the adventure of the six napoleons-第2节

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

the　Central　Press　Syndicate。

　　〃It's　the　Napoleon　bust　business　again；〃　said　Lestrade。　〃You

seemed　interested　last　night；　Mr。　Holmes；　so　I　thought　perhaps　you

would　be　glad　to　be　present　now　that　the　affair　has　taken　a　very

much　graver　turn。〃

　　〃What　has　it　turned　to；　then？〃

　　〃To　murder。　Mr。　Harker；　will　you　tell　these　gentlemen　exactly　what

has　occurred？〃

　　The　man　in　the　dressing…gown　turned　upon　us　with　a　most　melancholy

face。

　　〃It's　an　extraordinary　thing；〃　said　be；　〃that　all　my　life　I　have

been　collecting　other　people's　news；　and　now　that　a　real　piece　of　news

has　come　my　own　way　I　am　so　confused　and　bothered　that　I　can't　put　two

words　together。　If　I　had　come　in　here　as　a　journalist；　I　should　have

interviewed　myself　and　had　two　columns　in　every　evening　paper。　As　it

is；　I　am　giving　away　valuable　copy　by　telling　my　story　over　and　over

to　a　string　of　different　people；　and　I　can　make　no　use　of　it　myself。

However；　I've　heard　your　name；　Mr。　Sherlock　Holmes；　and　if　you'll　only

explain　this　queer　business；　I　shall　be　paid　for　my　trouble　in　telling

you　the　story。〃

　　Holmes　sat　down　and　listened。

　　〃It　all　seems　to　centre　round　that　bust　of　Napoleon　which　I　bought

for　this　very　room　about　four　months　ago。　I　picked　it　up　cheap　from

Harding　Brothers；　two　doors　from　the　High　Street　Station。　A　great　deal

of　my　journalistic　work　is　done　at　night；　and　I　often　write　until

the　early　morning。　So　it　was　to…day。　I　was　sitting　in　my　den；　which　is

at　the　back　of　the　top　of　the　house；　about　three　o'clock；　when　I　was

convinced　that　I　heard　some　sounds　downstairs。　I　listened；　but　they

were　not　repeated；　and　I　concluded　that　they　came　from　outside。　Then

suddenly；　about　five　minutes　later；　there　came　a　most　horrible　yell…

the　most　dreadful　sound；　Mr。　Holmes；　that　ever　I　heard。　It　will　ring

in　my　ears　as　long　as　I　live。　I　sat　frozen　with　horror　for　a　minute　or

two。　Then　I　seized　the　poker　and　went　downstairs。　When　I　entered

this　room　I　found　the　window　wide　open；　and　I　at　once　observed　that

the　bust　was　gone　from　the　mantelpiece。　Why　any　burglar　should　take

such　a　thing　passes　my　understanding；　for　it　was　only　a　plaster　cast

and　of　no　real　value　whatever。

　　〃You　can　see　for　yourself　that　anyone　going　out　through　that　open

window　could　reach　the　front　doorstep　by　taking　a　long　stride。　This

was　clearly　what　the　burglar　had　done；　so　I　went　round　and　opened

the　door。　Stepping　out　into　the　dark；　I　nearly　fell　over　a　dead　man；

who　was　lying　there。　I　ran　back　for　a　light　and　there　was　the　poor

fellow；　a　great　gash　in　his　throat　and　the　whole　place　swimming　in

blood。　He　lay　on　his　back；　his　knees　drawn　up；　and　his　mouth

horribly　open。　I　shall　see　him　in　my　dreams。　I　had　just　time　to　blow

on　my　police…whistle；　and　then　I　must　have　fainted；　for　I　knew　nothing

more　until　I　found　the　policeman　standing　over　me　in　the　hall。〃

　　〃Well；　who　was　the　murdered　man？〃　asked　Holmes。

