the adventure of the empty house-第1节

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　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　SHERLOCK　HOLMES

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　THE　ADVENTURE　OF　THE　EMPTY　HOUSE

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　by　Sir　Arthur　Conan　Doyle



　　It　was　in　the　spring　of　the　year　1894　that　all　London　was

interested；　and　the　fashionable　world　dismayed；　by　the　murder　of　the

Honourable　Ronald　Adair　under　most　unusual　and　inexplicable

circumstances。　The　public　has　already　learned　those　particulars　of　the

crime　which　came　out　in　the　police　investigation；　but　a　good　deal

was　suppressed　upon　that　occasion；　since　the　case　for　the

prosecution　was　so　overwhelmingly　strong　that　it　was　not　necessary

to　bring　forward　all　the　facts。　Only　now；　at　the　end　of　nearly　ten

years；　am　I　allowed　to　supply　those　missing　links　which　make　up　the

whole　of　that　remarkable　chain。　The　crime　was　of　interest　in　itself；

but　that　interest　was　as　nothing　to　me　compared　to　the　inconceivable

sequel；　which　afforded　me　the　greatest　shock　and　surprise　of　any　event

in　my　adventurous　life。　Even　now；　after　this　long　interval；　I　find

myself　thrilling　as　I　think　of　it；　and　feeling　once　more　that　sudden

flood　of　joy；　amazement；　and　incredulity　which　utterly　submerged　my

mind。　Let　me　say　to　that　public；　which　has　shown　some　interest　in

those　glimpses　which　I　have　occasionally　given　them　of　the　thoughts

and　actions　of　a　very　remarkable　man；　that　they　are　not　to　blame　me　if

I　have　not　shared　my　knowledge　with　them；　for　I　should　have　considered

it　my　first　duty　to　do　so；　had　I　not　been　barred　by　a　positive

prohibition　from　his　own　lips；　which　was　only　withdrawn　upon　the　third

of　last　month。

　　It　can　be　imagined　that　my　close　intimacy　with　Sherlock　Holmes　had

interested　me　deeply　in　crime；　and　that　after　his　disappearance　I

never　failed　to　read　with　care　the　various　problems　which　came

before　the　public。　And　I　even　attempted；　more　than　once；　for　my　own

private　satisfaction；　to　employ　his　methods　in　their　solution；

though　with　indifferent　success。　There　was　none；　however；　which

appealed　to　me　like　this　tragedy　of　Ronald　Adair。　As　I　read　the

evidence　at　the　inquest；　which　led　up　to　a　verdict　of　willful　murder

against　some　person　or　persons　unknown；　I　realized　more　clearly　than　I

had　ever　done　the　loss　which　the　community　had　sustained　by　the

death　of　Sherlock　Holmes。　There　were　points　about　this　strange

business　which　would；　I　was　sure；　have　specially　appealed　to　him；

and　the　efforts　of　the　police　would　have　been　supplemented；　or　more

probably　anticipated；　by　the　trained　observation　and　the　alert　mind　of

the　first　criminal　agent　in　Europe。　All　day；　as　I　drove　upon　my　round；

I　turned　over　the　case　in　my　mind　and　found　no　explanation　which

appeared　to　me　to　be　adequate。　At　the　risk　of　telling　a　twice…told

tale；　I　will　recapitulate　the　facts　as　they　were　known　to　the　public

at　the　conclusion　of　the　inquest。

　　The　Honourable　Ronald　Adair　was　the　second　son　of　the　Earl　of

Maynooth；　at　that　time　governor　of　one　of　the　Australian　colonies。

Adair's　mother　had　returned　from　Australia　to　undergo　the　operation

for　cataract；　and　she；　her　son　Ronald；　and　her　daughter　Hilda　were

living　together　at　427　Park　Lane。　The　youth　moved　in　the　best　society…

had；　so　far　as　was　known；　no　enemies　and　no　particular　vices。　He　had

been　engaged　to　Miss　Edith　Woodley；　of　Carstairs；　but　the　engagement

had　been　broken　off　by　mutual　consent　some　months　before；　and　there

was　no　sign　that　it　had　left　any　very　profound　feeling　behind　it。

For　the　rest　of　the　man's　life　moved　in　a　narrow　and　conventional

circle；　for　his　habits　were　quiet　and　his　nature　unemotional。　Yet　it

was　upon　this　easy…going　young　aristocrat　that　death　came；　in　most

strange　and　unexpected　form；　between　the　hours　of　ten　and

eleven…twenty　on　the　night　of　March　30；　1894。

　　Ronald　Adair　was　fond　of　cards…　playing　continually；　but　never　for

such　stakes　as　would　hurt　him。　He　was　a　member　of　the　Baldwin；　the

Cavendish；　and　the　Bagatelle　card　clubs。　It　was　shown　that；　after

dinner　on　the　day　of　his　death；　he　had　played　a　rubber　of　whist　at　the

latter　club。　He　had　also　played　there　in　the　afternoon。　The　evidence

of　those　who　had　played　with　him…　Mr。　Murray；　Sir　John　Hardy；　and

Colonel　Moran…　showed　that　the　game　was　whist；　and　that　there　was　a

fairly　equal　fall　of　the　cards。　Adair　might　have　lost　five　pounds；　but

not　more。　His　fortune　was　a　considerable　one；　and　such　a　loss　could

not　in　any　way　affect　him。　He　had　played　nearly　every　day　at　one

