adventure11-第4节

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we　found　a　reply　waiting　for　us　at　our　hotel。　　Holmes

tore　it　open；　and　then　with　a　bitter　curse　hurled　it

into　the　grate。



〃I　might　have　known　it！〃　he　groaned。　　〃He　has

escaped！〃



〃Moriarty？〃



〃They　have　secured　the　whole　gang　with　the　exception

of　him。　　He　has　given　them　the　slip。　　Of　course；　when

I　had　left　the　country　there　was　no　one　to　cope　with

him。　　But　I　did　think　that　I　had　put　the　game　in　their

hands。　　I　think　that　you　had　better　return　to　England；

Watson。〃



〃Why？〃



〃Because　you　will　find　me　a　dangerous　companion　now。　

This　man's　occupation　is　gone。　　He　is　lost　if　he

returns　to　London。　　If　I　read　his　character　right　he

will　devote　his　whole　energies　to　revenging　himself

upon　me。　　He　said　as　much　in　our　short　interview；　and

I　fancy　that　he　meant　it。　　I　should　certainly

recommend　you　to　return　to　your　practice。〃



It　was　hardly　an　appeal　to　be　successful　with　one　who

was　an　old　campaigner　as　well　as　an　old　friend。　　We

sat　in　the　Strasburg　salle…唷璵anger　arguing　the

question　for　half　an　hour；　but　the　same　night　we　had

resumed　our　journey　and　were　well　on　our　way　to

Geneva。



For　a　charming　week　we　wandered　up　the　Valley　of　the

Rhone；　and　then；　branching　off　at　Leuk；　we　made　our

way　over　the　Gemmi　Pass；　still　deep　in　snow；　and　so；

by　way　of　Interlaken；　to　Meiringen。　　It　was　a　lovely

trip；　the　dainty　green　of　the　spring　below；　the　virgin

white　of　the　winter　above；　but　it　was　clear　to　me　that

never　for　one　instant　did　Holmes　forget　the　shadow

which　lay　across　him。　　In　the　homely　Alpine　villages

or　in　the　lonely　mountain　passes；　I　could　tell　by　his

quick　glancing　eyes　and　his　sharp　scrutiny　of　every

face　that　passed　us；　that　he　was　well　convinced　that；

walk　where　we　would；　we　could　not　walk　ourselves　clear

of　the　danger　which　was　dogging　our　footsteps。



Once；　I　remember；　as　we　passed　over　the　Gemmi；　and

walked　along　the　border　of　the　melancholy　Daubensee；　a

large　rock　which　had　been　dislodged　from　the　ridge

upon　our　right　clattered　down　and　roared　into　the　lake

behind　us。　　In　an　instant　Holmes　had　raced　up　on　to

the　ridge；　and；　standing　upon　a　lofty　pinnacle；　craned

his　neck　in　every　direction。　　It　was　in　vain　that　our

guide　assured　him　that　a　fall　of　stones　was　a　common

chance　in　the　spring…time　at　that　spot。　　He　said

nothing；　but　he　smiled　at　me　with　the　air　of　a　man　who

sees　the　fulfillment　of　that　which　he　had　expected。



And　yet　for　all　his　watchfulness　he　was　never

depressed。　　On　the　contrary；　I　can　never　recollect

having　seen　him　in　such　exuberant　spirits。　　Again　and

again　he　recurred　to　the　fact　that　if　he　could　be

assured　that　society　was　freed　from　Professor　Moriarty

he　would　cheerfully　bring　his　own　career　to　a

conclusion。



〃I　think　that　I　may　go　so　far　as　to　say；　Watson；　that

I　have　not　lived　wholly　in　vain；〃　he　remarked。　　〃If　my

record　were　closed　to…night　I　could　still　survey　it

with　equanimity。　　The　air　of　London　is　the　sweeter　for

my　presence。　　In　over　a　thousand　cases　I　am　not　aware

that　I　have　ever　used　my　powers　upon　the　wrong　side。　

Of　late　I　have　been　tempted　to　look　into　the　problems

furnished　by　nature　rather　than　those　more　superficial

ones　for　which　our　artificial　state　of　society　is

responsible。　　Your　memoirs　will　draw　to　an　end；

Watson；　upon　the　day　that　I　crown　my　career　by　the

capture　or　extinction　of　the　most　dangerous　and

capable　criminal　in　Europe。〃



I　shall　be　brief；　and　yet　exact；　in　the　little　which

remains　for　me　to　tell。　　It　is　not　a　subject　on　which

I　would　willingly　dwell；　and　yet　I　am　conscious　that　a

duty　devolves　upon　me　to　omit　no　detail。



It　was　on　the　3d　of　May　that　we　reached　the　little

village　of　Meiringen；　where　we　put　up　at　the

Englischer　Hof；　then　kept　by　Peter　Steiler　the　elder。　

Our　landlord　was　an　intelligent　　man；　and　spoke

excellent　English；　having　served　for　three　years　as

waiter　at　the　Grosvenor　Hotel　in　London。　　At　his

advice；　on　the　afternoon　of　the　4th　we　set　off

together；　with　the　intention　of　crossing　the　hills　and

spending　the　night　at　the　hamlet　of　Rosenlaui。　　We　had

strict　injunctions；　however；　on　no　account　to　pass　the

falls　of　Reichenbach；　which　are　about　half…way　up　the

hill；　without　making　a　small　detour　to　see　them。



It　is　indeed；　a　fearful　place。　　The　torrent；　swollen

by　the　melting　snow；　plunges　into　a　tremendous　abyss；

from　which　the　spray　rolls　up　like　the　smoke　from　a