　　〃There's　nothing　to　show　who　he　was；〃　said　Lestrade。　〃You　shall

see　the　body　at　the　mortuary；　but　we　have　made　nothing　of　it　up　to

now。　He　is　a　tall　man；　sunburned；　very　powerful；　not　more　than　thirty。

He　is　poorly　dressed；　and　yet　does　not　appear　to　be　a　labourer。　A

horn…handled　clasp　knife　was　lying　in　a　pool　of　blood　beside　him。

Whether　it　was　the　weapon　which　did　the　deed；　or　whether　it　belonged

to　the　dead　man；　I　do　not　know。　There　was　no　name　on　his　clothing；　and

nothing　in　his　pockets　save　an　apple；　some　string；　a　shilling　map　of

London；　and　a　photograph。　Here　it　is。〃

　　It　was　evidently　taken　by　a　snapshot　from　a　small　camera。　It

represented　an　alert；　sharp…featured　simian　man；　with　thick　eyebrows

and　a　very　peculiar　projection　of　the　lower　part　of　the　face；　like　the

muzzle　of　a　baboon。

　　〃And　what　became　of　the　bust？〃　asked　Holmes；　after　a　careful　study

of　this　picture。

　　〃We　had　news　of　it　just　before　you　came。　It　has　been　found　in　the

front　garden　of　an　empty　house　in　Campden　House　Road。　It　was　broken

into　fragments。　I　am　going　round　now　to　see　it。　Will　you　come？〃

　　〃Certainly。　I　must　just　take　one　look　round。〃　He　examined　the　carpet

and　the　window。　〃The　fellow　had　either　very　long　legs　or　was　a　most

active　man；〃　said　he。　〃With　an　area　beneath；　it　was　no　mean　feat　to

reach　that　window　ledge　and　open　that　window。　Getting　back　was

comparatively　simple。　Are　you　coming　with　us　to　see　the　remains　of

your　bust；　Mr。　Harker？〃

　　The　disconsolate　journalist　had　seated　himself　at　a　writing…table。

　　〃I　must　try　and　make　something　of　it；〃　said　he；　〃though　I　have　no

doubt　that　the　first　editions　of　the　evening　papers　are　out　already

with　full　details。　It's　like　my　luck！　You　remember　when　the　stand　fell

at　Doncaster？　Well；　I　was　the　only　journalist　in　the　stand；　and　my

journal　the　only　one　that　had　no　account　of　it；　for　I　was　too　shaken

to　write　it。　And　now　I'll　be　too　late　with　a　murder　done　on　my　own

doorstep。〃

　　As　we　left　the　room；　we　heard　his　pen　travelling　shrilly　over　the

foolscap。

　　The　spat　where　the　fragments　of　the　bust　had　been　found　was　only　a

few　hundred　yards　away。　For　the　first　time　our　eyes　rested　upon　this

presentment　of　the　great　emperor；　which　seemed　to　raise　such　frantic

and　destructive　hatred　in　the　mind　of　the　unknown。　It　lay　scattered；

in　splintered　shards；　upon　the　grass。　Holmes　picked　up　several　of　them

and　examined　them　carefully。　I　was　convinced；　from　his　intent　face　and

his　purposeful　manner；　that　at　last　he　was　upon　a　clue。

　　〃Well？〃　asked　Lestrade。

　　Holmes　shrugged　his　shoulders。

　　〃We　have　a　long　way　to　go　yet；〃　said　he。　〃And　yet…　and　yet…　well；　we

have　some　suggestive　facts　to　act　upon。　The　possession　of　this

trifling　bust　was　worth　more；　in　the　eyes　of　this　strange　criminal；

than　a　human　life。　That　is　one　point。　Then　there　is　the　singular

fact　that　he　did　not　break　it　in　the　house；　or　immediately　outside　the

house；　if　to　break　it　was　his　sole　object。〃

　　〃He　was　rattled　and　bustled　by　meeting　this　other　fellow。　He

hardly　knew　what　he　was　doing。〃