club　or　other；　but　he　was　a　cautious　player；　and　usually　rose　a

winner。　It　came　out　in　evidence　that；　in　partnership　with　Colonel

Moran；　he　had　actually　won　as　much　as　four　hundred　and　twenty　pounds

in　a　sitting；　some　weeks　before；　from　Godfrey　Milner　and　Lord

Balmoral。　So　much　for　his　recent　history　as　it　came　out　at　the

inquest。

　　On　the　evening　of　the　crime；　he　returned　from　the　club　exactly　at

ten。　His　mother　and　sister　were　out　spending　the　evening　with　a

relation。　The　servant　deposed　that　she　heard　him　enter　the　front

room　on　the　second　floor；　generally　used　as　his　sittingroom。　She　had

lit　a　fire　there；　and　as　it　smoked　she　had　opened　the　window。　No　sound

was　heard　from　the　room　until　eleven…twenty；　the　hour　of　the　return　of

Lady　Maynooth　and　her　daughter。　Desiring　to　say　good…night；　she

attempted　to　enter　her　son's　room。　The　door　was　locked　on　the

inside；　and　no　answer　could　be　got　to　their　cries　and　knocking。　Help

was　obtained；　and　the　door　forced。　The　unfortunate　young　man　was　found

lying　near　the　table。　His　head　had　been　horribly　mutilated　by　an

expanding　revolver　bullet；　but　no　weapon　of　any　sort　was　to　be　found

in　the　room。　On　the　table　lay　two　banknotes　for　ten　pounds　each　and

seventeen　pounds　ten　in　silver　and　gold；　the　money　arranged　in

little　piles　of　varying　amount。　There　were　some　figures　also　upon　a

sheet　of　paper；　with　the　names　of　some　club　friends　opposite　to

them；　from　which　it　was　conjectured　that　before　his　death　he　was

endeavouring　to　make　out　his　losses　or　winnings　at　cards。

　　A　minute　examination　of　the　circumstances　served　only　to　make　the

case　more　complex。　In　the　first　place；　no　reason　could　be　given　why

the　young　man　should　have　fastened　the　door　upon　the　inside。　There　was

the　possibility　that　the　murderer　had　done　this；　and　had　afterwards

escaped　by　the　window。　The　drop　was　at　least　twenty　feet；　however；　and

a　bed　of　crocuses　in　full　bloom　lay　beneath。　Neither　the　flowers　nor

the　earth　showed　any　sign　of　having　been　disturbed；　nor　were　there　any

marks　upon　the　narrow　strip　of　grass　which　separated　the　house　from

the　road。　Apparently；　therefore；　it　was　the　young　man　himself　who

had　fastened　the　door。　But　how　did　he　come　by　his　death？　No　one

could　have　climbed　up　to　the　window　without　leaving　traces。　Suppose

a　man　had　fired　through　the　window；　he　would　indeed　be　a　remarkable

shot　who　could　with　a　revolver　inflict　so　deadly　a　wound。　Again；

Park　lane　is　a　frequented　thoroughfare；　there　is　a　cab　stand　within

a　hundred　yards　of　the　house。　No　one　had　heard　a　shot。　And　yet　there

was　the　dead　man　and　there　the　revolver　bullet；　which　had　mushroomed

out；　as　soft…nosed　bullets　will；　and　so　inflicted　a　wound　which　must

have　caused　instantaneous　death。　Such　were　the　circumstances　of　the

Park　Lane　Mystery；　which　were　further　complicated　by　entire　absence　of

motive；　since；　as　I　have　said；　young　Adair　was　not　known　to　have　any

enemy；　and　no　attempt　had　been　made　to　remove　the　money　or　valuables

in　the　room。

　　All　day　I　turned　these　facts　over　in　my　mind；　endeavouring　to　hit

upon　some　theory　which　could　reconcile　them　all；　and　to　find　that　line

of　least　resistance　which　my　poor　friend　had　declared　to　be　the

starting…point　of　every　investigation。　I　confess　that　I　made　little

progress。　In　the　evening　I　strolled　across　the　Park；　and　found

myself　about　six　o'clock　at　the　Oxford　Street　end　of　Park　Lane。　A

group　of　loafers　upon　the　pavements；　all　staring　up　at　a　particular

window；　directed　me　to　the　house　which　I　had　come　to　see。　A　tall；　thin

man　with　coloured　glasses；　whom　I　strongly　suspected　of　being　a

plain…clothes　detective；　was　pointing　out　some　theory　of　his　own；

while　the　others　crowded　round　to　listen　to　what　he　said。　I　got　as

near　him　as　I　could；　but　his　observations　seemed　to　me　to　be　absurd；

so　I　withdrew　again　in　some　disgust。　As　I　did　so　I　struck　against　an

elderly；　deformed　man；　who　had　been　behind　me；　and　I　knocked　down

several　books　which　he　was　carrying。　I　remember　that　as　I　picked

them　up；　I　observed　the　title　of　one　of　them；　The　Origin　of　Tree

Worship；　and　it　struck　me　that　the　fellow　must　be　some　poor

bibliophile；　who；　either　as　a　trade　or　as　a　hobby；　was　a　collector

of　obscure　volumes。　I　endeavoured　to　apologize　for　the　accident；　but

it　was　evident　that　these　books　which　I　had　so　unfortunately

maltreated　were　very　precious　objects　in　the　eyes　of　their　owner。　With

a　snarl　of　contempt　he　turned　upon　his　heel；　and　I　saw　his　curved　back

and　white　side…whiskers　disappear　among　the　throng。

　　My　observations　of　No。　427　Park　Lane　did　little　to　clear　up　the

problem　in　which　I　was　interested。　The　house　was　separated　fr