the adventure of the six napoleons-第1节

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　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　SHERLOCK　HOLMES

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　THE　ADVENTURE　OF　THE　SIX　NAPOLEONS

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　by　Sir　Arthur　Conan　Doyle



　　It　was　no　very　unusual　thing　for　Mr。　Lestrade；　of　Scotland　Yard；

to　look　in　upon　us　of　an　evening；　and　his　visits　were　welcome　to

Sherlock　Holmes；　for　they　enabled　him　to　keep　in　touch　with　all　that

was　going　on　at　the　police　headquarters。　In　return　for　the　news

which　Lestrade　would　bring；　Holmes　was　always　ready　to　listen　with

attention　to　the　details　of　any　case　upon　which　the　detective　was

engaged；　and　was　able　occasionally；　without　any　active　interference；

to　give　some　hint　or　suggestion　drawn　from　his　own　vast　knowledge

and　experience。

　　On　this　particular　evening；　Lestrade　had　spoken　of　the　weather　and

the　newspapers。　Then　he　had　fallen　silent；　puffing　thoughtfully　at　his

cigar。　Holmes　looked　keenly　at　him。

　　〃Anything　remarkable　on　hand？〃　he　asked。

　　〃Oh；　no；　Mr。　Holmes…　nothing　very　particular。〃

　　〃Then　tell　me　about　it。〃

　　Lestrade　laughed。

　　〃Well；　Mr。　Holmes；　there　is　no　use　denying　that　there　is　something

on　my　mind。　And　yet　it　is　such　an　absurd　business；　that　I　hesitated　to

bother　you　about　it。　On　the　other　hand；　although　it　is　trivial；　it

is　undoubtedly　queer；　and　I　know　that　you　have　a　taste　for　all　that　is

out　of　the　common。　But；　in　my　opinion；　it　comes　more　in　Dr。　Watson's

line　than　ours。〃

　　〃Disease？〃　said　I。

　　〃Madness；　anyhow。　And　a　queer　madness；　too。　You　wouldn't　think　there

was　anyone　living　at　this　time　of　day　who　had　such　a　hatred　of

Napoleon　the　First　that　he　would　break　any　image　of　him　that　he

could　see。〃

　　Holmes　sank　back　in　his　chair。

　　〃That's　no　business　of　mine；〃　said　he。

　　〃Exactly。　That's　what　I　said。　But　then；　when　the　man　commits

burglary　in　order　to　break　images　which　are　not　his　own；　that　brings

it　away　from　the　doctor　and　on　to　the　policeman。〃

　　Holmes　sat　up　again。

　　〃Burglary！　This　is　more　interesting。　Let　me　hear　the　details。〃

　　Lestrade　took　out　his　official　notebook　and　refreshed　his　memory

from　its　pages。

　　〃The　first　case　reported　was　four　days　ago；〃　said　he。　〃It　was　at　the

shop　of　Morse　Hudson；　who　has　a　place　for　the　sale　of　pictures　and

statues　in　the　Kennington　Road。　The　assistant　had　left　the　front

shop　for　an　instant；　when　he　heard　a　crash；　and　hurrying　in　he　found　a

plaster　bust　of　Napoleon；　which　stood　with　several　other　works　of

art　upon　the　counter；　lying　shivered　into　fragments。　He　rushed　out

into　the　road；　but；　although　several　passers…by　declared　that　they　had

noticed　a　man　run　out　of　the　shop；　he　could　neither　see　anyone　nor

could　he　find　any　means　of　identifying　the　rascal。　It　seemed　to　be　one

of　those　senseless　acts　of　Hooliganism　which　occur　from　time　to

time；　and　it　was　reported　to　the　constable　on　the　beat　as　such。　The

plaster　cast　was　not　worth　more　than　a　few　shillings；　and　the　whole

