was　obvious　that　we　had　at　last　come　upon　the　true

place；　and　that　we　had　not　been　the　only　people　to　visit　the　spot

recently。

　　〃It　had　been　used　for　the　storage　of　wood；　but　the　billets；　which

had　evidently　been　littered　over　the　floor；　were　now　piled　at　the

sides；　so　as　to　leave　a　clear　space　in　the　middle。　In　this　space　lay　a

large　and　heavy　flagstone　with　a　rusted　iron　ring　in　the　centre　to

which　a　thick　shepherd's…check　muffler　was　attached。

　　〃'By　Jove！'　cried　my　client。　'That's　Brunton's　muffler。　I　have

seen　it　on　him　and　could　swear　to　it。　What　has　the　villain　been

doing　here？'

　　〃At　my　suggestion　a　couple　of　the　county　police　were　summoned　to

be　present；　and　I　then　endeavoured　to　raise　the　stone　by　pulling　on

the　cravat。　I　could　only　move　it　slightly；　and　it　was　with　the　aid

of　one　of　the　constables　that　I　succeeded　at　last　in　carrying　it　to

one　side。　A　black　hole　yawned　beneath　into　which　we　all　peered；

while　Musgrave；　kneeling　at　the　side；　pushed　down　the　lantern。

　　〃A　small　chamber　about　seven　feet　deep　and　four　feet　square　lay　open

to　us。　At　one　side　of　this　was　a　squat；　brass…bound　wooden　box；　the

lid　of　which　was　hinged　upward；　with　this　curious　old…fashioned　key

projecting　from　the　lock。　It　was　furred　outside　by　a　thick　layer　of

dust；　and　damp　and　worms　had　eaten　through　the　wood；　so　that　a　crop　of

livid　fungi　was　growing　on　the　inside　of　it。　Several　discs　of　metal；

old　coins　apparently；　such　as　I　hold　here；　were　scattered　over　the

bottom　of　the　box；　but　it　contained　nothing　else。

　　〃At　the　moment；　however；　we　had　no　thought　for　the　old　chest；　for

our　eyes　were　riveted　upon　that　which　crouched　beside　it。　It　was　the

figure　of　a　man；　clad　in　a　suit　of　black；　who　squatted　down　upon　his

hams　with　his　forehead　sunk　upon　the　edge　of　the　box　and　his　two

arms　thrown　out　on　each　side　of　it。　The　attitude　had　drawn　all　the

stagnant　blood　to　the　face；　and　no　man　could　have　recognized　that

distorted　liver…coloured　countenance；　but　his　height；　his　dress；　and

his　hair　were　all　sufficient　to　show　my　client；　when　we　had　drawn

the　body　up；　that　it　was　indeed　his　missing　butler。　He　had　been　dead

some　days；　but　there　was　no　wound　or　bruise　upon　his　person　to　show

how　he　had　met　his　dreadful　end。　When　his　body　had　been　carried　from

the　cellar　we　found　ourselves　still　confronted　with　a　problem　which

was　almost　as　formidable　as　that　with　which　we　had　started。

　　〃I　confess　that　so　far；　Watson；　I　had　been　disappointed　in　my

investigation。　I　had　reckoned　upon　solving　the　matter　when　once　I

had　found　the　place　referred　to　in　the　Ritual；　but　now　I　was　there；

and　was　apparently　as　far　as　ever　from　knowing　what　it　was　which　the

family　had　concealed　with　such　elaborate　precautions。　It　is　true

that　I　had　thrown　a　light　upon　the　fate　of　Brunton；　but　now　I　had　to

ascertain　how　that　fate　had　come　upon　him；　and　what　part　had　been

played　in　the　matter　by　the　woman　who　had　disappeared。　I　sat　down　upon

a　keg　in　the　corner　and　thought　the　whole　matter　carefully　over。

　　〃You　know　my　methods　in　such　cases；　Watson。　I　put　myself　in　the

man's　place；　and；　having　first　gauged　his　intelligence；　I　try　to

imagine　how　I　should　myself　have　proceeded　under　the　same

circumstances。　In　this　case　the　matter　was　simplified　by　Brunton's

intelligence　being　quite　first…rate；　so　that　it　was　unnecessary　to

make　any　allowance　for　the　personal　equation；　as　the　astronomers

have　dubbed　it。　He　knew　that　something　valuable　was　concealed。　He

had　spotted　the　place。　He　found　that　the　stone　which　covered　it　was

just　too　heavy　for　a　man　to　move　unaided。　What　would　he　do　next？　He

could　not　get　help　from　outside；　even　if　he　had　someone　whom　he

could　trust；　without　the　unbarring　of　doors　and　considerable　risk　of

detection。　It　was　better；　if　he　could；　to　have　his　helpmate　inside　the

house。　But　whom　could　he　ask？　This　girl　had　been　devoted　to　him。　A　man

always　finds　it　hard　to　realize　that　he　may　have　finally　lost　a

woman's　love；　however　badly　he　may　have　treated　her。　He　would　try　by　a

few　attentions　to　make　his　peace　with　the　girl　Howells；　and　then　would

engage　her　as　his　accomplice。　Together　they　would　come　at　night　to　the

cellar；　and　their　united　force　would　suffice　to　raise　the　stone。　So

far　I　could　follow　their　actions　as　if　I　had　actually　seen　them。

　　〃But　for　two　of　them；　and　one　a　woman；　it　must　have　been　heavy　work；

the　raising　of　that　stone。　A　burly　Sussex　policeman　and　I　had　found　it

no　light　job。　What　would　they　do　to　assist　them？　Probably　what　I

should　have　done　myself。　I　rose　and　examined　carefully　the　different

billets　of　wood　which　were　scattered　round　the　floor。　Almost　at　once　I

came　upon　what　I　expected。　One　piece；　about　three　feet　in　length；

had　a　very　marked　indentation　at　one　end；　while　several　were　flattened

at　the　sides　as　if　they　had　been　compressed　by　some　considerable

weight。　Evidently；　as　they　had　dragged　the　stone　up；　they　had　thrust

the　chunks　of　wood　into　the　chink　until　at　last　when　the　opening　was

large　enough　to　crawl　through；　they　would　hold　it　open　by　a　billet

placed　lengthwise；　which　might　very　well　become　indented　at　the

lower　end；　since　the　whole　weight　of　t