burning　house。　　The　shaft　into　which　the　river　hurls

itself　is　a　immense　chasm；　lined　by　glistening

coal…black　rock；　and　narrowing　into　a　creaming；

boiling　pit　of　incalculable　depth；　which　brims　over

and　shoots　the　stream　onward　over　its　jagged　lip。　　The

long　sweep　of　green　water　roaring　forever　down；　and

the　thick　flickering　curtain　of　spray　hissing　forever

upward；　turn　a　man　giddy　with　their　constant　whirl　and

clamor。　　We　stood　near　the　edge　peering　down　at　the

gleam　of　the　breaking　water　far　below　us　against　the

black　rocks；　and　listening　to　the　half…human　shout

which　cam　booming　up　with　the　spray　out　of　the　abyss。



The　path　has　been　cut　half…way　round　the　fall　to

afford　a　complete　view；　but　it　ends　abruptly；　and　the

traveler　has　to　return　as　he　came。　　We　had　turned　to

do　so；　when　we　saw　a　Swiss　lad　come　running　along　it

with　a　letter　in　his　hand。　　It　bore　the　mark　of　the

hotel　which　we　had　just　left；　and　was　addressed　to　me

by　the　landlord。　　It　appeared　that　within　a　very　few

minutes　of　our　leaving；　and　English　lady　had　arrived

who　was　in　the　last　stage　of　consumption。　　She　had

wintered　at　Davos　Platz；　and　was　journeying　now　to

join　her　friends　at　Lucerne；　when　a　sudden　hemorrhage

had　overtaken　her。　　It　was　thought　that　she　could

hardly　live　a　few　hours；　but　it　would　be　a　great

consolation　to　her　to　see　an　English　doctor；　and；　if　I

would　only　return；　etc。　　The　good　Steiler　assured　me

in　a　postscript　that　he　would　himself　look　upon　my

compliance　as　a　very　great　favor；　since　the　lady

absolutely　refused　to　see　a　Swiss　physician；　and　he

could　not　but　feel　that　he　was　incurring　a　great

responsibility。



The　appeal　was　one　which　could　not　be　ignored。　　It　was

impossible　to　refuse　the　request　of　a

fellow…countrywoman　dying　in　a　strange　land。　　Yet　I

had　my　scruples　about　leaving　Holmes。　　It　was　finally

agreed；　however；　that　he　should　retain　the　young　Swiss

messenger　with　him　as　guide　and　companion　while　I

returned　to　Meiringen。　　My　friend　would　stay　some

little　time　at　the　fall；　he　said；　and　would　then　walk

slowly　over　the　hill　to　Rosenlaui；　where　I　was　to

rejoin　him　in　the　evening。　　As　I　turned　away　I　saw

Holmes；　with　his　back　against　a　rock　and　his　arms

folded；　gazing　down　at　the　rush　of　the　waters。　　It　was

the　last　that　I　was　ever　destined　to　see　of　him　in

this　world。



When　I　was　near　the　bottom　of　the　descent　I　looked

back。　　It　was　impossible；　from　that　position；　to　see

the　fall；　but　I　could　see　the　curving　path　which　winds

over　the　shoulder　of　the　hill　and　leads　to　it。　　Along

this　a　man　was；　I　remember；　walking　very　rapidly。



I　could　see　his　black　figure　clearly　outlined　against

the　green　behind　him。　　I　noted　him；　and　the　energy　wit

which　he　walked　but　he　passed　from　my　mind　again　as　I

hurried　on　upon　my　errand。



It　may　have　been　a　little　over　an　hour　before　I

reached　Meiringen。　　Old　Steiler　was　standing　at　the

porch　of　his　hotel。



〃Well；〃　said　I；　as　I　came　hurrying　up；　〃I　trust　that

she　is　no　worse？〃



a　look　of　surprise　passed　over　his　face；　and　at　the

first　quiver　of　his　eyebrows　my　heart　turned　to　lead

in　my　breast。



〃You　did　not　write　this？〃　I　said；　pulling　the　letter

from　my　pocket。　　〃There　is　no　sick　Englishwoman　in　the

hotel？〃



〃Certainly　not！〃　he　cried。　　〃But　it　has　the　hotel　mark

upon　it！　　Ha；　it　must　have　been　written　by　that　tall

Englishman　who　came　in　after　you　had　gone。　　He　said〃



but　I　waited　for　none　of　the　landlord's　explanations。　

In　a　tingle　of　fear　I　was　already　running　down　the

village　street；　and　making　for　the　path　which　I　had　so

lately　descended。　　It　had　taken　me　an　hour　to　come

down。　　For　all　my　efforts　two　more　had　passed　before　I

found　myself　at　the　fall　of　Reichenbach　once　more。　

There　was　Holmes's　Alpine…stock　still　leaning　against

the　rock　by　which　I　had　left　him。　　But　there　was　no

sign　of　him；　and　it　was　in　vain　that　I　shouted。　　My

only　answer　was　my　own　voice　reverberating　in　a

rolling　echo　from　the　cliffs　around　me。



It　was　the　sight　of　that　Alpine…stock　which　turned　me

cold　and　sick。　　He　had　not　gone　to　Rosenlaui；　then。　

He　had　remained　on　that　three…foot　path；　with　sheer

wall　on　one　side　and　sheer　drop　on　the　other；　until

his　enemy　had　overtaken　him。　　The　young　Swiss　had　gone

too。　　He　had　probably　been　in　the　pay　of　Moriarty；　and

had　left　the　two　men　together。　　And　then　what　had

happened？　　Who　was　to　tell　us　what　had　happened　then？



I　stood　for　a　minute　or　two　to　collect