affair　appeared　to　be　too　childish　for　any　particular　investigation。

　　〃The　second　case；　however；　was　more　serious；　and　also　more　singular。

It　occurred　only　last　night。

　　〃In　Kennington　Road；　and　within　a　few　hundred　yards　of　Morse

Hudson's　shop；　there　lives　a　well…known　medical　practitioner；　named

Dr。　Barnicot；　who　has　one　of　the　largest　practices　upon　the　south　side

of　the　Thames。　His　residence　and　principal　consulting…room　is　at

Kennington　Road；　but　he　has　a　branch　surgery　and　dispensary　at　Lower

Brixton　Road；　two　miles　away。　This　Dr。　Barnicot　is　an　enthusiastic

admirer　of　Napoleon；　and　his　house　is　full　of　books；　pictures；　and

relics　of　the　French　Emperor。　Some　little　time　ago　he　purchased　from

Morse　Hudson　two　duplicate　plaster　casts　of　the　famous　head　of

Napoleon　by　the　French　sculptor；　Devine。　One　of　these　he　placed　in　his

hall　in　the　house　at　Kennington　Road；　and　the　other　on　the　mantelpiece

of　the　surgery　at　Lower　Brixton。　Well；　when　Dr。　Barnicot　came　down

this　morning　he　was　astonished　to　find　that　his　house　had　been　burgled

during　the　night；　but　that　nothing　had　been　taken　save　the　plaster

head　from　the　hall。　It　had　been　carried　out　and　had　been　dashed

savagely　against　the　garden　wall；　under　which　its　splintered　fragments

were　discovered。〃

　　Holmes　rubbed　his　hands。

　　〃This　is　certainly　very　novel；〃　said　he。

　　〃I　thought　it　would　please　you。　But　I　have　not　got　to　the　end　yet。

Dr。　Barnicot　was　due　at　his　surgery　at　twelve　o'clock；　and　you　can

imagine　his　amazement　when；　on　arriving　there；　he　found　that　the

window　had　been　opened　in　the　night　and　that　the　broken　pieces　of

his　second　bust　were　strewn　all　over　the　room。　It　had　been　smashed

to　atoms　where　it　stood。　In　neither　case　were　there　any　signs　which

could　give　us　a　clue　as　to　the　criminal　or　lunatic　who　had　done　the

mischief。　Now；　Mr。　Holmes；　you　have　got　the　facts。〃

　　〃They　are　singular；　not　to　say　grotesque；〃　said　Holmes。　〃May　I　ask

whether　the　two　busts　smashed　in　Dr。　Barnicot's　rooms　were　the　exact

duplicates　of　the　one　which　was　destroyed　in　Morse　Hudson's　shop？〃

　　〃They　were　taken　from　the　same　mould。〃

　　〃Such　a　fact　must　tell　against　the　theory　that　the　man　who　breaks

them　is　influenced　by　any　general　hatred　of　Napoleon。　Considering

how　many　hundreds　of　statues　of　the　great　Emperor　must　exist　in

London；　it　is　too　much　to　suppose　such　a　coincidence　as　that　a

promiscuous　iconoclast　should　chance　to　begin　upon　three　specimens

of　the　same　bust。〃

　　〃Well；　I　thought　as　you　do；〃　said　Lestrade。　〃On　the　other　hand；　this

Morse　Hudson　is　the　purveyor　of　busts　in　that　part　of　London；　and

these　three　were　the　only　ones　which　had　been　in　his　shop　for　years。

So；　although；　as　you　say；　there　are　many　hundreds　of　statues　in

London；　it　is　very　probable　that　these　three　were　the　only　ones　in

that　district。　Therefore；　a　local　fanatic　would　begin　with　them。

What　do　you　think；　Dr。　Watson？〃

　　〃There　are　no　limits　to　the　possibilities　of　monomania；〃　I　answered。

〃There　is　the　condition　which　the　modern　French　psychologists　have

called　the　'idee　fixe；'　which　may　be　trifling　in　character；　and