　　〃Well；　that's　likely　enough。　But　I　wish　to　call　your　attention

very　particularly　to　the　position　of　this　house；　in　the　garden　of

which　the　bust　was　destroyed。〃

　　Lestrade　looked　about　him。

　　〃It　was　an　empty　house；　and　so　he　knew　that　he　would　not　be

disturbed　in　the　garden。〃

　　〃Yes；　but　there　is　another　empty　house　farther　up　the　street　which

he　must　have　passed　before　he　came　to　this　one。　Why　did　he　not　break

it　there；　since　it　is　evident　that　every　yard　that　he　carried　it

increased　the　risk　of　someone　meeting　him？〃

　　〃I　give　it　up；〃　said　Lestrade。

　　Holmes　pointed　to　the　street　lamp　above　our　heads。

　　〃He　could　see　what　he　was　doing　here；　and　he　could　not　there。　That

was　his　reason。〃

　　〃By　Jove！　that's　true；〃　said　the　detective。　〃Now　that　I　come　to

think　of　it；　Dr。　Barnicot's　bust　was　broken　not　far　from　his　red　lamp。

Well；　Mr。　Holmes；　what　are　we　to　do　with　that　fact？〃

　　〃To　remember　it…　to　docket　it。　We　may　come　on　something　later

which　will　bear　upon　it。　What　steps　do　you　propose　to　take　now；

Lestrade？〃

　　〃The　most　practical　way　of　getting　at　it；　in　my　opinion；　is　to

identify　the　dead　man。　There　should　be　no　difficulty　about　that。

When　we　have　found　who　he　is　and　who　his　associates　are；　we　should

have　a　good　start　in　learning　what　he　was　doing　in　Pitt　Street　last

night；　and　who　it　was　who　met　him　and　killed　him　on　the　doorstep　of

Mr。　Horace　Harker。　Don't　you　think　so？〃

　　〃No　doubt；　and　yet　it　is　not　quite　the　way　in　which　I　should

approach　the　case。〃

　　〃What　would　you　do　then？〃

　　〃Oh；　you　must　not　let　me　influence　you　in　any　way。　I　suggest　that

you　go　on　your　line　and　I　on　mine。　We　can　compare　notes　afterwards；

and　each　will　supplement　the　other。〃

　　〃Very　good；〃　said　Lestrade。

　　〃If　you　are　going　back　to　Pitt　Street；　you　might　see　Mr。　Horace

Harker。　Tell　him　for　me　that　I　have　quite　made　up　my　mind；　and　that　it

is　certain　that　a　dangerous　homicidal　lunatic；　with　Napoleonic

delusions；　was　in　his　house　last　night。　It　will　be　useful　for　his

article。〃

　　Lestrade　stared。

　　〃You　don't　seriously　believe　that？〃

　　Holmes　smiled。

　　〃Don't　I？　Well；　perhaps　I　don't。　But　I　am　sure　that　it　will　interest

Mr。　Horace　Harker　and　the　subscribers　of　the　Central　Press

Syndicate。　Now；　Watson；　I　think　that　we　shall　find　that　we　have　a　long

and　rather　complex　day's　work　before　us。　I　should　be　glad；　Lestrade；

if　you　could　make　it　convenient　to　meet　us　at　Baker　Street　at　six

o'clock　this　evening。　Until　then　I　should　like　to　keep　this

photograph；　found　in　the　dead　man's　pocket。　It　is　possible　that　I

may　have　to　ask　your　company　and　assistance　upon　a　small　expedition

which　will　have　be　undertaken　to…night；　if　my　chain　of　reasoning

should　prove　to　be　correct。　Until　then　good…bye　and　good　luck！〃

　　Sherlock　Holmes　and　I　walked　together　to　the　High　Street；　where　we

stopped　at　the　shop　of　Harding　Brothers；　whence　the　bust　had　been

purchased。　A　young　assistant　informed　us　that　Mr。　Harding　would　be

absent　until　afternoon；　and　that　he　was　himself　a　newcomer；　who

could　give　us　no　information