accompanied　by　complete　sanity　in　every　other　way。　A　man　who　had

read　deeply　about　Napoleon；　or　who　had　possibly　received　some

hereditary　family　injury　through　the　great　war；　might　conceivably　form

such　an　idee　fixe　and　under　its　influence　be　capable　of　any

fantastic　outrage。〃

　　〃That　won't　do；　my　dear　Watson；〃　said　Holmes；　shaking　his　head；　〃for

no　amount　of　idee　fixe　would　enable　your　interesting　monomaniac　to

find　out　where　these　busts　were　situated。〃

　　〃Well；　how　do　you　explain　it？〃

　　〃I　don't　attempt　to　do　so。　I　would　only　observe　that　there　is　a

certain　method　in　the　gentleman's　eccentric　proceedings。　For

example；　in　Dr。　Barnicot's　hall；　where　a　sound　might　arouse　the

family；　the　bust　was　taken　outside　before　being　broken；　whereas　in　the

surgery；　where　there　was　less　danger　of　an　alarm；　it　was　smashed　where

it　stood。　The　affair　seems　absurdly　trifling；　and　yet　I　dare　call

nothing　trivial　when　I　reflect　that　some　of　my　most　classic　cases　have

had　the　least　promising　commencement。　You　will　remember；　Watson；　how

the　dreadful　business　of　the　Abernetty　family　was　first　brought　to

my　notice　by　the　depth　which　the　parsley　had　sunk　into　the　butter　upon

a　hot　day。　I　can't　afford；　therefore；　to　smile　at　your　three　broken

busts；　Lestrade；　and　I　shall　be　very　much　obliged　to　you　if　you　will

let　me　hear　of　any　fresh　development　of　so　singular　a　chain　of

events。〃



　　The　development　for　which　my　friend　had　asked　came　in　a　quicker

and　an　infinitely　more　tragic　form　than　he　could　have　imagined。　I

was　still　dressing　in　my　bedroom　next　morning；　when　there　was　a　tap　at

the　door　and　Holmes　entered；　a　telegram　in　his　hand。　He　read　it　aloud：



　　　　　〃Come　instantly；　131　Pitt　Street；　Kensington。

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　〃LESTRADE。〃



　　〃What　is　it；　then？〃　I　asked。

　　〃Don't　know…　may　be　anything。　But　I　suspect　it　is　the　sequel　of

the　story　of　the　statues。　In　that　case　our　friend　the　image…breaker

has　begun　operations　in　another　quarter　of　London。　There's　coffee　on

the　table；　Watson；　and　I　have　a　cab　at　the　door。〃

　　In　half　an　hour　we　had　reached　Pitt　Street；　a　quiet　little　backwater

just　beside　one　of　the　briskest　currents　of　London　life。　No。　131　was

one　of　a　row；　all　flat…chested；　respectable；　and　most　unromantic

dwellings。　As　we　drove　up；　we　found　the　railings　in　front　of　the　house

lined　by　a　curious　crowd。　Holmes　whistled。

　　〃By　George！　It's　attempted　murder　at　the　least。　Nothing　less　will

bold　the　London　message…boy。　There's　a　deed　of　violence　indicated　in

that　fellow's　round　shoulders　and　outstretched　neck。　What's　this；

Watson？　The　top　steps　swilled　down　and　the　other　ones　dry。　Footsteps

enough；　anyhow！　Well；　well；　there's　Lestrade　at　the　front　window；

and　we　shall　soon　know　all　about　it。〃

　　The　official　received　us　with　a　very　grave　face　and　showed　us　into　a

sitting…room；　where　an　exceedingly　unkempt　and　agitated　elderly　man；

clad　in　a　flannel　dressing…gown；　was　pacing　up　and　down。　He　was

introduced　to　us　as　the　owner　of　the　house…　Mr。　Horace　Harker；　of

the　Central　Press　Syndicate。

　　〃It's　the